Measuring Emergent

Literacy in Houston Final Report

The Bush School Consulting Capstone E. Blackwell, K. Landry, J. Subar Table of Contents Executive Summary ...... 4 Overview ...... 7 Designing an Emergent Literacy Measurement System ...... 8 Research Methodologies ...... 8 Literature Review ...... 8 Stakeholder Analysis ...... 8 Underlying Assumptions and Core Beliefs ...... 9 Literacy Environment Framework ...... 9 Family Demographic Influences on the Literacy Environment ...... 10 Family Demographic Indicators ...... 11 Family income level...... 11 Parental education level (in number of years)...... 11 Primary and secondary languages spoken in the home...... 11 Home Literacy Supports ...... 11 Home Literacy Supports Indicators ...... 12 Parents average time spent reading for pleasure during the week...... 12 Number of children’s books in the home...... 12 Average time spent reading with child each day...... 12 Early Childhood Formal Education Influences on the Learning Environment ...... 12 Formal Early Education Indicators ...... 13 Participation in a formal early education program...... 13 Type of formal early education program (Head Start, private, religious, etc.)...... 13 Critical Literacy Outcomes and Indicators ...... 13 Literacy Skills Framework ...... 13 Phonological Awareness ...... 14 Phonological Awareness Indicators ...... 14 Measuring rhyme judgement and production...... 15 Segmentation of words into syllables...... 15 Vocabulary Development ...... 15 Vocabulary Development Indicators ...... 15 Knowledge and development of expressive and receptive vocabulary...... 16 Word learning abilities / potential...... 16 Narrative Development ...... 16 Narrative Development Indicators ...... 16 Measure of narrative comprehension...... 16 Print Knowledge ...... 17 Print Knowledge Indicators ...... 17 Measuring print concepts...... 17 Knowledge of alphabet and letter sounds...... 17 Writing Skills ...... 17 Writing Skills Indicators ...... 18 Name writing ability...... 18 Conclusion ...... 18 Data Collection Methods ...... 19 Data on Literacy Skills ...... 19 Variety of Schools ...... 19

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 2 Variety of Tests ...... 20 Inability to normalize data ...... 21 Need for Central Assessment ...... 22 State Level ...... 22 The Collective Impact Initiative ...... 23 Plan of Action ...... 23 Data on the Literacy Environment ...... 24 Closing the Data Gap ...... 24 What Does a Survey Look Like? ...... 25 Assessing Demographics ...... 25 Assessing Home Literacy Supports ...... 26 Assessing Formal Literacy Participation ...... 27 Methods for Data Collection ...... 28 Representative Sample Survey by Telephone ...... 28 Population Survey Administered at Kindergarten Registration ...... 29 Using Competencies Gained...... 30 Recommendations ...... 30 Works Cited ...... 31 Appendix A: BBHLF Capstone Flyer Appendix B: Stakeholder Analysis, District Survey Appendix C: Stakeholder Analysis, Community Survey Appendix D: Measurement System Summary Appendix E: District Summary Information Appendix F: ECDS Reporting Form Appendix G: Suggested Reporting Form Appendix H: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 1 Appendix I: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 2 Appendix J: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 3

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 3 Executive Summary

The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation (BBHLF) seeks to improve the quality of life for Houstonians through literacy by promoting awareness and advocacy, program partnerships and capacity-building, research and management, and sustainable infrastructure. In an effort to provide a system that supports and builds capacity for literacy programs throughout the community, the organization seeks to develop a consistent, standardize measurement system that will allow the Foundation and other dedicated stakeholders to track the progress of efforts being made to address the literacy crisis. An effective system to measure early childhood literacy will document a child’s learning environment and literacy skills in multiple domains of development and on multiple occasions during a student’s earliest years before and during their time in the formal education system (Coutinho & Malouf, 1992). A well crafted and fully developed measurement system will: ● Better understand the child’s early learning environment; ● Assess literacy skills and proficiency as they enter kindergarten; ● Allow organizations to specialize or increase literacy activity in areas that are most needed; ● Guide programs and partnerships with common directives in mind.

Early Literacy Environment When a child begins formal schooling there are clear differences in reading readiness between children. Some of the differences can be attributed to traditional indices such as cognitive abilities and IQ, however, increasing evidence suggests that what children experience before they begin formal schooling effects school readiness (Griffin & Morrison 1997, 233-234). The learning environment is affected by home life (SES and home literacy environment) and participation in formal early education (see table 1; Zucker and Grant 2007, 142).

Table 1: Three Facets of Learning Environment Early Literacy Definition Indicators Environment

Demographic indicators such as • Family income level Family socioeconomic status and ethnicity play a • Parental education level (in number of years) Demographics role in a child’s development of early • Primary and secondary languages spoken in the language skills. home

Includes learning materials that are • Parents average time spent reading for pleasure provided in the house as well as the Home Literacy during the week activities that are presented in the home that Supports Number of children’s books in the home promote language and learning stimulation • and involve the parents. • Average time spent reading with child each day

Attendance of formal early education Formal Early programs pose an advantage for children • Attendance of a formal early education program Education especially in the areas of reading, math, and • Type of formal early education program (Head (Pre-K) social skills. Start, private, religious, etc.)

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 4 Data on the Early Literacy Environment According to our research there is relatively little assessment of the early literacy environment in the Houston area. Selected programs and districts measure specialized populations, but there is no region-wide consistent measure of the early childhood literacy environment. We recommend the BBHLF advocate for region-wide assessment.

Survey of Early Literacy Environment Developing a standardized Early Literacy Assessment Survey, the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation along with their key partners and districts could better understand resources and challenges children experience prior to entering kindergarten. This information would provide Houston area literacy organizations the necessary data to guide program development and intervention strategies.

Literacy Skills As children grow in literacy ability they are expected to hit normative stages for their age group. Understanding these benchmarks allows one to ascertain where a child may need help and in which areas before they enter a formal classroom setting. The collective findings across a growing body of literacy studies suggest that these six constructs all contribute to a child’s success in a formal classroom environment (see table 2; Pence 2010; Teale 1988).

Table 2: Six Indicators of Literacy Skills Literacy Skills Definition Indicators

Phonological Sensitivity to the sound structure • Measuring rhyme judgement and production awareness of one’s own language. • Segmentation of words into syllables Ability of a child to communicate Vocabulary • Knowledge and development of expressive and their message in a thoughtful and development receptive vocabulary. complex way. • Word learning abilities / potential Narrative Ability of a child to interact with development text. • Measure of narrative comprehension

Understanding about the nature Print Knowledge • Measuring print concepts and purpose of books. • Knowledge of alphabet and letter sounds

Writing Skills Ability to display skill in writing. • Name writing ability

Data on Literacy Skills The number of school districts and the variety of assessments used poses significant issues when analyzing test data. Each assessment differs in how they measures these concepts and consequently results cannot be compared between districts, there is little to no potential to normalize results.

Variety in Schools Districts and Tests Within Harris County there are twenty-five school districts, and the school districts differ greatly in their enrollment and demographics. Additionally, school districts in the state of Texas

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 5 may choose from fifteen different early literacy assessments to administer to entering kindergarten students.

Inability to Normalize Data and Need for Central Assessment Even with the required and proper reporting of test scores there are normalizing problems with the raw data collected. The available assessments explore similar concepts, but differences lie in how the tests are administered and scored. This makes it impossible to compare scores between districts. In order for a comprehensive measurement system to work school districts in Harris County need to choose one assessment instrument for all entering kindergarteners.

Collective Impact Initiative To get districts on board with a standard assessment, the concept of collective impact is useful. Compared to other ways of collaborating, this particular method includes “long-term commitments by a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem” (Kania & Kramer 2011, 39). In order to combat the early literacy problem in Houston, the groups included in this initiative would include school districts, stakeholders, nonprofits and other early childhood literacy foundations.

Using Competencies Gained Assessments alone do not enact a change in the literacy skills of children. They are however necessary to guide program activities. Data made available through a consistent and standard measurement system can inform modifications to curriculum, can guide the distribution of resources, and can aid teachers in gaining the knowledge and professional skills necessary to mitigate the literacy crisis in their classrooms (Jones 2003, 15). Together these assessments can effectively improve the literacy supports available to young children, ensure the reading readiness of children entering kindergarten, and can assure that students are equipped with the skills necessary to beginning learning through reading in the third grade.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 6 Overview

“Establish[ing] a sustainable system that supports and builds capacity for ongoing literacy success.” The area of Greater Houston is home to over 6 million people according to the most recent 2012 census. Of this number, nearly 600,000 are school aged children. Houston’s literacy crisis has become evident across all age groups, from infants to school aged children, to adolescents and adults. Year after year, testing has shown that Houston’s youngest residents are not reading ready by the time they reach the public school system. This readiness gap not only challenges the students’ ability to learn but also places significant stress on the education system to provide extra resources to assist students in catching up.

From birth, an innumerable amount of factors go into supporting a child’s literacy level and thus future academic potential. Without the development of such necessary literacy skills by the third grade, a student falls behind in their education. Third grade is a critical period for a child’s education, as the child begins to transition from learning how to read to reading to learn. Research has shown that reading proficiency in the third grade is not only related to future academic successes, but also graduation rates, college readiness levels, dropout rates, and incarceration (Feister and Smith 2010, 9).

Early childhood literacy is supported through informal family and community systems and formal educational activities (high quality pre-k and kindergarten) that create the literacy environment for small children. High quality literacy environments contribute to building early literacy skills. Determining the strengths and weaknesses of these efforts to build early literacy is challenging. There is significant heterogeneity in learning environments experienced by children in Houston and testing of early learning is complex and challenging. A community-wide performance measurement system could guide efforts to strengthen literacy in small children.

These important factors influence the need for the creation of a literacy performance measurement system in order to generate a standard method, based on research, by which one can comparatively analyze current literacy performance in Harris County. Currently, the Texas Education Agency requires mandatory testing in grades kindergarten through second, however they do not mandate which test of the 15 approved tests must be used. This creates a challenge to judge the current literacy abilities across communities, as tests are distinct in measurement and scoring, making normalization challenging.

It is for this reason and many others that a standardized system to assess emergent literacy skills is imperative in improving the literacy abilities of children within the Harris County community. The importance of early intervention and skill building for the developing child before kindergarten cannot be stressed enough. This issue, at its core, is a key determinant for educational success in a world that is a “print-rich environment” (Huisman 2012, 398). By focusing on the causes of low literacy rates and potential areas for improvement, one can better understand where schools, educational programs, and literacy organizations should focus their time and resources.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 7 Designing an Emergent Literacy Measurement System

Assessment is one of the best-supported methods of determining the levels of literacy and factors that support success among children. An effective system to measure early childhood literacy will document a child’s learning environment and literacy skills in multiple domains of development and on multiple occasions during a student's earliest years before and during their time in the formal education system (Coutinho & Malouf 1992). A well crafted and fully developed measurement system will: ● Better understand the child’s early learning environment; ● Assess literacy skills and proficiency as they enter kindergarten; ● Allow organizations to specialize or increase literacy activities in areas that are most needed; and ● Guide programs and partnerships with common directives in mind.

Research Methodologies The research method for this report centered around five central questions which represent the sequential steps or stages by which one may develop a performance measurement system for early childhood literacy development (Gettinger 2001). The questions are as follows: 1. What are the underlying assumptions and core beliefs about early childhood education and young children’s development? 2. What are the critical outcomes or goals we want children to develop? 3. What are the significant performances or behaviors that indicate children are making progress toward these goals? 4. What are some methods for collecting information that we can use to document progress towards goals? 5. What programs, services or initiatives can we provide to enable children to develop and demonstrate these competencies? In order to effectively answer these five questions our team conducted both a thorough review of the academic literature and a stakeholder analysis.

Literature Review The purpose in conducting a review of the literature was to aid us in gaining a better understanding of the underlying assumptions and core beliefs surrounding emergent literacy and reading readiness. Additionally, this research assisted us later in developing our stakeholder analysis. By synthesizing research from multiple sources we were able to identify the critical literacy frameworks that influence a child’s ability to meet the necessary requirements to be considered reading ready.

