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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
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Collection: Reagan, Ronald: Gubernatorial Papers,
1966-74: Press Unit
Folder Title: [Education] - Early Childhood Education -
First Annual Evaluation Report 1973-1974
Box: P34
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PRESS
Early
X
Childhood
Education
First Annual
Evaluation Report
1973-74
CALIFORNIA STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION - Willson Riles . Superimentant of Public Instruction . Sacramento, 1974
Early
Childhood
Education
First Annual Evaluation Report
1973-74
This document was published by the California
State Department of Education, 721 Capitol Mall,
Sacramento, CA 95814, and distributed under the
provisions of the Library Distribution Act.
1974
Foreword
The early childhood education program is providing a major new direc-
tion to the education of California's schoolchildren. The program was launched
when the state's Legislature and the Governor approved Senate Bill 1302 (Chapter
1147, Statutes of 1972).
Developed by the State Department of Education and sponsored by the
State Board of Education, the new program involved 172,073 children in 1973-74,
its first year of operation. A total of 1,010 schools in 800 school districts--
80 percent of all school districts in the state--participated in the program.
Prior to the establishment of the early childhood education (ECE) pro-
gram, most educational change followed a fragmented approach along "categorical"
lines. This approach resulted in the development of numerous special supple-
mentary programs to solve specific problems in narrow areas of concern. By 1972
more than 30 different state and federal programs had been established to help
solve problems for special portions of the general pupil population or to remedy
special deficiencies in the school curriculum. The weaknesses in such fragmented
approaches were obvious:
Some programs emphasized remediation, trying to make up for past
failures instead of seeking to prevent problems.
None encouraged a comprehensive educational strategy for all
children at the school sites.
Many were based on a search for a panacea which, if discovered,
would immediately cure all of education's ills.
Many did not recognize the need for the commitment of all concerned--
including parents, school boards, teachers, and administrators--to
achieve success of a school's total program.
The designers of ECE recognized these weaknesses and sought to correct
them and at the same time to build on the positive aspects of the state and
federal programs that were already in operation.
Early childhood education was built on the premise that too often the
public schools failed to capitalize on the unique learning opportunities in the
early years of a child's life. Avoidable educational deficiencies developed in
the education of our children as a result of the failure to provide adequate
support in these early years. Costly remedial programs have consequently been
required to overcome these deficiencies.
Recognizing the need for additional support for school programs in the
primary grades, the early childhood education program provided $130 per pupil
enrolled. It is important to note that the ECE legislation required that at
least 50 percent of the participating schools be those with the greatest educa-
iii
tional need. For educationally disadvantaged children attending these schools,
additional funds were allocated either through the ECE program or appropriate
state and federal categorical aid programs.
The concentration of additional funding on each pupil enrolled in ECE
was combined with a plan of action. All districts seeking ECE funds were required
to prepare an individual school-by-school plan developed by parents, teachers, and
administrators at the school site, which included provision for the following:
Assessing the educational needs of the local community
Restructuring the educational program in kindergarten through
third grade, including individualized instruction
Defining measurable program objectives
Coordinating the use of all educational resources--federal;
state, and local--to meet the needs of the children
Involving parents directly in the education of their children
Providing staff development and inservice training
Evaluating the results of the program
Requiring approximately a 1-to-10 adult-pupil ratio
This evaluation report shows that after the first year of operation,
the ECE program resulted in significant improvement in pupil achievement.
In reading/language development, pupils participating in ECE made 11
months of educational gain for each 10 months of instruction. The typical
learning rate for all children is 10 months of growth for 10 months of schooling.
The typical gain for disadvantaged children not served by a special program is
7 months growth for 10 months of schooling. And the typical gain for disadvan-
taged children enrolled in a successful compensatory education program of Title I
of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act is month for month. When ESEA,
Title I, was made part of the comprehensive local planning process required by
ECE, however, the typical gain for disadvantaged children was increased to 13
months for 10 months of instruction.
The ECE test scores probably underrate the actual achievement growth
of the total enrollment, since some schools with the lowest percentage of dis-
advantaged pupils were not required to use standardized achievement tests. As
a result, their gains are not included in the typical ECE pupil gain.
In mathematics, pupils participating in the ECE program gained at the
rate of 12 months for 10 months of schooling. As in the case of reading, the
typical gain for all pupils in mathematics is 10 months gain for 10 months of
schooling. The typical gain for disadvantaged children not involved in special
programs is 7 months for 10 months of schooling, while the typical gain for dis-
advantaged children enrolled in special compensatory education programs is 9
months for 10 months of schooling.
iv
Since many schools with the least number of disadvantaged children
were not required to participate in the ECE achievement tests for mathematics,
the actual ECE gain is probably higher than the official figure indicates.
In addition to the reported achievement gains, the 1973-74 evaluation
indicates that participating schools had initiated a wide variety of programs
to improve parental involvement in the education of their children. These pro-
grams ranged from providing general information to parents about the content of
school programs to helping parents in specific education activities with their
children. The program also generated substantial parent and community involve-
ment in school programs. Approximately 23,000 volunteers and 8,000 paid aides
were reported as having worked in ECE's 1,010 schools in 1973-74. In addition,
the evaluation found that ECE programs focused on improvements in techniques
of individualized instruction and the use of diagnostic/prescriptive techniques.
Programs providing diagnostic health services were found to be particularly
helpful for participating children.
According to the 1973-74 evaluation of the early childhood education
program, nearly 50 percent of the ECE schools included locally determined com-
ponents such as bilingual-bicultural education, English as a second language,
music, and art. The selection of these components resulted from assessments of
local needs, as required of all participating ECE schools.
In the ECE effort the State Department of Education has a threefold
responsibility:
1. To assure that appropriate planning, implementation, and evalua-
tion have taken place
2. To administer the expansion of the program
3. To evaluate and report the statewide results of ECE
In accord with these responsibilities, the Department monitored ECE
in a variety of ways. All schools, for example, were required to submit de-
tailed plans, which were rated by ECE consultants. In addition, as part of a
program audit, participating schools' plans were reviewed by staff at the school
sites. Parents, teachers, and administrators participated in this review.
Apparently, this close attention to the implementation of each ECE school's
plan is one of the most important reasons why the program has achieved most of
its goals.
ECE policies also required fiscal controls which resulted in 59 per-
cent of the schools reporting expenditures within 5 percent of their estimated
budgets.
As with any major program in its first year of operation, certain
administrative refinements and program improvements are required to keep ECE
moving successfully forward. This evaluation report has pinpointed the follow-
ing areas where action is required, and every effort will be made by the State
Department of Education to respond to these needs:
Guidance is required for districts regarding the distinction
between parent involvement and the education of parents.
V
Further requirements are necessary for the reporting of staff
development activities.
Districts should be encouraged to expand health and auxiliary
services.
Standardized testing for all ECE participants is necessary.
Districts need to budget for local evaluation at both the district
and school levels.
Activities must be initiated to improve coordination with other
state and local agencies to improve the delivery of local health
services.
In summary I believe that this report shows that the early childhood
education program has resulted in significant gains in pupil achievement. The
level of performance achieved by ECE is unprecedented for a program of such
magnitude. I further believe that these findings justify substantial expansion
of ECE in the 1975-76 school year.
I congratulate the thousands of persons--teachers, school administra-
tors, board members, community leaders, teacher aides, students, parents, and
Department of Education employees who worked so hard to make the first year of
this program a success for the children.
I commend the following evaluation report on their behalf to all
Californians.
Wilsoukles
Superintendent of Public Instruction
vi
Contents
Foreword
iii
Abstract of the Evaluation Report for Early Childhood Education
1
Findings of the Evaluation
1
Conclusions of the Evaluation
2
Areas Needing Attention
3
Chapter I Introduction
5
Participants in the Early Childhood Education Program
7
Personnel in the Programs
8
Chapter II Program Implementation
11
Chapter III Product Evaluation
15
Reading/Language Development Component
16
Mathematics Component
25
Health/Auxiliary Services Component
32
Parent Education Component
35
Parent Participation and Community Involvement Component
36
Staff Development and Inservice Education Component
38
Optional Components
41
Chapter IV Fiscal Management
44
vii
Abstract of the Evaluation Report for
Early Childhood Education
FINDINGS OF THE EVALUATION
Product Evaluation
Reading/language development. The early childhood education (ECE)
schools reported that they made serious efforts in 1973-74 to restructure
language and reading programs by using diagnostic and prescriptive materials.
The extent to which the efforts in restructuring programs were successful is
indicated by the high level of achievement gains reported. The typical student
in the ECE program attained 1.1 months gain for each month of instruction, with
some school gains as high as 1.4 months per month of instruction. Because some
ECE schools were not required to use standardized achievement tests, the test
scores reported may, in fact, be an underestimate of the actual pupil growth.
Mathematics. For mathematics programs the schools reported a variety
of activities designed to improve pupil performance. The success of these pro-
grams can be judged by a reported typical gain of 1.2 months for every month of
instruction. Again, since all schools did not use standardized tests, the re-
ported gain may, as in the case of the reading/language development component,
be an underestimate of the actual gain.
Health/auxiliary services. Schools with successful ECE programs rated
diagnostic services in particular as the most helpful and most important. There
were several discrepancies between the schools' judgments of which health/auxiliary
services were most important, on the one hand, and which were the most effective,
on the other. The schools judged attendance, dental, and medical services to be
the most important but did not find them to be effective in accomplishing school
goals.
Parent education. Most schools, with the goal of reinforcing their
education programs, simply attempted to provide general information to the par-
ents about the content of their programs. A few schools, recognizing that the
parents' needs differed from the original assessment of needs that had been made,
changed their parent education programs sometime during the year. A few other
schools which experienced the same problem but which had not changed their
approach to parent education reported that they planned to make program changes
in the future.
Optional component. The optional component covered a wide range of
program choices. Schools could choose to implement any activity that met their
unique needs and interests. Nearly one-half of the ECE schools included an
optional component such as music, art, bilingual-bicultural education, and English
as a second language. At least 90 percent of the optional programs were also
reported as having been fully or partially realized.
