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< Back Supporting Data-driven Improvements in Early Education Date Submitted: 09/08/2021 Contact Information: Sherri L. Castle Research Faculty and Assistant Director of Research (918) 660-3187 Sherri.castle@ou.edu University of Oklahoma, Early Childhood Education Institute 4502 E 41st St., Tulsa, OK 74135 Rating Category: Additional Research Needed Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Caregivers Goals and Outcomes: This proposal provides a framework to support continuous improvement for early education programs that utilizes classroom and child data to identify existing strengths and appropriate areas for coaching and development. The ultimate outcome of this work is to provide every young child in Oklahoma with a high quality early education experience, regardless of income, race, home language, or location. Data collection and feedback will be designed to cultivate classroom practices that support children’s overall well-being in social-emotional, physical, and cognitive domains. Brief Summary of target population and issues/challenges: Despite strong evidence for the necessity of support during the early years, national studies indicate that early education settings experienced by young children prior to school entry are typically mediocre in quality. Prior data collected in the state of Oklahoma reveal similar dismal patterns. This proposal aims to cultivate improved quality in early education by providing data driven coaching to teachers and center/school leaders based on structured observation of classrooms and assessment of the development of young children while enrolled in the program. We propose a rotation in which all DHS-licensed child care programs are engaged in data collection and coaching at least every 3 years. Data will be used to provide feedback at the classroom and program level and also aggregated by program type, region, and other features of interest to determine areas of widespread opportunity to improve EC quality across the state via professional development and/or policy implementation. The Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) at OU-Tulsa has a long history of providing data-based feedback to high quality EC programs in their efforts to improve practice and ensure positive outcomes for all children. Researchers at the ECEI bring expertise in numerous observation tools and child assessments that will allow many options for developing a strategy in partnership with OKDHS or other stakeholders to focus on the most crucial aspects of early care and education, including options to focus on particular developmental domains or on needs specific to infants and toddlers; dual language learners; or Black, Indigenous, and children of color. Previous Next

Get To Know Us Established in 2020 by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services, the Clearinghouse was transferred to Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness in 2021. EXPLORE THE REGISTRY LET'S GO Nominating & Governance Committee Co-Chairs: Mary Myrick & Sarah Roberts ​ Purpose: To nominate leaders within research & early childhood systems to be members of each committee and the actual clearinghouse and create a governance structure that meets requirements while promoting innovation and quality; Committee Members: Caren Calhoun, Ginny Bass Carl, Amy Emerson, Marnie Taylor, Annie Van Hanken Outcome and Research Committee Co-Chairs: Lana Beasley & Mary McCoy ​ Purpose: To prioritize outcomes and recommend research-informed practices and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system. Committee Members: LaDonna Atkins; Marny Dunlap, MD; Stacy Dykstra; Diane Horm, Ph. D; Bonnie McBride, Ph. D; Erin Maher, Ph. D Lana Beasley Co-Chair Dr. Lana Beasley is a licensed Clinical Child Psychologist and is currently an Associate Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Oklahoma State University. Dr. Beasley’s research has included working on randomized clinical trials and program evaluation all in the area of supporting high risk children and families. She holds expertise in qualitative research and has been a co-investigator on many grants involving a program of research developing, implementing, evaluating, and expanding evidence-based home visiting programs serving high-risk populations. Dr. Beasley also conducts mixed-methods research in the area of adaptation of treatments for diverse populations and examining engagement and attrition of high-risk families. Mary McCoy Co-Chair Mary McCoy is an adjunct professor in the arena of early childhood education. She received her doctoral degree from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum with an emphasis on Early Childhood Education. Mary’s many years of experience in the field of early childhood include family home child care provider, director of multiple child care centers, preschool through primary grade teacher in both public and private schools and the Director of the Oklahoma City Community College Child Development Center and Lab School. Mary served as a National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Peer Reviewer for the accreditation of Child Development Associate Degree Programs across the country and the President of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma. Mary currently writes and conducts training opportunities and serves as a consultant for the Rainbow Fleet Early Education. Actively involved in the field, she often presents at local, national, and state conferences, serves on numerous college and university early childhood advisory boards, participates as a Sunbeam Family Services Early Childhood Committee and Sunbeam Board member. LaDonna Atkins Committee Member LaDonna Atkins, Ed.D., is a professor in the Family Life Education- Child Development program at The University of Central Oklahoma. Dr. Atkins also serves as the administrator for the University of