NCEDL Supplement to NEW SCRIPTS Project

This study has concluded.

Investigators: Pam Winton (pam_winton@unc.edu) , Camille Catlett

Project goals, structure: The overall goal was to offer early childhood faculty an opportunity to participate as part of a national early intervention faculty enhancement and systems change project, funded by OSEP, U.S. Department of Education. Specific goals were to:

• increase the knowledge and skills of community college and university faculty in using innovative instructional approaches for (1) embedding cultural and linguistic diversity and (2) increasing the early childhood intervention content throughout their preservice programs
• build the capacity of institutions of higher education to prepare students for leadership, practitioner, and supervisory roles in early childhood intervention and family support
• strengthen linkages among state agencies, institutions of higher education, and consumers relative to preservice personnel preparation within each state's system of personnel development

Colorado	3	(two from community colleges)
Delaware	5	(one from a community college)
South Carolina	4	(three from community colleges)
W. Virginia	3	(none from community colleges)
	15

In addition, the supplement made it possible to support presenters/facilitators of institute (June, 2000) sessions that provided an early childhood perspective. Presenters helped organize and implement sessions at the June 2000 institute that were particularly relevant for early childhood faculty. Sessions included:

• Promoting Collaboration across 2- and 4-Year Colleges and Universities: Why and How Examples from Early Childhood and Allied Health
• Exploring Issues in Child Care Settings through the Case Method of Instruction (using "Pink Slip," a case developed by NCEDL)
• Infusing Exceptionality: Preparing Early Childhood Educators to Work with Children of Diverse Abilities in Natural Environments
• Tower-Trench Tangos: Exploring Opportunities for Campus and Community Collaboration
• Issue Session: Articulation between Community Colleges and 4-year Institutions

Research benefits: The following goals/objectives were generated by the faculty teams as a result of their participation in the NEW SCRIPTS project. The third column provides information on their success at reaching their goals, as reported in our six-month follow-up visits and data collection (see Table 1).

Table 1. Goals/Objectives/Outcomes - NEW SCRIPTS Teams

State	Goals/Objectives	Outcomes to Date
Colorado	Build collaborative partnerships among faculty, families, agencies and providers Enhance development of competencies in key areas including teaming, cultural competency and family-driven, community-based practices	Family members and faculty members on the Colorado New Scripts team plan a summer institute to increase family participation in coursework and practica.

State	Goals/Objectives	Outcomes to Date
Delaware	Increase family involvement in preservice and inservice training experiences Develop competence in using the case method of instruction (CMI) in preservice and inservice training	Several community college faculty (travel squad members and State Resource Planning Team/SRPT members) have revamped programs to increase family and community involvement. One community college faculty member is co-instructing with a parent. A one-day workshop is being developed for parents of young children (with and without disabilities) on instructional roles, ranging from telling a family story to co-instruction. This will be followed by a joint workshop for faculty members and family members on supporting family involvement. A three-day institute on using the case method of instruction (CMI) was offered to faculty-family teams throughout the state in June 2001.

State	Goals/Objectives	Outcomes to Date
South Carolina	Develop partnerships across departments and/or institutions of higher education to increase and improve preservice training	New instructional partnerships have evolved. For example, at one community college, an OT faculty member is teaching a child development course in the Community, Family and Child Services Department. This new collaboration was facilitated by an NCEDL-supported community college faculty member.

State	Goals/Objectives	Outcomes to Date
West Virginia	Plan a statewide articulation conference Develop strategies for involving family and community partners	NCEDL-supported New Scripts team members have taken the lead in bringing community college and 4-year college representatives together to plan for this conference. To date there have been three planning meetings, and a fall conference is planned. NCEDL-supported faculty members are using family members more as instructional resources. A two-day workshop on supporting family and community partners is planned by faculty, family members, and program staff. Other New Scripts team members will help with this initial workshop, then replicate it in other communities.

Pre- and 6-month post data were collected to document outcomes at the individual level. The following are statistically significant changes.