1
2
Parent participation and community involvement. Significant numbers
of volunteers were involved in the ECE schools in 1973-74. Approximately 23,000
volunteers worked in the ECE programs of the 1,010 participating schools, and
another 8,000 paid aides were also involved in the ECE program.
Parent involvement activities were most often reported in terms of
pupil performance and increased parent attendance at school conferences and
meetings. At least 34 percent of the schools still felt that they needed to
involve more parents.
Staff development. The staff development activities in the early child-
hood education schools generally focused on improvement in techniques of individ-
ualized instruction and on the use of diagnostic/prescriptive materials. College
classes were ranked high in importance but low in effectiveness, and demonstrations
were ranked low in importance but high in effectiveness.
Process Evaluation
The ECE program implementation design was carefully developed. Schools
submitted detailed plans, which were rated by ECE consultants; schools were visited
by ECE consultants for the purpose of making program audits; and schools were re-
quired to report on their time management system by completing three periodic
reports. The close attention paid to the schools' implementation of their plans
resulted in an improvement of the match between plans and outcomes as compared to
prior efforts with other special funding programs. The schools' own process re-
ports were evaluated in terms of expected levels of achievement so that direct
services could be given to schools.
Fiscal Evaluation
Fifty-nine percent of the schools reporting showed expenditures within
5 percent of their estimated budgets.
Salaries of aides and certificated staff and related fringe benefits
accounted for 68 percent of school level expenditures. Instructional supplies and
books accounted for an additional 17.8 percent of the budget.
CONCLUSIONS OF THE EVALUATION
This report represents a statewide summary and analysis for the first
year of programs funded under early childhood education regulations. In 1973-74
all state and federally funded programs were approved on the basis of a consoli-
dated application form that was designed to combine the funding sources available
to a school or school district. This report on the early childhood education (ECE)
program is the first of a series of evaluation reports prepared from the consoli-
dated application and evaluation process.
3
The conclusions of this evaluation report on the early childhood edu-
cation program for 1973-74 follow:
The performance levels which were reported indicate that ECE programs
generally achieved substantial gains in the reading/language develop-
ment component and in the mathematics component. These gains exceed-
ed expected performance levels in all cases.
Most participating schools were able to meet the objectives that they
set in their individual school level plans.
Significant numbers of support and volunteer personnel were directly
involved in the implementation of the ECE program.
The results indicate a close relationship between program planning and
implementation; however, further refinement is necessary.
The distinction between the parent education and parent involvement
components was not so well defined in practice as it was in the pro-
gram policies and guidelines. In too many cases, "education" meant
participation in school activities, and "involvement" meant better
understanding of child growth and development.
Staff development objectives reported most often related to the im-
provement of teaching techniques in reading, mathematics, language,
and the general curriculum. Staff development was rarely evaluated
in terms of the implementation of the inservice training in the
classroom.
Very little money appears in school budgets for health/auxiliary
services. Schools were encouraged to obtain services from community
resources, but the reports from many schools indicated that the most
important services, dental and medical, were the least effective in
terms of actual implementation of the school plan.
The research report on the inclusion of four-year-olds in the program
was not part of this year's evaluation report. This study will be
delayed until more data have been collected on success of the ECE
program in meeting the goals set for the present kindergarten through
grade three population.
AREAS NEEDING ATTENTION
As a result of the evaluation of the early childhood education (ECE)
program, the following matters have been identified as needing attention:
Schools conducting ECE programs need to plan to collect achievement
data on normative standardized tests, at least annually, to provide
a comparable data base for all ECE schools in the state of California.
Schools in which reading achievement levels exceeded the state's ex-
pected level of achievement but that failed to meet their own objec-
4
tives need to have their programs thoroughly reviewed; schools that
met their objectives need to have their programs reviewed to deter-
mine what factors made their programs successful.
In order to determine if programs met with success or failure, the
State Department of Education needs to retain the present application
and evaluation processes (with minor modifications) for a three-year
period of time.
The "program-implementation" reporting process needs to be revised by
the State Department of Education to clarify the concept of time-
management evaluation. "Time-management" refers to the process of
implementing the activities planned within each component according
to the time schedule in the school plan. State inservice training
programs need to be directed toward time-management concepts and the
procedures by which school plans should be amended.
At the district level, provisions need to be made that schools not
only plan but also budget for program evaluation. School district
personnel (administrators or teachers) need to be assigned the re-
sponsibility for program evaluation within a school district and at
a specified school site.
Data collected by the Department of Education from norm-referenced
standardized achievement tests need to be in the form of raw scores,
permitting analysis and conversion of those scores and aggregation
of them for several schools.
The State Department of Education, in cooperation with the State
Department of Health and county health departments, needs to explore
ways in which health services can be provided more effectively to
ECE schools.
Cooperatives are formed when small school district programs are admin-
istered through a common local educational agency, usually an office of a county
superintendent of schools. Four-hundred three small school districts were funded
through cooperatives. The following matters related to the cooperative projects
have been identified as needing attention:
The role and responsibility of cooperative projects need to be more
clearly specified in guidelines and regulations. For administrative
purposes, cooperative projects are treated as local agencies, but the
extent of cooperative projects' authority to implement their functions
is not spelled out.
A separate application and reporting process, appropriate to the spe-
cial needs of small districts, needs to be developed.
Chapter I
Introduction
The intent of the early childhood education program and subsequent
legislation was to provide a comprehensive program for children in kindergarten
and grades one, two, and three. This program was to be developed by each school
district. Under the provisions of Senate Bill 1302 (Chapter 1167, Statutes of
1972), a comprehensive school-by-school master plan for the primary grades was
to be developed at each school with the participation of parents, teachers, and
administrators that would assure:
(a) A comprehensive restructuring of primary education in
California, kindergarten through third grade, to more fully
meet the unique needs, talents, interests, and abilities of
each child.
(b) That early educational programs that are or may be made
available to children who are 3 years and 9 months of age be
coordinated with the restructuring of primary education in
California in order to take advantage of the capacity for
learning of children at this age level.
(c) The cooperation and participation of parents in the edu-
cational program to the end that the total community is involved
in the development of the program.
(d) The pupils participating will develop an increased compe-
tency in the skills necessary to the successful achievement in
later school subjects such as reading, language, and mathematics.
Efficient allocation of all funds available to each school in the
implementation of coordinated early childhood education programs.
Individualized instruction to facilitate meeting the objective that
every child's needs, talents, interests, and abilities will be
accommodated.
That by utilizing aides, volunteers, and parents to assist in the
classroom under the direction of the teacher, the school shall
achieve a staffing pattern in which the adult-pupil ratio is
approximately one adult to each ten children. 3/
California Education Code, Division 6, Chapter 6.1, Section 6445.
21
Early Childhood Education Recommendations for Program Implementation.
Sacramento: California State Department of Education, 1974.
3/
Policies for Early Childhood Education. Prepared under the direction of
H. Glenn Davis. Sacramento: California State Department of Education,
1973, pp. 4 and 5.
5
6
The early childhood education (ECE) program has been designed to be
phased into all elementary schools over a period of years. In this first year,
12 percent of the kindergarten and grades one, two, and three population was to
participate in the program. At least one-half of the student participants were
to come from schools identified by the local district as being of the greatest
educational need. The following evaluation report is based upon the data collected
from the participating schools.
In the 1973-74 school year, approximately $24 million was allocated to
1,010 ECE schools. A total of $130 was allocated for each participant, with addi-
tional funds made available for disadvantaged pupils. There were 183 schools that
received the $130 per participant ECE funds; 827 other schools received the basic
grant of $130 for all children, plus extra funds for students identified as edu-
cationally disadvantaged youth. A State Board of Education policy provided a min-
imum of $350 to a maximum of $550 per child for the specific needs of educationally
disadvantaged youth. Of the $350 to $550 allowable expenditure for the education-
ally disadvantaged youth, $65 was funded for children in kindergarten and grades
one, two, and three by ECE funds; the balance was funded by a combination of ESEA,
Title I, and Senate Bill 90 EDY funds.
Approximately 800 school districts were included in the ECE program for
1973-74. These districts maintained schools in all sections of the state.
The number of children served by the ECE program in 1973-74 was
172,073 for kindergarten and grades one, two, and three. This was 14 percent
of the actual statewide enrollment. Since districts with only one school were
funded at 50 percent (usually all of their kindergarten and grade one students),
the actual percent funded was larger than the 12 percent planned for the first
year.
Some of the early childhood education schools were funded only by ECE
monies, and others were multifunded with other state and federal funds. This
money was specifically allocated to supplement district effort, not supplant it.
The report will separate data for the various funding sources when such separa-
tion is required for clarity of information. If separation is not required, the
data will reflect the total early childhood education program for 1973-74.
The ECE program has been operational in California public elementary
schools for one full program year. This "year" actually includes several months
of preprogram planning time and additional months for revision, evaluation, and
resubmission of school plans.
By law, the program evaluation of ECE was concerned with both the
process of program implementation and the product of the program. The follow-
ing areas were covered in the evaluation process:
The extent to which major program functions were accomplished, as
well as quantitative estimates of pupil progress which were reported
for each participating school. (See Education Code Section 6445.10.)
The changes or benefits resulting from the accomplishment of major
functions. The Statutes require an annual review of the success
of each local district in meeting the objectives of its approved
7
plan. As a result of the annual evaluation, those programs that
are considered to be successful in meeting their objectives will
be continued and their program expanded. (See Education Code
Section 6445.8.)
The success of the local district in meeting its objectives was
determined primarily from the data in the required annual report. It was,
therefore, the responsibility of the local program staff to provide an adequate
local evaluation to document the success of the program in meeting the district's
objectives. The annual district report form requested information related to:
(1) fiscal expenditures; (2) degree and success of program implementation; and
(3) quantitative estimate of pupil progress.
The district collected and reported the required data, school by
school. From these data, the State Department of Education derived a composite
score for each school. This composite score was derived and weighted as follows:
During the
For the
For the third
first year second year year and thereafter
Fiscal expenditures:
20%
10%
0%
Program implementation:
70%
50%
50%
Pupil progress:
10%
40%
50%
The State Department of Education computed an index of student attain-
ment for each participating school, using factors which have been shown to be
predictive of school success.