Stakeholder Analysis The purpose of the stakeholder analysis was to 1) identify potential users and contributors of the measurement system, 2) determine their support of creating a consistent measurement system and 3) to evaluate the nature and quality of formal assessment and survey data. Stakeholders included school districts, community organizations, nonprofits and state and federal

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 8 education agencies that are located within Harris County, or the immediate metropolitan area of Houston. The analysis was completed through both surveys and interviews of stakeholders. Stakeholders were introduced to the purpose of the project through introductory formal letters or emails which included an attachment with a summary of our project objectives and goals (see: Appendix A). Once introductions were made and stakeholders expressed interest, they were either interviewed or asked to complete a survey (see: Appendices B-C). Information and data collected from the stakeholder analysis guided the construction of our final measurement system, aided our understanding of current data availabilities and gaps, and assisted in the development of our final recommendations. Underlying Assumptions and Core Beliefs

Reading readiness focuses on the skills children must learn before formal reading and writing instruction and is associated with early childhood education assessment. Though a child is not expected to enter kindergarten with the ability to read or write with fluency they are expected to enter school ready to learn how to read. The early stages in a child’s life are the beginning of a literacy foundation that should be built upon naturally. For example, a home filled with books introduces a child to a “’print rich’ environment [where they] are constantly observing and learning about the written language” in a natural stress-free way (Strickland 1990, 19). The process should follow a child’s development stages, enabling their introduction to literacy to be as natural and carefree as the other aspects of their life. From learning which direction a book goes, to scribbling, and self-narration, literacy is viewed not as a series of steps but as an ongoing process (Strickland 1990, 19). By better understanding the stages and benchmarks of literacy development in children one can better understand how children develop and the important role that emergent literacy plays in future literacy advancement. When a child is ready to read they are normally judged by a professional’s underlying assumptions concerning children’s learning and development (Bagnato et. al., 1997). With so many professionals and opinions it is important to consider the vast educational literature and professional opinions on early childhood literacy. Many reading assessment tools look at two major areas. The first, the learning environment, assesses the home life and its effect on a child’s literacy learning. The second, literacy skills, analyzes the fundamental literacy skills which are the foundation for a child’s formal education (Pence 2010, xiv). These two areas play an integral part in determining a child’s literacy ability and future potential to ascertain and process information and learn through the power of the written word.

Literacy Environment Framework When a child begins formal schooling there are clear differences in the reading readiness between children. Some of the differences can be attributed to traditional indices such as cognitive abilities and IQ, however, increasing evidence suggests that what children experience before they begin formal schooling affects reading readiness (Griffin & Morrison 1997, 233- 234). This learning environment is critical to successful literacy skills and development in formal educational programs.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 9 The learning environment is commonly defined as the variety of resources and opportunities provided to children – parental skills, abilities, and dispositions – which determine the provision of learning opportunities for children (Zucker & Grant 2007, 142). When examining a child’s literacy growth, much of the progress comes down to consistent social interaction involving literacy. In addition, the learning environment encompasses the differences present in children’s family backgrounds which can be significant predictors of school achievement. Families, like any sponsor or educator of literacy, can “enable, support, teach, and model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy” (Brandt 2001, 19). Today it is not uncommon for researchers to assess a child’s home environment as a key factor that influences literacy performance. While factors such as income levels and maternal education are often closely correlated with children’s language and literacy outcomes, educators acknowledge that they have relatively little influence in this area as opposed to others (Burchinal et. al., 2002). Instead, parents’ beliefs and knowledge about literacy and their literacy involvement with their child is taken into account. The learning environment is affected by the presence of family, and family activities, which influence a young child’s emergent literacy development and is related to socioeconomic status and demographics, the home literacy environment, and participation in formal early education (see table 1; Zucker & Grant 2007, 142). These facets will continue to affect children long after early childhood and will be described in the following sections.

Table 1: Three Facets of Literacy Environment Learning Environment Definition Family Demographics Demographic indicators such as socioeconomic status and ethnicity play a role in a child’s development of early language skills. Home Literacy Supports Includes learning materials that are provided in the house as well as the activities that are presented in the home that promote language and learning stimulation and involve the parents. Formal Early Education (Pre-K) Attendance of formal early education programs pose an advantage for children especially in the areas of reading, math, and social skills.

Family Demographic Influences on the Literacy Environment The family context of a child’s learning environment is made up of a complex set of demographic – economic, cultural and personal – factors. Trends in current literature have found that demographic influences on a child’s home environment and early childcare are highly correlated with reading readiness (Smith & Dixon 1995; DeBaryshe 1995). Demographic indicators related to socioeconomic status and ethnicity are considered early predictors of emergent literacy levels (Baydar, Brooks-Gunn, Furstenberg 1993). Because literacy gaps exist before children enter school, the disparities must arise from conditions outside of schools – such as the child’s family and community – it is therefore important to measure and collect data on these demographic indicators (Waldfogel 2012).

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 10 Family Demographic Indicators When educators have information on a student’s family demographics – social, cultural, and personal – they are able to understand the child’s unique experiences which may promote or inhibit their reading readiness (Zucker & Grant 2007, 173). By better understanding a child’s literacy environment, through information on income levels, parental education, and languages spoken at home, educators can work to better enhance a child’s educational development during the most formative years (Zucker & Grant 2007, 175-176).

Family income level. Young pre-kindergarten children living in poverty are much less likely to have cognitive and early literacy readiness skills than children living above the poverty threshold. According to Lipina and Posner, “language and literacy... are important in school and are functions found to be reduced in low-SES children” (Lipina & Posner 2012, 5). Socioeconomic status plays a major role in a child’s brain development and the brain’s capacity for “cognitive processes, such as language, executive function, attention, and memory” (Lipina & Posner 2012, 3). Poverty also has a greater negative impact on children in the first five years of life, which are critical years for development, more so than later years of school. In addition, children who grow up in poverty are more likely to demonstrate lower-literacy skills than those who are raised in households living above the poverty line (Ryan, Fauth & Brooks-Gunn 2012).

Parental education level (in number of years). Parental education level is strongly tied to both socioeconomic status and literacy opportunity. In general, children with higher educated parents express greater cognitive/literacy readiness skills (Merz, et al., 2014). Parental education level is correlated to both parent reading beliefs and regular participation in literacy activities. Children of educated parents are more likely than their counterparts to have acquired the necessary literacy skills by grade three (Cunningham & Stanovich 1998).

Primary and secondary languages spoken in the home. As much as SES plays a role in childhood literacy, so does ethnicity. Research repeatedly shows the disparities between racial and cultural demographics and literacy skills. Dickinson and MacCabe’s (2001) findings highlight the fact that patterns of interdependency between language and literacy pass through the filter of culture. Families who speak English as a second language, or parents who cannot speak the common language proficiently may neglect exposing the language to their children, putting them behind their peers (Waldfogel 2012, 41). The mismatch between home and school uses of language may result in children acquiring limited faculties with selected language skills.

Home Literacy Supports According to Leseman and de Jong, studying multiple areas or facets of home literacy simultaneously is more informative than considering any one area in isolation (Leseman & de Jong 1998; Zucker & Grant 2007, 84). A child’s home environment plays a role in skills such as: oral language, letter knowledge, reading ability and comprehension. Literacy abilities can be assessed through: measuring parents’ beliefs and knowledge, measuring home activities, such as

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 11 parent-child shared storybook reading, measuring home activities other than storybook reading, measuring home environmental context, and measuring oral language and vocabulary supports. Home literacy activities are a key component in home literacy research because many scholars espouse that caregivers can motivate learning through constructed language interactions and literacy interactions (Zucker & Grant 2007, 122).

Home Literacy Supports Indicators Assessments of home literacy activities provide educators with valuable information about home supports for literacy development (Zucker & Grant 2007, 125). Indicators of home literacy activities usually attempt to gauge the literacy perceptions of parents, frequency of home literacy activities, and literacy activity length.

Parents’ average time spent reading for pleasure during the week. By examining the average time a parent spends reading, one can estimate the parent’s beliefs about reading (Pence 2010). A parent’s belief about reading, knowledge of literacy development, and expectations for literacy achievement aid in determining whether or not a child will develop the literacy outcomes needed to be reading ready by the time they enter formal schooling (Zucker & Grant 2007, 85). Parental knowledge and beliefs may provide a mechanism for changing literacy outcomes, thereby making assessments of these constructs valuable to educators. Such knowledge may also be linked to their self-efficacy, or a perception of their ability to affect their child’s literacy trajectory.

Number of children’s books in the home. Book exposure fosters vocabulary development in preschool children (Cornell, Sénéchal, & Broda 1988; Sénéchal, Thomas, & Monker 1995), and has substantial effects on the development of reading skills at older ages, when children are already reading (Cunningham & Stanovich 1998).

Average time spent reading with child each day. Studies find that Parent-Child Reading interaction, including activities such as frequency and duration of shared reading will impact how a child performs when they enter pre- kindergarten or kindergarten (Bracken & Fischel 2008, 60). Motivation to read can be positive for a child’s literacy abilities regardless of their parents income-level. Even if a parent is less educated they can still encourage their children to take interest in literacy through trips to the library or having books in the house. If a parent makes a concerted effort to promote learning and reading, this can positively impact a child’s abilities when they enter school (Bracken & Fischel 2008, 46).

Early Childhood Formal Education Influences on the Learning Environment Due to the difficulty of combating factors like SES or home literacy environments, a growing area for battling early childhood illiteracy is the classroom. Research has found that four-year olds develop better critical emergent literacy skills in their early years when they attend high quality pre-kindergarten programs. These programs, if executed well, pose an advantage for children especially in the areas of reading, math, and social skills (Invernizzi & Landrum, et al., 2010, 437). Existing pre-kindergarten systems depict how formal education impacts the children

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 12 who participate. Research done in the United Kingdom, as well as the United States, demonstrates that children who attend a formal pre-kindergarten program develop foundational emergent literacy skills when compared to students who did not attend any formal program (Invernizzi & Landrum, et al., 2010, 437). A substantial percentage of young children spend time in either center or homebased child care. While there is no conclusive evidence that child care, on average, is either better or worse for children than being cared for solely by a parent – researchers have found that consistent, developmentally sound, early formal education has a positive effect on both children and families (Committee on Early Childhood 2005). Lowincome children who attend intensive, highquality early education programs tend to have greater school success, higher graduation rates, lower levels of juvenile crime, decreased need for special education services, and lower teen pregnancy rates than their peers (Committee on Early Childhood 2005).

Formal Early Education Indicators High quality early childhood education is more beneficial for children’s cognitive, language, and social development than no childcare (Peisner & Feinberg, et al., 2001). Therefore, it is important to understand which students have benefitted from formal early education programs and in which types of programs students might have participated in.

Participation in a formal early education program. Formal early education is a critical building block for children without a print-rich literacy environment at home. For a formal preschool program to succeed, teachers are expected to provide children with “more rigorous curriculum in language and literacy” (Invernizzi & Landrum, et al., 2010, 438). Research shows that children who participate in formal pre- kindergarten programs tend to be more reading ready when compared to students who did not attend any formal program (Invernizzi & Landrum, et al., 2010)

Type of formal early education program (Head Start, private, religious, etc.). Quality is an important element of formal early education programs that have previously had strong impacts. High-quality programs do not just meet the basic needs of children, but also provide opportunities for meaningful learning activities and language development, and work to foster close, caring relationships between children and their teachers/caregivers (Peisner- Feinberg & Burchinal 1997).

Critical Literacy Outcomes and Indicators

Emergent literacy skills measure demonstrable competencies rather than the social and environmental contributions to those competencies (Pence 2010, xiv). There are a number of valuable skills, which “are distinct but interrelated, and they develop in increasingly complex ways as children age” (Missal, Carta, McConnell, Walker, & Greenwood 2008, 241). As children develop they should be accomplishing certain tasks in certain skill areas.

Literacy Skills Framework As children grow in literacy ability they are expected to hit normative stages for their age

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 13 group. Understanding these benchmarks allows one to ascertain where a child may need help and how to best help them before they enter a formal classroom setting. The collective findings across a growing body of literacy studies indicate that phonological awareness, vocabulary development, narrative development, print knowledge, writing skills, and literacy motivation and orientation all contribute to a child’s success in a formal classroom environment (see table 2; Pence 2010; Teale 1988). These areas make up a child’s literacy background and will be described in the following sections.

Table 2: Six Indicators of Literacy Skills Literacy Skills Definition Phonological awareness Sensitivity to the sound structure of one’s own language. Vocabulary development Ability of a child to communicate their message in a thoughtful and complex way. Narrative development Ability of a child to interact with text. Print Knowledge Understanding about the nature and purpose of books. Writing Skills Ability to display skill in writing.

Phonological Awareness Phonological awareness refers to the ability to analyze the sound structure of spoken language. It can be best defined as “children’s developing sensitivity to the sound structure of his or her own language...and the ability to use that information in cognitive processes like memory” (Lonigan 2014, 98). As a child begins to understand how their language sounds to their ears they become better able to process and organize such sounds into words. For young children, the emergence of phonological awareness is no small accomplishment. Making the shift from using language to communicate to being aware of linguistic structure is a substantial learning achievement (Pence 2010). The acquisition of phonological awareness is important to a child’s early reading abilities, as children with good phonological awareness tend to be better readers (Torgeson & Mathes 2000). Phonological awareness encompasses many different skills, but all these skills develop from the same underlying ability (Anthony & Lonigan 2014). According to Whitehurst, “children who are better at detecting syllables, rhymes, or phonemes are quicker to learn to read (i.e. decode words). This ability is present even after variability in reading skills due to intelligence, receptive vocabulary, memory skills, and social class is partialed out” (Whitehurst 1998, 852).