Central Oklahoma’s Child Study Center. Dr. Atkins is a past president of the Early Childhood Association of Oklahoma. She currently serves as the past president of International Play Association (IPA) United States Board, where she advocates for children’s right to play. Dr. Atkins has also served on the International Play Association World Council. Research interests include: play, infant/child development, and early childhood curriculum development. Marny Dunlap Committee Member Marianne “Marny” Dunlap, M.D., a pediatrician at The Children’s Hospital, was recently named the 2019 Gretchen Hunsberger Medical Champion for her efforts in fighting illiteracy. Dunlap has established herself as a champion for early literacy, which led to the founding of the Reach Out and Read program at The Children’s Hospital. For two generations, the program has promoted the benefits of early reading, not only in enhanced learning and academic performance, but the parent-child bonds that are built through reading together. Reach Out and Read partners with healthcare providers to offer free books to patients at their well-child visits with pediatricians. More than 85,000 books are distributed each year. Stacy Dykstra Committee Member Stacy Dykstra, Ph.D., CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. Stacy Dykstra joined the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma as its CEO in October 2020. She is the third CEO since the organization was founded in 1980. Prior to joining the Regional Food Bank, Stacy served as the executive director of Smart Start Central Oklahoma, an early childhood education nonprofit, since 2006. In her role with Smart Start, Dykstra participated in more than 100 community meetings in which she presented, facilitated, and/or served as the coordinator. Using a variety of teaching styles, she has trained hundreds of professionals serving young children and their families and taught various college courses focused on family support. Stacy holds a Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in Instructional Leadership and Academic Curriculum. Dykstra’s prior work experience includes serving as co-director of the Lower School at Westminster School, project director for the Early Childhood Collaborative of Oklahoma and as a pre-K and kindergarten teacher for Oklahoma City Public Schools. Her graduate work in instructional leadership as well as her experience with project management contribute to her ability to listen, appreciate diverse perspectives and facilitate constructive conversation and consensus-building. Stacy and her husband, Chris, have two daughters. Diane Horm Committee Member Diane M. Horm, Ph.D., is the George Kaiser Family Foundation Endowed Chair of Early Childhood Education and Founding Director of the Early Childhood Education Institute (ECEI) at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa. Through the ECEI, Horm is currently leading several applied research initiatives in early childhood education including program evaluation research in collaboration with Tulsa’s Educare programs and a large, multi-year study will colleagues from Georgetown and McGill Universities to investigate children’s development from Pre-K through Grade 4. Horm has a Ph.D. in Child Development with a specialization in Early Childhood Education, a Post-Master’s Specialization in School Psychology, and a Master’s in Developmental Psychology. Bonnie McBride Committee Member Bonnie McBride, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Section of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center. Dr. McBride’s research interests have focused on effective treatments for children with autism, early childhood education and inclusive practices for children with disabilities. She directs several projects that focus on the importance of developmental monitoring screening and early intervention. She serves as Oklahoma’s Ambassador for Learn the Signs. Act Early., a CDC developed health promotion program that aims to link together state efforts to improve early identification of developmental delay. Erin Maher Committee Member Dr. Maher’s is an Associate Professor of Sociology and Associate Director of OU’s Data Institute for Societal Challenges. Her research focuses on the intersection of poverty and child maltreatment, child well-being, and family functioning. She works with state agencies to evaluate social programs in these areas. She brings an applied focus to her scholarship and an emphasis on using and communicating research results in policy and practice. Prior to coming to OU, she served as Director of Research for a large national foundation conducting large scale program evaluations in child welfare. She has published extensively in journals reflecting a variety of academic disciplines. Process & Implementation Committee Co-Chairs: Paula Gates & Charlotte Hollarn Purpose: To determine a process and workflow for evaluating & implementing research-informed practice and practice-informed research that meet the needs of the early childhood system. Committee Members: Paula Brown, MAEd; Caren Calhoun; Amber Cuyler; Brittany Lee; Gabrielle Moon; Rachel Proper; Anthony Stafford; Nancy vonBargen, MC Paula Gates Co-Chair With over 24 years of experience in early childhood, Paula currently leads the Early Childhood Services program at Sunbeam Family Services as Chief Program Officer. Her broad range of experiences working in the field gives her a unique advantage in overseeing Educare Oklahoma City and a complex range of multi-faceted partnerships serving at-risk children and families under the Office of Head Start Child Care Partnership program. After years of owning her own child care center in NE Oklahoma, and then to directing non-profit early childhood centers, she became an integral component of the team that designed and implemented the Educare OKC model. With the opportunity to advance her knowledge base and share her insight with