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Program and Evaluation Tool Planning

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Program and Evaluation Tool Planning

Part 1

Identified Program in Early Childhood Education

Becoming part of Mayor Keller’s taskforce places one in a pivotal role of influencing the change process in matters that affect Grand City area. Early childhood education as a specialization area has programs that need to be evaluated in readiness for the change process. One such program that needs evaluation is the English language literacy program. The goal of English language literacy program is to improve basic writing, reading, and speaking skills from kindergarten level all the way to grades 3 to 5. The stakeholders involved in the program are early childhood educators, school administrators, district education officers, and parents. The current goals of the program include improving English language proficiency among the learners and advancing writing and reading skills of the learners from kindergarten to fifth grade.

Current Program Data

According to the current Grand City data the number of students in grades 3-5 who do not meet expectations have increased in the last 5 years from 40.3% to 50.7%. The number of students in grades 3-5 who meets or exceeds expectations when it comes to English State test scores declined from 34.4% to 25.7% in the last 5 years. The number of students who nearly meets expectations in State test scores for English language declined from 25.3 to 23.6% in the last 5 years (Walden University, 2016). Other than this category of data, additional data on the number of students who access English reading materials at home need to be looked into. There is also a need to look into the number of families involved in English language development of early childhood learners while at home. Based on the data, it is evident that English language literacy program has not been effective, especially within the last five years. The related data on this that indicate ineffectiveness of the program is that only 13.5% of 11th grade students in Grand City meet or exceed the expectations when it comes to English Language Arts (Walden University, 2016). This is related to the language literacy program at the early childhood education level since language development starts at the early stages of life. Additionally, the performance of students in grades 6-8 in State tests scores for English language arts declined within the last 5 years (Walden University, 2016). These are indications that language and literacy programs in early childhood education are not effective thus the need for change.

Strategies, Activities, or Initiatives to make the Program Effective

While the program has not been effective in the achievement of its goals, there are classroom strategies that are in place to improve its effectiveness. Provision of explicit and systematic kind of instruction in vocabulary ensures that children are exposed to words so as to acquire a proper understanding of their meanings. According to McGee and Richgels (2003), children can make connection between words if vocabulary is presented to them thematically (McGee & Richgels, 2003). Word learning in early childhood learners can also be improved through reading aloud that entails explanation of particular vocabularies targeted for a specific learning session. The other strategy that is in place to improve the effectiveness of the program is improving the alphabet knowledge of early childhood learners. The strategy includes working with learners to identify and name sounds and letters of the alphabet. This strategy goes together with creating phenological awareness in early childhood learners. It includes activities such as recognizing and saying rhyming words with a teacher, matching sounds to letters, and listening to identify the syllabus within words. Other than learning sounds, interactive reading of storybooks is another strategy that will improve the effectiveness of the program. Story telling becomes more effective as a learning strategy when it is done through reading. Improving learners interactive experience of language through songs, rhymes, poems, and letter prints are practical ways that will enable early learners improve their language literacy.

Part 2

Indicators to Measure the Effectiveness of Program

According to Giancola (2014), indicators are statements that can be applied to determine the progress of a program. The progress is measured in relation to target objectives and target goals of a program (Giancola, 2014). The indicators that will be used to measure the effectiveness of the English language literacy program in early childhood learners are evidence of increased knowledge of the alphabet. The children’s ability to name the letters of the alphabet and categorize them into the lower and upper cases will be an indicator of progress in language literacy. The rationale for this indicator is to determine whether leaners get the basics of English language learning. Ability to name letters automatically will be another indicator to consider for the progress. This indicator also relates to learning the basics of the language that are essential for early childhood learning. The third indicator that will show the effectiveness of the program is ability of a learner to identify and name objects automatically. The rationale for this indicator is to determine progress and cognitive development of learners. It is also necessary in determining learner’s awareness of things in their surroundings. Phonics and its awareness as an indicator will be used to assess the ability of the students to pronounce words correctly and make sounds that come from the combination of letters. Phonics forms the basis of speaking (Brown, 2014). The last indicator to determine the progress of the program will be mastery of words, letters, memory of sounds, and writing capabilities. Writing and pronunciation are essential elements of language literacy that enable learners to know the spellings and develop the confidence to speak.

Criteria and Evaluation Tool Design

While language learning is a continuous process that is not only done at the kindergarten level, but also continues throughout the learning process, it is essential to accommodate the fact that language learning in early childhood education setting affects language learning achievements and developments in all the advanced stages of the learning process. The criteria for evaluating the indicators will include determining their impact both in the short-term and in the long-term. Determining the effectiveness of the indicators to influence immediate achievement and influence in long-life learning. Based on these considerations the evaluation tool that will be used is that which will identify or highlight progresses or achievements made throughout the learning process. An evaluation design applicable for this case is that which will track progress on a timely basis, but continually throughout the learning process. The design will be quantitative in nature to inculcate the use of data during evaluation. Data is a critical component of tracking progress. The evaluation tool appropriate for the program will be assessments and tests. Tests and assessments are mostly quantitative in nature; however, they can include some qualitative aspects if a program designer find them appropriate. The rationale for this choice is based on fact student performance in language and literacy program should be quantified for easy tracking of progress. Giancola, (2014) indicates that if a program is aligned properly to assessment, then data becomes a meaningful indicator of progress and success. The position of the author shows the connection between objective assessment and data (Giancola, 2014).

Strategies for Buy-in and Collaboration

Buy-in and collaboration among the stakeholders of the program is necessary in ensuring support and success both at the school and community levels. Developing a shared vision for the program will ensure buy-in from other stakeholders (Giancola, 2014). The language literacy must have a vision that matches that of the state and district education department. This shared vision can be done by ensuring that assessments and teaching activities meet the guidelines from the state and district. For instance, assessment should align to English proficiency standards for the state. The rationale for establishing a shared vision is hinged on the need of avoiding or eliminating lack of cooperation among the stakeholders. The shared vision must align to the policies at the school level, community, district and state levels. Another strategy for buy-in and collaboration is solicitation for feedback from the stakeholders. There is a need to meet with the stakeholders, especially parents to solicit their feedback on the performance of their children based on the evaluation methods used. Parents can also highlight possible areas of challenges that they believe should be solved to improve performance. Parents can also highlight the areas of strength that should be capitalized for better results.

References

Brown, C. S. (2014). Language and literacy development in the early years: Foundational skills that support emergent readers. Language and Literacy Spectrum, 24, 35-49.

McGee, L. M., & Richgels, D. J. (2003). Designing early literacy programs: Strategies for at- risk preschool and kindergarten children. New York: The Guilford Press.

Giancola, S. P. (2014). Evaluation matters: Getting the information you need from your evaluation. Giancola Research Associates, Inc.

Walden University. (2016). Grand City education and demographic data files. Retrieved from https://cdn-media.waldenu.edu/2dett4d/Walden/EDDD/2015/CH/mm/grand_city/index.html