Phonological Awareness Indicators The ability to break down words into sounds, to categorize words of similar sounds, and to show independent verbalization are all essential to reading, writing, and spelling. Phonological awareness is therefore related to rhyme judgement and word segmentation, which are necessary for the verbalization skills required for reading readiness.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 14 Measuring rhyme judgement and production. Measures of rhyme judgement are designed to investigate whether children are aware that some words sound the same (e.g. skip, flip). Measures of rhyme judgement require children to demonstrate an understanding of rhyme without having to produce any rhymes. By their primary years children should begin to “acquire an awareness that words are made of different sounds” and gain the ability to “decode words” (Literacy Development). The ability to rhyme is considered a large leap in phonological awareness as it depicts a child’s ability to connect one word with the similar sound of another word. A child’s level of phonemic awareness as displayed by rhyme judgement can serve as a first step (or red flag) in the reading acquisition process (Stanovich, et al., 1984).

Segmentation of words into syllables. Awareness of syllable boundaries in words emerges early in the phonological awareness development spectrum. By measuring a child’s ability to segment words into syllables, one is measuring whether the child is aware and can take advantage of the natural break or divisions between syllables. Phoneme segmentation appears to represent a level of phoneme awareness most related to early reading skills (Stanovich, et al., 1984). This skill requires students to realize that words can be broken down into phonemes and that the phoneme is a unit in the speech pattern represented by the symbols in an alphabetic script (Ball 1993).

Vocabulary Development Vocabulary, or a literate user’s knowledge base of words, is a critical component of an emergent reader’s skills, given the integral role of vocabulary to early and later literacy success (Pence 2010). Vocabulary development refers to the ability of a child to communicate their message in a thoughtful and complex way with the ability to comprehend text. The more that a child is exposed to speaking and words, the more they have a direct effect upon the number of words they know and/or recognize. If children are to be successful readers beyond third grade they must possess both fluent word-recognition skills and adequate vocabulary knowledge. As children progress through their early education and arrive at critical transitions in reading development, their ability to “read to learn” depends not only on having “learned to read”, but also on having sufficient vocabulary to comprehend what they read in order to learn and build new concepts (Chall 1996). Early vocabulary delays are one manifestation of risk for later reading disabilities. Children who enter school with fewer words are at a greater risk for falling behind (Scarborough 1990).

Vocabulary Development Indicators Decades of research has shown the importance that learning vocabulary plays in children’s ability to learn to read and, ultimately, in their success in school (Hart & Risley 1995; Snow 1991). Therefore, key indicators related to vocabulary development include the current knowledge and development of expressive and receptive vocabulary and a child’s word learning abilities/potential.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 15 Knowledge and development of expressive and receptive vocabulary. Expressive vocabulary describes words that an individual can produce, while receptive vocabulary describes the words that an individual understands. Development of expressive and receptive vocabulary is a critical aspect of child’s learning experiences given the important role that it plays in learning to read. Because of the high stakes of expressive and receptive vocabulary development, it is important to assess development so that intervention may be provided (Wasik 2010).

Word learning abilities / potential. In addition to measuring a child’s vocabulary knowledge, it is important to measure word-learning ability and potential to gauge success or difficulty an individual might experience when learning new words (Pence 2010). Measuring a child’s potential for learning new words involves examining processes by which they acquire the meaning of new words and takes into account the depth and breadth of one’s word knowledge. Knowing the source of a child’s vocabulary limitation can assist early literacy professionals in designing specific interventions.

Narrative Development Narrative development represents the ability of a child to interact with a text and its story. Narrative skills can be considered the “gateway to reading and writing” because creating a narrative requires children to produce a decontextualized description of events (Hirsh-Pasek, et al., 2005). The use of decontextualized language (e.g. describing a narrative in terms of beginning, middle, and end) sets the foundation for literacy and provides children with ample opportunities to use this type of language (Dickinson & McCabe 1991). Children who have good narrative skills have better emergent literacy abilities than those that do not (Miles & Chapman 2002). Children who enter school with less well-constructed narratives have been shown to encounter more difficulty learning to read than children with coherent narratives (Peterson & McCabe 1997).

Narrative Development Indicators The ability to tell a coherent narrative predates and predicts successful adaptation to school literacy (e.g., Feagans 1982). It is important for educators to assess young children’s narrative skills because they can be a wealth of information about oral language and emerging literacy (Chaney 1998; Paris & Paris 2003).

Measure of narrative comprehension. Measurement of children’s narrative comprehension can provide useful evidence to teachers. Understanding a child’s narrative comprehension can yield quantitative information that can be used to measure and report individual growth and progress. This data can aid educators in gaining insights about students’ familiarity with picture books, their book handling skills, and their responses to books – both affective and cognitive. It is believed that narrative comprehension may be a general feature of children's thinking that is critical for early literacy and cognitive development. Research has provided compelling data to support the understanding of narrative comprehension as an essential foundation for learning to read (Burns, Griffin, & Snow 1999; Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998).

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 16 Print Knowledge Emergent literacy theories identify print knowledge as a key area of literacy development (Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998). Print knowledge encompasses a child’s early understanding about the forms, features and functions of print. Print knowledge refers to a developing understanding about the nature and purpose of books and print (e.g. letters, the sounds letters represent, directionality of print). Knowledge of print concepts reflects a child’s growing awareness that print is systematic, following its own rule system and is different from other visual patterns, such as pictures (Adams 1990). Children who grow up in a print-rich environment have the time and ability to decipher how reading is supposed to look.

Print Knowledge Indicators Print knowledge generally includes children’s knowledge of how to handle books, how print is organized within a book, and understanding of different print units. Assessing young children’s knowledge of print is important for guiding effective early instruction focused on facilitating print knowledge.

Measuring print concepts. An examination of children’s knowledge of print concepts attempts to estimate what children know about print organization and print meaning across different contexts. This measure studies children’s understanding of how books work (e.g. whether a child can determine the front and back of a book), the way print is organized in books and other media (e.g. the direction of the text), and the functions of print as a communication device. The ability of a child to understand how to utilize a book while experiencing comprehension is a skill that is essential to learning how to read. Children who are found to understand print concepts can be used to reliably differentiate between good and poor readers’ future reading achievement (Johns 1980).

Knowledge of alphabet and letter sounds. Alphabet knowledge is an effective measure of a child’s increasing sophistication of print knowledge, as their focus moves from understanding broad organizational concepts (i.e. print concepts) to learning about specific units of print within a word. Alphabet knowledge is considered to be causally related to later reading achievement through its facilitation of letter- sound knowledge (McBride-Chang 1999; Treiman & Broderick 1998). Assessment of alphabet and letter sound comprehension is one of the strongest longitudinal predictors of future reading success in young children (Adams 1990; Stuart & Coltheart 1988).

Writing Skills While reading is essential to acquiring information, it is through writing that individuals can communicate without the spoken language. According to Whitehurst & Lonigan, “pretending to write and learning to write letters are examples of emergent writing” (1998, 853). While children may not be able to write legibly, it is the fact that they are “writing” on paper that indicates “that he or she knows print has meaning without yet knowing how to write” (Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998, 853).

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 17 Writing Skills Indicators Measures that examine emergent writing can provide professionals with a valuable insight into young children’s understanding of how print works. Writing tends to develop synonymously with children’s reading skills (Bear, et al., 2004). These skills should continue to advance in motor development and complexity as the child enters primary and elementary school.

Name writing ability. As children begin to explore written language, their name becomes a natural focus. Since the word young children encounter most meaningfully in print is their name, this is often the word they first attempt to write (Clay 1977). Name-writing ability serves as a mirror reflecting not only a child's level of motor and graphic control (i.e., mastery of form), but also literacy sophistication (i.e., awareness of function) and cognitive development (i.e., perception of literacy) (Bloodgood 1999). Studies have shown that successful name writing ability supports a progression in literacy skills for most children (Bloodgood 1999).

Conclusion The literacy environment framework, the foundation of a child’s learning, and literacy skills framework, the child’s current literacy abilities, play an essential part in identifying a child’s literacy ability and future potential to understand and process information and to learn through the power of the written word. Together these two frameworks make up the fundamental measurements which allow one to ascertain information on a child’s reading readiness and future potential to progress from learning to read, to reading to learn. Figure 1: Reading Readiness and the Two Frameworks

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 18 Data Collection Methods

The next step following the creation of a consistent measurement system for assessing emergent literacy is to identify methods with which data may be collected for use. Research and a stakeholder analysis assisted with the understanding of the nature of data collection within the community and some of the challenges and issues that are currently present. The following sections provide our findings on methods for data collection, challenges to collection, and recommendations for improving collection methods in the future.

Data on Literacy Skills The numbers of school districts and the variety of available assessments have many implications in analyzing test data. School district administrators and policy makers turn to data- driven decision making for issues of early childhood literacy. There are many challenges presented with this method, especially when trying to “to appropriately interpret and use the data for the purpose of improving pupil and teacher performance and outcomes” (Gullo 2013, 414). Researchers have established what indicators need to be present in the assessments, but each assessment differs in how they test these measures. Since the scores cannot be normalized, test results cannot be compared between districts.

Variety of Schools Harris County is located in southeast Texas and covers roughly 1,700 square miles (US Census Bureau). The county has a population of around 4,441,370 and includes the Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) of Houston-The Woodlands-Sugar Land Metro Area (State and County Quickfacts). Within the county there are twenty-five school districts, serving over 64,500 kindergarten students. Houston ISD is the largest of these districts (see Figure 2).

Figure 2: Harris County Independent School Districts

Source: http://www.houston-texas-online.com/harriscoschooldist.html

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 19 The city of Houston is the most populated city in Texas and the fourth largest city in the nation (Houston Facts and Figures). The urban district of Houston ISD is surrounded by suburban districts. The school districts differ greatly in their enrollment numbers, test performance, socioeconomic background and demographics (as seen in Appendix E). The total student enrollment for Harris County is about 846,881. The four largest districts based on enrollment include: Houston ISD (200,944), Cypress-Fairbanks ISD (103,897), Aldine ISD (62,532), and Katy ISD (58,444). These four districts make up a little more than half of the school enrollment in Harris County (Public Schools Explorer 2010). Aside from enrollment, the districts have different levels of achievement. Third grade TAKS scores from 2012 are reported by the Texas Tribune and show a wide range of scores. The passing rates range from 65% (Spring Branch ISD) to 88% (Clear Creek ISD). An even larger disparity lies within the socioeconomic composition of the districts. The percent of economically disadvantaged students ranges from 22.7% (Clear Creek ISD) to 88.5% (Aldine ISD). The demographics of the districts vary as well. Based on 2010 figures, the top four predominantly white districts include Huffman ISD (82.5%), Tomball ISD (65.9%), Clear Creek ISD (58.8%), and New Caney (54.0%). The districts with the largest Hispanic populations are Pasadena ISD (77.6%), Galena Park (74.1%), Channelview (70.6%) and Aldine (66.9%). Districts with a large proportion of African-American students include Spring ISD and Stafford MSD, both with a representation of 40.1% (Public Schools Explorer 2010). Gathering district-held data on the emergent literacy skills of all students in the county, but especially at the young grade of kindergarten, is highly important in determining their specific needs. However, information on school district statistics demonstrate the inherent variances in educational systems which relate to capacity, resources and ability to manage data collection and distribution. Due to these differences the ability to manage relationships, data collection and provide oversight could prove to be difficult.

Variety of Tests School districts in the state of Texas may choose from fifteen different early literacy assessments to administer to kindergarten students at the beginning of each school year. The schools are required- “pursuant to Texas Education Code (TEC) §28.006 (Reading Diagnosis)”- to submit raw cumulative scores from beginning of the year assessments to the Texas Education Agency (Compliance with Kindergarten Reading Assessment Data Submission). This list may change from year to year as more assessments are added. The fifteen tests permitted in Texas currently include: ● AIMSweb MIDE ● AIMSweb TEL ● Children’s Progress Academic Assessment (CPAA) ● Diagnostic Assessments of Reading, (DAR-2) 2nd Edition ● Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, 6th Edition (DIBELS-6) ● Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills, Next (DIBELS Next) ● Fox in a Box ● Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP) ● Istation’s Indicators of Progress (ISIP-Spanish) ● PAPI English/Spanish ● Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS)

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 20 ● STAR Early Literacy ● Texas Primary Reading Inventory (TPRI) ● Tejas LEE ● Vital Indicators of Progress (VIP)

There are many different early childhood assessments that have been administered across the country. The chart below is a comparison of some of the popular approved assessments that are administered by districts around Texas and Harris County. This table includes the main literacy skills and the important indicators. Some assessments include measures for all indicators while others only address a few. What becomes apparent, is that there are clear differences in the measures considered by each of the various assessments making them difficult, if not impossible, to accurately compare. Research gathered from school districts in Harris County reveals that there is not one assessment widely used across the county, as shown in Appendix E. Currently, there are nine districts using ISIP, eight using DRA-2, five using TPRI, and three using Aimsweb. It is important to note that some districts reported using multiple tests from the list above. Table 3: Assessment Comparisons Literacy Skills Indicators DRA-2 DIBELS ISIP PALS TPRI 6 Rhyme judgement and ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Phonological production awareness Segmentation of words into

syllables ✓ ✓ ✓ Expressive and receptive ✓ ✓ ✓ Vocabulary vocabulary development Word learning abilities and

potential ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Narrative Narrative comprehension development ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Print concepts Print ✓ ✓ ✓ Knowledge Alphabet and letter sounds ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Writing Skills Name writing ability ✓ ** This table was developed for this report using materials gathered from assessment developer websites; Pence, 2007; and TEA resource materials.