Early Head Start and Head Start grantees statewide, Paula joined the Office of Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Network in 2010. Returning to Sunbeam in 2015 to implement new partnerships between Office of Head Start and Office of Child Care, Paula has created a dynamic team that leads one of the state’s premier early childhood care and education programs. Paula holds a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Oklahoma, and has happily raised four children in Norman with her husband and partner, Galen Miller. Charlotte Hollarn Co-Chair Charlotte Hollarn, M.Ed. has been teaching and training in the early childhood education field for over 30 years. She attained her college education at the University of Oklahoma achieving a Bachelors Degree in Early Childhood Education and a Masters Degree in Adult/Community Education as well as Administration. Although the formal education is highly valued, her greatest learning moments have been while working with children and the adults in their lives. She has a never-ending passion for children and families and has served in many capacities in the area of early childhood education, professional development and teaching. Paula Brown Committee Member Paula A. Brown, MAEd has 36 years combined experience in Early Childhood and Disabilities. She continues her role as the Disabilities Services Manager for United Community Action Head Start and is a PhD student at Oklahoma State University in Human Development and Family Sciences through the Institute for Building Early Relationships (IBEaR). She earned her BS in Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 1985 and her Masters in Special Education from Ashford University in 2013. She has been a Governor’s appointee to Oklahoma’s Coordinating Council on Early Childhood Intervention (ICC) since 1998 and currently serves as the chair of the Infant Mental Health Committee for the ICC. Caren Calhoun Committee Member Caren was the founding executive director of Tulsa Educare until she recently retired and now serves as senior advisor to Tulsa Educare helping to enhance the quality and efficiency of licensed child centers/homes in the local community. Before joining Tulsa Educare, Caren was a Head Start Fellow from 2008-2009, during which time she worked in the Budget and Policy Division of the Office of Head Start in Washington, D.C. She has a master’s degree in early childhood education and over 35 years’ experience in early childhood administration with 22 of those years working in multi-site management. She has a specialty in program design and management, as well as in infant and toddler environments and partnerships. She was selected in June of 2012 as a “Head Start Champion of Change,” representing the children, staff, and families of Head Start on a panel with ten other honorees at the White House. In her down time, Caren keeps busy with her husband, five children and 12 grandchildren. Desiree Doherty Committee Member Desiree holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from ORU, a Master’s degree in Adult Education/Human Resource Development from OSU, a Management Certificate from TU, and is a Leadership Tulsa Class 21 alum. Her professional experience is primarily in nonprofit executive leadership, volunteer management, program development, management training, fund raising, donor engagement and board development. She was Executive Director of The Parent Child Center of Tulsa for 10 years. During that time, she led the organization to become nationally accredited and grow to reach over 53,000 children and parents annually. At PCCT she collaborated to launch Project East Tulsa with Emergency Infant Services, Tulsa Area United Way’s “nexTulsa” leadership training program, Tulsa’s Anti-Bullying Coalition, Family Safety Center’s Child Advocacy Partnership and Tulsa County’s Safe Babies Court Team pilot project with Zero To Three. Desiree was the recipient of the 2016 Rodney Bivens Innovation Award from the Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits and the 2017 Mary Ellen Wilson Child Abuse Prevention Award for the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Prior to joining PCCT, Desiree worked for Hillcrest Healthcare System and Dowell Schlumberger. Since retiring in 2017, Desiree has consulted with the George Kaiser Family Foundation’s Birth to Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) initiative and with Prevent Child Abuse Oklahoma at Parent Promise in OKC. She also offers coaching in nonprofit leadership, board development and fundraising. She is a past member of the Potts Family Foundation Advisory Council, Prevent Child Abuse America and Prevent Child Abuse Oklahoma. Desiree currently serves as 2020-2021 Board President of the Oklahoma Association for Infant Mental Health (OK-AIMH), and she volunteers with Jenks Community Food Bank and LifeSteps World Ministries. Anthony Stafford Committee Member Anthony Stafford is currently employed as the Division Director of Early Childhood Education for Big Five Community Services, Inc. based in Durant, Oklahoma. Mr. Stafford has served in this capacity for the past six years as a member of the agency’s leadership team. He is responsible for the administration and implementation of early childhood instruction primarily those involving Early Head Start services to children six months to three years of age and Head Start services to children three and four years of age. Mr. Stafford has more than 25 years of administrative experience working with non-profit organizations particularly in the areas of preschool and adolescent children. He has served on numerous boards and committees over the course of his career and currently serves as a member of the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness, the Region VI Head Start Association Boards and the Oklahoma Head Start Association. Mr. Stafford holds a Bachelor of Arts in communication from the University