Data Collection

Staff questionnaires were completed prior to the first whole-group staff training. We were able to obtain similar information on replacement teachers in most cases.

Classroom observations were conducted at three time points: in fall 2003, before the treatment interventions were implemented; in spring 2004, after approximately six months of implementation of the curricula, and in spring 2005, after approximately 18 months of implementation. Observers with a background in early childhood education were trained to standardized reliability criteria (see Attachment B for a detailed discussion) on the observation system before being allowed to conduct the classroom observations for the study.

The TOPEL was administered once, in Spring 2005, to about 1600 children in the study classrooms. These children represent the second cohort of children who received the enhanced language and literacy curricula. All child assessments were conducted individually, in the child’s classroom. The assessments took place over a seven-week period and children in the treatment and control groups were assessed at approximately the same time. Assessors were trained child testers who had been trained to standardized reliability criteria (see Attachment B for a detailed discussion) on each child measure. The child assessors were bilingual in Spanish and English and provided instructions in Spanish for children as needed. All children were tested in English. In addition, the Spanish versions of subtests were used with children whose home language was Spanish17.

Implementation of the interventions was assessed in a variety of ways: trainers for each developer used measures tailored to the individual curriculum; mentors were asked to rate the level of curriculum implementation in the classrooms for which they were they were responsible on a scale developed for the study and applied across curricula; and senior study staff met monthly with developers, trainers and mentors to discuss implementation issues.