PARTICIPANTS IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM
In the ECE program, all children within a funded class were defined as
program participants. The only children at a funded grade level within a school
who were not participants were those assigned to various special education day
classes such as classes for the educationally handicapped. Children who were
assigned to special programs for a limited part of the day, but who were counted
on the regular class attendance rolls for purposes of computing average daily
attendance, were considered ECE program participants. Table 1 shows the total
number of student participants by grade level.
Program participants in the early childhood education program included
parents, school personnel, and other community members. In each program compo-
nent there were different combinations of participants. Table 2 depicts the
number of participants who were involved in at least 75 percent of the activities
in each component. Participants who were involved in more than one component
were counted for each component in which they participated (duplicated count).
Two of the components, intergroup relations and English as a second language,
were not mandatory for all early childhood education schools. Intergroup rela-
tions was required only for ECE schools cofunded with ESEA, Title I; and English
as a second language or bilingual education was required in schools where there
was an identified need for such programs. The optional component was included,
by choice, in many early childhood education school plans and included activities
that were not described or contained in other components.
8
PERSONNEL IN THE PROGRAMS
The number of persons (full-time equivalent) employed in early child-
hood education programs is shown in Table 3. When schools reported using multi-
funds for their programs, the exact number of positions funded by ECE monies was
not identifiable. Instructional aides and teacher assistants constituted the
largest category of persons hired. A total of more than 23,000 volunteers con-
tributed a significant portion of time to the program.
From the information presented in the tables included in this evalua-
tion report, as well as the information reported by the consultants from the
Early Childhood Education Management Team who visited each school, it appears
that parents and other community persons volunteered their services to the
schools. More than 23,000 volunteers were reported, excluding the cross-age
tutors and older elementary children who were observed to be helping in class-
rooms. The consultants found that a real effort was being made to lower the
adult-pupil ratio, and the reports from schools confirm that this was an area
of major concern.
The required components of the ECE program are:
Reading/language development
Mathematics
Health/auxiliary services
Parent participation and community involvement
Parent education
Staff development and inservice education
TABLE 1
NUMBER OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
COMPARED TO TOTAL ENROLLMENT, BY GRADE LEVEL
1973-74
State enrollment,
ECE students
Grade
Early childhood
kindergarten through
as percent
level
education students
grade three*
of enrollment
Kindergarten
52,798
307,223
17
One
52,279
313,541
17
Two
35,165
308,131
11
Three
31,831
321,468
10
Total
172,073
1,250,363
14
*Total state enrollment as of December, 1974
9
Each school (parents, teachers, administrators) was to develop a plan,
including all of the components listed above. This plan constituted the terms
of a contract between the school district and the state. The ECE plan included
measurable objectives in all components. School staff generally evaluated the
plan by "hard" data, such as achievement tests in academic areas, and "soft"
data, such as questionnaires or observations in the support areas. All of these
components and their evaluations are reported in this evaluation document, along
with the process evaluation information and the fiscal report, as required by
the enabling legislation.
TABLE 2
TOTAL PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS IN ALL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
SCHOOLS, BY COMPONENT, 1973-74
(DUPLICATED COUNT)
Number of program participants*
School
Program component
Pupils
Parents
personnel
Other**
Reading/language development
281,873
2,146
Mathematics
273,002
1,646
Auxiliary services
256,261
2,183
Intergroup relations
210,054
1,905
Parent participation and
community involvement
117,856
1,898
Parent education
65,461
690
Staff development
27,105
English as a second language
13,111
248
or bilingual education
Optional component (specify)
53,326
4,037
2,061
824
*In schools having multifunds, grades four through eight are included.
**"Others" may be persons from the community, nontarget children in upper
grades, or such combinations as parents in staff development activities.
10
TABLE 3
FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT OF PERSONNEL PARTICIPATING
IN THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
PROGRAM, 1973-74*
ECE funding
Multi-
Position
only
funded
Total
Classroom teachers
284
1,136
1,420
Reading specialists
32
874
906
Mathematics specialists
4
281
286
English as a second language personnel
(Title I)
1
153
154
Bilingual specialists (AB 2284)
12
84
96
Instructional teacher aides and assistants
957
6,956
7,913
Community aides
99
454
553
Directors, supervisors, coordinators and
resource personnel
42
444
486
Counselors
4
115
119
Library media specialists
5
62
67
Library media aides
15
160
175
Teacher librarians
1
21
22
Psychologists and psychometrists
4
55
59
Social workers and attendance counselors
0
18
18
Nurses
2
124
126
Clerks and custodians
84
277
361
Evaluators
1
43
44
Other paid employees
33
304
337
Total paid personnel
1,580
11,562
13,142
Total unpaid volunteers
5,501
17,791
23,292
*In some cases data include personnel hired for grades four through eight.
Chapter II
Program Implementation
The data collected show that a program with well-defined plans and program
audits can be evaluated with greater confidence in the accuracy of the
evaluation product than a program with plans that are not well defined.
The legislative mandate for the early childhood education program
requires an emphasis in the evaluation each year on the degree to which the
program is implemented. During the first year, program implementation con-
stituted 70 percent of the overall evaluation rating for each school; during
the second and succeeding years, 50 percent of the overall evaluation rating
will be based upon program implementation. The remaining 30 percent in the
first year and 50 percent in the second year are related to student progress
and fiscal management, as prescribed in the statutes.
The program implementation data for 1973-74 were obtained from three
sources. First, each participating school submitted a school-level plan, Form
A-127-S. Using a form developed by the Early Childhood Education Management
Team, each plan was reviewed and independently rated by at least two team mem-
bers. The average of the two ratings was converted to a standard score. When
the results of the two independent ratings differed more than a set amount, a
third independent rating was conducted, and the three ratings were averaged and
converted to a standard score for that school.
From December, 1973, through the first week of March, 1974, a total
of 870 of the 1,010 early childhood education schools were visited by the Depart-
ment of Education's early childhood education program audit teams, and the re-
ports of these teams comprised the second source of program implementation data.
Due to limited time, 140 very small schools were not visited. Each of the very
small schools was funded for less than $4,000 per school. The on-site program
audit consisted of a visit to the school by one or more consultants from the
ECE Management Team. The forms and program audit review directions were sent
to each school at least two weeks in advance of the scheduled visit so that
self-evaluation by the parents, teachers, and principal could be done. The
purpose of the program audit was to review the program in the first year of
operation to:
1. Determine whether or not all statutory requirements were
being met, with special emphasis on parental involvement
in planning, implementing, and evaluating the program at
the school-site level.
2. Assess the quality of the program as it was being imple-
mented in comparison with (a) the individual school
program design developed by each school; and (b) the
intent of the program as set forth in the Early Childhood
Education Task Force Report and the State Department of
Education's early childhood education recommendations, as
authorized by statute.
11
12
While in the school, consultants observed classroom activities; inter-
viewed parents, teachers, and staff; and, using a ten point scale, rated the
school on an observed implementation of the school's own early childhood educa-
tion plan. These ratings were converted to a standard score.
A third evaluation procedure was developed by the Office of Program
Evaluation and Research as part of the consolidated evaluation format. This
procedure was incorporated in the E-127-I form, which was a report due from each
school in December, 1973; April, 1974; and with the final evaluation report due
in July, 1974. The first report (December, 1973) was also converted to a stan-
dard score. The quality rating of the school plan, as designed by each school;
the quality of program implementation, as determined by the program audit; and
the results of the December, 1973, E-127-I evaluation report were used to rank
schools for eligibility for expansion candidacy.
Determination of eligibility for expansion funds for 1974-75 was
based on the ranking of schools, using each of the three sources of information
weighted as follows: 50 percent for the program audit; 25 percent for the
school-level plan; and 25 percent for the December program implementation report.
Table 4 shows the data used for expansion eligibility.
Those school districts which had low quality programs as a result of
these three measures were denied eligibility for expansion candidacy. They re-
ceived direct service from the ECE staff to help them improve their programs.
These schools' programs will be reevaluated in 1974-75 to determine their eligi-
bility to expand programs in the 1975-76 school year.
TABLE 4
STATEWIDE DISTRIBUTION OF SCORES FOR DETERMINATION
OF EXPANSION ELIGIBILITY, SPRING, 1974
Mean
Type of
standard
Standard
Q₁
2
Q3
Weighting factor
funding
score
deviation
Plan
Partial
48.3
8.9
41.1
47.8
54.6
rating
(25%)
Full
54.2
9.1
47.1
54.8
61.2
Program
Partial
50.8
9.7
46.8
52.5
57.5
implementation
(December)
(25%)
Full
49.9
7.5
45.3
50.8
55.2
Program
Partial
47.2
9.7
41.7
47.1
53.8
audit
(50%)
Full
52.5
8.1
47.1
52.3
58.1
Total
Partial
193.6
26.7
177.5
193.1
210.8
score
Full
209.0
21.9
197.9
208.3
222.7
13
The final determination of the degree and success of program imple-
mentation was made by reweighting the previous elements, as follows: 40 per-
cent for program audit, 20 percent for the school-level plan, and 20 percent
for the December and April implementation reports. This factor constituted 70
percent of the overall evaluation of the school.
In the program implementation report submitted to the Department of
Education, reasons for not implementing plans as scheduled were identified in
six categories: personnel, materials, parent and community participation,
fiscal, time management, and planning.
The analysis of the first program implementation report showed that
certain reasons occurred more frequently than others. The category, "insuf-
ficient time allocated in original planning for completion of activity," was
the most frequently mentioned reason for nonimplementation of activities. The
component that appeared to be the most difficult to implement on schedule in
early childhood education multifunded schools was intergroup relations in which
10.7 percent of the activities were not implemented on schedule. Ten percent
of the activities scheduled for parent education were not implemented on schedule.
Table 5 shows the distribution of activities by component for the
first program implementation report. "Activities" were defined as events that,
taken collectively, were considered necessary and sufficient for achieving the
objectives within each of the components of the program.