of Oklahoma. “It gives me great pleasure to serve as part of the implementation committee for the Oklahoma Clearinghouse for Early Childhood Success,” Stafford said. “I look forward to my role in this very important and worthwhile endeavor for children across the State of Oklahoma." Nancy vonBargen Committee Member Ms. vonBargen served 29 years with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. She began her career as a licensing specialist, advancing to become the state child care administrator. During her tenure, the nation’s first statewide quality rating system was created. A robust professional development system, wage supplement program, scholarships, and coaching supports were created to support the workforce. A Tribal State Child Care Network was launched to increase collaboration. Grants were provided to support Head Start/child care partnerships with a focus on serving vulnerable families. Upon retirement from state government, she served two years as the first Executive Director of Smart Start Oklahoma, bringing together all programs serving young children in the state. In 2007, Ms. vonBargen joined the National Child Care Information Center, providing technical assistance to states with a focus on quality improvement, collaboration, and partnerships. Following her transition to the National Center on Child Care Quality Improvement (NCCCQI), she provided technical assistance to Regions VI, VIII, IX and X before being asked to assume the role of project director in September 2012. Upon award of a new five-year contract, she continued as project director of the National Center on Early Childhood Quality Assurance (NCECQA) until her transition to a consultant in 2019. She has served as president of her state’s two early childhood professional organizations, as a member of two community school-age program boards, and on the nine-member Council for NAEYC Accreditation from 2008 – 2011. She continues to work on projects funded by ACF, OPRE, and the state of Oklahoma. Public-Private Partnership Committee Co-Chairs: Annie Van Hanken Purpose: To identify and effectively braid public and private funding streams together to increase innovation and quality in early childhood systems across Oklahoma. ​ Committee Members: Kelly Carter, Tricia Everest, Lindsay Laird, Craig Knutson, Tracy Meeuwsen, Teresa Rose Annie Koppel Van Hanken Co-Chair Annie Van Hanken oversees George Kaiser Family Foundation’s (GKFF) early childhood education and common education initiatives. Before joining the GKFF in 2002, Annie worked in inner-city Los Angeles at a community-based youth development center. She serves as board president for Tulsa Educare and a board member for Tulsa Legacy Charter School. Annie is also a gubernatorial appointee on the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board. She has a master’s degree in education, with an emphasis on learning disabilities, from the University of Texas at Austin and a dual bachelor’s degree in English and history, with a minor in classics, from Tulane University. Sarah Roberts Co-Chair Sarah Roberts currently serves as Vice President of Programs at Inasmuch Foundation. The Foundation was founded by Edith Kinney Gaylord in 1982 and makes grants in Oklahoma and Colorado Springs in these broad categories: education, human services, community and journalism. Sarah has been employed at Inasmuch Foundation for over 17 years. Inasmuch Foundation has placed emphasis on forging public/private partnerships to fund evidence-based interventions for vulnerable children and families as well as attracting much needed federal investments to Oklahoma City. Examples of a few successful public/private partnerships are: Pivot, Oklahoma City Educare, ReMerge, Metafund, Community CARES Partners, and Smart Start Central Oklahoma. Sarah previously served as Chairman of the Board of ReMerge and co-chaired the ReMerge capital campaign. Sarah is currently Chair of Sunbeam Family Services and Vice Chair of Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Board of Directors. Additionally, Sarah serves on the Board of Directors for: The Foundation for Oklahoma City Public Schools, Oklahoma City Police Athletic League (PAL) and Community Action Agency of Oklahoma County. Sarah previously served on the following Board of Directors: Integris Center for Mind, Body & Spirit, Oklahoma City Metro Literacy Coalition, ReMerge and Wes Welker Foundation. Sarah is a 2016 graduate of SALLT, Class 8 (Salt and Light Leadership Training) and a 2019 graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Class 32. In 2008, Sarah was recognized by OKCBusiness as a recipient of the Forty under 40 Award. In 2020, Sarah was recognized by Pivot as their Advocate of the Year for building collaborative efforts to address youth homelessness in Oklahoma City. Sarah was previously an instructor with the Clarksville Montgomery County School System in Tennessee where she taught 5th grade. Sarah is a graduate of Bishop McGuinness High School (1992) in Oklahoma City and Sweet Briar College (1996) in Virginia where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Government with a teaching certificate. Sarah has been married to Hayden Roberts for more than 21 years. Hayden works for Oklahoma State University. They live in Oklahoma City and have two sons, Jackson who is 17 years old and Owen who is 11 years old. Tricia Everest Committee Member Fourth-generation Oklahoman Tricia Everest is Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt’s secretary of public safety. She is a graduate of Casady High School and received her bachelors’ degree from Vanderbilt University and juris doctorate from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She has served as assistant attorney general for the State of Oklahoma, a trustee for the E.L. and Thelma Gaylord Foundation, chair of the Inasmuch Foundation Advisory Committee and is the founding chair of Palomar and ReMerge. Lindsay