Professional Development and Technical Assistance to Improve Evaluation and Practice
Educators and service providers are faced with new challenges and opportunities as technology advances, innovative practices emerge, and the population of children and families that they serve becomes more diverse. We develop professional development content and tools to support delivery of both established and emerging practices. Rather than relying on traditional didactic models for delivering professional development, we use innovative and evidence-based approaches that incorporate such professional development practices as coaching and immediate feedback to develop and sustain evidence-based practices.
Research Highlights
Poster: The Effects Increasing Preschool Teacher-Child Literacy Interactions
Reading is a keystone skill for future success in our society. More than 1 in 3 children (33%) are struggling readers. This shortfall in reading proficiency is pronounced among low-income children: 83% of children from low-income families and 85% of children attending poverty schools fail to reach “proficient” levels. Many will not be ready for school because they have not experienced the necessary language and early literacy experiences in the home or preschool.
Poster: Supporting Implementation of a Language Promoting Intervention within Home-Based Early Intervention
Early language experiences have a profound impact on later language and literacy and success in school for children with typical development and identified as having delays in language development. When children are exposed to language through daily interactions, they have more opportunities to learn and practice language and communication. Professional development (PD) and coaching with early intervention providers are key factors in ensuring effective implementation of intervention strategies within home-based programs.
Project: Start Young
Start Young is a public-private collaborative designed to improve child care in Wyandotte County, increasing access to high-quality, full-day, full-year child care for working families. Access to high-quality child care provides benefits to parents and children across Wyandotte County by allowing parents to be gainfully employed so they have the resources to better support their families, and by preparing children for success in school and life by maximizing the crucial period of early brain development. The program works with child care centers in the community to help improve child care programs, to help serve more children.