TABLE 5
DISTRIBUTION OF ACTIVITIES, REPORTED BY COMPONENT, DECEMBER, 1973
Number of
Percent of
Number of
Number of
activities
activities
activities
activities
not
not
Components
proposed
implemented
implemented
implemented
Language development
10,569
8,292
761
7.2
Mathematics
7,362
5,800
611
8.3
Health/auxiliary
services
6,839
5,440
625
9.1
Intergroup relations
2,688
1,906
287
10.7
Parent participation
6,250
4,860
523
8.4
Parent education
4,082
3,037
408
10.0
Staff development
6,219
5,009
435
6.1
Optional
4,542
3,784
276
11.8
14
The ratings of the on-site program audits and the school-level plans
were compared. Generally, the average effectiveness rating corresponded to the
quartile distribution of the on-site program audit and the school-level plans.
Table 6 shows the average effectiveness rating for early childhood education
schools by quartile distribution. Effectiveness ratings interpreted by the
Office of Program Evaluation and Research from the school evaluation reports as
a part of the consolidated evaluation were based on a 1 to 5 scale, with 1
representing "exemplary" and 5, "failure."
The data in Table 6 indicate that the schools which rated higher on
the on-site program audits and on their school-level plans tended to be more
successful in implementing their plans. It appears that the prescribed program
planning process by the state, coupled with a detailed program audit conducted
by State Department of Education personnel, produced information about program
results which can be evaluated with greater confidence than has been true his-
torically when information was obtained by end-of-the-year district reports only.
As a result of this improved program assessment process, the Depart-
ment of Education now has baseline data on each school which produces program
evaluation capabilities such as longitudinal analysis and program component
analysis, based on both weaknesses and strengths, which was not possible in the
past.
Individual schools of overall high quality or with high quality com-
pondents such as reading, parent participation, or bilingual education can be
identified.
TABLE 6
AVERAGE EFFECTIVENESS RATINGS COMPARED TO RESULTS OF ON-SITE
ECE PROGRAM AUDITS AND SCHOOL-LEVEL PLAN RATINGS
Components
Language
Health
Parent
Parent
Staff
Ratings
develop.
Math.
auxil.
part.
educ.
develop.
On-site program audit
Below Q1
2.6
2.8
3.0
2.8
2.3
2.9
Q1 - Q2
2.5
2.6
3.0
2.4
2.3
2.8
Q2 - Q3
2.4
2.7
3.0
2.5
2.2
2.7
Above Q3
2.4
2.6
2.9
2.4
2.1
2.6
School-level plans
Below Q₁
2.7
2.9
3.1
2.5
2.3
2.9
Q1 - Q2
2.5
2.8
3.1
2.6
2.3
2.8
Q2 - Q3
2.4
2.6
3.0
2.5
2.3
2.7
Above Q3
2.3
2.6
2.9
2.5
2.0
2.7
Chapter III
Product Evaluation
Pursuant to the statutorily required annual evaluation, data were
collected to determine the degree of effectiveness of each of the six mandatory
components in the early childhood education program. The six components are:
1. Reading/Language Development. This component includes
reading readiness, decoding, comprehension, and use of
written language. The component covers writing skills,
including grammar, punctuation, and spelling, in addition
to the reading skills that can be evaluated through reading
achievement tests.
Language development also includes development of facility
in oral language for all students who use standard English,
limited English, and dialects. Language development may
also include English as a second language (ESL) and/or
bilingual programs.
2. Mathematics. The mathematics component includes numbers
readiness, computation skills, and concept development and
application.
3. Health/Auxiliary Services. Counseling and guidance, atten-
dance, nutrition, library, and health services are included
in the health/auxiliary services component. Health services
include screening and diagnosis, referral, and follow-up
efforts in the areas of visual, auditory, dental, physical,
and emotional health. For ECE (Senate Bill 1302) funding,
health is the only service in this component which is required.
4. Parent Education. This component includes activities designed
to enable parents to become an integral part of the education
of their children.
5. Parent Participation and Community Involvement. This compo-
nent includes participation in program planning, implementa-
tion, modification, and evaluation. Also included is direct
involvement of parents in the formal classroom education of
their children.
6. Staff Development and Inservice Education. The employment,
recruitment, and assignment of teachers and paid and unpaid
aides are included in the sixth mandatory component. Included
are preservice and inservice training activities for teachers,
other professional staff, aides, and volunteers.
15
16
READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT COMPONENT
In the reading/language development component, the achievement test scores
showed an average gain of 1.1 months of growth per month of instruction in
grades one through three. In some program combinations, these gains were
as high as 1.4 months.
The reading/language development component was directed toward
improvement of reading skills and of written and oral language skills.
Participating schools were encouraged to restructure their reading and
language programs by using a variety of different methods and new instruc-
tional materials.
A total of 134,470 students in kindergarten and grades one, two,
and three were tested in reading/language development activities in the ECE
program. Table 7 shows the number and percent of students tested by grade
level. Students in ECE language development programs also were reported by
the several funding sources; the number and percent of students by funding
source are presented in Table 8. Schools used a variety of tests to assess
this component. When norm-referenced test results were reported, the data
were aggregated.
More than 79 percent of all ECE school evaluations contained state-
ments of measurable objectives. Objectives were most frequently stated in
terms of months of growth per month of instruction, as measured by norm-
referenced standardized tests or by the upward shift of student scores in
three different quartile ranges. The quartile ranges are presented in terms
of national norms.
TABLE 7
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF STUDENTS TESTED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
BY GRADE LEVEL, 1973-74
Grade
Number of
Percent of
level
students tested
students tested
Kindergarten
28,944
21.5
One
39,145
29.1
Two
34,302
25.5
Three
32,079
23.9
Total
134,470
100.0
17
Comparisons were made between the measurable quality of the objec-
tives (as determined by Department of Education evaluation consultants) and
the results reported by the schools. Typically, the more measurable the objec-
tive, the greater the incidence of attainment. School personnel that lacked
the skills to prepare measurable objectives generally also had great difficulty
in reporting the results of their programs. Since ECE's legislatively spe-
cific evaluation process focused on the effectiveness of individual programs
in meeting their own plan objective, poorly stated objectives by themselves
may have caused low evaluation ratings for some programs. Programs with less
measurable objectives frequently yielded findings that were not directly re-
lated to their stated objectives. (See Table 9.) Objectives were either
exceeded or at least partially attained by nearly 600 participating schools,
according to their own reports.
Analyses were also made to determine the types of activities most
frequently reported by the early childhood education programs that either
exceeded, attained, or partially attained their stated objectives. The
activities most frequently reported by these successful language development
programs are presented in Table 10 and show that diagnostic and prescriptive
materials were used most frequently. The kinds of activities reported by
schools for enhancing student performance suggest that ECE schools actively
sought to restructure their language and reading programs.
TABLE 8
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF STUDENTS TESTED IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES
BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74
Funding source
Number of
Percent of
students tested
students tested
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other*
35,714
26.6
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
30,779
22.9
ECE/Title I
22,484
16.7
ECE
21,132
15.7
ECE/Title I/
Other *
15,171
11.3
ECE/Other *
5,955
4.4
ECE/SB 90
2,288
1.7
ECE/SB 90/
Other *
947
.7
TOTAL
134,470
100.0
*Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and
Indian early childhood education.
18
A variety of methods to evaluate the effectiveness of language
development programs was reported by ECE schools. The most frequently re-
ported evaluation activities that were successful in attaining reading objec-
tives are reported in Table 11. The use of two or more standardized tests
either used alone or with locally developed criterion-referenced tests was
reported by more than 50 percent of the schools.
TABLE 9
PERCENT OF OBJECTIVES IN READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT
FOR EACH OF SIX TYPES OF RESULTS REPORTED IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Type of
Percent of objectives
Number of
Total
results
schools
Vague, but
Non-
percent
reported
Measurable*
measurable
measurable
Exceeded
objective
240
88.8
11.2
0.0
100
Attained
objective
235
64.3
32.8
2.9
100
Partially
attained
objective
116
75.0
19.8
5.2
100
Did not
attain
objective
30
76.6
6.7
16.7
100
Results
not stated
146
42.4
19.2
38.4
100
Results
not related
to objective
199
25.1
12.1
62.8
100
Total or
966
60.7
18.7
20.6
100
average
79.4
*As defined by Department evaluation consultants.
19
Although the use of norm-referenced tests for schools funded with
only ECE monies was optional, ECE schools that were funded with either ESEA,
Title I, or educationally disadvantaged youth (SB 90) monies were required to
administer standardized norm-referenced achievement tests on pretest and post-
test comparisons of achievement results. Schools not receiving any funds for
disadvantaged children were permitted to use criterion referenced measures for
achievement.
TABLE 10
RANK ORDER OF ACTIVITIES MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED BY
SUCCESSFUL READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
Activities
reporting schools
1
Diagnostic/prescriptive materials
62.1
2
Individualized instruction within regular
classroom
40.8
3
Use of instructional aides
32.7
4
Commercially developed instructional materials
16.9
5
Reading lab centers
16.9
TABLE 11
RANK ORDER OF EVALUATION ACTIVITIES MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED
BY SUCCESSFUL READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
Activities
reporting schools
1
Two or more norm-referenced standardized tests
39.3
2
Two or more norm-referenced standardized tests
with locally developed criterion-referenced
tests
12.7
3
Two or more norm-referenced tests with com-
mercially developed criterion referenced
tests
10.7
4
One norm-referenced standardized test
9.6
20
In those ECE schools using normative standardized achievement mea-
sures, months of gain in reading skill per month of instruction were computed
for students in grades one, two, and three. In computing gain scores, only
those students were included for whom both pretest and post-test data were
available.
Test results revealed that, with an average of seven months between
the pretest and the post-test, students in schools receiving ECE funds at
grades one, two, and three typically attained 1.1 months growth in reading
achievement for each month of instruction. (See Table 12.) Previous evalua-
tions of specially funded programs have indicated that .7 month of growth per
month of instruction was typical for disadvantaged children. The average
child, with no special program, should gain 1.0 month per month of instruction.