Laird Committee Member Lindsay Laird serves as vice president of programs at the Arnall Family Foundation where she is responsible for developing engagement strategies, building partnerships and overseeing project implementation. She has a master’s degree from West Virginia University and a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Central Oklahoma. In 2014, Lindsay was listed in the OKCBiz Achievers Under 40 and is a graduate of Linking Oklahoma City’s Young Adult Leaders (LOYAL) Class IV. She serves on the board of directors for ReMerge, a comprehensive female diversion program as well as the Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness Foundation. In 2018, Senate President Pro Tempore Greg Treat appointed Lindsay to the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth. Craig Knutson Committee Member Craig Knutson is the Potts Family Foundation’s president and chief executive officer. He has held professional/executive positions in Tulsa and Oklahoma City and serves on a number of local and statewide boards of directors. Craig is an OKCEO and has a long history of supporting early childhood development through his professional and personal affiliations. “Craig currently serves as PFF’s President & CEO. Teresa Rose Committee Member Teresa Rose is the executive director at Communities Foundation of Oklahoma, where she helps people and foundations thrive, grow and contribute to causes meaningful to them. She has spent her career serving others and improving her community, holding a variety of executive positions, including senior leadership roles at Oklahoma City Community Foundation and Chesapeake Energy Corporation. Her expertise in community relations, government affairs, philanthropy and legal matters, combined with her heart for giving, enable her to provide individuals, families and organizations with guidance and options as they choose the best way to approach giving. Serving the donors of over 850 donor driven and scholarship funds and 20 community funds, Teresa supports and guides impact giving across the state. Teresa earned both her bachelor’s and her law degrees from Oklahoma City University. She practiced law for several years, traveling the state and representing school districts in 150 different communities. Outside of the office, Teresa volunteers for organizations that impact Oklahoma and drive change for causes that improve life for Oklahomans. She is active with the Oklahoma City Chamber, serving on their executive committee and as the vice chair of the Education and Workforce Development Committee. She is on the board and the past board chair of the Civic Center Foundation, board of director for Philanthropy Southwest, and serves as a Mayoral Appointee on the MAPS 3 Downtown Park subcommittee and as chair of MAPS4. She is a founding member of the Family Justice Center, founding board chair of ReMerge, chair of the OKC Compact, and serves on the board of Saint Anthony’s Health Care of Oklahoma. Tracy Meeuwsen Committee Member Tracy Meeuwsen serves as Avedis Foundation’s Program Director, providing oversight to program grants and initiatives, while developing and cultivating strong partnerships with local nonprofits. Throughout her career in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, Tracy has gained extensive expertise in the areas of data analysis, reporting, research, and process review and improvement. Still unsure about us? Learn more: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Our Approach The Clearinghouse focuses on all early childhood care and education services, no matter the setting. Our approach is inclusive and comprehensive to encompass center-based care, home-based care, family, friend and neighbor care, as well as programs like Head Start, Pre-K and school-aged care. The approach allows the Clearinghouse to be positioned as an invaluable resource for identifying programs that can be advanced through Clearinghouse Implementation Grants and/or funding from other sources such as the Preschool Development Grant Birth through Five. By blending and braiding funding sources, OPSR has been able to extend the reach of previous Clearinghouse projects such as Reach Out & Read and Pyramid Model training across the state to improve outcomes for even more children. Research Based Early childhood programs and services which include study outcomes published in peer-reviewed journals. LEARN MORE Practice Based Early childhood programs and services driven by industry wisdom, organizations, practice, or other consensus approaches that do not necessarily include systemic use of research evidence. LEARN MORE Innovative Ideas Novel early childhood ideas that describe a plan or possible course of action but have not been put into practice or backed by research. LEARN MORE STILL NOT SURE ABOUT US? FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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< Back Developmental Monitoring Resources and Support for Early Care and Learning Providers Date Submitted: 04/2022 Contact Information: Assistant Director, Pediatrics Kathryn Moore 405-842-9995 Kathryn-Moore@ouhsc.edu Oklahoma Autism Center 3901 NW 6th Street, Suite 100 OKC, OK 73116 Rating Category: Promising Practice Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Teachers, Caregivers, Parents Goals and Outcomes: The primary goal of this proposal is to ensure that providers in childcare settings are knowledgeable about the importance of monitoring a child’s development and have the tools needed to do this easily. This ensures that developmental milestones are tracked, families are more engaged in monitoring their child’s development, and children with potential developmental delays are more quickly identified and referred for appropriate services. To accomplish this goal, we will utilize “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” (LTSAE) campaign materials developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The