Tools and Strategies for Building Systems That Support Young Children Who Are Culturally

Tools and Strategies for Building Systems That Support Young Children Who Are Culturally

Tools and Strategies for Building Systems That Support Young Children who are Culturally, Linguistically, and Ability Diverse

Camille Catlett
FPG Child Development Institute
/ Debi Mathias
QRIS National Learning Network
/ Eva Marie Shivers
Indigo Cultural Center

  1. Need for an Explicit Emphasis
  1. Questions for Examining the Intentionality of Your Approaches
  1. Resources to Support a More Explicit Emphasis
  • From BUILD/QRIS National Learning Network
  • BUILD Searchable Database
  1. Lessons Learned About Supporting Intentionality
  • Diversity and Equity Project findings
  • Oregon standards
  • Georgia definitions and guiding principles (posted with handouts for this session)
  • Higher education examples (pages 9-10)
  1. Small Group Discussion
  1. Next Steps

Handout developed by Camille Catlett

Catlett, C., Mathias, D., & Shivers, E. M. (2013, June 11). Tools and strategies for building systems that support young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse. Presentation at NAEYC’s 2013 National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development: San Francisco, CA.

REFERENCES

  1. Schulman, K., Matthews, H., Blank, H., & Ewen, D. (2012). A count for quality: Child care center directors on rating and improvement systems. Washington, DC: Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and National Women's Law Center.
  2. Lee, V. E. & Burkam, D. T. (2002). Inequality at the starting gate: Social background differences in achievement as children begin school. Washington, DC: Economic Policy Institute.
  3. Halle, T., Forry, N., Hair, E., Perper, K., Wandner, L., Wessel, J., & Vick, J. (2009). Disparities in Early Learning and Development: Lessons from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B). Washington, DC: Child Trends.
  1. Gilliam, W.S. (2005). Prekindergarteners left behind: Expulsion rates in state prekindergarten systems. New Haven, CT: Yale University Child Study Center.
  2. Lee, J., Grigg, W., & Donahue, P. (2007). The nation’s report card: Reading 2007. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics.
  3. Alexander, K.L., Entwisle, D.R., & Dauber, S.L. (1993). First-grade classroom behavior: Its short and long-term consequences for school performance. Child Development, 64, 801–814.
  4. Valeski, T. N., & Stipek, D. J. (2001, July/August). Young children’s feelings about school. Child Development, 72(4), 1198-1213.
  5. Ray, A., Bowman, B., & Robbins, J. (2006). Educating early childhood teachers about diversity: The contribution of four-year undergraduate teacher preparation programs. Chicago, IL: Erikson Institute.
  6. Stoney, L. (2012). Unlocking the potential of QRIS: Trends and opportunities in the Race to the Top-Early Learning Challenge applications.
  7. National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2009). NAEYC standards for early childhood professional preparation. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
  8. Izzo, C. V., Weissberg, R. P., Kasprow, W. J., & Fendrich, M. (1999). A longitudinal assessment of teacher perceptions of parent involvement in children’s education and school performance, American Journal of Community Psychology, 27(6), 817-839.
  9. Mantizicopoulos, P. (2003). Flunking kindergarten after Head Start: An inquiry into the contribution of contextual and individual variables. Journal of Educational Psychology, 95(2), 268-278.
  10. McWayne, C., Hampton, V., Fantuzzo., J. Cohen, H. L., & Sekino, Y. (2004). A multivariate examination of parent involvement and the social and academic competencies of urban kindergarten children. Psychology in the Schools, 41(3), 363-377.
  11. Harvard Family Research Project. (2006, Spring). Family involvement makes a difference: Evidence that family involvement promotes school success for every child of every age. Harvard Family Research Project: Harvard Graduate School of Education.
  12. Halgunseth, L. C., Peterson, A., Stark, D. R., & Moodie, S. (2009). Family engagement, diverse families, and early childhood education programs: An integrated review of the literature. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. (publication)

(PowerPoints)

  1. Whitebrook, M., Gomby, D., Bellm, D., Sakai, L., & Kipnis, F. (2009). Preparing teachers of young children: The current state of knowledge, and a blueprint for the future. Executive summary (p.1). Berkeley, CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley.
  2. Au, K. H., & Jordan, C. (1981). Teaching reading to Hawaiian children: Finding a culturally appropriate solution. In H. Trueba, G. P. Guthrie, & K. H. Au (Eds.), Culture in the bilingual classroom: Studies in classroom ethnography (pp. 139-152). Rowley, MA: Newbury House.