Analyses by grade level and funding sources were made, and results indicated
that certain combinations of funding sources were more successful than others
in producing growth. Programs were ranked by funding source and by student
gains between pretest and post-test. These data are presented in tables 13,
14, and 15 and show that when an ECE program was combined with either ESEA,
Title I, funded programs or "Other" (usually Miller-Unruh Reading Specialists),
the greatest gains were realized for ECE participants in combined programs.
When ECE programs were combined with selected educationally disadvantaged
participants in programs with minimal state monitoring and no requirement to
submit plans or process evaluations, such as educationally disadvantaged
youth (SB 90), lesser gains were realized, but only in grade three do they
fall below the 1.1 month level of growth.
Programs such as ECE that have the most descriptive and well-
defined guidelines, program audits, and specific objectives have a better
chance of producing positive results than programs that do not contain
these requirements.
TABLE 12
AVERAGE READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT BY EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION STUDENTS TESTED BY GRADE LEVEL, 1973-74
Number of
Average grade
Average months of
Grade
students
equivalent score
gain per month
level
tested
Pretest
Post-test
of instruction*
One
14,716
1.1
1.9
1.1
Two
30,982
1.7
2.5
1.1
Three
28,803
2.4
3.3
1.1
*An average of seven months elapsed between pretest and
post-test.
21
Data obtained from the state assessment program on the performance
of third grade students in the spring, 1974, were analyzed for schools con-
ducting ECE programs. When the state assessment data, as shown in Table 16,
were statistically adjusted to account for predicted levels of achievement
(including socioeconomic status, bilingualism, and mobility) and variations in
beginning scores, the analysis showed that the rankings of programs by funding
sources were substantially the same as those indicated by the data submitted
by the several ECE schools.
Analyses were also made for students in kindergarten and grades one,
two, and three to determine the shift in percent of students scoring in each
quarter of the distribution in terms of national norms. In computing the per-
cent of quartile movement, test data for all students were used with the as-
sumption that although student populations would shift between the pretest and
the post-test, student characteristics (such as socioeconomic status, bilin-
gualism, and so forth) would remain substantially the same. Consequently, the
TABLE 13
AVERAGE READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
TESTED, BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE ONE
Number of
Average grade
Average months of
Funding
students
equivalent score
gain per month
source
tested
Pretest
Post-test
of instruction*
ECE/Title I/
Other**
1,818
1.1
2.0
1.3
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
2,930
0.9
1.8
1.3
ECE
2,402
1.2
2.0
1.1
ECE/Title I
3,251
1.1
1.9
1.1
ECE/SB 90
269
1.0
1.8
1.1
ECE/Other*
330
1.2
2.0
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
3,716
1.0
1.7
1.0
TOTAL
14,716
1.1
1.9
1.1
*An average of seven months elapsed between pretest and
post-test.
**Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian
education. However, Miller-Unruh programs are in the majority.
22
number of students included in the computation of gain scores (tables 12, 13,
14, and 15) differs from the number of students included in determining per-
centage shifts in each quarter of the distribution. (See Table 17.) Analyses
of gains for students in kindergarten and grades one, two, and three showed
there was a decrease of 13 percentage points for the students scoring in the
lowest quarter of the distribution. There was an increase of 9 percentage
points in the upper quarter of the distribution, while the second and third
quarters remained about the same.
Test information reported by districts which was either incomplete or
contained procedural irregularities was not aggregated with statewide results.
Incomplete data or irregular procedures included instances in which: (1) either
pretest or post-test information was omitted; (2) test results were not given
in grade equivalents; (3) test results were combined for several grade levels;
(4) the standardized measure used in the pretest differed from the one used in
the post-test; (5) nonstandardized tests were used; or (6) no test results
were reported.
TABLE 14
AVERAGE READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
TESTED, BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE TWO
Number of
Average grade
Average months of
Funding
students
equivalent score
gain per month
source
tested
Pretest
Post-test
of instruction*
ECE/Other**
1,325
2.0
3.0
1.4
ECE
4,606
2.1
3.0
1.3
ECE/Title I
4,367
1.8
2.7
1.3
ECE/SB 90
520
1.5
2.3
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
7,248
1.6
2.4
1.1
ECE/Title I/
Other **
3,334
1.7
2.5
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
9,582
1.6
2.3
1.0
Total
30,982
1.7
2.5
1.1
*An average of seven months elapsed between pretest and
post-test.
**Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian
education. However, Miller-Unruh programs are in the majority.
23
TABLE 15
AVERAGE READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT OF EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS
TESTED, BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE THREE
Number of
Average grade
Average months of
Funding
students
equivalent score
gain per month
source
tested
Pretest
Post-test
of instruction*
ECE/Other*
1,153
3.1
4.0
1.3
ECE/Title I/
Other**
3,282
2.3
3.2
1.3
ECE
4,215
3.1
3.9
1.1
ECE/Title I
3,559
2.5
3.3
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
6,711
2.3
3.1
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
9,308
2.2
3.0
1.1
ECE/SB 90
575
2.4
3.1
1.0
Total
28,803
2.4
3.3
1.1
*An average of seven months elapsed between pretest and
post-test.
**Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian
education. However, Miller-Unruh programs are in the majority.
24
TABLE 16
RANK ORDER OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM TEST RESULTS
AS COMPARED TO 1974 STATE ASSESSMENT RESULTS
Evaluation
State
Rank Order
Report
Assessment
ECE/Miller-Unruh*
1
1
ECE
2
2
ECE/ESEA, Title I/
Miller-Unruh
4
3
ECE/ESEA, Title I
6
4
ECE/ESEA, Title I/
SB 90/Miller-Unruh
5
5
ECE/ESEA, Title I/
SB 90
3
6
*This was called "other" in district evaluation reports.
TABLE 17
NUMBER AND PERCENT, BY GRADE LEVEL, OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
STUDENTS TESTED WHO SCORED IN EACH QUARTER OF THE DISTRIBUTION
OF READING/LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT ACHIEVEMENT SCORES BY GRADE
LEVEL AT PRETESTING AND POST-TESTING, 1973-74
Number of
Percent of students by quarter
Grade
students
First
Second
Third
Fourth
level
tested
Test
quarter
quarter
quarter
quarter
16,583
Pre
33.3
26.8
22.2
17.7
Kindergarten
28,583
Post
14.2
19.7
24.9
41.2
21,495
Pre
46.8
20.4
17.0
15.8
One
40,643
Post
26.4
25.9
22.6
25.1
23,998
Pre
38.4
32.0
18.5
11.1
Two
33,883
Post
31.5
30.4
20.9
17.2
22,136
Pre
46.9
27.7
15.1
10.3
Three
31,918
Post
38.4
26.4
20.6
14.7
25
MATHEMATICS COMPONENT
In the mathematics component, the achievement test scores showed an
average gain of 1.2 months of growth per month of instruction in
grades one through three. The expected growth is one month of growth
per month of instruction for the average student and .7 month for dis-
advantaged students.
The mathematics component was directed towards enhancing the
mathematics instruction among all student participants by encouraging the
restructuring of mathematics programs through the use of materials and re-
sources provided in the early childhood education program.
Participation in Mathematics Instruction
A total of 122, students in kindergarten and grades one, two,
and three were tested in mathematics instruction activities in schools with
ECE programs. (See Table 18.) Most ECE participants were served in schools
having other state and federally funded programs. The number and percent of
students tested by funding source are presented in Table 19.
Objectives, Activities, and Findings
More than 75 percent of the evaluation reports from ECE schools
contained measurable objectives relating to the development of student skills
in mathematics. Objectives were most frequently stated in terms of the in-
creased academic attainment of students or in terms of months of growth per
month of instruction, as determined by norm-referenced standardized achieve-
ment tests.
Analyses were conducted between the measurable quality of program
objectives (as determined by Department evaluation consultants) and the re-
sults reported by the schools. Findings indicated that the more measurable
the objective the greater the incidence of determinable program success.
Schools having projects with nonmeasurable objectives reported more results
that were not directly related to stated program goals. (See Table 20.)
The types of activities in mathematics instruction most frequently
reported in use by the 454 ECE schools which either exceeded, attained, or
partially attained their stated objectives were analyzed. The report on these
activities is presented in Table 21.
The variety of activities reported by schools for improving student
performance in mathematics suggests that ECE schools have both borrowed and
gained from their experiences with other local, state, and federally funded
programs.
ECE schools used a variety of procedures for evaluating their mathe-
matics programs. The most frequently reported activities that were successful
in helping schools attain mathematics objectives are reported in Table 22.
The findings for mathematics are similar to those in language development:
Norm-referenced standardized tests and locally developed criterion referenced
tests were used in more than two-thirds of the ECE schools.
26
TABLE 18
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF STUDENTS IN TESTING PROGRAMS
IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MATHEMATICS
PROGRAMS, BY GRADE LEVEL, 1973-74
Grade level
Number of students
Percent of students
Kindergarten
25,060
20.5
One
36,069
29.4
Two
30,676
25.0
Three
30,806
25.1
Total
122,611
100.0
TABLE 19
NUMBER AND PERCENT OF STUDENTS TESTED IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS
BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74
Funding source
Number of students enrolled
Percent of students
ECE/Title I
SB 90/Other*
31,918
26.0
ECE/Title I
27,899
22.8
SB 90
ECE/Title I
21,144
17.2
ECE
20,211
16.5
ECE/Title I
Other*
13,920
11.4
ECE/Other*
4,308
3.5
ECE/SB 90
2,248
1.8
ECE/SB 90
Other*
963
.8
TOTAL
122,611
100.0
*Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian
early childhood education.
27
In the 901 ECE schools using standardized tests, average months of
gain in mathematics per month of instruction were computed for students in
grades one, two, and three. In determining months of gain, only those students
were included for whom both pretest and post-test scores were available.
Results indicated that, with an average seven months elapsed time
between pretest and post-test, students in grades one, two, and three typically
gained 1.2 months or more in measured mathematics skills for each month of
instruction. (See Table 23.) Analyses by grade level for each of the several
funding sources revealed that programs served by certain combinations of funds
attained greater results than did others. (See tables 24, 25, and 26.)