materials and resources are available free to the public and accessible to diverse audiences (e.g., available in Spanish and several other languages).Another important goal is to help support childcare providers so that they are better able to meet the needs of a diverse group of children including children with developmental delays. Using “Provider Cafes,” information will be provided related to how to support development including a wide range of child needs such as children with language or communication delays, autism, ADHD or other developmental concerns. Lastly, by providing regular opportunities for peer-to-peer discussion with a facilitator, “Provider Cafés” will promote provider resiliency and empowerment through opportunities for peer discussion and technical and material assistance. The ultimate desired outcome of this project is to identify children with potential delays as early as possible and ensure that they are connected to available resources and fully included and supported in childcare settings. Brief Summary: This submission aims to improve outcomes for children by facilitating awareness, training and support in developmental monitoring for early care providers (e.g. childcare centers, in-home providers). Our aim is to increase provider awareness and knowledge regarding the importance of developmental monitoring as well as what to do if concerns are identified. This will be accomplished with a dual-level approach of a broad informational campaign to promote knowledge and awareness as well as provide targeted support and technical assistance to providers. The first phase of this project will focus on the dissemination of developmental monitoring resources, both as ready-to-use tools and materials for providers and through short informational/training videos on topics pertinent to developmental monitoring and support in an early-childhood environment. These materials and resources will be distributed via social media and existing provider networks to promote awareness and knowledge about monitoring development and to secure interest in the secondary phase of interactive training activities. This campaign will utilize existing materials and resources drawn from the CDC’s “Learn the Signs. Act Early.” developmental monitoring campaign, including their series of “Watch Me!” online training modules for early childhood providers. Additional information about resources and next steps for families will be included. The second phase of activities will focus on providing engaged support for early care and learning partners identified in the first stage. We will implement a Provider Café model where providers participate in interactive virtual sessions hosted by a mediator and professional support experts. The goal of these sessions will be to provide in-depth discussion and support regarding early childhood development and the importance of identifying potential delays early. Building on the topics and resources shared in the first step of this proposal, the Provider Cafés will include provider-directed conversations about the role of developmental monitoring in promoting family resiliency as well as specific topics highlighted in each Café related to discussing concerns with families and strategies to support children with developmental delays in childcare settings. This will give early care providers the opportunity to voice their own experiences and needs, benefit from peer-to-peer discussion/support and receive expertise from experienced facilitators. Previous Next

< Back Growing Like a Read Date Submitted: 04/2022 Contact Information: Librarian/Selector Meghan Hollingsworth 405-801-4580 mhollingsworth@pioneerlibrarysystem.org Pioneer Library System, 300 Norman Center Ct. Norman, Oklahoma 73072 Rating Category: Best Practice Focus Area: Child Development Focus Population: Children, Caregivers, Guardians, Parents Goals and Outcomes: The Pioneer Library System’s GLAR project has reached approximately 10,000 families since it began in 2009. Currently, families receive a pre-literacy kit at library story times or when PLS partners with local health departments, WIC programs, and Head Start programs. Materials in the kit are available in English or Spanish, with each kit costing approximately $15. With financial support, the program could be extended even further beyond the walls of the libraries to childcare providers in low-income areas of the PLS three-county service area. There are opportunities to connect with home childcare places and underserved locations. By utilizing the PLS data analysis tools and metrics, PLS could strategically identify at-risk populations such as households below the poverty level and areas with children ages 0-9 years. For example, the Blanchard area has a high number of children ages 0-9 years, meaning there are opportunities for growth and community partnerships in this area for early literacy support. Norman and Shawnee communities have the highest percentage of households below the poverty level and therefore have a high need for early childhood development resources. With additional funding, PLS could also reach out to expecting families in birth classes offered through the health department to inform families about the importance of family engagement in language and literacy development at all stages of a child’s development. Brief Summary: The Pioneer Library System (PLS) has developed the Growing Like a Read (GLAR) project to promote language and literacy development and support caregiver education and engagement. Children and caregivers who participate in PLS story times or attend an event with a community partner may receive a pre-literacy kit which includes: a library bag, a stand-up book with age appropriate songs and rhymes, activity logs to reinforce literacy skills at home and on the go, and a board book for reading together. PLS staff model the six pre-reading skills identified by GLAR in story times and programs and provide tips to incorporate these in daily activities. The six pre-reading skills are letter knowledge, narrative skills, phonological awareness, print awareness, print motivation, and vocabulary. These six skills connect to the American Library Association’s five practices for Every Child Ready to Read: reading, singing, talking, playing, and writing. PLS recognizes the parent or caregiver as a child’s first teacher and seeks to provide tools for continued learning and caregiver engagement. Previous Next

