Project Activities
An iterative process was used to develop an efficient, promising, and sustainable PD model to prepare early childhood teachers to implement an early literacy MTSS model. Data from focus groups, interviews, surveys, and observational measures were used to inform the development and revision of the PD model and assess its feasibility. A small cluster randomized controlled trial investigated the promise of efficacy of the PD model for improving educators' implementation of an early literacy MTSS model and, ultimately, children's literacy outcomes.
Structured Abstract
Setting
The research took place in pre-kindergarten classrooms and childcare centers in Florida. Classrooms were recruited from predominantly high-poverty, urban communities.
Sample
Classrooms of teachers, paraeducators, and children with delayed early literacy skills participated in this project. During the first 2 years, 26 stakeholders—including early childhood teachers, paraeducators, and center administrators—contributed to the design and development of the PD model through participation in focus groups, interviews, field testing, and feedback. The following year, 38 teachers and 27 paraeducators participated in a preliminary pilot study of the model that was not completed because of COVID-related school closing. In the final year, 21 teachers, 9 paraeducators, and 60 students completed a pilot study of the full PD model.
The Early Literacy Professional Development model includes a decision-making framework to assist teachers in moving children through tiers of instructional protocols in early literacy and standard treatment protocols that have been shown to be effective in improving phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge skills. The primary components of the intervention include: (a) problem-based learning and video modeling in online learning modules, (b) an Electronic Data Management and Expert Decision Making (EDM2) system, (c) in-class coaching support, and (d) standard treatment protocols to guide tier 2 and tier 3 instruction of early literacy skills. Coaches instruct, observe, and provide feedback to teachers as they learn to (a) use curriculum-based measures that align with learning objectives, (b) use data to identify students who require more intensive instruction and to shape instruction, (c) implement evidence-based standard treatment protocols with high fidelity for students requiring tier 2 or tier 3 instruction, (d) use progress monitoring tools to measure children's responses to intervention, and (e) use data from assessments to move children fluidly among appropriate tiers of instruction. Brief online problem-based learning modules that present authentic classroom challenges associated with MTSS and model their solutions are used to prepare educators to strengthen problem-solving skills and apply components of the framework. To improve the ease and accuracy of identifying struggling children, the research team developed a computerized data management system (EDM2) wherein teachers input assessment result and the output directs them towards instructional needs and future assessments.
Research design and methods
In the first 2 years, an iterative model was used to develop the PD intervention. Focus groups provided initial input on early literacy MTSS PD content deemed most beneficial to address, identified examples of problems teachers face to be incorporated into problem-based learning case studies, and selected the student assessments to input into the development of the EDM2 system. Four cycles of development (of PD modules, coaching components, and EDM2), educator feedback, and field testing and evaluation were used to prepare for the pilot study. In the third year, the cluster randomized trial was initiated in 31 classrooms to evaluate the promise of the PD model. However, the rise of COVID-19 interfered with completion of the study. The following year, this pilot study was completed in 21 classrooms (10 treatment and 11 control). Group differences in intervention and control teachers' implementation of MTSS, perceptions of acceptability and value of treatment, and fidelity of implementation of early literacy instruction were examined. In addition, children in the intervention and control group with persistent delays in early literacy skills were compared on curriculum-based measures and standardized tests of phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge skills. Moderating effects of teacher and student characteristics also were explored.
Control condition
For the pilot study, educators in the control condition also implemented the same dose of small group instruction. However, the focus of the instruction was on vocabulary development.
Key measures
Measures included assessments of educators' implementation of key MTSS features (i.e., EDM2 system data on use of assessments and student receipt of treatment protocols, fidelity self-assessment rubric, observation checklist), social validity (semi-structured interviews and surveys), coaching fidelity (observation checklist), as well as data on the use of the EDM2 system and PD engagement (tracking of activities, surveys). Students were screened using the Preschool Early Literacy Indicator and a researcher-developed measure of alphabet knowledge. During intervention, weekly researcher-developed curriculum-based measures assessed mastery of taught skills. Pre-post early literacy assessments included the Acadience First Sound Fluency subtest; five subtests of the Dynamic Decoding Measure including Phoneme Segmentation, Letter Sounds, Letter Names, First Sound Identification, Phoneme Blending; and Florida's Voluntary Pre-K Assessment or the STAR literacy assessment.
Data analytic strategy
In the initial years, content analysis and descriptive statistics were used to summarize focus group and interview data during the iterative development process. For the pilot study, Generalized Linear Modeling was used to compare growth in teacher knowledge and skills in implementing tier 2 and tier 3 early literacy instruction between groups. Due to the nesting of students within classrooms, Mixed Effects Modeling was used to assess associated student outcomes. Analyses were also conducted to determine whether teacher knowledge or child language development scores moderated the impact of the PD model on student outcomes.
Key outcomes
The main findings of this project, as reported by the principal investigator, are as follows:
- Positive literacy outcomes were shown for educators and children who were randomly assigned to the Early Literacy Professional Development model.
- Online learning modules resulted in small gains in knowledge of educators in both groups during the first year of the pilot study. In contrast, observational measures showed large gains in literacy teaching performance in the treatment group after phonological awareness instruction was initiated, but not in the comparison group.
- When comparing students in the final project year, fewer children of treatment group educators were below expectations on several measures of school-administered phonological awareness and alphabet knowledge at midyear.
- Results from the final year revealed large differences in child outcomes. Children in the treatment group made much greater improvements than the comparison group on tests of phoneme segmenting, first sound identification, letter names, letter sounds, and first sound fluency, but not in phoneme blending.
- Researchers found that children with higher language development scores tended to perform better on phoneme segmentation and first sound fluency measures than children with lower language scores.
- Despite the positive outcomes for teaching alphabet knowledge, researchers also found that the tier 3 intervention approach implemented for about 6 weeks was not sufficient to make up the gap in children requiring more instruction to develop letter sound knowledge.
- Social validity measures completed by teachers attested to the feasibility and utility of the model and the developed tools, with all treatment group teachers requesting to keep the materials to use in the future.
- The products of this project include a fully developed Early Literacy Professional Development model including online learning modules, a practice-based coaching protocol, standard treatment protocols, and an electronic data management and expert decision-making system that, together, aim at improving educators' implementation of MTSS and children's literacy outcomes.
People and institutions involved
IES program contact(s)
Products and publications
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Publications:
ERIC Citations: Find available citations in ERIC for this award here.
Select Publications:
Olszewski, A., Soto, X., & Goldstein, H. (2017). Modeling alphabet skills as instructive feedback within a phonological awareness intervention. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 26(3), 769-790. https://doi.org/10.1044/2017_AJSLP-16-0042
Soto, X., Olszewski, A., & Goldstein, H. (2019). A systematic review of phonological awareness interventions for Latino children in early and primary grades. Journal of Early Intervention, 41(4), 340-365. https://doi.org/10.1177/1053815119856067
Soto, X. T., Crucet-Choi, A., & Goldstein, H. (2020). Effects of a supplemental Spanish phonological awareness intervention on Latinx preschoolers’ dual language emergent literacy skills. American Journal of Speech-Language Pathology, 29(3), 1283-1300. https://doi.org/10.1044/2020_AJSLP-20-00029
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