TABLE 20
PERCENT OF OBJECTIVES IN MATHEMATICS FOR EACH OF SIX TYPES OF RESULTS REPORTED,
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Type of
Percent of objectives
results
Number of
Vague but
Total
reported
schools
Measurable*
measurable*
Non-measurable*
percent
Exceeded
objective
89
38.2
61.8
0.0
100
Attained
objective
234
46.2
53.4
0.4
100
Partially
attained
objective
131
45.8
53.4
0.8
100
Did not
attain
objective
42
50.0
42.9
7.1
100
Results
not attained
79
39.2
48.1
12.7
100
Results
not related
to objective
326
16.0
20.5
63.5
100
Total or
Average
901
34.0
41.4
24.6
100
75.4
*As determined by State Department of Education staff.
28
Analyses were also conducted for students in kindergarten and grades
one, two, and three regarding the percent of movement out of the lower quarters
and into the higher quarters of the distribution of mathematics achievement
scores. Findings summarized in Table 27 indicate that there was a 16 percent
reduction of students in the lowest quarter of the distribution and an increase
of more than 12 percent in the highest quarter. Changes in the second and third
quarters of the distribution were fairly small.
TABLE 21
RANK ORDER OF ACTIVITIES MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED
BY SUCCESSFUL MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS IN EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
Activities
reporting schools
1
Instructional aides reinforcing teacher
instruction
48.2
2
Whole class instruction
32.6
3
Individualized instruction within the regular
classroom
30.0
4
Use of parent volunteers
26.4
5
Related staff inservice
22.9
TABLE 22
RANK ORDER OF EVALUATION ACTIVITIES MOST FREQUENTLY
REPORTED BY SUCCESSFUL MATHEMATICS PROGRAMS IN
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
Activities
reporting schools
1
Two or more norm-referenced standardized tests
46.7
2
One norm-referenced standardized test
13.0
3
Two or more norm-referenced standardized tests
with locally developed criterion-referenced
tests
11.0
29
TABLE 23
AVERAGE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
STUDENTS TESTED, BY FUNDING SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE ONE
Number of
Average grade
Average months of
Average months of
Grade
students
equivalent score
gain between
gain per month
level
tested
Pretest
Post-test
pretest and post-test
of instruction*
One
14,727
1.1
1.9
8
1.2
Two
27,150
1.8
2.7
9
1.3
Three
24,647
2.5
3.4
9
1.4
*An average of seven months elapsed between pretest and
post-test.
TABLE 24
NUMBER OF STUDENTS TESTED AND AVERAGE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT BY EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS TESTED, BY FUNDING
SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE ONE
Number of
Average grade
Funding
students
equivalent score
Average months of gain
source
tested
Pretest
Post-test
per month of instruction*
ECE/SB 90
268
.9
1.9
1.4
ECE
2,444
1.2
2.1
1.3
ECE/Title I
3,168
1.1
2.0
1.3
ECE/Other**
390
1.2
2.1
1.3
ECE/Title I
SB 90
3,716
1.0
1.7
1.1
ECE/Title I/
Other**
1,673
1.1
1.9
1.1
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
2,983
1.0
1.7
1.0
Total
14,660
1.1
1.9
1.2
*An average of seven months elapsed between the pretest and the
post-test.
30
In computing the percent of movement for schools choosing to re-
port in quartile shifts, test data for all students were used with the assump-
tion that student population characteristics such as socioeconomic status,
bilingualism, and so forth would remain similar regardless of pupil mobility.
As a result, the number of students included in the analysis of gain scores
differs from the number of students included in computing percentage shifts.
Test information reported by districts which was either incomplete
or contained procedural irregularities was not aggregated with statewide re-
sults. Incomplete data or irregular procedures included instances in which
(1) either pretest or post-test information was omitted; (2) test results were
not given in grade equivalents; (3) test results were combined for several
grade levels; (4) the standardized measure used in the pretest differed from
the measure used in the post-test; (5) nonstandardized tests were used; or
(6) no test results were reported.
TABLE 25
NUMBER OF STUDENTS TESTED AND AVERAGE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT BY EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS TESTED, BY FUNDING SOURCE
1973-74, GRADE TWO
Number of
Average grade
Funding
students
equivalent score
Average months of gain
source
tested
Pretest
Post-test
per month of instruction*
ECE/Title I
4,301
1.8
2.8
1.4
ECE/Other**
924
2.0
3.0
1.4
ECE/Title I/
Other**
2,976
1.7
2.7
1.4
ECE
4,363
2.1
3.0
1.4
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
6,183
1.6
2.5
1.3
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
7,678
1.6
2.5
1.3
ECE/SB 90
479
1.5
2.3
1.1
Total
26,904
1.7
2.7
1.3
*An average of seven months elapsed between the pretest and
the post-test.
**Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian
early childhood education.
31
TABLE 26
NUMBER OF STUDENTS TESTED AND AVERAGE MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT BY EARLY
CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS TESTED, BY FUNDING
SOURCE, 1973-74, GRADE THREE
Number of
Average grade
Funding
students
equivalent score
Average months of gain
source
tested
Pretest
Post-Test
per month of instruction*
ECE/Other*
816
2.9
4.0
1.6
ECE
3,832
2.9
3.9
1.4
ECE/Title I
3,251
2.5
3.5
1.4
ECE/Title I/
SB 90
5,601
2.3
3.3
1.4
ECE/Title I/
Other
2,857
2.4
3.4
1.4
ECE/Title I/
SB 90/Other
7,485
2.4
3.3
1.3
ECE/SB 90
555
2.5
3.1
.9
Total
24,397
2.5
3.5
1.4
*An average of seven months elapsed between the pretest and the post-test.
**Other includes Miller-Unruh, bilingual education, and Indian early
childhood education.
PERCENT OF EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION STUDENTS TESTED SCORING IN EACH
QUARTER OF THE DISTRIBUTION OF MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT SCORES
BY GRADE LEVEL, AT PRETESTING AND POST-TESTING, 1973-74
Number of
Percent of students by quarter
Grade
students
First
Second
Third
Fourth
level
tested
Test
quarter
quarter
quarter
quarter
15,336
Pre
34.6
27.2
20.4
17.8
Kindergarten
25,936
Post
17.1
26.2
24.3
32.4
21,211
Pre
42.7
27.9
16.3
13.1
One
36,021
Post
24.0
23.6
24.1
28.3
20,033
Pre
39.9
27.8
21.2
11.1
Two
29,752
Post
26.2
28.8
20.9
24.1
18,163
Pre
49.4
25.2
15.3
10.1
Three
30,020
Post
35.4
28.5
19.9
16.3
32
HEALTH/AUXILIARY SERVICES COMPONENT
Health/auxiliary services were reported as effective in providing health
examinations. All health/auxiliary services that were reported were rated
above 75 percent effective.
Health services are those required as a result of the comprehensive
health needs assessment within the early childhood education school. This
component must also include auxiliary services, such as pupil personnel services,
and library and media services in multifunded schools.
Objectives and Activities
The major auxiliary services objectives reported were related to
providing health services, pupil personnel services, and referral services in
ECE schools. The specific objectives reported most frequently included pro-
viding health examinations, improving school attendance, providing health in-
formation, and improving the personal health of the participants. Other major
objectives focused on improving pupil attitude, providing library and media
services, and improving academic achievement.
Specific activities were emphasized in each of the auxiliary services
provided, such as psychological services, health examinations, and general
services within the library and media services.
Evaluation of Health/Auxiliary Services
A direct relationship exists between the frequency of activities
listed in objectives and their importance, as rated by school personnel.
Schools were asked to do two separate ratings, one of effective activities and
one of important activities. These rankings were compared by evaluation con-
sultants to determine the degree of the relationships between the rankings.
Auxiliary services usually are evaluated by identifying the criteria for a
successful program and assessing the level of the effectiveness of specific
services in meeting those criteria. Seventy percent of the evaluation reports
stated the criteria in terms of the amount or number of services provided.
Only 30 percent reported criteria related to expected changes in pupil or
staff behavior or performance. The most frequent criterion for effectiveness
was the number of health examinations given.
The level of effectiveness was determined primarily by three evalu-
ation methods: subjective judgment by staff, counting of participants or
activities, and objective measurements. The analysis of the school reports
showed that 47 percent of the services were evaluated subjectively and 42
percent by enumeration data. The remaining 11 percent of the health/auxiliary
services were evaluated by objective measurements such as rating scales.
The results reported in the auxiliary services component generally
related to the stated objectives. Of the schools reporting measurable objec-
tives, 41 percent had attained their objectives, 30 percent achieved part of
their objectives, 3 percent did not attain their objectives, and 26 percent
reported results unrelated to their objectives. The reports rated the level
33
of effectiveness of specific services in terms of meeting their school objec-
tives. Pupil personnel services were 77 percent effective or very effective.
Health services were rated 79 percent effective or very effective, and library
services ratings were 85 percent effective or very effective.
A comparison was made between the importance and effectiveness of
the major services provided. The results are shown graphically in figures 1,
2, and 3. The greatest difference between importance and effectiveness was
seen in two specific services. Library and media materials ranked high in
effectiveness but low in importance, and medical services ranked low in effec-
tiveness but high in importance.
Positive results submitted in relation to the stated objectives are
summarized in Table 28 based on data submitted by schools and measurable per-
formance objectives. It is evident that auxiliary services were effective in
ECE programs. This effectiveness was determined from the resulting improve-
ment noted in pupil health, pupil attitudes, and improved school attendance.
The major recommendations made in the reports for health/auxiliary
services in general were to continue the present program, improve communica-
tions, provide additional services, increase parent involvement, improve
program objectives, and provide inservice workshops.