Inability to normalize data Though some of the fifteen assessments include measures of similar literacy skills, differences in administration (subjective vs. objective), level of difficulty and scoring metrics do not allow for normalization. First, the assessments are administered differently. Aimsweb, DIBELS, and PALS, are administered with an examiner or teacher, and ISIP is computer-based

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 21 Second, the tests are not proven to have the same difficulty. A ‘passing score’ on one test cannot be compared to a ‘passing score’ on another test because one could be more rigorous than the other (Kiser 2011). Lastly, the assessments are scored differently. For example, an Aimsweb numeric score can range from 1-99 while an ISIP one ranges from 1-400 (Compliance with Kindergarten Reading Assessment Data Submission). While a solution could be to try to normalize data through the use of these success rates, it still would not give us reliable feedback. Even with the required and proper reporting of assessment results, the scores cannot be normalized. The data the TEA receives is a composite raw score of all the measures of a certain test. Appendix F shows this form. This is problematic since the total scores cannot be compared with each other unless they represent the same assessment. Another issue with this method of score reporting is that it does not reveal what the student scored on each individual measure. A student could have a passing total score, even if they failed certain measures. In order to analyze which literacy skills are lacking among entering kindergarteners, knowing these individual scores is critical. We would recommend that the TEA gather scores for each individual measure, with a form similar to that found in Appendix G.

Need for Central Assessment Given the various assessments and challenges of standardized data, educators and stakeholders cannot effectively analyze test data across districts. Harris County should adopt a standardized and consistent measurement system in order to measure how the county as a whole is performing in relation to kindergarten readiness. This would either be an assessment already in use by certain districts, or a switch to a new measurement system. The consistent measurement system in Appendix D could be a useful tool in determining which assessment may be best suited in collecting important data on incoming kindergarteners. A score for each measure would be collected and results could be compared across districts. By “collecting data and measuring results consistently on a short list of indicators at the community level and across all participating organizations not only ensures that all efforts remain aligned, it also enables the participants to hold each other accountable and learn from each other’s successes and failures” (Kania & Kramer 2011, 40). The quality and credibility of the data collected would increase with a standard method (Kania & Kramer 2011, 40).

State Level Based on a 2010 report by the National Conference of State Legislatures, twenty-five states require a kindergarten assessment, four states have assessment requirements under development, and twenty-one have no statewide assessment (Stedron & Berger 2010, 3). Even with half of the states requiring some sort of kindergarten assessment, only fifteen require the results to be reported (Stedron & Berger 2010, 8). While Texas is ahead of most of the nation when it comes to the testing and reporting for entering kindergarteners, legislation to require a kindergarten standard statewide test has the ability to make it easier for districts and counties across Texas to gauge early literacy from this earliest age of formal education. Ideally, a statewide standard assessment would be passed by the state legislature, as has been accomplished in some of the other states, such as Ohio with Kindergarten Readiness Assessment-Literacy (KRA-L), Virginia with Phonological Awareness Literacy Screening (PALS), New Mexico with DIBELS, and Idaho with Idaho Reading Indicator (IRI) (Stedron & Berger 2010, 12-20). Oregon recently established a statewide Kindergarten Assessment which is

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 22 administered in the fall. As an initiative through the Oregon Department of Education, the standard measures were administered to 95% of entering Kindergarteners in 2013. For the literacy section, “an educator meets with the child one-on-one and asks the child to complete tasks such as identify letters or counting the number of objects in a picture” (Kindergarten Assessment). While a statewide standard assessment would be useful, the political climate in Texas is not conducive to pass a statute such as this in the near future. Since there is a sense of urgency in Harris County to combat the problem of early childhood illiteracy, a more immediate local plan is necessary.

Local Level A more feasible plan would be for a local initiative to choose one assessment for all districts in Harris County to use. Similar initiatives have been implemented at the local level in other counties and there is reason to believe this could be successful in Harris County with the right support and buy-in, as exhibited by the county of Miami-Dade in Florida. Miami-Dade administers the Florida Kindergarten Readiness Screener (FLKRS). This kindergarten readiness test includes the Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading aligned to Florida Standards (FAIR-FS). The FAIR-FS, administered by trained teachers, includes screening for: letter sounds, phonological awareness, vocabulary pairs, following directions, listening comprehension and sentence comprehension (Office of Early Childhood Programs). A similar local collective initiative could be created across the districts in Harris County.

The Collective Impact Initiative To get districts on board with a standard assessment, the concept of collective impact is a strategy worth exploring. Compared to other ways of collaborating, this particular method includes “long-term commitments by a group of important actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a specific social problem” (Kania & Kramer 2011, 39). There are five key factors that are required for collective impact to be successful. These include: a common agenda, shared measurement, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication and backbone support (What is Collective Impact?). In order to understand how this method of impact works, it is useful to understand the implications of each of these factors. A common agenda includes a shared vision and understanding of the problem by all parties involved, who understand a need for a “joint approach to solving it through agreed upon actions.” Shared measurement involves “collecting data and measuring results consistently across all participants,” which keeps everyone accountable. Mutually reinforcing activities is the idea that “participating activities must be differentiated while being coordinated through a mutually reinforcing plan of action.” Continuous communication involves “consistent and open communication” across all parties. Finally, the backbone support of the initiative is an organization who has the skills and resources to coordinate the participation of all the different parties involved (Hanleybrown, Kania & Kramer 2012).

Plan of Action According to Hanleybrown and Kania, three conditions need to be present before the initiative can take off, these are: “an influential champion, adequate financial resources, and a

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 23 sense of urgency for change” (Hanleybrown, Kania & Kramer 2012). Harris County has a literacy crisis, and there are many stakeholders working to mitigate the problem. The initiative would need a figurehead to serve as the backbone support to mobilize and advocate for school districts to work together to achieve a common goal. This could be an independent organization whose main role would be in “guiding the initiative’s vision and strategy, supporting aligned activities, establishing shared measurement practices, building public will, advancing policy and mobilizing resources (What is Collective Impact?). An organization located in Houston, Early Matters, might be the right advocate to facilitate this process and serve as this ‘backbone support’. The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation can play a vital role in this initiative with their expertise and research, as already exemplified with their Blueprint for Community Action. The most critical part of this plan of action is to gain buy-in from the twenty-five districts in Harris County. Without their cooperation this county-wide singular assessment will not be possible. A reasonable first step would be to get Houston ISD on board and then branch out to the other large districts surrounding them- Katy ISD, Aldine ISD, Alief ISD, Cypress-Fairbanks, Spring Branch ISD, etc. Once a solid group of districts understand the importance of administering a common assessment, they can assist in advocating for the remaining districts to join the initiative.

Data on the Literacy Environment While formal assessments measure a student’s literacy skills, they do not consider a student’s literacy background. Because a child’s early literacy environment is so closely tied to their future academic success this information is just as essential as any formal literacy assessment. Although formal testing measures a student’s current literacy skills, it does not measure a student’s literacy environment which can help educators better understand a child’s supports and potential hindrances for literacy learning (Pence 2010). Research has indicated that literacy skills are partly developed in early childhood, and characteristics of the early literacy environment, such as family demographics, home literacy supports and participation in formal early childhood education of entering kindergarteners, may mediate the acquisition of literacy (See Table 4; Fox 1990). Understanding which factors affect a kindergartner’s literacy abilities can impact how curriculum is developed, interventions are assessed, and how teachers administer instruction.

Sources for Data on the Literacy Environment Measures of the literacy environment are often collected through surveys completed by the parents or guardians of students upon enrollment into kindergarten or registration in literacy programs or activities. During the stakeholder analysis, we found that few districts collect data on the literacy environment of incoming kindergarteners. This lack of information could potentially leave districts and community literacy organizations uninformed; keeping them from utilizing their resources most effectively in areas most in need.

Closing the Data Gap In the same way that literacy assessments are given upon kindergarten entry, so too should surveys on the child’s early literacy environment. According to Pence, who references Boudreau, “using parent reports to measure emergent and early literacy skills is effective because parent reports [are] closely related to more formal measures” (Pence 2010, 134). While

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 24 “advances in early literacy assessment have provided schools with access to critical information about students’ foundational beginning-reading skills,” a well-developed survey on the literacy environment could fill in the gaps where the score on a reading assessment might not (Coyne & Harn 2006, 42). Developing an early literacy environment survey would ideally act as one of the very few district/county-wide standardized systems used to gauge the literacy environment of entering kindergartners. If implemented county-wide, Houston school districts and literacy organizations can better work towards understanding the environments from which entering kindergarteners are emerging.

What Does a Survey Look Like? For each of the critical survey areas there are multiple pre-existing means of assessment available. Though, each is an effective form of assessment by themself, we suggest following a survey design which incorporates each area into one collection device. Research shows that considering multiple areas, which make up home literacy is more informative than considering any one area alone (Leseman & de Jong, 1998). Such a survey would aim to assess the early literacy environment as whole. Sample surveys in Appendices H-J offer examples for potential questions that might be helpful. These sample questions from each of these surveys could be useful in the creation of a literacy environment survey and could be used by stakeholders to better understand what types of environments students are coming from and what type of interventions may be necessary.

Assessing Demographics A large factor that helps determine the success of a child is their parents’ socioeconomic status (SES) and cultural background. According to Whitehurst, “socioeconomic status is also one of the strongest predictors of performance differences in children at the beginning of first grade” (Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998, 858). Additionally, measures of a parent or guardian's education levels are strong predictors of child’s reading readiness (Merz et al., 2014; Cunningham & Stanovich 1998). These differences in “reading achievement and a number of the emergent literacy skills” greatly impact a child who has not even begun formal schooling (Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998, 858). As seen in Table 4 there is a way to understand/quantify the family demographics of an incoming child. Through an understanding of a family’s average income and education levels, educators and key stakeholders can surmise what the SES and literacy resources of an entering kindergarten child might look like. On Table 4 there is also a section devoted to a student’s cultural background. Children growing up in differing cultural backgrounds may experience literacy on levels unique to their culture’s views or social norms towards education. For example, a study “found African [American] mothers to use fewer questions during storybook reading relative to white mothers” (Justice & Ezell 2004, 190). In addition, non-English speaking families and their entering kindergarten children should be taken more closely into account –particularly, the levels of English versus secondary languages spoken within the home. As depicted below, Table 4 contains survey questions pertaining to incoming English Language Learner (ELL) kindergarten students. Collecting data on the number of non-English speaking students can help educators locate those students in need of early intervention and added resources. This is particularly

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 25 helpful as currently entering ELL children tend to have lower vocabulary scores which pose problems to a child’s success (Justice & Ezell 2004, 190).

Table 4: Assessing Family Demographics Factors of Demographics Indicators Sample Assessment Question Family average income ○ What is your family’s average Socioeconomic Status income? ○ What is the parent/guardian’s educational level? Ethnic background and ○ Does your child speak a language Cultural Background status of English/ non- other than English? English speaking ○ What is the primary language of household communication in the home?

Assessing Home Literacy Supports One of the most important factors attributed to a child developing strong literacy skills are their home literacy supports. Studies have shown that the number of books owned within a child’s home and shared reading experience with parents can bolster a child’s literacy skills (Whitehurst & Lonigan 1998, 859; Skwarchuk et al. 2014, 64). As can be seen on Table 5, there are two major areas of focus: parent belief/knowledge towards literacy and home literacy supports. On average “parents academic expectations and children’s interest in letters were directly related to children’s emergent reading and letter knowledge” (Skwarchuk et al. 2014, 66). When a parent holds high expectations for their child in the area of literacy their children are a reflection of such expectations. Also, when a parent participates in a literacy activity, reading a book or writing a grocery list, a child better understands their parent’s investment in literacy and its importance. In Table 5, there are two different indicators for parental beliefs, one that asks about the reading frequency of the parent and the other which inquires about any writing activities that their child might notice on a day-to-day basis. The home literacy supports provided by a child’s early literacy environment are informal means by which a child may obtain and develop early literacy skills. For parent to child interaction, a measure looking at bedtime learning might be useful. According to Whitehurst, asking parents about their nighttime reading with their child is a good way to gauge “informal home literacy practice...because parents are assumed to read to children for many purposes (e.g. it is pleasurable, it is a quiet bedtime activity, it provides an environment that invited discussion of many topics) (Skwarchuk et al. 2014, 67). When a parent sits to read a book with a child they help the child think critically, develop narrative, and gain an understanding of how books function. One of the best methods with which to test such an activity would be through “parent’s knowledge of storybook titles (performance on a checklist of real and fake titles)”(see Table 5) (Skwarchuk et al. 2014, 67). Such a method would limit survey bias as a parent would only be able to check off those books that they recognize.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 26 Table 5: Assessing the Home Literacy Environment Factors of Home Indicators Sample Assessment Question Literacy Reading ○ How frequently do you read for pleasure during the week? Parental Beliefs frequency of the (book, magazine, newspaper) and Knowledge parent and ○ Does your child ever see you performing any of the Towards Literacy writing behaviors following activities? (making a grocery list, following a of the parent recipe, writing an e-mail, writing a thank you card, reading a book/magazine) Child ○ How many books does your child own? (Pence 2007, 139) Home Literacy participation with ○ What are some of your child’s favorite books? (Pence 2010, Supports the parent in 139) literacy activities ○ Which of the following books do you read with your child at night? (Peter Rabbit, Car on a Unicycle, Cat in the Hat, etc.)