< Back Conscious Discipline Date Submitted: 09/07/2021 Contact Information: Sarah England Grants Director 405-609-8994 SEngland@SunbeamFamilyServices.org Sunbeam Family Services, Inc. 1100 NW 14th Street, Oklahoma City, OK 73106 Rating Category: Well-Supported by Research Focus Area: Social Emotional Learning Focus Population: Children, Teachers, Owners, Caregivers, Guardians, Administrators, Parents Goals and Outcomes: Conscious Discipline is an evidence-based, trauma-responsive, adult-first approach to self-regulation. It integrates social and emotional learning, equitable school culture, theory and application, and research and brain-based discipline practices in a single methodology, providing a pathway to resiliency and creating systemic and sustainable change. For more than 25 years as an SEL leader, our company’s vision has been to create “an interconnected world of conscious adults capable of responding instead of reacting to conflict, creating safe homes, safe schools and a safe planet.” Conscious Discipline affects this change by requiring adults to examine their social-emotional aptitudes and mental models so they can address or acquire missing, ineffective or weak skillsets. With this upgraded SEL toolbox, adults are then able to teach healthy SEL skills to the children in their care through both lessons and day-to-day interactions. Conscious Discipline’s adult-first, child-second approach equips educators with the mindset and skillsets needed to internalize and dramatically upgrade their own social and emotional aptitudes. They then infuse SEL into all aspects of classroom management, instructional practices and school culture, and utilize everyday life and conflicts as their core SEL curriculum rather than relying on separate lessons. The social world of the school becomes the core curriculum. In most schools, the socialization process is unconscious— a “Do as I say, not as I do” approach. A common example of this is a school that verbally promotes inclusion while simultaneously relying on reward and punishment systems that inherently support an exclusionary, better than/less than culture. Another common example would be teaching a boxed lesson about respecting others while using a “green to red” card system that relies on fear and humiliation as a discipline strategy. The goal of Conscious Discipline is to make the cultural socialization of the school conscious, healthy, and in alignment with the vision and mission of the school’s stakeholders. In short, Conscious Discipline empowers teachers to create a conscious “Do as I do” environment in which children can experience the physical, social and emotional safety and connection necessary for them to learn, explore and grow to reach their fullest potential. Brief Summary of target population and issues/challenges: Throughout its 25 years as an SEL leader, Conscious Discipline has been rooted in neuroscience, trauma-responsive interventions and an inclusive culture of learning. It utilizes a hierarchical brain state model to increase understanding; is built on the metaphor of a healthy family instead of a factory; and creates an equitable lens and systems that ensure the optimal development and achievement of all. Conscious Discipline serves infant through elementary aged children. It is suited to any agency or individual that wants to create transformational change by integrating the following initiatives into one comprehensive program: Social and emotional learning (adults and children) Equitable school culture (adults and children) Brain-based discipline strategies embedded in neuroscience Trauma informed and trauma responsive care (adults and children) The goal of Conscious Discipline is for adults and children to become disciplined enough to set and achieve goals, conscious enough to know when they’re off track, and willing enough to return to a path of highest potential for themselves and others. To achieve this goal, adults must learn to regulate our thoughts, feelings and behaviors in order to model and teach this process for children. Most of us spend more time thinking about others’ thoughts, feels and actions than our own. We expend more energy trying to control others than we do regulating ourselves. By working with adults first and children second, the above four initiatives merge into one sustainable whole as we learn the fundamental skills and growth mindsets needed to create and maintain healthy relationships. One of the greatest challenges educators face is how to create healthy relationships with relationship-resistant or reluctant learners. Without a felt sense of safety and belonging, children will act out their inner pain on themselves or others. Disruptive and dangerous behaviors are common, while learning is impossible for them and impeded for others. The human brain is a social brain. Adults’ and children’s brain are always unconsciously asking, “Am I safe?” and/or “Am I loved (do I belong)?” Once we create a learning environment in which all members can answer “yes” to these questions, then and only then, can the brain consciously ask, “What can I learn?” Visit ConsciousDiscipline.com to learn more or to bring Conscious Discipline to your school or agency. 