Transcript VA Paraprofessional Early Childhood Training Project

Creative Paraprofessional
Collaborations: Integrating EvidenceBased Practices into Early Childhood
Community College Curricula
Deana M. Buck, M.Ed.
Kathleen Bodisch Lynch, Ph.D.
Monica Uhl, M.A.
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Collaboration
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Project Goal
Ensure that early childhood
paraprofessional preservice
programs adequately prepare
paraprofessionals to serve
infants, toddlers, and young
children with disabilities
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Quality early
childhood
programs
offered by
community
colleges in
Virginia hold
the key.
Evidence-based concepts,
interventions and strategies for
teaching the content
Through Trainings…
CONNECT modules
Collaboration…
Shared resources with faculty in
the community college system
Provided support for
implementing
information
Embedded
information
Planned for
targeted courses
Targeted Courses and Proposed Content
CHD 120: Intro to
ECE
CHD 205: Guiding
the Behavior of
Children
CHD 210:
Exceptional
Children
CHD 165:
Observation and
Participation In E
C/Primary Setting
CHD 216: EC
programs, School,
& Social Change
CHD 265:
Advanced
Observation and
Participation
What we thought would happen:
YEAR ONE
YEAR
TWO
YEAR THREE
YEAR FOUR
Cohort 1
Phase 1
Phase 2
Phase 3
Cohort 2
Recruitment
Phase 1
Phase 2
Recruitment
Phase 1
Cohort 3
Community Colleges in Virginia
What helped?
•
•
•
•
Collaborative relationships are key
Built on other projects and initiatives
It’s a very small EC world
Project met a need identified by faculty
members
• State has consistent course numbers/
objectives/content
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Supports available from the
Paraprofessional Project
Our GREAT WIKI!
Project Evaluation
i. Faculty Self-Assessment
ii. Fidelity of Implementation
iii. Effectiveness of Required Activities
iv. Impact on Students
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Fidelity of Implementation
i. Faculty Self-Assessment
ii. Fidelity of Implementation
iii. Effectiveness of Required Activities
iv. Impact on Students
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Implementation
How many?
Who?
What?
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Images courtesy of (top) nuttakit, (left) criminalatt, and (right) supertrooper/FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Fidelity of Implementation
Faculty implemented 1,566 required
activities.
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Project Evaluation
i. Faculty Self-Assessment
ii. Fidelity of Implementation
iii. Effectiveness of Required Activities
iv. Impact on Students
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Impact on Students
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Impact on Students
Mean Student
Self-Assessment Ratings
Very Confident
4
Confident
3
Somewhat Confident
2
Not Confident
3.42
2.89
1
0
N = 863
CHD120
N = 385
CHD265
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Impact on Students
3.00
3.00
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Impact on Students
Observing & Collecting Data to
Monitor Progress & Identify
Possible Developmental Delays
Very Confident
4
Confident
3
+0.65
Somewhat Confident 2
2.86
Not Confident
3.51
1
0
CHD120
CHD265
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Impact on Students:
Preschool Inclusion Video
~ In Their Own Words ~
“The team approach to inclusion
helped students to see that they are
not alone in the classroom; they
have many resources to assist in
teaching children with diverse needs.
They will work to include everyone
and individualize to all children.” 24
Impact on Students:
Article on Person-First Language
~ In Their Own Words ~
“The effects of having completed
this assignment carried over into
all of their writings throughout
the course.
It was rare that a student failed
to use "people first" language
in other papers with references
to people with disabilities.”
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Impact on Students:
Videos about Routines
~ In Their Own Words ~
“Students were able to identify at least one
example of a modification to their
observation site that would enhance
experiences and learning for one or more
children in that class.”
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Impact on Students:
Environmental Modification Examples
~ In Their Own Words ~
“The students liked having
actual examples of ways to
modify the environment...
The handout helped them
make the jump in thinking
from theory to practice.”
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Impact on Students:
How to Use Assistive Technology
~ In Their Own Words ~
“This activity effectively integrates
theoretical and foundational concepts
with early childhood best practices.
It was evident that the students
understood the concept of
assistive technology.”
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Impact on Students:
Video on Collaboration
~ In Their Own Words ~
“This activity proved to
be very beneficial to the
students. [The video] is
very positive and a great
example of working in
collaboration to provide
an inclusive setting.”
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VA Paraprofessional Early
Childhood Training Project
This project is funded through a grant from the US Department of Education,
#H325N100021. Materials do not necessarily represent the policy of the US
Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the
Federal Government. Project Officer, Julia Martin Elie.
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A Note on the Data Analysis
Note: Study data were collected and managed using REDCap
electronic data capture tools hosted at Virginia Commonwealth
University, through the Center for Clinical and Translational
Research (CCTR) grant support (CTSA Award - Award Number
UL1RR031990). REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture) is a
secure, web-based application designed to support data capture for
research studies; see Paul A. Harris, Robert Taylor, Robert Thielke,
Jonathon Payne, Nathaniel Gonzalez, Jose G. Conde, Research
electronic data capture (REDCap) - A metadata-driven methodology
and workflow process for providing translational research
informatics support, J Biomed Inform. 2009 Apr;42(2):377-81.
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