Boykin, A. (1986). The triple quandary and the schooling of Afro-American children. In U. Neisser (Ed.), The school achievement of minority children: New perspectives (pp. 57-92). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

González, N., Moll, L. C., Floyd-Tenery, M., Rivera, A., Rendon, P., Gonzales, R., & Amanti, C. (1993).Teacher research on funds of knowledge: Learning from households (Educational Practice Rep. No. 6.). Washington, DC and Santa Cruz, CA: National Center for Research on Cultural Diversity and Second Language Learning.

Rosebery, A. S., Warren, B., & Conant, F. R. (1992).Appropriating scientific discourse: Findings from language minority classrooms.The Journal of the Learning Sciences, 2, 61-94.

Tharp, R. G. (1991). Cultural diversity and treatment of children.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 59, 799-812.

Tharp, R. G. (1992). Cultural compatibility and diversity: Implications for the urban classroom. Teaching Thinking and Problem Solving, 14(6), 1-9.

  1. Aaronson, D., Barrow, L., & Sander, W. (2007). Teachers and student achievement in the Chicago Public High Schools. Journal of Labor Economics, University of Chicago Press, 25, 95-135.

Darling-Hammond, L. (2000). Teacher quality and student achievement: A review of state policy evidence. Education Policy Analysis Archives 8(1).

Jacob, B. A., Lefgren, L., & Sims, D. (2008).The persistence of teacher-induced learning gains.NBER Working Paper 14065. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Kane, T. J., & Staiger, D. O. (2008).Estimating teacher impacts on student achievement: An experimental evaluation. NBER Working Paper No. 14607. Washington, DC: National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.

Nye, B., Hedges, L. V., & Konstantopoulos, S. (2004). Do minorities experience larger lasting benefits from small classes? Journal of Educational Research, 98, 94-100.

Rivkin, S. G., Hanushek, E. A., & Kain, J. F. (2005).Teachers, schools, and academic achievement.Econometrica, 73(2): 417–58.

Rockoff, J., (2004). The impact of individual teachers on student achievement: Evidence from panel data. American Economic Review, 94, 247–252.

Rothstein, J. (2010, February). Teacher quality in educational production: tracking, decay, and student achievement. Quarterly Journal of Economics 125(1), 175-214.

  1. Fixsen, D. L., Naoom, S. F., Blasé, K. A., Friedman, R. M., & Wallace, F. (2005). Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature. Tampa, FL: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
  2. Bruder, M.B., Mogro-Wilson, C., Stayton, V., & Dietrich, S. (2009). The national status of in-service professional development systems for early intervention and early childhood special education practitioners. Infants and Young Children, 22(1), 13-20.
  3. Zollitsch, B., & Dean, A. (2010). Early childhood professional development: A synthesis of recent research. Portland, ME: University of Maine, Muskie School of Public Service, Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy.
  4. Trivette, C. M. (2005). Effectiveness of guided design learning strategy on the acquisition of adult problem solving skills. Bridges, 3(1), 1-18. Asheville, NC: Research and Training Center on Early Childhood Development, Orelena Hawks Puckett Institute.

Trivette, C. M., Dunst, C. J., Hamby, D. W., & O’Herin, C. E. (2009).Characteristics and consequences of adult learning methods and strategies. (Winterberry Research Synthesis, Vol. 2, No. 2). Asheville, NC: Winterberry Press.

Wei, R. C.,Darling-Hammond, L., Richardson, N., & Orphanos, S. (2009). Professional learning in the learning profession: A status report on teacher development in the United States and abroad. Dallas, TX: National Staff Development Council.

  1. Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2002). Student achievement through staff development (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
  2. National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2008). What do we mean by professional development in the early childhood field? Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute, Author.

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RESOURCES TO SUPPORT INTENTIONALITY
Policies /
  • Bruner, C., Ray, A., Stover Wright, M., & Copeman, A. (2009). Quality rating and improvement systems for a multi-ethnic society. BUILD.
  • BUILD. (2012). Young children’s healthy development and learning in a diverse society: An outline for designing a culturally and linguistically relevant, responsive and competent early childhood education system. A working document. Posted at
  • DEC/NAEYC. (2009). Early childhood inclusion: A joint position statement of the Division for Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute.
  • Landing Pad on the Importance of Intentionality

  • Landing Pad on Measuring Quality for Each Child

  • National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). (2009). Where we stand on responding to linguistic and cultural diversity. Washington, DC: Author.

