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| Developing and Implementing Early Learning Guidelines: The Case of Rhode Island |
The Early Learning Standards Project grew out of efforts to implement the 1998 statewide school readiness initiative, Starting RIght. The Rhode Island Department of Education and the Department of Human Services provide the leadership and support for the project. A state level steering committee, with representatives from State agencies, Head Start programs, and the Kids Count initiative, provides overall direction and guidance to the project. The following document briefly describes the goals and activities the development and implementation early learning guidelines in Rhode Island from 2001 to the present. The information illustrates one State’s long-term approach toward helping parents and providers effectively implement early learning guidelines in a variety of care settings.
Goals:
Two subcommittees were established to meet the goals of engaging partners, increasing public awareness, and developing draft standards.
After 10 months in development and a rigorous process of outreach, the final draft document was released in January 2002. The Rhode Island Early Learning Standards encompass eight domains of learning and development for 4-year-old children. This resource is available on the Web at www.ride.ri.gov/els/doc.asp.
Goals:
The Rhode Island Early Learning Standards, Final Draft, was piloted in five communities around the State. Community-based groups made up of representatives from center-based programs, family child care homes, public school programs, Head Start programs, and parents participated in an 8-month professional development series. A mentor/facilitator assigned to each community guided implementation of the standards by aligning program curriculum and assessments with the standards. An evaluator assessed both the usefulness of the standards and the impact on practice with 100 early care and education providers. Family members were also included in the evaluation.
As a result of the pilot project, the guidelines were again reviewed and revised. The final version of the standards and a poster identifying the domains and key learning areas for quick referral by parents or staff were produced. Materials are available in both English and Spanish.
Goals:
Consultants were hired to develop eight modules for the statewide roll out of the community-based training. The modules cover topics such as aligning curriculum with standards, identifying methods and strategies of assessment, using assessment to refine curriculum for teaching and learning, and reflecting on professional growth. Twelve master teachers with experience in implementing the standards participated in a 2-day professional development experience to become certified as trainers. Each certified trainer is responsible for presenting the eight modules over a 10-month period to one or more community-based groups. The Trainers’ Network meets once a month to further refine modules and share training strategies.
The training is offered free of charge to 10 community-based groups annually. Each group must include practitioners from center-based settings (including Head Start), public school programs, and certified family child care settings. Practitioners are asked to document that their program meets at least some of the quality indicators that identify the program as structurally ready to implement the standards. Participating groups are selected in accordance with established project priorities, which include a broad geographic distribution across the State, participation of urban communities, inclusion of children with special needs, and a commitment to systems change toward best practice for children and families. The evaluation protocol used in the pilot project is being used with 200 early care and education providers participating in the 2003–2004 professional development series. The evaluation included an assessment of child outcomes in the spring of 2004.
Participants receive professional development credits. Rhode Island’s professional development plan, Harbor of Opportunities for Professional Education (HOPE), addresses the alignment of core competencies and career lattice levels with the early learning guidelines.
A Family Engagement Workgroup has been established based on feedback from the pilot project. The workgroup is cochaired by a parent and a practitioner with expertise in family involvement. The workgroup has developed materials to assist families in using everyday moments to support the goals of the standards.
Kids Count, the national effort to track State-by-State status on the well-being of children, provides expertise on the development of materials to help State and community leaders understand the linkages among the Early Learning Standards project and other early care and education initiatives in the State.
Goals:
The 8 session professional development series was continued in 11 new sites and has become credit-bearing in a partnership with institutions of higher education. Family activity cards were developed, in English and Spanish, and disseminated to practitioners and parents. Parents are able to access the family activity cards through their local Kinko’s at a very nominal cost.
A nondegree course on implementing early learning guidelines for Spanish speaking providers was piloted in the fall of 2005. Training for directors was integrated into the existing professional development module and was developed as a stand alone course in the fall of 2005.
CURRENT STATUS: The State has recently started to plan for the implementation of a quality rating system, which will embed implementation of early learning guidelines. A portfolio system for practitioners is being piloted to document the level and degree of implementation.
For an overview of the project, including the early learning guidelines, family activity cards, and the professional development approach, visit the Web at www.ride.ri.gov/els/overview.asp. In addition, the Child Care Bureau’s 2005 CD-ROM, Leading the Way to Quality Early Care and Education, has further information on the professional development modules, involvement of key stakeholders, and the development of the family activity cards. The CD-ROM may be ordered free of charge at www.ccb-cmc.org/cdrom2005/. (Choose the Professional Development theme on the main menu, choose "Linking Content to Standards", choose "Guidelines Training" and select the Literacy and Early Learning theme on the main menu, choose"Early Learning Guidelines", choose "Family Involvement".)
Updated September 2007
| The document is for informational purposes only. No official endorsement of any practice, publication, program, or individual by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Administration for Children and Families, the Child Care Bureau, or the National Child Care Information Center is intended or is to be inferred. For additional information on this or related topics, please contact the National Child Care Information Center at (800) 616-2242 or info@nccic.org. |
