FirstSchool: Improving the PreK-3rd Grade School Experience of African-

American, Latino, and Low Income Children

Looking Back and Looking Ahead: Developing Strong Kindergartens within the PreK-3rd

ContinuumNew Jersey – October 28. 2011

Dr. Sharon Ritchie

Foundation for Child DevelopmentW.K. Kellogg FoundationNAESP Task Force for Early LearningNew Jersey National PreK-3rd Grade Work Group

Confluence of Work: PreK-3 is Growing

FirstSchool Cornerstone

s

Improving the School Experience for African-American, Latino, Low Income Children and their Families

Examining

Relevant Data

Reciprocal Home-School

Partnerships

Responsive

Leadership

Teaching for

Learning

Improve the school experiences of AALLI children

Focus on research based practice that supports

the success of AALLI children data as a source for inquiry into

inequity the role of Kindergarten in getting

AALLI children off to a positive start ( AALLI-African American, Latino and low income)

FirstSchool 20114

Oral language development and vocabulary development

Self-regulation and autonomy Scaffolded instruction and reflection Ability to collaborate and work with peers Curriculum integration and connection to real world Positive relationships with the adults in the classroom Culturally responsive practices Positive racial and ethnic identity development

Research based practicethat supports AALLI children

Minute-by-minute experience of children in PreK – 3rd grade classrooms Activity Setting Child Engagement Teaching Approaches Child Behavior (Ritchie, S., Weiser, B., Kraft-Sayre, M., Mason, E., Crawford, G., & Howes, C., 2010)

FirstSchool Snapshot:Classroom Observation Measure

The following slides are examples of data we use with PreK-Third Grade leadership and teachers.

Each school, grade level and individual teacher receives this type of data to help them inquire into their practices.

This data is particular to the contexts in which it is gathered and is not meant to be construed as representative.

We talk to teachers about this data in terms of practices that support AALLI children.

Context for the Data Slides

Minutes spent in activity settings by grade level

116

20

128

16

68

52

8Kindergarten

96

28

12812

104

36

161st Grade

96

48

76

136

28

16

32

PreK Basics

Meals/Snacks

Whole Group

Free Choice/Center

Individual Time

Small Group

Outside

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Settings: Range Across K Classrooms: Children in different classrooms have very different experiences

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Distracted0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

12%

2%

33%

2%

41%

10%

2%

BasicsMeals/SnacksWhole GroupFree Choice/CenterIndividual TimeSmall GroupOutside

Student Inattention in Activity Settings:

What activity settings support optimal learning?

FirstSchool 2011 10

Literacy Math SS/Community Science Gross Motor0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

41%

14%10%

6%3%

Kindergarten Curriculum Balance

Curriculum Child Engagement Codes

Perc

ent o

f Day

Read To Whole Language Phonics Oral LanguageVocabulary Compose Copy0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Literacy Components by Grade Level

PreK Kindergarten 1st 2nd 3rd School

Literacy Components Child Engagement Codes

Perc

ent o

f Day

Didactic Scaffolds Reflection0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%Teaching Approaches by Grade Level

PreK Kindergarten 1st 2nd 3rd School

Teaching Approaches

Perc

ent o

f Day

Didactic Scaffolds Reflection0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60%

70%

80%

90%

100%

31%

17%

1%

21%15%

2%

Kindergarten Teaching Approaches by Content

Math Literacy

Teaching Approaches

Perc

ent o

f Day

Instrument designed to measure the overall quality of interactions between students and teachers

Based upon extensive research and review of educational literature

Uses a 7-point scale to indicate the presence of key indicators and attributes

o 1-2 = lowo 3-5 = mido 6-7 = high

  (Pianta, R. C., La Paro, K. M., & Hamre, B., 2008)

Classroom Assessment Scoring System

Classroom QualityEmotional SupportPositive Climate

Negative ClimateTeacher

SensitivityRegard for

Student Perspective

Classroom Organization

Behavior ManagementProductivityInstructional

Learning Formats

Instructional SupportConcept

DevelopmentQuality of FeedbackLanguage Modeling

CLASS:Classroom Assessment Scoring System

The following slides are examples of data we use with PreK-Third Grade leadership and teachers.

Each school, grade level and individual teacher receives this type of data to help them inquire into their practices

This data is particular to the contexts in which it is gathered and is not meant to be construed as representative

We talk to teachers about this data in terms of practices that support AALLI children

Context for the Data Slides

CLASS Averages: Across PreK-Third Grade FirstSchool Classrooms

Emot

iona

l Sup

port

Class

room

Org

aniza

tion

Instru

ctiona

l Sup

port

1

3

5

7

4.93 4.91

3.06

CLASS Emotional Support by Grade Level:Across PreK-Third Grade FirstSchool Classrooms

pre-K K 1st 2nd 3rd1

2

3

4

5

6

7

5.49

4.745.04

4.684.98

CLASS Classroom Organization by Grade Level:Across PreK-Third Grade FirstSchool Classrooms

pre-K K 1st 2nd 3rd1

2

3

4

5

6

7

4.88 4.695.10

4.765.13

CLASS Instructional Support by Grade Level:Across PreK-Third Grade FirstSchool Classrooms

pre-K K 1st 2nd 3rd1

2

3

4

5

6

7

3.172.82

3.262.86

3.26

CLASS Dimension Averages:Across PreK-Third Grade FirstSchool Classr0oms

posit

ive

clim

ate

nega

tive

clim

ate

teac

her s

ensit

ivity

rega

rd fo

r stu

dent

per

spec

tives

beha

vior

man

agem

ent

prod

uctiv

itiy

instru

ctiona

l lea

rning

form

ats

conc

ept d

evelop

men

t

quality

of f

eedb

ack

lang

uage

mod

eling

1

3

5

75.08

1.62

4.473.79

5.41 5.224.09

2.80 3.17 3.21

Thank you!

Contact Information

Dr. Sharon RitchieFPG Child Development InstituteUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

sharon.ritchie@unc.edu

www.firstschool.us

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FirstSchool is supported by:a grant from the W.K. Kellogg FoundationThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Private donors

FirstSchool.2011FirstSchool 201125

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FirstSchoolis a project of theFPG Child Development Institute. FPG research and outreach have shaped how the nation cares for and educates young children.

www.fpg.unc.edu