Family Engagement /
  • CONNECT Module 3: Communication for Collaboration

  • CONNECT Module 4: Family-Professional Partnerships

  • Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
  • Halgunseth, L. C., Peterson, A., Stark, D. R., & Moodie, S. (2009). Family engagement, diverse families, and early childhood education programs: An integrated review of the literature. Washington, DC: National Association for the Education of Young Children. (publication)
  • Harvard Family Research Project –Informing Family Engagement Policy

  • Landing Pad on Family Engagement
  • National Center on Parent, Family and Community Engagement

  • Ray, A. (2010). Parent priorities in selecting early learning programs: Implications for Minnesota’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Minneapolis, MN: Minnesota Early Learning Foundation.

Programs/
Practices /
  • Bruner, C., Hanus, A., & Stover-Wright, M. (2012). Starting point: State actions to incorporate issues of race, culture, and language into quality rating scoring systems.
  • CONNECT Module 1: Embedded Interventions

  • Delaware Guide to Supporting Inclusion in Early Care and Education
  • Delaware Meaningful Access, Participation and Supports
  • Derman-Sparks, L., & Olsen Edwards, J. (2010). Anti-bias education for young children and ourselves. Washington, DC: NAEYC.
  • Educational Services, Inc. (2000). A creative adventure: Supporting development and learning through art, music, movement and dialogue: A guide for parents and professionals. Alexandria, VA: Head Start Information & Publication Center.
  • Landing Pad on Improving Experiences
  • National Center on Cultural and Linguistic Responsiveness

Professional Development /
  • Chang, H. (2006). Getting ready for quality: The critical importance of developing and supporting a skilled, ethnically and linguistically diverse early childhood workforce. Sacramento, CA: California Tomorrow.
  • Coffman, J., Green, M. W., Bruner, C., & Daniel, Y. (2010). Reaching for quality: Lessons from New Jersey on raising preschool teacher qualifications while maintaining workforce diversity.
  • Landing Pad on Professional Development for Early Childhood Professionals

  • Landing Pad on Professional Development for Professional Development Providers

  • National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2008). What do we mean by professional development in the early childhood field?Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute, Author.
  • Ray, A., Bowman, B. & Robbins, J. (2006). Preparing early childhood teachers to successfully educate all children: The contribution of four-year undergraduate teacher preparation programs, Final Report to the Foundation for Child Development. New York, New York.

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Learning Table

Evidence-Based Approaches to Building Quality for Diverse Young Learners in State Quality Rating and Improvement Systems (QRIS)

From March to August 2012, BUILD and the QRIS National Learning Network supported a sequence of professional development (PD) and planning related to building quality services and supports for young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse and their families. Teams of leaders from seven states participated. The sequence was called a Learning Table.

The Learning Table was organized in six content segments.Each segment included:

  • A Live Session (webinar) to facilitate learning about and discussion of evidence-based approaches to a specific aspect of supporting young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse
  • Access to an electronic collection of resources related to the topic of each interactive event (known as a Landing Pad)
  • Access to a discussion area to support exchanges among state team members, Learning Table staff, and invited speakers.

Learning Table resources (Landing Pads, Live SessionPowerPoints and recordings) are all available at Individual URLs are listed on the following page for each specific resource.

These resources were developed to assist states, regions, and communities in bringing an intentional emphasis on diversity into their early childhood quality efforts. The materials are also available to help leaders, administrators, professional development providers, and others to use evidence-based methods and models to increase the ways in which their work is reflective of and responsive to the needs of children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse and their families. For additional information about the Learning Table, please contact Camille Catlett at (919) 966-6635 or .