Assessing Formal Literacy Participation When kindergarteners enter public schooling some of them are experiencing their first dose of formal education and others are not. This lack of or presence of previous formal schooling can critically affect the performance, positively or negatively, of a child coming into the classroom. According to Connor, Morrison, and Slominski, “research on preschool intervention has revealed short-term and long-term social and cognitive gains for students who may experience academic underachievement due to poverty, disabilities, and other risk factors (Connor et al., 666). If the above factors of home literacy are lacking and the child is non- English speaking/low-SES, formal literacy programs like Head Start could be the answer to filling in literacy areas that may not be fulfilled in their home environment. Due to the positive implications that formal literacy appears to have upon entering kindergarten children it is necessary to assess whether or not a child has previously been enrolled in preschool (private/public), which one, how long, and whether they were enrolled half-time or full-time. In addition, the question of a pre-school’s name can help educators and stakeholders track the success rate of the kindergartners who attended specific preschools (Appendix I, page 3 of 9, contains such a question on previous education history). Table 6 below depicts the indicators with which to measure formal literacy as well as possible sample questions designed to gauge quantifiable results.

Table 6: Assessing Formal Literacy Participation Factors of Formal Indicators Sample Assessment Question Literacy Participation Participation in formal ○ Did your child attend formal schooling (Head Child’s past formal education Start, Title I, private preschool) prior to background enrollment in kindergarten? -Yes -No Name of the preschool to ○ What was the name(s) of the preschool which Type of preschool* help track preschool your child attended prior to kindergarten? success

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 27 Methods for Data Collection There are two different methods with which to gather data on the literacy background of entering kindergarteners in Harris County – a representative sample survey administered by phone and a population survey completed during kindergarten registration. Each survey method serves to better help BBHLF, as well as other essential stakeholders, understand what the early literacy background looks like in Harris County. The following table below summarizes the benefits and challenges of each data collection method. Table 7 helps the reader to understand where essential benefits would lie with either system and why it is important to work towards both survey areas. By utilizing both systems, the early literacy environment of entering kindergarteners can be understood and tracked in Harris County, while these children on an individual level can be better served.

Table 7: A Comparison of Data Collection Methods Characteristics Type of Survey

By Telephone During Kindergarten Registration Scope Sample Size Individual Expense Moderate Relatively High Time Expended Low High High use for BBHLF and key Moderate use for BBHLF and key Applicability stakeholders stakeholders (dependent on data reporting over time); High use for schools

Representative Sample Survey by Telephone A phone interview would allow for a relatively quick survey that could gauge a representative sample of the early literacy skills of entering kindergarten students. In addition to being efficient, a phone survey could save greatly in the areas of time and resources, as the survey could be conducted without any district collaboration. Based on the population of Harris County and the number of kindergarten households, it is estimated that an agency would need to call approximately 20,000 households in order to achieve 1,000 responses at a 5% response rate, and a 3.075 confidence interval. Such information collected could serve as a snapshot of the literacy background of children in the Harris County area. Because the representative sample survey is anonymous it could lower response bias. While quick and fiscally viable, a telephone research survey might not give a true sample of the sub-populations. The agency or organization performing the survey will need to ensure that they are accounting for and working to control for sampling error. In such a case, there may be reason for an even larger sample to be used in order to reach the specified target population. While there are ways to obtain many phone numbers, the agency conducting the survey may need access to district contact information if they hope to poll only kindergarten households which will require some support from districts. The information collected from such a survey should give the BBHLF and other organizations/districts for the first county-wide assessment of the early literacy environment of

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 28 entering kindergarteners. In addition, survey could also be conducted over a time to help BBHLF and other stakeholders plot their progress in alleviating the literacy crisis.

Population Survey Administered at Kindergarten Registration A school-based survey administered during kindergarten registration is another alternative. When a child first walks into kindergarten to register with their parent they are asked to fill out a registration packet. Making such a survey a part of the registration packet could easily give the district, and organizations they work with, information that could aid in understanding their incoming kindergarten population. This information could later be used for a more accurate countywide analysis of literacy in Harris County. “Information gleaned from these assessments can inform questions of how educators can involve caregivers in fostering home supports for literacy” (Pence 2010, 179). In addition, such a survey could be supplementary to understanding a student's test scores. For example, if a child scores poorly in an area of phonetic awareness on any assessment, this could be attributed to a lack of phonetic resources in the home. According to the stakeholder analysis of the districts, very few districts have implemented such a population survey. While the system could prove beneficial to administrators and other stakeholders to better fill in literacy gaps, there are a number of concerns. The first concern is that getting all districts to cooperate with such a survey could be difficult. To date, and through research, it does not appear that a county-wide early literacy assessment has been implemented to such a degree (while literacy assessments have been implemented even state-wide, literacy surveys have not). For example, at registration, Evesham Township School District (Appendix J), which has developed a small section on readiness skills, and Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools asks for information on previous schooling and home life (Appendix L). The second concern is that such a survey could require significantly more time and resources than a representative sample survey administered by phone. In addition to developing a high quality survey, districts would need to dedicate time to collect, record, and utilize data which has the potential to take up the district’s already limited resources. Also, there is an area of concern for bias. While a parent would be anonymous in the telephone poll, they would not be on the survey filled out at registration time. The stakeholder(s) designing the survey would need to design questions in such a way that reduces response bias in order to obtain accurate information. This would be more important to the population survey. The establishment of such a survey will take time, resources and effort, but will be worth the endeavor.

Bringing the Methods Together For the time being it would be ideal for BBHLF to invest time and resources into a telephone survey. Such a survey can be completed through contracting out and could ideally be carried out by the foundation. If executed on an annual basis, BBHLF should be able to identify trends, areas in need of resources, and areas for intervention. During this data collection, BBHLF and its stakeholders could gain valuable information through coming together and advocating for a standardized district survey. By developing a macro and micro system for measuring literacy, BBHLF and their key stakeholders will gain the ability to understand their incoming kindergarten population from a community and personal perspective.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 29 Using Competencies Gained

The adoption of a consistent, standard measurement system to gauge emergent literacy, the implementation of a singular assessment used across the county and the development of a survey (either by telephone or administered by districts) to gauge the early literacy environment will provide essential data to stakeholders and educators across Harris County. This information can be utilized in such a way that can: ● Effectively improve the literacy supports available to young children; ● Ensure the reading readiness of children entering kindergarten; and ● Ensure that students are equipped with the skills necessary to begin learning through reading in the third grade. While assessments and surveys do not enact a change in the literacy skills of children, through them better curriculum can be developed, resources can be more effectively distributed, and teachers can gain the knowledge and professional skills to mitigate the literacy crisis in their classrooms (Jones 2003, 15). Comprehensive literacy assessment during the early childhood period is necessary, as it provides schools with the initial signs of progress towards academic achievement and assists in identifying avenues through which student outcomes are improved and achievement gaps are reduced. A survey focused on the early literacy environment will supplement these assessments in giving insight to where a child is coming from and what resources and additional help may be needed for them to be successful moving forward. Additionally, policy may be driven from this vital information gathered from assessments and surveys. When reliable data demonstrates there is a need, government intervention may follow. Since funding for programs is limited, these data are important to ensure resources go to schools in most need of support in promoting literacy. Recommendations

The three essential recommendations for Harris County include: ● Advocating for a consistent, standard literacy measurement system, ● Bringing together Harris County school districts and early literacy stakeholders to advocate for the implementation of a singular assessment used across the county; and ● Developing a standardized representative sample survey, or a registration based population survey, to gauge the early literacy environment.

In order to eradicate illiteracy in the Houston area, attention must be paid to the early stages of a child’s life, as these are critical years for learning that will impact their future success. The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation can advocate for these goals and encourage the establishment of a collective impact initiative to bring together the twenty-five school districts, early literacy foundations and nonprofits, and all other stakeholders in order to break the cycle of illiteracy in Houston.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 30

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Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 31 Coyne, Michael D. & Harne, Beth A. “Promoting Beginning Reading Success through Meaningful Assessment of Early Literacy Skills.” Psychology in the Schools. 43 (1): 33-43. Cunningham, A. E., and Stanovich, K. E. 1998. “Early Reading Acquisition and Its Relation to Reading Experience and Ability 10 Years Later.” Developmental Psychology 33: 934–945. DeBaryshe B. 1995. “Maternal Belief Systems: Linchpin in the Home Reading Process.” Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 16: 1-18. Dickinson, David K. & McCabe, A. 2001. “Bringing it All Together: The Multiple Origins, Skills and Environmental Supports of Early Literacy.” Learning Disabilities Research & Practice 16(4): 186-202. Duncan, G.J., Brooks-Gunn, J., & Klebanov, P.K. 1994. “Economic deprivation and early childhood.” Child Development 65: 296-318. Ezell, Helen K. & Justice, Laura M. Print Referencing: An Emergent Literacy Enhancement Strategy and its Clinical Applications. American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. 35: 185-193. 2004. Feister, Leila and Ralph Smith. 2010. EARLY WARNING! Why Reading by the End of Third Grade Matters. Baltimore, MD: Annie. E. Casey Foundation. pp. 9. Fox, B. 1990. “Antecedents of illiteracy.” Society for Research in Child Development Social Policy Report 4(4). Gettinger, Maribeth. 2001. “Development and Implementation of a Performance-Monitoring System for Early Childhood Education.” Early Childhood Education Journal, 29(1): 9-15. Griffin, Elizabeth A. & Morrison, Frederick J. 1997. “The Unique Contribution of Home Literacy Environment to Differences in Early Literacy Skills.” Early Child Development and Care 127(1): 233-243. Gullo, D. 2013. “Improving Instructional Practices, Policies, and Student Outcomes for Early Childhood Language and Literacy Through Data-Driven Decision Making.” Early Childhood Educ J, 41(6), 413-421. doi: 10.1007/s10643-013-0581-x. Hart, B., & Risley, T.R. 1995. Meaningful differences in the everyday experience of young American children. Baltimore: Paul H. Brookes. Hirsh-Pasek, K., Kochanoff, A., Newcombe, N., & deVilliers, J. 2005 “Using scientific knowledge to inform preschoolers: Making the case for ‘Empirical Validity’.” SRCD Social Policy Report 14(1): 3-19. HISD. 2011-2012 Facts & Figures. https://www2.houstonisd.org/HISDConnectEnglish/Images/PDF/HISDFactsFigures2012Final.pdf Hanleybrown F., Kania, J., & Mark Kramer. 2012. Channeling Change: Making Collective Impact Work. Stanford Social Innovation Review. http://www.ssireview.org/blog/entry/channeling_change_making_collective_impact_work?cpgn=WP%20 DL%20-%20Channeling%20Change. Houston Facts and Figures. The City of Houston. http://www.houstontx.gov/abouthouston/houston-facts-and-figures Huisman, Sarah. 2012. “Family Connections: Promoting Early Literacy Skills: Ages Birth to 5.” Childhood Education 8(6):398-399. Invernizzi, Marcia, Landrum, T., Teichman, A., & Townsend, M. 2010. “Increased Implementation of Emergent Literacy Screening.” Early Childhood Education Journal. 37:437-446. Johns, J. 1980. “First graders concepts about print.” Reading Research Quarterly 15: 529-549. Jones, Jacqueline. (2003). “Early Literacy Assessment Systems: Essential Elements.” Educational Testing Service. http://www.ets.org/Media/Research/pdf/PICEARLYLIT.pdf. Justice, L.M., Chow, S., Capellini, C., Flanigan, K. & Colton, S. 2003. “Emergent literacy intervention for vulnerable preschoolers: Relative effects of two approaches.” American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology 12(3): 320-332. Justice, L. M., & Ezell, H. K. 2004. “Referencing An Emergent Literacy Enhancement Strategy and its Clinical Applications.” Language, Speech, and Hearing Services in Schools 35(2): 185-193.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 32 Kania, J., & Kramer, M. 2011. “Collective Impact.” Stanford Social Innovation Review. Winter 2011. Kindergarten Assessment. Oregon’s Early Learning Center. http://oregonearlylearning.com/kindergarten- assessment/ Kiser, S. M. 2011. “DIBELS and AIMSweb: A predictability study.” Ed.D. diss. Union University. Leseman, P. P. M., & de Jong, P. F. 1998. “Home literacy: Opportunity, instruction, cooperation and social- emotional quality predicting early reading achievement.” Reading Research Quarterly, 33(3): 294-318. Lipina, Sebastian & Michael I. Posner. 2012. “The Impact of Poverty on the Development of Brain Networks.” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience. 6: 238. Literacy Development. Literacy for Children with Combined Vision and Hearing Loss. http://literacy.nationaldb.org/index.php/literacy-development-continuum/ Lonigan, Christopher J. and Grover J. Whitehurst. 1998. “Child Development & Emergent Literacy.” Society for Research in Child Development, Inc. 69 (3): 848-872. Martin, Nicole R. The Role of the Home Literacy Environment in the Development of Early Literacy Skills and School Readiness in Kindergarten Children from Low Socioeconomic and Minority Families. Scholar Commons: University of South Florida. 2006. McBride-Chang, C. 1999. “The ABCs of the ABCs: The development of letter-name and letter-sound knowledge.” Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 45: 285-307. Merz, et al. 2014. “Associations among parental education, home environment quality, effortful control, and preacademic knowledge.” Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 35(4): 304-315. Miles, S., & Chapman, R.S. 2002. “Narrative content as described by individuals with Down syndrome and typically developing children.” Journal of Speech, Language, and Hearing Research 45: 175-189. Missall, K. N., Carta, J. J., McConnell, S. R., Walker, D., & Greenwood, C. R. 2008. “Using individual growth and development indicators to measure early language and literacy.” Infants & Young Children 21(3): 241-253. National Center for Learning Disabilities. Get Ready to Read!: Home Literacy Environment Checklist. http://www.reachoutandread.org/FileRepository/HomeLiteracyChecklist.pdf Office of Early Childhood Programs. DadeSchools.net. http://earlychildhood.dadeschools.net/pdfs14/FLKRS.pdf. Oregon’s Early Learning System. http://oregonearlylearning.com/kindergarten-assessment/ Paris, A.H. & Paris, S. G. 2003. “Assessing narrative comprehension in young children.” Reading Research Quarterly 38: 36-76. PeisnerFeinberg, E.S., et al. 2001. “The relation of preschool childcare quality to children's cognitive and social developmental trajectories through second grade.” Child Development, 72(5), 15341553. Peisner-Feinberg, E. S., & Burchinal, M. R. 1997. Relations between preschool children's child care experiences and concurrent development: The cost, quality, and outcomes study. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly 43(3): 451-477. Pence, K. 2007. Assessment in Emergent Literacy. San Diego: Plural Publishing Pence, K. 2010. “Assessment in Emergent Literacy.” International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 57(1), 121-122. Peterson, C., & McCabe, A. 1997. A social interactionist account of developing decontextualized narrative skill. Developmental Psychology, 30, 937-948. Public Schools Explorer. The Texas Tribune. Retrieved 2015. http://www.texastribune.org/public-ed/explore/ Ryan, R., Fauth, R., & Brooks-Gunn, J. 2012. “Childhood Poverty.” in Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children edt. Saracho, O. New York, NY: Routledge. Saden, Sherry. 2012. “Independent Reading: Perspectives and Practices of Highly Effective Teachers.” International Reading Association. 66(3).