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< Back ELQA Starting Right – CECPD Date Submitted: Fall 2023 Contact information: Contact person was Susan Kimmel but she has since retired Focus population: Children, teachers, Caregivers, Administrators Goals and outcomes: Project was not implemented by the Clearinghouse Brief/executive summary of program: This submission proposes to implement the Early Learning Quick Assessment (ELQA) and comprehensive high-quality professional development in literacy and numeracy in several rural childcare centers, Head Start, and public preschool/pre-k programs in Oklahoma to close achievement gaps. The following critical components comprise ELQA: Starting Right. • The Early Learning Quick Assessments (ELQA) are a series of web-based, teacher-friendly, quick assessments that monitor progress in early literacy and numeracy skills during pre-kindergarten and kindergarten (ages 3-5). Children's skills are assessed at intervals throughout the school year so teachers can identify children at risk for not meeting early targets and differentiate instruction to prepare children for kindergarten and beyond. • Ongoing professional learning and coaching assure fidelity of implementation. The goal of ELQA: Starting Right is to improve access to and use of high-quality early literacy and numeracy measurements and scientifically based strategies for differentiated instruction in preschools and childcare centers. Regular use of valid, reliable, yet quickly administered measures can help identify children at-risk, organize groups for most appropriate learning activities, and monitor ongoing progress effectively. Consistent implementation of proven instructional strategies has been shown to close achievement gaps and support a diverse population of learners. Previous Next

< Back Air Quality in Oklahoma Early Childhood Settings Date Submitted: April 18, 2023 Contact information: Dr. Diane Horm Focus population: Teachers, Children Goals and outcomes: The results of our work will provide information about what is necessary for teachers and ECE centers to use the air systems successfully, the anticipated impact in terms of measured air quality, associated teachers and child outcomes in a number of developmental areas (health/absences for teachers and health/absences and behavior and attention for children), and documented costs. Brief/executive summary of program: The purpose of this project is to investigate the potential of a relatively low-cost and low-burden intervention (use of air disinfection in ECE classrooms) to have the high impact result of improving indoor air quality which should, in turn, improve the health of teachers and the young children in their classrooms. Their improved health should lead to fewer absences by teachers and children and thus enable their full engagement in the ECE classrooms. The overall goals of this project are to investigate the efficacy, implementation, and cost effectiveness of using two air disinfection solutions in ECE classrooms: (1) indoor air purifier, and/or (2) upper air disinfection utilizing germicidal ultraviolet light (UV-C). We will investigate the acceptability of use of these devices in ECE classrooms by teachers and administrators and if the reliable use of air disinfection devices improves the classroom air quality and results in positive impacts on the health of teachers and children (e.g., less absence by children and teachers). Potential impacts on children’s behavior and attention will also be explored. Previous Next

< Back Lilyfield – TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Date Submitted: Summer 2023 Contact information: Holly Towers, htowers@lilyfield.org Focus population: Teachers, Children, Caregivers, Guardians Goals and outcomes: Support 30 early childhood classrooms through assessment and consultation services, either on site or virtual and provide tangible resources for implementation of the TBRI Classrooms curriculum. Train 45 early childhood staff in the TBRI and Trauma Informed Classrooms Curriculum Provide ongoing group consultation calls weekly to support implementation in classrooms Provide the option for up to 5 individualized consultation visits for each center Train 15 caregivers whose children attend supported centers in the TBRI caregiver curriculum. Increase knowledge of TBRI and trauma-informed classrooms in 75% of participants as evidenced by pre-and post-tests at training. Increase hope as measured by the Hope Scale in 60% of staff who participate in the consultation process. Brief/executive summary of program Childcare providers can self-refer for a classroom consultation when they have an at-risk child who is struggling in their center. Mental Health Consultants conduct a site visit and assessment to provide ideas and recommendations to childcare centers on how to implement TBRI in their classrooms. Centers who participate receive an incentive at the time they begin the program and at the conclusion of their participation in the program. Following the initial assessment, MHMR provides ongoing consultation to the center, at intervals determined by both the consultants and the center. MHMR also provides structured training opportunities for center staff to learn more about the TBRI principles in a training setting. This project brings Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Trauma Informed Classrooms to licensed childcare centers that serve foster children ages 0-8 years old throughout the state. The TBRI for classrooms training is designed to equip educators to help children from backgrounds of abuse, neglect, and/or trauma by disarming fear, optimizing learning, and facilitating healing for vulnerable children in the classroom. The project brings a combination of training, consultation, and implementation support to any licensed center or home day care that provides care to children who are currently in state custody, are in a safety plan through Family Centered Services, or have been reunified with a biological parent within the past 12 months and are currently experiencing behavioral difficulty in the center. Previous Next