TABLE 28
RESULTS OF ACTIVITIES IN HEALTH/AUXILIARY SERVICES MOST
FREQUENTLY REPORTED IN RELATION TO STATED OBJECTIVES
Percent of
Rank
projects reporting
order
Specific results reported
these results
1
Provision of health services
38
2
Provision of health examinations
33
3
Provision of pupil personnel services
22
4
Provision of referral services
17
5
Improvement in participant's health
11
6
Provision of nutrition or lunches
10
7
Provision of auxiliary services personnel
10
34
5 Most Important
5 Least Important
Psychological testing
Teacher consultation
Five
Speech therapy
Most
Individual counseling
Effective
Parent counseling
Welfare and attendance
Psychometric assistance
Five
Guidance inservice
Least
Home counseling
Effective
Group counseling
FIGURE 1. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TEN MAJOR PUPIL PERSONNEL
SERVICES, AS REPORTED BY SCHOOLS, 1973-74
3 Most Important
2 Least Important
Three
Media centers
Materials
Most
General services
Effective
Two
Personnel
Mobile centers
Least
Effective
FIGURE 2. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FIVE MAJOR LIBRARY AND
MEDIA SERVICES, AS REPORTED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
4 Most Important
3 Least Important
Four
Nursing
Nutrition
Most
Diagnostic
Health education
Effective
Three
Dental
Least
Medical
Family services
Effective
FIGURE 3. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF SEVEN MAJOR HEALTH
SERVICES, AS REPORTED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
35
PARENT EDUCATION COMPONENT
Parent education objectives usually related to expected changes in
behavior and performance of parents, with an increase in skills and
knowledge most often reported.
The parent education component required specific objectives and
activities that would increase parent effectiveness by encouraging parents to
become an integral part of the formal education process.
Eighty-seven percent of the major objectives reported for the parent
education component were well defined, and 13 percent of the objectives were
vague. Of the well-defined objectives, 61 percent were related to expected
changes in behavior and performance of the parents, and 39 percent of the ob-
jectives concerned services provided by district or school staff.
Of the objectives related to expected changes in behavior and per-
formance, reports by most schools concentrated on increased skills and knowl-
edge by parents, increased program participation by parents, and more parental
understanding and support of the school program. Objectives frequently
mentioned were increasing knowledge of child growth and development, partici-
pating in the program, becoming more knowledgeable about the program, and
increasing parental understanding of the child's education program.
Of the objectives related to services provided, the most frequently
reported objectives were provisions for orientation sessions, parent classes
and workshops, training parents for effective participation in school and
class activities, and increased parent participation at the school site.
The most important activities reported were in the same general
areas as the stated objectives: increased participation, instructional pro-
grams for parents, school activities, parental knowledge, and support of the
education process through participation.
In a few school reports there were indications that the content of
the proposed parent education component had been changed. The reason was
usually that the objectives had been predetermined by project personnel.
After parent surveys had been conducted, a discrepancy was discovered, and
the programs were redesigned to meet the parents' stated needs.
Parent education activities were evaluated by identifying the
criteria for a successful program and assessing the level of effectiveness
of specific activities in meeting those criteria. In the schools that re-
ported evaluation, 63 percent stated criteria related to expected changes in
parent behavior, and 37 percent of the criteria related to services provided
by the project staff. The most frequent criterion mentioned was parent
opinion. Objective measurements, such as student and parent tests and
questionnaires, accounted for 12 percent of the school evaluations.
Schools reporting well-defined objectives reported achieving 89 per-
cent of the objectives related to expected changes in parent behavior. For
objectives related to provision of services, the achievement was 67 percent.
36
Two percent of all measurable objectives were unachieved, and 21 percent of
all reported results were unrelated to the stated objectives.
In addition to listing the most important activities related to
achieving stated objectives, schools also rated the level of effectiveness of
the activities provided. The most important activities listed by the schools
were rated by program personnel as the most effective. These were instruc-
tional classes for parents, participation in school activities, and parent-
teacher conferences. The activities considered least important were rated as
least effective. Figure 4 shows the relationship between importance and
effectiveness of activities as reported.
The recommendations made in the parent education component indicated
the need to improve communication between the homes and the school. Other
recommendations were for additional classes for parents and for activities
based on the felt needs of parents. A significant recommendation was for the
expansion of the parent education component, including offering parents more
opportunities for participation and offering a greater variety in the types
of participation available.
PARENT PARTICIPATION AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT COMPONENT
Parent involvement activities that were most effective were parent-
teacher conferences, advisory committee meetings, school parent meetings,
use of parent volunteers, and home communication.
The parent participation and community involvement component required
specific plans for the improvement of communication between the schools and the
community as well as parent participation in the planning, implementation, modi-
fication, and evaluation of the program and in the classroom education of the
children.
In the early childhood education program, use of parents in the
classroom was reported as one of the measurable major objectives. Other ob-
jectives were: to increase parent visits to the classroom, to recruit parent
assistants, to develop community resource personnel, to improve attendance at
school activities, and to increase parent involvement in planning, implemen-
tation, and evaluation.
Of the objectives related to services provided, the major ones re-
ported most frequently by projects were dissemination of program information,
program orientation, and home-school communication.
Three of the major objective areas reported by a large number of
schools were reflected in the most important activities listed. These were
program orientation, parent visits to schools and classroom, and attendance
at school activities.
Parent involvement activities were evaluated by identifying the
criteria for a successful program and assessing the level of effectiveness of
the specific services provided. Sixty-six percent of the evaluations related
37
3 Most Important
2 Least Important
Instructional classes
for parents
Three
Most
Participation in school
Effective
activities
Parent-teacher
conferences
Scheduled meetings
Two
for parents
Least
Effective
Program orientation
FIGURE 4. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF FIVE MAJOR PARENT EDUCATION
ACTIVITIES
TABLE 29
RESULTS OF PARENT EDUCATION MOST FREQUENTLY REPORTED
BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
projects reporting
order
Specific results reported
these results
1
Parents increased their understanding
29
and support.
2
Parents attended scheduled classes
17
and workshops.
3
Parents participated in parent
15
education activities.
4
Parents improved their knowledge and
12
increased their skills.
5
Parents visited schools and participated
10
in school activities.
38
to expected changes in parent behavior. Thirty-four percent of the criteria
related to services provided by the project staff. The most frequent criterion
used to measure effectiveness was the number of parents participating.
Of the evaluation methods used, 47 percent was enumeration of par-
ticipants and activities, and 39 percent was subjective judgment. The remain-
ing 14 percent was objective measurements, usually in the form of parent
questionnaires, rating scales, or attitude scales.
In the parent involvement component, 52 percent of the schools
achieved their objectives. Nineteen percent achieved part of their objectives,
17 percent reported negative results, and 12 percent reported results not
related to their objectives.
The school reports rated the level of the effectiveness of major
activities provided in terms of meeting school objectives. Parent involve-
ment activities were rated mostly as effective or very effective. The most
effective activities were parent-teacher conferences, advisory committee
meetings, school parent meetings, use of parent volunteers, and home communi-
cation. The least effective, according to school ratings, were cultural pro-
grams, baby sitting services, home calls and visits, and planning sessions.
A comparison was made between the relative importance and the
effectiveness of the major parent involvement activities. The results are
summarized in Figure 5.
The results of parent involvement most frequently reported are sum-
marized in Table 30. This table includes only the specific outcomes indicated
by the schools which reported results related to their stated objectives. The
parent involvement activities most frequently resulted in increased attendance
at parent conferences and school meetings, more positive attitudes on the part
of parents, an increase in parent time spent as volunteers or aides, and
parent involvement in program planning, implementation, and evaluation.
Of the recommendations made by the schools, 34 percent cited the
recruitment and training of parent volunteers and aides to work at the school
site; and 22 percent stressed the need for more effective communication be-
tween the school and the home. Frequent mention was made of the need for a
liaison person to assist in this area. Other recommendations suggested in-
creases in the number and variety of activities afforded to parents as a way
to increase school participation and to increase the parents' involvement in
the design and implementation of the school plan. The use of bilingual staff
in the community was also recommended.
STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND INSERVICE EDUCATION COMPONENT
The staff development component results reported most frequently indi-
cated a greater use of individualized instruction, better organization
of inservice training, and improvement in writing and instructional
objectives.
39
5 Most Important
Parent-teacher conference
Five
Advisory committee meetings
most
School parent meetings
effective
Use of parent volunteers
Communications with home
Cultural programs
Four
Baby sitting services
least
Planning sessions
effective
Home calls and visits
FIGURE 5. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF NINE PARENT INVOLVEMENT
ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY ECE SCHOOLS
TABLE 30
RESULTS OF PARENT INVOLVEMENT REPORTED IN RELATION
TO STATED OBJECTIVES IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
EDUCATION SCHOOLS, 1973-74
Percent of
Rank
projects reporting
order
Specific results reported
these results
1
Parent volunteers and aides helped at the
school.
18
2
Parents participated in school activities and
meetings.
16
3
Parents were involved in program planning,
implementation, and evaluation.
9
4
Parents responded to communications from the
school.
9
5
Parents attended parent-teacher conferences.
8
6
Parents and students expressed positive
attitudes and feelings.
8
40
Staff development and inservice education were required for all
schools conducting an early childhood education program. Objectives and
activities that would lead to improved performance by professional and non-
professional personnel working in the program were included in each school
plan. These activities served 27,105 persons in the early childhood education
schools.
Objectives and Activities
The major staff development objectives conducted in early childhood
education schools were related to the improvement of teaching techniques.
Measurable performance objectives were recorded by 72 percent of the schools,
while relatively vague objectives were reported by 28 percent of the schools.
The objectives that were well defined included a description of expected changes
in performance level of participants or in the services to be provided by dis-
trict or school staff to participants. Specific objectives included: improve-
ment in individualized instruction and use of diagnostic/prescriptive techniques,
improvement in writing instructional objectives, and improvement in planning
other objectives related to the number or type of personnel to receive training.
The types of activities provided to attain objectives included school-
level workshops on instructional methods and content, staff meetings, school or
classroom visitations, district and county workshops, college courses, confer-
ences, and demonstrations. Content areas covered during inservice training
activities included reading, mathematics, language, and general curriculum.
Relatively few schools reported inservice activities that were related to the
needs assessment, school-level planning, volunteers or tutors, parent involve-
ment, or parent education.