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 33 Scarborough, H.S. 1990. “Very early language deficits in dyslexic children.” Child Development 61: 1728-1734. Sénéchal, M., Thomas, E., and Monker, J. 1995. “Individual Differences in 4-Year-Old Children’s Acquisition of Vocabulary During Storybook Reading.” Journal of Educational Psychology, 87: 218–229. Skwarchuk, Sheri-Lynn, Sowinski, Carls, & LeFevre, Jo-Anne. Formal and informal Home Learning Activities in Relations to Children’s Early Numeracy and Literacy Skill: The Development of a Home Numeracy Model. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology. 121: 2014. 63-84. Smith, Susan & Dixon, Rhonda. 1995. “Literacy Concepts of Low-and Middle-Class Four-Year-Olds Entering Preschool.” Journal of Educational Research 88: 245-253. Snow, C.E. 1991. “The theoretical basis for relationships between language and literacy in development.” Journal of Research in Childhood Education 6(1): 5–10. Son, S.-H., & Morrison, F. J. 2010. “The nature and impact of changes in the home learning environment on growth of language and academic skills of preschool children.” Developmental Psychology 46: 1103-18. Stanovich, K., Cunningham, A.E., & Cramer, B.B. 1984. “Assessing phonological awareness in kindergarten children: Issues of task comparability.” Journal of Experimental Child Psychology 38: 175-190. State and County Quickfacts. United States Census Bureau. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/48/48201.html Strickland, Dorothy S. 1990. “Emergent Literacy: How Young Children Learn to Read and Write.” Educational Leadership. 47 (6): 19-23. Stedron & Berger. 2010. NCSL Technical Report: State Approaches to School Readiness Assessment. National Conference of State Legislators. Stuart, M. & Coltheart, M. 1988. “Does reading develop in a sequence of stages?” Cognition 30: 139-181. Teale, W. H. 1988. “Developmentally Appropriate Assessment of Reading and Writing in the Early Childhood Classroom.” The Elementary School Journal, 89(2): 173-183. The Texas Early Learning Council. “Little Texans, Big Futures: Your Early Learning Guide for Infants, Toddlers, and Three-year Olds.” The Texas Early Learning Council. 56-60. Torgesen, J., & Mathes, P. 2000. A Basic Guide to Understanding, Assessing, and Teaching Phonological Awareness. Austin, TX: Pro-Ed. Treiman, R. & Broderick, V. 1998 “What’s in a name: Children’s knowledge about the letters in their own names.” Journal of Experimental Psychology 70:97-116. Walfogel, J. 2012. “The Role of Out-of-School Factors in the Literacy Problem.” The Future of Children 22(2): 39- 54. Wasik, B. A. 2010. “What Teachers Can Do to Promote Preschoolers' Vocabulary Development: Strategies From an Effective Language and Literacy Professional Development Coaching Model.” Reading Teacher 63(8): 621-633. What is Collective Impact? FSG:Reimagining Social Change. http://www.fsg.org/OurApproach/WhatIsCollectiveImpact.aspx Whitehurst, Grover J. & Christopher Lonigan. 1998. “Child Development and Emergent Literacy.” Child Development, 96(3): 848-872. Wolf, Willavene, Martha L. King, and Charlotte S. Huck. 1968. Teaching critical reading to elementary school children. Reading Research Quarterly. 3(4). Zucker, Tricia A. & Grant, Staci L. 2007. “Assessing Home Supports for Literacy.” In Assessment in Emergent Literacy, ed. Khara L. Pence. San Diego: Plural Publishing, Inc, 81-187.

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 34 Appendix A: BBHLF Capstone Flyer

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 35 Measuring Early Childhood Literacy in Houston

CONTACT US : [email protected] | 979.458.1372

ABOUT OUR PROJECT The Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation (BBHLF) seeks to improve the quality of life for Houstonians through literacy by promoting awareness and advocacy, program partnerships and capacity-building, research and management, and sustainable infrastructure. In an e ort to provide a sustainable system that supports and builds capacity for early childhood literacy throughout the community, The Bush School and BBHLF seek to inform the development of appropriate measures to determine if young children are on or o track in reading.

OBJECTIVES DESIRED OUTCOMES HOW YOU CAN HELP Define kindergarten ‘school Improve measurement and Participate in our stakeholder readiness’ in Houston with tracking of student survey. common expectations and achievement. indicators of performance. Contact us with your input Increase access to and and ideas. Create a common database evaluate quality of of kindergarten through 3rd grade reading results across early childhood programs. Spread the word about our Houston. project. Improve literacy educational Develop methods to establish effectiveness in grades k–3. a baseline of results from varied reading assessments Promote family literacy administered by school initiatives districts. Appendix B: Stakeholder Analysis, District Survey

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 37 BBHLF Capstone: Stakeholder Analysis All information provided will be kept strictly confidential, in accordance with Institution Review Board policies and procedures.

* Required

1. School District *

2. Name *

3. Position *

4. Email *

5. Phone *

Questions Regarding Formal Literacy Testing

6. 1. Does your district currently collect data on the literacy ability of entering kindergarteners? * i.e. entry exams, parental surveys, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other:

7. 1a. If so, please describe the methods used. 8. 2. Does your district currently administer formal literacy ability assessments of KINDERGARTNERS throughout the school year? * i.e. ISIP, Fox in a Box, PALS, DIBELS, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other:

9. 2a. If so, which assessment is your district currently utilizing?

10. 2b. If your district uses a seperate assessment for ELL students, which assessment is your district currently utilizing?

11. 2c. If assessments are performed, how often are students tested? Mark only one oval.

Once a year Twice a year

Other:

12. 2d. Please specify the time(s) in which assessments are administered. Beginning of year, mid-year, end of year, etc.

13. 3. Does your district currently administer formal literacy ability assessments of FIRST GRADERS throughout the school year? * i.e. IOWA, DIBELS Next, ISIP, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

14. 3a. If so, which assessment is your district currently utilizing? 15. 3b. If your district uses a seperate assessment for ELL students, which assessment is your district currently utilizing?

16. 3c. If assessments are performed, how often are students tested? Mark only one oval.

Once a year Twice a year

Other:

17. 3d. Please specify the time(s) in which assessments are administered.

18. 4. Does your district currently administer formal literacy ability assessments of SECOND GRADERS throughout the school year? * i.e. IOWA, DIBELS Next, ISIP, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

19. 4a. If so, which assessment is your district currently utilizing?

20. 4b. If your district uses a seperate assessment for ELL students, which assessment is your district currently utilizing?

21. 4c. If assessments are performed, how often are students tested? Mark only one oval.

Once a year Twice a year

Other: 22. 4d. Please specify the time(s) in which assessments are administered.

Questions Regarding Home Literacy Environment

23. 5. Does your school district collect data on any previous formal education by entering kindergarteners? * i.e. attendence of Head Start, private pre-schools, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other:

24. 5a. If so, does your district collect data on the specific programs or types of programs attended? Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

25. 6. Does your school district collect data on participation in informal literacy programs or services prior to kindergarten entry? * i.e. library programs, nonprofit initiatives, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

26. 7. Does your district administer a survey of any kind regarding the home literacy enviornment of students in grades kindergarten through second? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other: 27. 7a. If so, can you describe the types of data that are collected?

Questions Regarding the Creation of Early Childhood Literacy Performance Measures

28. 8. Would your school district be interested in set of performance measures regarding the current literacy performance of early childhood aged students across Harris County? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

29. 9. What type of information would you be interested in seeing in an performance measurement of early childhood literacy?

30. 10. Could data collected by your school district be released/made available for use in establishing literacy performance measures managed by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation? * Note: All data used in developing the performance measures and report would be kept confidential and would be aggregated with data from other sources (e.g. other school districts, community organizations, and government agencies). Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

Additional Thoughts or Comments 31. 11. Do you have any comments or concerns you wish to make?

32. 12. Can we contact you, should we have any further questions? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Powered by Appendix C: Stakeholder Analysis, Community Survey

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 44 BBHLF Capstone: Stakeholder Analysis All information provided will be kept strictly confidential, in accordance with Institution Review Board policies and procedures.

* Required

1. Organization Name *

2. Respondent Name *

3. Position *

4. Email *

5. Phone *

Questions Regarding Assessment of Literacy Abilities and Environment

6. 1. Does your organization collect any data through formal assessment on the literacy abilities of children aged 0-8? * i.e. any assessment on phonological awareness, letter recognition, narritve, print knowledge, writing, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other: 7. 1a. If so, please describe the methods used.

8. 1b. If so, how frequently are assessments administered?

9. 2. Does your organization administer assessments of any kind regarding the home literacy enviornment of children aged 0-8? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

10. 2a. Is so, how is the data collected? Please select all that apply. Check all that apply.

Survey Interview

Other:

11. 2b. If data is collected, what types of information is gathered? Please check all that apply. Check all that apply.

Demographic data Number of books in the home Time spent reading by parent Time spent reading with child Frequency of literacy activities (such as library trips, recitation, literacy-based interactions) Questions relating to health which may affect literacy ability

Other: 12. 3. Does your organization collect data on any previous educational programs attended by children aged 0-8? * i.e. attendence of Head Start, private pre-schools, intervention programs, etc. Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other:

13. 3a. If so, does your district collect data on the specific programs or types of programs attended? Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

Questions Regarding the Creation of Early Childhood Literacy Performance Measures

14. 4. Would your organization be interested in set of performance measures regarding the current literacy performance of early childhood aged students across Harris County? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Other:

15. 5. What type of information would you be interested in seeing in an performance measurement system of early childhood literacy? 16. 6. Could any data collected by your organization be released/made available for use in establishing literacy performance measures managed by the Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation? * Note: All data used in developing the performance measures and report would be kept confidential and would be aggregated with data from other sources (e.g. other school districts, community organizations, and government agencies). Mark only one oval.

