UNT - Center for Parent Education

Texas HIPPY 2007-2008 Evaluation Report effects of the HIPPY program on school HIPPY (Home Instruction for Parents readiness. of Preschool Youngsters) is an international home-based literacy program with a 20-year record in the state of Texas. The 2007-2008 impact study encompassed parent involvement and the child's readiness for PARENT INVOLVEMENT Kindergarten. INTERVIEW 2007-2008

RESEARCH QUESTIONS Method In the Fall of 2007, HIPPY Home Did parents engage in home-literacy Visitors administered the Parent activities with their preschool Involvement Interview (2-pages, 14 children? items) to first-year HIPPY parents prior to week 2 of the 30 weeks of HIPPY Was there an increase in parental instruction. The same assessment was involvement in the education of administered again at the completion of preschool children? the school year. The Parent Involvement Interview divides questions into four Do HIPPY children enter sections: a) in-home literacy, b) parent’s Kindergarten “ready to learn”? interactions with school staff, and c) parent’s school involvement. 829 PURPOSE HIPPY first-year parents participated in the pretest. Of those, 804 parents also The purpose of this research brief is to participated in the posttest. provide evidence that HIPPY was a positive influence in preschool children's Results readiness for Kindergarten and their Did parents engage in home-literacy parents’ involvement in school and the activities with their preschool community. children? . 76.2% of the HIPPY parents The 2007-2008 study compared increased the amount of time involvement of parents of HIPPY spent engaging their children in kindergarten children and their parents literacy activities at home. at the beginning and end of their first year in the HIPPY Program. The study Was there an increase in parental also surveyed the Kindergarten teachers involvement in the education of of HIPPY children to determine the preschool children?

. 62.9% of HIPPY parents had Kindergarten Teacher Survey were then more frequent contact with compared to this benchmark. As a result personnel at the children’s we are able to determine with more school. statistical power, the number of HIPPY students who enter Kindergarten “ready . 71.2% of HIPPY parents for school.” increased their level of parent involvement with their children’s Method school. In the Spring of 2008, the Kindergarten Teacher Survey (2 page, 20 questions) . 97.6% of HIPPY parents were was mailed to the Kindergarten teachers reported by their child’s of HIPPY students. The survey consists Kindergarten teacher as equally of three sections: Classroom or more involved than parents of Adaptability, Classroom Behavior, and other children in their class. Parental Involvement. Teachers are not . Results from one-tailed, paired aware of the student’s HIPPY sample t-tests indicate a involvement and were asked to rate the significant increase, at the .001 student as “below average”, “average”, level, in mean scores from pre to or “above average” compared to other post administration on In-home children in her class. Of the 409 surveys Literacy and Interaction with mailed, 168 were returned completed. School Staff sections of the Parent Involvement Interview. In For More Information Please Contact: addition there was a significant Carla-Marie Weir, Director increase at the .05 level of the Texas HIPPY Center School Involvement section. University of North Texas Tel 214-442-1441  Fax 972-780-3606 KINDERGARTEN [email protected]  http://www.unt.edu/hippy Results TEACHER SURVEY Do HIPPY children enter 2007-2008 Kindergarten “ready to learn”? . 93.5% of HIPPY children were Benchmark reported as “average” or “above To identify school readiness average” in classroom expectations of the general population of adaptability by their Kindergarten children in Texas, 52 Kindergarten teachers. Kindergarten teachers across the state reviewed the Kindergarten Teacher . 94.0% of HIPPY children were Survey and identified the number of reported as “average” or “above questions a child in their classroom average” in classroom behavior would have to be rated as average or by their Kindergarten teachers. above to be considered "ready for school." Seventy Kindergarten teachers . According to Benchmark results, from four school districts in North, West 87.5% of HIPPY children in and Central Texas representing rural, Texas were reported as “ready urban, and suburban communities were for kindergarten” in the area of asked to participate. Results the classroom adaptability; 88.1%

were reported as “ready for school” in the area of classroom behavior; and 81% were reported as “ready for school” in both areas combined.

Percentage of Kindergarteners Rated as "Ready for School" by Teachers - Texas

Combined 8 1 . 0

8 8 . 1 Classroom Behavior 8 7 . 5 Classroom Adaptability

50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0 Percentage

ABOUT TEXAS HIPPY

Home Instruction for Parents of Preschool Youngsters (HIPPY) is a home based parent involvement program designed to help parents provide educational enrichment for their preschool children. HIPPY Programs served over 1,800 families in 2007-2008 in nine Texas Communities:

Austin  Dallas  Fort Worth Grand Prairie  Houston  Irving Richardson  Snyder Laredo

Report Prepared By: Amber L. Brown, Evaluation Coordinator Center for Parent Education, UNT Tel 940-369-8743  Fax 940-369-7955