Goal #1: Increase in faculty knowledge, skill, and confidence related to early intervention training

• Faculty did increase their knowledge and skill in key early intervention content areas and innovative pedagogical approaches (Changes [pre-6 month post institute self-report] in faculty knowledge and skills in all 10 content areas, all 4 systems areas, and all 9 instructional approaches measured, p<.0001)
• Faculty did increase their willingness to provide preservice, inservice and technical assistance related to early intervention as a result of the project (p.<.0001)
• Faculty provided more inservice training in early intervention after participation in the project (p <.03)

Goal #2: Application of new knowledge and skill by faculty in preservice teaching they provide to others

• Used varied training strategies to match different learning styles of students (p<.0001)
• Individualized instruction according to needs of the students (p<.02)
• Taught interdisciplinary audiences (3 or more disciplines) (p<.03)
• Family members were part of instructor team (p<.001)

Goal #3: Improvements in early childhood personnel development systems

• CSPD is serving a more meaningful role (p<.0000)
• Increased cooperation and collaboration across agencies and institutions (p<.0001)
• Institutions of higher education doing a more adequate job (p<.005)
• Greater family participation in personnel preparation (p<.0000)
• Greater linkages between inservice and preservice efforts (p<.0000)
• More preservice (p<.01) and inservice training (p<.0000) linked with certification
• Family-centered philosophy is more infused in preservice training (p<.000)
• More preservice activities are interdisciplinary (p<.001)
• Specific state goals (x=5.2 per state) were identified and implemented with some success.
• Six-month follow- up data indicated that participants thought the project would have a continuing impact (x=4.1 on 1-5 scale with 1 having no impact and 5 having a major impact)
• Six month follow-up data from individual participants indicated that parent involvement was an extremely important component.

Parents on the teams stayed involved in personnel preparation in their states (x=4.13 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being very involved)

98% of participants rated the impact that parents had on the work of the team during and after the Institute at a "3" on a 1-3 scale with 3 being positive.

Policy, practice. or professional development implications: The biggest factor affecting the accomplishment of individual goals was related to "organizations/systems" (e.g., funding, planning time, administrative support). This was more likely to have a negative effect than a positive one.

The second biggest barrier was individual time; competing demands and priorities often interfered with accomplishing goals.

The second biggest facilitator was colleagues; their time, support and commitment.

Ongoing support and technical assistance from the systems change projects was also a positive factor.

The following factors were critical in the overall success of this project:

• working within the context and with the support of state early intervention and education systems (Part C and 619), projects, and initiatives
• requiring the participation of key partners (family members, state agencies, faculty members, practitioners) in all efforts
• working with an individual liaison within each state whose paid job is to promote improvements in personnel development systems
• recognizing and supporting the many paths toward change (and sometimes the road is longer than you expect)
• the power of working with states over longer periods of time than is usually possible within the 3-year grant cycle (made possible by having a series of grants to support related projects)

Publications, products:

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (1999). Infant-caregiver interactions. Young Exceptional Children, 2 (1).

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (1999). Programs and teamwork. Young Exceptional Children, 2(2).

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (1999). Resources within reason: Teams in providing effective services. Young Exceptional Children, 2(3), 27.

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (1999). Resources within reason: Effective community-based teamwork and collaboration. Young Exceptional Children, 2(4), 27.

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (1999). Resources within reason: Family-professional collaboration in daily practice. Young Exceptional Children, 3(1), 28.

Catlett, C. & Winton, P. (2000). Resource guide: Selected early childhood/early intervention training materials (9th ed.). Chapel Hill, NC: Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center.

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (2000). Resources within reason: Families as leaders in collaborative efforts. Young Exceptional Children, 3(2), 28.

Catlett, C., & Winton, P. (2000). Resources within reason: Culturally and linguistically diverse families. Young Exceptional Children, 3(3), 28.

Winton, P. J. (2000). Early childhood intervention personnel preparation: Backward mapping for future planning. Topics in Early Childhood special Education, 20(2), 87-94.