This work was made possible in part through generous support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and the Birth to Five Policy Alliance. /
Learning Table Content Segments / Learning Table Resources
Session 1: What evidence do you have for how well your state is doing in serving young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?This session focused on differences in outcomes that may be achieved for young children through an intentional emphasis on cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity. Resources and examples focused on evidence-based practices and models. /
  • Landing Pad
  • PowerPoints

Session 2: How are you measuring quality in outcomes for young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?This session focused on the methods states are using to measure quality in the settings serving young children who are culturally, linguistically and ability diverse. Attention was focused on what we can (and can’t) learn from those instruments. New ways of looking at child outcomes and early childhood environments were presented, including options for using current measures in new ways to achieve a more intentional emphasis on issues related to diversity. /
  • Landing Pad
  • PowerPoints
  • Live Session Recording

Session 3: How are you improving experiences for young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?This session offered examples of how states can use their data to discover whether they are achieving the desired outcomes of their quality rating and improvement system. One segment explored effective approaches for engaging families. A second segment focused on improvements to the experiences of young children. The focus on environments, curricula, and classroom practices included an example of how one state used data to evaluate and redirect their QRIS to more effectively support each young child. /
  • Landing Pad on Family Engagement
  • Landing Pad on Improving Experiences
  • PowerPoints
  • Live Session Recording

Session 4: How are you improving experiences for young dual language learners (DLLs)?This session highlighted evidence-based practices for supporting young DLLs in early childhood settings. The importance of all early childhood personnel being grounded in evidence-based practices related to language acquisition was emphasized. Examples of system components (e.g., competencies) and effective models for supporting young DLLs were shared. /
  • Landing Pad
  • PowerPoints
  • Live Session Recording

Session 5: How are you growing the capacity of your work force to support young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?This session examined current approaches to shaping what teachers know and are able to do. Evidence-based professional development (PD) practices were highlighted, as well as strategies for developing teachers who reflect, respect, and understand the families and communities they serve. State examples for increasing staff capability to support diverse young learners were shared, along with effective PD methods and sequences. /
  • Landing Pad
  • PowerPoints
  • Live Session Recording

Session 6: How are you growing the capacity of your PD providers to support people who work directly with young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?This session addressed the importance of intentionally growing the capacity of PD providers to be knowledgeable about cultural, linguistic, and ability diversity. In the pre-service context, recent evidence of the lack of preparation of faculty to support diverse young learners was presented, followed by examples of effective practices for addressing this challenge. The session also high-lighted evidence-based practices and strategies for increasing the ways in which PD professionals are both reflective of and knowledgeable about diversity. /
  • Landing Pad
  • PowerPoints
  • Live Session Recording

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INTENTIONAL APPROACHES TO SUPPORTING DIVERSITY IN EARLY CHILDHOOD PROGRAMS
Ask yourself… / What are examples of intentional practices?
Do your policies reflect your intentionality? /
  • Do your efforts have an explicit and intentional emphasis on young children who are culturally diverse (includes racial, ethnic, socio-economic, and other aspects of diversity)?
  • Do your efforts have an explicit and intentional emphasis on young children who are dual language learners?
  • Do your efforts have an explicit and intentional emphasis on young children with disabilities?
  • Do you have agreed upon definitions of key terms to use in your work (e.g., cultural competence, inclusion)?
  • Do you have guiding principles to underscore your shared commitment to diversity in all aspects of your work?

Do your family engagement efforts reflect your intentionality? /
  • Have you incorporated an explicit and intentional emphasis on authentically engaging families who are culturally and linguistically diverse? Are you also engaging families who have young children with disabilities?
  • Is input from family members shaping the quality of your work? Are you building the capacity of diverse families to support the capability and success of their children?
  • Are family members helping you to intentionally and effectively support practices that connect home cultures and experiences to their learning?

Do your programs and practices with young children reflect your intentionality? /
  • Are you intentionally and effectively supporting practices that connect children’s cultures and experiences to their learning?
  • Are you shaping teachers’ personal capacities and attitudes to support each child’s achievement?
  • Do program characteristics (e.g., teacher-child ratios, time for small groups or one-on-one interactions, materials in multiple languages) support individual children?
  • Do environments authentically reflect the children, families, and communities you serve?

Are your professional development efforts growing the capacity of early childhood professionals to support young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse? /
  • Do early childhood professionals have a strong knowledge base about evidence-based practices for supporting young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse? For example, do they understand the process of second language acquisition? Are they familiar with evidence-based practices that support inclusion? Promoting bilingual development of young DLLs?
  • Have you identified specific competencies related to evidence-based practices for supporting young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse and their families?
  • Do you have explicit requirements for early childhood professionals in developing their capacity to support young children who are culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse?
  • Are you using intentional strategies to increase the diversity of the individuals who work with young children?

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