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 ................................................................................................................................