Yes No Other:

Additional Thoughts or Comments

17. 7. Do you have any comments or concerns you wish to make?

18. 8. Can we contact you, should we have any further questions? * Mark only one oval.

Yes No

Powered by Appendix D: Measurement System Summary

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 49 Measurement System Summary

Definition Indicators

Early Literacy Environment

Family Demographics Demographic indicators such as ○ Family income level socioeconomic status and ethnicity play a role in a child’s development ○ Parental education level (in number of of early language skills. years) ○ Primary and secondary languages spoken in the home

Home Literacy Includes learning materials that are ○ Parents average time spent reading for Environment provided in the house as well as the pleasure during the week activities that are presented in the ○ Number of children’s books in the home home that promote language and learning stimulation and involve the ○ Average time spent reading with child parents. each day

Formal Early Education Attendance of formal early education ○ Participation in a formal early education (Pre­K) programs pose an advantage for program children especially in the areas of ○ Type of formal early education program reading, math, and social skills. (Head Start, private, religious, etc.)

Literacy Skills

Phonological awareness Sensitivity to the sound structure of ○ Measuring rhyme judgement and one's own language. production ○ Segmentation of words into syllables

Vocabulary development Ability of a child to communicate ○ Knowledge and development of expressive their message in a thoughtful and and receptive vocabulary. complex way. ○ Word learning abilities / potential

Narrative development Ability of a child to interact with text. ○ Measure of narrative comprehension

Print Knowledge Understanding about the nature and ○ Measuring print concepts purpose of books. ○ Knowledge of alphabet and letter sounds

Writing Skills Ability to display skill in writing. ○ Name writing ability Appendix E: District Summary Information

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 51 District Summary Information

TAKS Economically School District Size Passing Demographics Test Disadvantaged Rate (2012)

Total Number 3rd Grade AA White Hispanic Enrollment of Kinder

Aldine ISD 62,532 5,259 85.2% 76% 28.3% 3.0% 66.9% TPRI

Alief ISD 45,410 3,403 78.5% 75% 33.8% 3.8% 49.2% ISIP

Channelview ISD 8,628 655 76.8% 73% 13.8% 14.1% 70.6% ISIP, DRA-2

Clear Creek ISD 37,472 2,590 22.7% 88% 9.2% 58.8% 21.3% TPRI

Crosby ISD 4,997 354 47.4% 75% 19.8% 54.2% 25.3% ISIP

Cypress-Fairbanks ISD 103,897 7,787 43.2% 80% 16.5% 35.5% 38.9% ISIP

Dayton ISD 4,889 325 56.7% 76% 9.9% 64.3% 25.2% TPRI

Deer Park ISD 12,436 834 42.3% 82% 2.5% 51.2% 44.0% AIMSweb

Galena Park ISD 21,409 1,500 77.0% 75% 18.6% 6.0% 74.1% DRA-2, AIMSweb

Goose Creek CISD 20,819 1,619 63.3% 73% 18.0% 28.0% 52.3% ISIP Houston ISD 200,944 16,621 79.9% 71% 27.1% 7.6% 61.8% ISIP

Huffman ISD 3,150 209 34.1% 72% 2.3% 82.5% 13.9% *No response Humble ISD 34,689 2,398 32.5% 80% 18.2% 51.4% 26.4% *No response Katy ISD 58,444 4,150 29.1% 87% 10.1% 47.8% 30.9% ISIP

Klein ISD 44,695 3,089 36.2% 80% 15.5% 42.8% 32.5% TPRI, DRA, DIBELS

La Porte ISD 7,818 563 44.6% 71% 9.1% 50.5% 38.6% ISIP, DRA-2

New Caney ISD 9,590 737 61.3% 67% 3.6% 54.9% 39.7% *No response

Pasadena ISD 51,923 4,060 78.9% 71% 7.5% 11.5% 77.6% ISIP Pearland ISD 18,198 1,378 24.6% 85% 17.2% 46.5% 25.9% DRA

Sheldon ISD 6,525 499 78.1% 72% 23.5% 14.1% 59.9% TPRI & DIBELS

Spring ISD 35,276 2,690 68.2% 65% 40.1% 15.7% 39.5% *No response Spring Branch ISD 34,415 2,548 57.3% 76% 6.5% 30.3% 56.6% DRA-2

Stafford MSD 3,136 199 58.5% 67% 40.1% 7.3% 39.9% DRA-2, TPRI

Tomball ISD 10,212 807 23.8% 87% 6.5% 65.9% 22.4% AIMSweb

Waller ISD 5,377 394 60.1% 77% 12.9% 44.3% 41.7% DRA-2

Total 846,881 64,668

Information gathered from Texas Tribune-Public Schools Explorer, 2010 figures Assessment information gathered from School District Survey conducted Spring 2015 Appendix F: ECDS Reporting Form

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 53 ECDS Reporting form 2015-2015 Kinder Assessment Form

DISTRICT/ TEA$CAMPUS/ TX/UNIQUE/ Student$FIRST/ Student$MIDDLE/ Student$LAST/ Student$DATE/ ASSESSMENT/ ASSESSMENT/ ASSESSMENT/GRADE/LEVEL/ ADMINISTRATION/ SCORE/ Data$Element ID ID STUDENT/ID NAME NAME NAME OF/BIRTH IDENTIFICATION/SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION/CODE ASSESSMENT/TITLE ACADEMIC/SUBJECT ASSESSED DATE ASSESSMENT/REPORTING/METHOD RESULT Element$ID E0212 E0266 E1523 E0703 E0704 E0705 E0006 E1142 E1144 E1127 E1097 E1129 E1396 E1154 E1359 Code$Table DC012 DC002 DC063 DC014 Column$Length 6 9 10 75 75 75 10 15 60 60 42 25 10 41 35 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567891 Mary/Ann Louise Student 2010/12/04 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/09/10 RawAscore 4 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567892 Bob A Brady 2010/12/05 School ISIPLK01 ISIPALKAAAA Writing Kindergarten 2014/09/10 RawAscore 184 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567893 Kathy A Steele 2010/12/06 School ISIPVOC01 ISIPAVOCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/09/17 RawAscore 372 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567894 Jim Michael Brown 2010/12/07 School TEJAS/LEE/SECT1 TejasALEEAResultsASeccionA1AAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/09/25 RawAscore 22 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567895 Gloria A Reising 2010/11/08 School ISIP/OVL ISIPAEnglishAOverallAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/01 RawAscore 105 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567896 Jack A Rodriguez 2010/12/09 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/01 RawAscore 5 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567897 Theresa A Wiu 2010/12/10 School DIBELS/NXT DIBELSANextACompositeAScoreAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/04 RawAscore 40 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567898 Karl A Villareal 2010/12/11 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/08 RawAscore 7 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 2234567899 Terri A Garza 2010/12/12 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/09 RawAscore 18 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9876543212 Amanda Callinan 2010/12/13 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/12 RawAscore 4 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9876547712 John Jones 2010/03/14 School PAPI/4/LTR/ID PAPIAForALetterAIDA(lower)AScore Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/14 RawAscore 22 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9878843212 Brian Watts 2010/12/15 School TPRI/BOY/1 TPRIABOYAScreeningA1AAAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/15 RawAscore 7 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9872243212 Dale Kelly 2010/12/16 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/15 RawAscore 390 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9873343212 Scott Rowman 2010/05/17 School ISIP/OVL ISIPAEnglishAOverallAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/15 RawAscore 110 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9874443212 Candice Donato 2010/12/18 School ISIP/LC/01 ISIPALCAAA Reading Kindergarten 2014/10/15 RawAscore 10 Data$Sample 701603 701603001 9876520212 Perry Wiley 2008/01/01 School ISIPLK01 ISIPALKAAAA Writing Kindergarten 2014/10/15 RawAscore 100 Appendix G: Suggested Reporting Form

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 55 Suggested Data Reporting Form

ASSESSMENT- ASSESSMENT- ASSESSMENT- TX-UNIQUE- Student FIRST- Student MIDDLE- Student LAST- Student DATE- IDENTIFICATION- ACADEMIC- GRADE-LEVEL- ADMINISTRATION- REPORTING- PHONOLOGICAL- Data Element DISTRICT-ID TEA CAMPUS-ID STUDENT-ID NAME NAME NAME OF-BIRTH SYSTEM SUBJECT ASSESSED DATE METHOD AWARENESS Element ID E0212 E0266 E1523 E0703 E0704 E0705 E0006 E1142 E1097 E1129 E1396 E1154 Code Table DC012 DC002 DC063 DC014 Column Length 6 9 10 75 75 75 10 15 42 25 10 41 36 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567891 Mary-Ann Louise Student 12/4/10 School Reading Kindergarten 9/10/14 Raw score 210 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567892 Bob Brady 12/5/10 School Writing Kindergarten 9/10/14 Raw score 23 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567893 Kathy Steele 12/6/10 School Reading Kindergarten 9/17/14 Raw score 159 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567894 Jim Michael Brown 12/7/10 School Reading Kindergarten 9/25/14 Raw score 415 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567895 Gloria Reising 11/8/10 School Reading First 10/1/14 Raw score 251 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567896 Jack Rodriguez 12/9/10 School Reading First 10/1/14 Raw score 394 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567897 Theresa Wiu 12/10/10 School Reading First 10/4/14 Raw score 112 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567898 Karl Villareal 12/11/10 School Reading First 10/8/14 Raw score 129 Data Sample 701603 701603001 2234567899 Terri Garza 12/12/10 School Reading First 10/9/14 Raw score 29 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9876543212 Amanda Callinan 12/13/10 School Reading Second 10/12/14 Raw score 423 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9876547712 John Jones 3/14/10 School Reading Second 10/14/14 Raw score 424 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9878843212 Brian Watts 12/15/10 School Reading Second 10/15/14 Raw score 23 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9872243212 Dale Kelly 12/16/10 School Reading Second 10/15/14 Raw score 89 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9873343212 Scott Rowman 5/17/10 School Reading Second 10/15/14 Raw score 52 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9874443212 Candice Donato 12/18/10 School Reading Kindergarten 10/15/14 Raw score 12 Data Sample 701603 701603001 9876520212 Perry Wiley 1/1/08 School Writing Kindergarten 10/15/14 Raw score 236 Suggested Data Reporting Form (cont.)

ALPHABET- NAME- RHYME-JUDGMENT- SEGMENTATION- VOCABULARY- EXPRESSIVE-AND- WORD-LEARNING- NARRATIVE- NARRATIVE- PRINT- PRINT- AND-LETTER- WRITING- WRITING- OVERALL AND-PRODUCTION INTO-SYLLABLES DEVELOPMENT RECEPTIVE-VOCAB POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT COMPREHENSION KNOWLEDGE CONCEPTS SOUNDS SKILLS ABILITY SCORE-RESULT E1359

54 78 40 62 33 27 41 77 35 83 59 45 35 252 374 429 281 339 224 320 105 402 379 420 306 4 210 224 158 401 22 279 134 259 272 271 441 58 184 2 254 5 12 382 101 423 57 164 291 62 107 372 141 430 5 30 14 294 131 27 82 277 174 183 22 125 162 10 1 21 418 43 293 44 436 236 204 105 230 113 322 59 401 21 22 204 374 219 96 107 5 57 28 411 168 310 198 79 337 366 183 35 275 40 57 407 35 97 385 229 157 430 355 346 231 90 7 293 394 202 157 442 66 87 363 19 181 11 81 18 391 426 298 143 304 116 363 238 200 253 287 276 4 57 96 296 199 321 292 156 45 17 254 348 339 22 49 190 449 199 238 354 161 377 237 64 242 240 7 200 3 20 36 284 83 81 445 218 412 136 229 390 261 114 41 426 181 318 101 12 52 249 274 49 110 287 45 67 26 338 56 251 256 189 233 158 328 10 288 331 357 342 203 109 269 384 130 116 388 22 100 Appendix H: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 1

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 58 www.GetReadytoRead.org Home Literacy Environment Checklist Is your home literacy-friendly? You are your child’s first teacher. Your home is where your child will get his or her first experiences with books and reading. Look around your home and think about what you do with your child. If the statement on the checklist is true, place a check in the “true” column. If the statement is false, place a check in the “false” column. When you are finished, count up the number of checks in the true column and find that number on the chart at the end of the checklist. Use the results as a guideline to see what you can do for your child.

What my child has… TRUE FALSE My child has at least one alphabet book (e.g., Dr. Seuss's ABC book). My child has magnetized alphabet letters to play with. My child has crayons and pencils readily available for writing and drawing. My child has paper readily available for writing and drawing. My child has a table or surface readily available for writing or drawing. My child has at least one rhyme book (e.g., Joseph Slate’s Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten). My child has more than one rhyme book. My child has at least 10 picture books. My child has at least 20 picture books. My child has at least 50 picture books. My child plays beginning reading and alphabet games on a computer (e.g., Reader Rabbit or Bailey’s Book House). My child has materials and games to help learn the alphabet.

