The Impact of the Literacy Environment Enrichment Program on Head Start Child Literacy Outcomes

1
The Impact of the Literacy Environment Enrichment
Program on Head Start Child Literacy Outcomes

• Quantitative Methods Design Presented by Kevin
  McGowan
• April 29, 2008

2
Purpose

• This study is intended to examine the effects of
  the Literacy Environment Enrichment Program
  (LEEP) on child outcomes for preschool children
  entering kindergarten.

3
Background Literature

• This area of study is very important because
  Dickinson and Caswell (2007) provided some
  valuable insights regarding the impact of LEEP on
  the quality of classroom environments related to
  early literacy.
• Whereas the research conducted by Dickinson and
  Caswell (2007) regarding LEEP demonstrated
  improved early literacy environments as evidenced
  by the Early Language and Literacy Classroom
  Observation (ELLCO) scores, a major limitation of
  their study is that it did not determine whether
  these changes in classroom practices based on
  ELLCO scores resulted in growth in childrens
  language and literacy skills.

4
Research Question

• Do Head Start teachers who participate in LEEP
  have an impact on early literacy outcomes for
  children entering kindergarten?

5
Design Statement

• This study will use a quasi-experimental pre and
  posttest design.

6
Sample

• Head Start Teachers, Their Classrooms, and
  Four-Year-Old Students from Region III Head Start
  Programs.
• Eight Female Teachers (6 African-American, 1
  White Hispanic, 1 Saudi Arabian).
• Fifty Students 25 Boys and 25 Girls (22
  African-American, 14 White Hispanics, 7 North
  Africans, 7 East Indians).
• Four Teachers and 25 Students in Experimental
  Group and 4 Teachers and 25 Students in Control
  Group.
• All student participants meet federal poverty
  income guidelines.

7
Materials

• Experimental Condition The Literacy Environment
  Enrichment Program (LEEP), High Scope Curriculum,
  Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation
  (ELLCO), Pre-kindergarten Phonological Awareness
  Literacy Screening (PALS).
• Control Condition High Scope Curriculum, ELLCO,
  PALS.

8
Data Sources

• ELLCO Results
• PALS Results

9
ProcedureExperimental Condition

• The LEEP intervention will be given as a 45 hour
  course for which participants will receive 3
  credits from a university in their state. It
  will be delivered in two 3-day intensive sessions
  in late October and late February with support
  for application of new learning provided between
  sessions.
• ELLCO data will be collected by trained assessors
  in late September and late April.
• PALS data will be collected by trained assessors
  in October and April.

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ProcedureControl Condition

• ELLCO data will be collected by trained assessors
  in late September and late April.
• PALS data will be collected by trained assessors
  in October and May.

11
Scoring

• ELLCO and PALS assessors will receive training on
  how to score their respective instruments.
• ELLCO and PALS assessors will also receive a
  users guide complete with technical information
  and step-by-step instructions for administering
  and scoring each subcategory listed in each
  instrument.

12
Treatment Fidelity

• LEEP instructors will meet weekly with Head Start
  managers and teachers to gather feedback which
  will provide insight into how LEEP is being
  implemented in each experimental group classroom.
• Head Start managers will monitor LEEP
  implementation when they do their regularly
  scheduled classroom observations.
• Proposed Quantitative Data Analysis
• T-Test for Independent Samples