Scaling-Up Early Childhood Intervention Literacy Learning Practices

1. Scaling-Up Early Childhood Intervention Literacy Learning Practices Maurice McInerney, Ph.D. American Institutes for Research Presentation prepared for an Office of Special Education Programs meeting, Washington, DC, November 16, 2006.

2. Availability and quality of state TA systems vary greatly across the 50 states.  Programs and services are administered by different state agencies (e.g., education and health), each with its own organizational culture and standards of practice.  Typically, there are a large number of local providers within a given state.  Providers are drawn from multiple professional disciplines and are employed by a variety of local programs. CELL Scaling-Up Challenges

3. Lesson # 1: Targeted practices should be -- Based on sound evidence Observable Relevant Seen as improving existing practices Compatible with users’ values, norms, & facilities Testable without requiring complete adoption Easy to understand and use Have positive impacts that are valued Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs

4. Lesson # 2: Members of state and local implementation teams should -- Be effective, motivated leaders with a unifying vision Be knowledgeable about: Organization’s strengths and limitations Political, social, and cultural environments where scaling-up will take place Have access to needed resources: Technical expertise Training capacity Management capacity TA financial resources Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs

5. Lesson # 3: End-users (practitioners & parents) should -- Agree that the new practice: Is needed Will meet their needs Feel empowered to: Own the new practice Use the new practice Have ready access to: Implementation and maintenance supports Evidence that the new practice works for them Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs

6. Lesson # 4: Scaling-up strategies should include – Clear messages Personal contact and informal communication End-users who: Are involved early in planning the new practice Actively participate in using the new practice Feel ownership of the new practice Self-evaluate their own use of the new practice Implementation activities that: Focus on sustainability Adapt new practices to local environments and contexts Include strong diffusion channels Systematically communicate evidence that the scaling-up process and its outcomes are working Lessons Learned About Successful Scaling-Up Programs

7. CELL Definition of Scaling-Up The adoption of policies, practices, and implementation strategies that promote widespread, sustained use of evidence-based early literacy learning practices by early childhood intervention programs serving young children, birth to five years of age, and their families, to achieve outcomes that are socially and developmentally important and valued.

8. National State Regional Vertical Scaling-Up Local Horizontal Scaling-Up CELL Conceptual Model for Scaling-Up End-Users End-Users End-Users End-Users

9. Levels Functions Federal State TA Providers End-Users Social Marketing X X X X Policy and Incentives X X X X X X Research and Evaluation CELL Scaling-Up Functions and Levels Research to Practice Resource Teams X X X Capacity Building X X X X Replications X Dissemination X X X X

10. Types of Technical Assistance General TA CELL strategic partnerships CELL website CELL presentations Specialized TA State resource teams Regional resource teams Local resource teams CELL Scaling-Up Elements

11. State Resource(Leadership) Team Regional Resource Teams CELL Resource Teams One Number of Teams Local Resource Teams Many

12. Distinguishing Characteristics Guided scaling-up Leverage political, policy, or legal incentives Map CELL TA onto existing, statewide TA systems “Replications of replications” Spreads CELL practices across end-users Builds statewide momentum for scaling-up Grafting and embedded practices Strengthens the end-users’ existing practices Avoids increasing the end-users’ burden CELL Scaling-Up Elements

13. Scaling-up Methods Flexible and adaptive Active participatory involvement Gradual adoption Capacity building and follow-up support CELL Scaling-Up Elements

14. CELL resource teams are state and local stakeholders whose support for scaling-up is critical Support resource teams in developing: Sound rationale for their end-users to use CELL practices Problem solving strategies to reduce policy and practice barriers Develop implementation strategies that support end-users in learning to: Value CELL practices Adopt CELL practices Sustain CELL practices CELL Capacity Building Strategies

15. Resource Management CELL Resources Research-to-practice experts (Puckett staff) Literacy experts (CELL Resource Bank) TA liaisons (AIR staff) State Resources Policies Incentives Support for adoption, implementation and follow-up activities Local Resources Policies Incentives Support for adoption, implementation and follow-up activities CELL Scaling-Up Elements

16. Scale-up CELL Literacy LearningPractices CELL Commitments • Empower • End-Users • Practitioners • Families • Establish • Resource Teams • State • Regional • Local Value & Support ImprovedOutcomes Accommodate ImplementationEnvironments