What I or another adult do… TRUE FALSE I or another adult in the house read a picture book with my child at least once a week. I or another adult in the house read a picture book with my child at least four times a week. I or another adult in the house teach new words to my child at least once a week. I or another adult in the house teach new words to my child nearly every day. I or another adult in the house have a detailed and informative conversation with my child at least once a week. (e.g., “How do you think ice cream is made?”). I or another adult in the house have a detailed and informative conversation with my child nearly every day. I or another adult in the house help my child learn nursery rhymes. I or another adult in the house encourage my child to tell me what he or she wants using complete sentences. I or another adult in the house take my child to the library or a bookstore at least once every two months.

What my child sees me or another adult doing… TRUE FALSE My child sees me or another adult in the house reading books, magazines or the newspaper at least once a week. My child sees me or another adult in the house reading books, magazines or the newspaper nearly every day. What I am… TRUE FALSE I am a good reader. I have a large vocabulary. I began to read picture books with my child before he or she was a year old. I enjoy reading picture books with my child. I expect that my child will work to his or her potential in school.

Now or in the past, I or another adult encourage or help my child… TRUE FALSE I or another adult in the house encourage my child to watch beginning reading shows on TV or tapes (e.g., Between the Lions on PBS). I or another adult in the house encourage my child to play with computer games that introduce the alphabet and beginning reading (e.g., Reader Rabbit). I or another adult in the house help my child learn to sing or say the alphabet. I or another adult in the house help my child learn to name letters of the alphabet. I or another adult in the house help my child learn to write letters of the alphabet. I or another adult in the house help my child learn to write his or her name. I or another adult in the house help my child learn to write other people’s names. I or another adult in the house help my child learn how to rhyme. I or another adult in the house help my child learn the sounds that letters of the alphabet make (e.g., “M makes the mmmm sound”).

Count up the number of statements marked TRUE and put that number in the box to the right. See the chart below to find out how literacy-friendly your family child care program is.

30 - 37 Home literacy environment has most of the necessary supportive elements 20 - 29 Home literacy environment has many supportive elements 11 - 19 Home literacy environment has some supportive elements 0 - 10 Home literacy environment needs improvement

Get Ready to Read! is a project of the National Center for Learning Disabilities. For more information about this program please visit our Web site www.GetReadytoRead.org.

© 2004 by National Center for Learning Disabilities, Inc. All rights reserved. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce this checklist for non-commercial purposes. Developed by Grover J. (Russ) Whitehurst, Ph.D., for NCLD. Appendix I: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 2

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 61 Evesham Township School District Kindergarten Registration Information for Fall 2015

In order for a child to be eligible for kindergarten, he/she must be five years old on or before October 1st of the school year. In addition, the following requirements must be met before being permitted to enter the Evesham Township School District:

1. Proof of birth by either birth or baptismal certificate (not hospital certificate). Please bring original birth certificate with the raised seal.

2. Proof of the following immunizations, in accordance with New Jersey State Department of Health, signed by a physician:

a. Diphtheria, Whooping Cough and Tetanus (D.P.T.), total of four doses, one dose of which must have been given on or after child’s fourth birthday or any combination of five doses. b. Polio vaccine – three Sabin or two Trivalent vaccine, or Salk polio shots plus booster (booster dose to be given on or after child’s fourth birthday) or any combination of four doses. c. Measles, Mumps and Rubella (M.M.R.), 2 doses, any child born after January 1, 1990. Both immunizations must be after the first birthday. d. Hepatitis B – three doses of any vaccine combination containing Hepatitis B. e. Varicella – one dose on or after the first birthday or proof of disease immunity. PROOF OF IMMUNIZATIONS MUST BE AVAILABLE ON REGISTRATION DAY

3. Four current proofs of residency, one of which must be a lease/agreement of sale or tax bill. The other documents can include but are not limited to utility bill, drivers’ license, court orders, state agency agreements or a document with printed address.

4. A current physical examination within the past year is required of all kindergarten children. This should be completed by your family doctor or pediatrician.

5. It is also recommended your child have a dental examination before entering school.

At the time of registration, all documentation must be provided. A copy of your documents will be made and the originals returned to you.

Your child must accompany you to registration for an informal screening. If your child is currently attending the Evesham Township School District Preschool Inclusion Program, they do not need to attend with you to register as screening will be completed by the Preschool Inclusion teacher during class time as needed.

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc EVESHAM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT Registration Form

Name of Child Grade Male Female (Last) (First) (Full Middle) (Generation) Nickname Date of Birth

Address of Child City/State of Birth

Home Telephone # Country of Birth

Mother’s Name Mother’s Home Phone (Last) (First) Address, if different from child Mother’s Work Phone

Mother’s e-mail Address Mother’s Cell Phone

Mother’s Occupation Mother’s Place of Employment

Father’s Name Father’s Home Phone (Last) (First) Address, if different from child Father’s Work Phone

Father’s e-mail Address Father’s Cell Phone

Father’s Occupation Father’s Place of Employment

Guardian’s Name Guardian’s Home Phone (If Other Than Parent) (Last) (First) Address, if different from child Guardian’s Work Phone

Guardian’s e-mail Address Guardian’s Cell Phone

Guardian’s Occupation Guardian’s Place of Employment

Parent(s): Together Separated Divorced Remarried Single Court Order Regarding Custody: Yes No (If there is a court order in existence regarding custody, two copies are required.) Are there any persons not permitted to pick up your child from school? Yes No (Person’s Name) If yes, please explain: Deceased: Father Mother Child Resides With: Father Mother Stepfather Stepmother Other: (explain relationship) What development do you live in? Do you: Own your dwelling? Rent your dwelling? Other (explain)

Other Children in Family (If additional space needed, please use other side) Name Date Of Birth Place of Birth Name of School/Grade (Oldest to Youngest) Month / Day / Year Attended

Is another language besides English spoken in your home? Yes No If yes, what language? Has your child ever received English as a Second Language (ESL) services? Yes No If yes, what grade(s)? Has your child participated in or been recommended for a Gifted/Talented Program? Yes No Has your child ever repeated a grade? Yes No Does your child have an IEP or 504 Plan? Yes No (circle one) If yes, has your child participated in the following: Speech Therapy Occupational Therapy Physical Therapy

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc Name of Previous School/ Complete Address Phone Number Dates Attended Preschool (Town, County, State, Country)

Type of School: Public Private Home School

I hereby authorize the Evesham Township School District to investigate and confirm any and all statements made by me on this form. I am aware that if any statements contained on this registration form concerning residency are false, I may be assessed the tuition for the aforementioned child and prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

Parent’s Name: (Please print)

Parent’s Signature: Date: (Please sign in ink)

For Office Use Only: School: HLB DES DMS FVE RBJ MES MMS RLR JHVZ

Teacher First Day on Roll Transp Start Date:

Grade: Proof of Residency (list) Zone: Birth Certificate Ent Code: Proof of Immunization Bus Student: Physical Walker:

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc Name of Child Grade (Last) (First) (Full Middle) (Generation e.g. Jr., Sr.)

Race/Ethnicity Background Information for NJ SMART

The state department has a mandate in relation to a statewide student data based system entitled NJ SMART. Each district is required to keep specific information on every student.

In order to help us enter the accurate fields of data, please complete the following information regarding your child:

1. Please check all that apply:

White (A person having origins of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East or North Africa)

Black or African American (A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa)

Asian (A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam)

American Indian or Alaska Native (A person having origins in any of the original people of North and South America (including Central America) and who maintains a tribal affiliation or community attachment)

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander (A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands)

2. Is the student Hispanic or Latino? (A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race) Yes No

*NOTE: All descriptors are taken directly from the NJ SMART Student Data Handbook V4.1

Parent’s Name: (Please print)

Parent’s Signature: Date: (Please sign in ink)

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc EVESHAM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MARLTON, NJ 08053

NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION HEALTH HISTORY and QUESTIONNAIRE (To be completed by parent)

Student’s Name Date of Birth

Student’s Health Status: past or present problems. Check all that apply.

___ Epilepsy /Seizures ___ Eczema/dermatitis ___ Sleep problems ___ Other neurological disorder ___ Other skin problem ___ Tonsillectomy ___ Diabetes ___ Hemophilia ___ Ear tubes inserted ___ Asthma ___ Meningitis ___ Other surgery ___ Kidney disorders ___ Hepatitis ___ Hearing problem ___ Heart disease ___ Fainting ___ Hearing aid or other device ___ Orthopedic problems ___ Headaches, frequent ___ Vision problem ___ Fractures ___ Stomachaches, frequent ___ Glasses/contacts ___ Sickle cell ___ Sore throat, frequent ___ Color blindness ___ Mononucleosis ___ Constipation/Diarrhea ___ Speech problem ___ Arthritis ___ Concussion/Head Injury ___ Cancer ___ Cystic Fibrosis

Food Allergies: Is your child allergic to any foods? Yes No Explain any allergies:

Sting Allergies: Is your child allergic to any insect stings? Yes No Explain any allergies:

Drug/Medication Allergies: Is your child allergic to any medications? Yes No If yes, explain:

Does your child have any restrictions on his/her activities? Yes No

Premature birth? Yes No Newborn Complications

Medications that your child takes regularly:

If your child has any other health condition or concerns, please describe below:

Parent Name: (Please Print)

Parent Signature: Date: (Please Sign in Ink)

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc EVESHAM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MARLTON, N.J. 08053 PHYSICAL EXAMINATION (To be completed by physician)

Name of Child Date of Birth

IMMUNIZATIONS: Attach a copy of immunization record to this form.

DPT POLIO MMR #1 HIB (diptheria, pertussis, tetanus) (specify IPV or OPV) MMR #2 1. 1. 2. 2. 3. booster Varicella #1 booster booster Varicella #2

Tdap or Td (circle one) PCV (Prevnar)

Gardasil (HPV) #1 #2 #3

Hepatitis B #1 #2 #3 Hepatitis A #1 #2

Tuberculin Test type results date

INFLUENZA (most recent) MENINGOCOCCAL

MEDICAL HISTORY

Allergies Diabetes Asthma Kidney disorders Cardiac disorders Neuromuscular disorders Convulsive disorders Other: Congenital defects Surgeries or injuries:

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION Height Weight BP

Ears Heart Posture Eyes Lungs Nervous system Nose Abdomen Nutrition Throat Hernia Teeth Genito/Urinary Speech Glands Skin

Vision Hearing

General appearance

Does this child regularly take medication?

Comments or Recommendations

Doctor’s Signature Date of Exam Office Stamp

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc EVESHAM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MARLTON, N.J. 08053

DENTAL

Dear Parent or Guardian:

If your child has been to the family dentist or pediatric dentist, please have them sign and return as soon as possible.

School Nurse

Date

School

Grade

Student

Has been examined and is now receiving treatment

Treatment has been completed

No treatment necessary

Dentist’s Name: (Please Print)

Dentist’s Signature: Date: (Please Sign in Ink)

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc EVESHAM TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT MARLTON, N.J. 08053

KINDERGARTEN PARENT QUESTIONNAIRE

NAME OF CHILD: DATE:

NICK NAME (optional):

Please complete the following questions, as this information may be of great value to us. Thank you for your cooperation.

I. GROSS MOTOR SKILLS (Please check)

Can your child: Climb? Hop? Skip? Jump?

II. FINE MOTOR SKILLS (Please check)

Can your child: Use scissors? Use crayons? Use paints? Tie shoes? Zip and button clothes?

Is your child left handed or right handed? (Circle) R L

III. ACTIVITY LEVEL (Please check yes or no)

Is your child: YES NO A. Always active? B. Restless? C. Unpredictable? D. Generally calm? E. Slow in responding? F. Generally consistent in behavior? G. Generally inconsistent in behavior?

IV. READINESS SKILLS (Please check and add any information)

Does your child: Recognize the letters of the alphabet? capital small Read? Like being read to? Finish what he/she starts? Articulate clearly?

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc COMMENTS:

V. PERSONALITY TRAITS (Please check words which usually apply to your child’s HOME behavior. Add comments if you wish.)

Shy Accepts criticism Quiet Easily influenced by others Energetic Outgoing Moody Controlling Stubborn Dawdles Apprehensive Argumentative Waits for help Obeys slowly Proceeds independently Puts things away Feelings get hurt easily Self confident Hesitant about new situation Sensitive Complains easily Talkative Prefers company of adults Demanding Exhibits self control Cries easily Has temper tantrums Has fears – Explain:

VI. ATTITUDE TOWARD SCHOOL (Please check)

Does yo ur child: Seem excited about kindergarten? Seem ready for school? Want to stay home, but will come without getting upset? Seem worried about starting?

What do you think we should know about your child that would make his/her progress in kindergarten most effective?

OTHER COMMENTS:

S:\DubreuilM\WINWORD\Kindergarten\Registration info\2015-2016 Kdg registration info\reg packet handout-website 1-2015.doc Appendix J: Sample Literacy Environment Survey 3

Measuring Emergent Literacy in Houston The Bush School Consulting Capstone | Barbara Bush Houston Literacy Foundation Page 71