Evaluation and Results
Evaluation criteria used to measure the effectiveness of staff devel-
opment and inservice activities were related to those activities two out of
every three times. About one-third of the schools mentioned classroom imple-
mentation by teachers as an evaluation criterion. Subjective judgments made up
67 percent of the methods by which the activities were evaluated, while 20 per-
cent were based on objective measurements. Thirteen percent related program
effectiveness to counting or enumerative criteria.
In 87 percent of the ECE schools, respondents indicated that their
major objectives were attained. Six percent of the schools recorded that
objectives were partially attained, while 5 percent of the schools recorded
results not related to stated objectives. Two percent of the schools indicated
that their objectives were not attained, or they did not include any data on
this component.
Comparisons were made between the importance and the effectiveness of
staff development and inservice activities. These results are presented in Fig-
ure 6. The greatest discrepancies were found in college classes (ranked high in
importance and low in effectiveness) and demonstrations (ranked low in importance
and high in effectiveness).
41
A summary of the positive results of staff development and inservice
activities most frequently recorded appears in Table 31. These results indi-
cated a greater use of individualized instruction in reading and mathematics,
better organization of inservice training, and improvement in writing instruc-
tional objectives. Few schools reported improvement in teaching psychomotor
skills, training in the use of personnel, or improvement in pupil attitudes as
an outcome of staff development and inservice education activities.
Recommendations for Improving Staff Development
Schools participating in ECE programs reported frequent recommenda-
tions related to improved staff development programs and inservice education.
The recommendations most often related to improvement of the organization of
inservice training, increased visitation to other schools and programs, im-
proved workshops, and better use of consultants. Additional teacher involve-
ment in needs assessment and in the development of inservice activities also
were recommended. Additional training in teaching techniques, particularly
individualized instruction as related to diagnostic and prescriptive techniques,
and methods related to improving pupil behaviors and attitudes, were mentioned
frequently.
OPTIONAL COMPONENTS
Optional components were included by nearly half of the ECE schools.
These included music, art, health, affective areas, English as a
second language, and bilingual education.
The optional component permitted local school program directors to
provide information on activities that were not specifically identified as
components in the evaluation report form. These activities included music,
art, health and science, physical education, social studies, English as a
second language, bilingual education, and psychomotor development. Additional
activities such as school management, program organization, facilities and
materials, and a series of similar topics were reported in this manner.
For programs described as optional, nearly 90 percent of all schools
reported that their stated objectives had been either fully attained or par-
tially attained. Effectiveness was most frequently measured by subjective
methods.
Nearly one-half of the schools providing early childhood education
programs reported activities in the optional component. More than 100 schools
reported that a program for English as a second language was provided, some of
them in the bilingual-bicultural program (Chapter 1258 of the 1972 statutes).
It was found that the evaluation of this program relied heavily on objective
methods, with several recommendations focusing on continuing or expanding the
program as program needs increased. In general, programs achieved their stated
objectives, and program effectiveness was evaluated by subjective techniques
more often than by objective techniques. Specific recommendations related to
the improvement of classroom management, better use of personnel, continued
expansion of such programs, and improved program management.
42
5 Most Important
5 Least Important
Five
Techniques of reading instruction
Demonstrations
Most
Diagnostic/prescriptive teaching
Effective
Techniques of math instruction
Informal workshops
Five
College classes
Formal lectures
Least
Intergroup relations inservice
Effective
Parent involvement inservice
Parent education
FIGURE 6. RELATIVE IMPORTANCE AND EFFECTIVENESS OF TEN STAFF DEVELOP-
MENT ACTIVITIES PROVIDED BY EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION SCHOOLS
TABLE 31
POSITIVE RESULTS OF STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES MOST FREQUENTLY
REPORTED IN RELATION TO STATED OBJECTES BY SUCCESSFUL
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROJECTS
Percent of
Rank
projects reporting
order
Specific results reported
these results
1
Improved individualized instruction
26
in reading.
2
Improved individualized instruction
16
in mathematics
3
Better organization of inservice
11
training
4
Improvement in writing instructional
8
objectives
43
The activities reported for the bilingual or ESL programs included
the use of diagnostic and prescriptive teaching techniques and the use of
instructional aides. The districts reported that the instructional aides were
an effective part of the program.
Programs funded under the Bilingual Education Act were also required
to develop objectives in mathematics and the support components. The report
prepared by the Office of Program Evaluation and Research, entitled Bilingual
Education Act of 1972, contains a complete description of the bilingual program
as it was implemented in California schools.
Chapter IV
Fiscal Management
Program expenditures as reported by the schools for 1973-74 showed that
additional early childhood education funds were most often used to employ
instructional aides in the schools.
The fiscal expenditures for each participating early childhood educa-
tion school represented 20 percent of the program evaluation in the 1973-74
program year. Fiscal expenditures will represent 10 percent of the evaluation
in the 1974-75 program year but will not be included thereafter.
The legislation requires that expenditures for the ECE program be
supplemental to the districts' basic support per child. Each district signed
an assurance in its original application certifying that its effort would be
maintained. At the time of this report, specific audit procedures required
under Education Code sections 6445.16, 6445.17, and 6445.18 had not been
accomplished.
Final evaluation of fiscal management covered only the actual encum-
brances for 1973-74 and the amounts that were either carried forward into the
next fiscal year or overspent; there was no attempt to evaluate the appropriate-
ness by which schools chose to allocate individual objects of expenditure within
the school budget.
The development of each school plan included the development of a
budget for that school. Funds were budgeted in such a way that the objectives
of the plan would be met most effectively.
In this first year, 59.4 percent of the schools completed the fiscal
year with no more than a 5 percent difference between the amount allocated and
the amount spent. Another 14.5 percent of the schools had ending balances with
6 to 10 percent differences. The remaining 26.1 percent had ending balances
with either carry-over or deficit funds in excess of 10 percent of the original
budget. The evaluation of fiscal management gave full credit to schools at 10
percent or under, and a penalty of 5 percent of the total evaluation for amounts
over 10 percent but less than 25 percent. Any budget with either a 25 percent
or greater deficit or carry-over was penalized 10 percent or half the possible
fiscal management evaluation score. Schools that did not return budget informa-
tion or whose figures were included in a district aggregate report received a
zero score for the 10 percent evaluation of their fiscal management.
Table 32 presents the early childhood education expenditures by account
classification. Over 44 percent of the expenditures were for instructional aides,
and nearly 85 percent of the expenditures were in the general area of instruction,
including salaries and instructional supplies.
While health needs assessment was a part of the required plan for each
school, either district or community resources were utilized to fund this activity.
Less than 1 percent of the expenditures were directed toward health services.
44
45
The Early Childhood Education Management Team found that in a few
districts, schools did not receive the full allocation authorized by the State
Board of Education, as a percentage of funds for district administration was
removed prior to distribution to the schools.
Recommendation
State fiscal reporting and audit procedures are essential to the
early childhood education program in order to clarify the fiscal responsibilities
at the school, district, and state levels.
TABLE 32
TOTAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPENDITURES
BY ACCOUNT CLASSIFICATION, 1973-74
Approved
Expenditures
Expenditure
and encum-
Account
ECE
and
Not
brance per-
classification
budget
encumbrances
encumbered
cent of total
100 Administration
$ 10,840
$ 12,084
$(-1244)
.05
110-120 Salaries
129,955
123,701
6254
.68
190 Other expenses of
Administration
59,113
50,853
8260
.28
200 Instruction
212 Supervisors' salaries
428,373
420,898
7475
2.33
213 Teachers' salaries
3,122,445
3,046,831
75614
16.83
214 Other certificated
salaries of
instruction
718,746
672,109
46637
3.71
220 Classified salaries
of instruction
79,366
77,809
1557
.43
221 Instructional aides
8,475,001
7,986,784
488,217
44.12
222 Other classified
salaries of
instruction
808,121
571,309
236,812
3.16
230 Textbooks
37,492
35,227
2,265
.19
240 Other books
128,133
101,786
26,347
.56
290 Other expenses of
instruction
37,761
30,897
6,864
.17
291 Instructional
supplies
1,962,856
1,744,443
218,413
9.64
292 Miscellaneous
expenses of
instruction
1,064,324
773,395
290,929
4.27
400 Health services
410-420 Salaries
158,230
136,344
21,886
.75
490 Other expenses of
health services
57,302
34,713
22,589
.19
500 Pupil transportation
750
750
0
.00
520 Salaries
17,464
9,494
8,470
.05
590 Other expenses of
pupil transportation
77,209
46,334
39,345
.26
46
TABLE 32. TOTAL EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION EXPENDITURES, BY ACCOUNT CLASSIFICATION
1973-74 (Continued)
Approved
Expenditures
Expenditure
Account
ECE
and
Not
and encum-
classification
budget
encumbrances
encumbered
brance per-
cent of total
600 Operation of plant
620 Salaries
$ 3,802
$ 3,742
$
60
.02
690 Other expenses for
operation of plant
15,058
12,011
3,047
.07
700 Maintenance of plant
720 Salaries
18,522
3,060
15,462
.02
790 Other expenses for
maintenance of plant
9,820
4,914
4,906
.03
800 Fixed charges
395,481
356,225
39,256
1.98
892 Lease/rental
expense and fringe/
benefits
1,132,478
1,050,455
82,023
5.80
900 Food services
910-920 Salaries
400
396
4
.00
990 Other expenses
41,767
31,407
10,360
.17
1100 Community services
500
6
494
.00
1110-1120 Salaries
38,745
29,774
8,971
.16
1190 Other expenses of
community services
26,206
17,994
8,212
.10
1200 Capital outlay
13,470
12,462
1,008
.06
1240 Improvement of sites
43,203
36,146
7,057
.20
1250 Buildings
70,856
71,267
(-411)
.39
1260 Equipment
29,464
23,815
5,649
.13
1261 Books
41,553
33,036
14,166
.18
1269 Other equipment
568,938
538,623
30,315
2.98
Indirect costs (rate percent)
55,814
44,258
11,556
Total (Without Indirect Costs)
19,823,520
18,100,970
1,722,550
100%
Total (With Indirect Costs)
19,879,334
18,145,228
1,734,116
Reports filed late
2,936.407
Not filed or not separable
1,351,217
24,166,958
74-86 DE 7022 11-74 400