Preschool Tool TotesSM

Closing the School Readiness Gap

©TLC

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Our History• The Legacy Center for Student Success was founded in 2004 as a “think and do”

tank • Emphasis on outside-the-classroom barriers to learning from birth through age 18

– Research– Program design/development– Program implementation

• Boundary Conditions− Collaboration: with partner organization(s)− Measurement: to objectively evaluate outcomes

• July 1, 2011: TLC and the Literacy Council of Midland County Merged– Client base expanded to include adults– Name changed to The Legacy Center for Community Success

• August 1, 2012: TLC and Midland Area Partnership for Drug Free Youth (MAP) Merged

– Complements existing emphasis on youth– Developmental Assets underpin youth substance abuse prevention efforts.

• Today, our staff consists of 9 full- and part-time employees, and 8 contract employees

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Operating Units

Literacy Services

Early Childhood

Youth Development

Healthy Families

MEASUREMENT & EVALUATION

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Neurological Research

• Neurological research indicates that early childhood is the most critical time for learning– About 85-90% of a person’s cognitive ability is formed by ~

age 5– Success in school is strongly correlated to school

preparedness– Studies* show that $1 invested in early childhood

development returns ~$17• ~$12 social cost avoidance savings (societal gain)• ~$5 direct contributions (individual benefit)

*James J. Heckman et al., “The Rate of Return to the High Scope Perry Preschool Program,” Journal of Public Economics 94, nos. 1-2 (2010): 114-128

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at Birth 6 Years OldHuman Brain

“Early Childhood Development: Economic Development with a High Public Return”, Rob Grunewald and Art Rolnick, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis (January 2009)

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The Readiness Gap

• Many children, especially those from economically disadvantaged situations…– Do not enjoy opportunities to learn school

readiness skills– Exhibit the largest school readiness gap

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Abilities of Entering Kindergarteners by Family Income

W. Steven Barnett, Kristy Brown, and Rima Shore, “Preschool Policy Matters 6, National Institute For Early Education Research (NIEER), Rutgers University, Brunswick, NJ (2004)

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• Preschool Tool Totes are a series of four bags, each containing age-appropriate standard preschool supplies such as coloring books, crayons, reading books, scissors, construction paper, pencils, glue, etc.

• Preschool Tool Totes typically are distributed at six month intervals to preschoolers at age 3 through 4-1/2

• Parents receive an easy-to-use teaching guide to assist in using the materials with their children

Preschool Tool Totes

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Tool Tote Contents

Bag #3 (Age 4) Bag #4 (Age 4-1/2)

Bag #1 (Age 3) Bag #2 (Age 3-1/2)

Contents depicted are typical and not necessarily actual materials

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The Process

• Children are assessed for growth in their cognitive skills at each 6-month interval

• Additional age-appropriate PTT supplies are provided at each 6-month interval

• Process continues until the child ages out of the program on her/his 5th birthday

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PTT Pre-/Post AssessmentPreschool Tool Tote Project Assessment Child’s Name____________________ Evaluator’s Name_________________Evaluation Date__________________Cognitive Elements

CAN IDENTIFY BY SIGHT THE LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET IN RANDOM ORDER: (Circle the missed letters)M Q W E R T Y U I O P A S D F G H J K L Z X C V B N

CAN IDENTIFY BY SIGHT THE NUMBERS FROM “1” TO “10” IN RANDOM ORDER: (Circle the missed numbers)

1 6 4 9 2 8 10 3 5 7

CAN IDENTIFY BY SIGHT THE SHAPES IN RANDOM ORDER: (Circle the missed shape) SQUARE RECTANGLE CIRCLE OVAL TRIANGLE

CAN IDENTIFY BY SIGHT THE COLORS IN RANDOM ORDER: (Circle the missed color)RED BLUE YELLOW ORANGE PURPLE GREEN

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Results = Significant Growth

• TLC has evaluated whether and to what extent the PTT program improves the cognitive and behavioral skills of the participating children

• Results– Pre- and Post-assessment results indicate significant growth

in cognitive skills• Cognitive levels of 4-year-old participants generally equal or

exceed those of 5-year-old non-participating economically disadvantaged kindergarten peers

• Cognitive levels of 4-1/2 year olds generally equal or exceed those of 5-year old general (i.e., “advantaged”) population

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3.9

22.4

4.5

10.1

3.73.2

4.9

15.7

5.9

4

5.9

17.3

8.2

4.4

5.9

13.2

7

3.4

5.6

17.2

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3.9

5.9

0

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6

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Cognitive Elements

Age 3.0 Preschool Tool Totes

Age 3.5 Preschool Tool Totes

Age 4.0 Preschool Tool Totes

Age 4.5 Preschool Tool Totes

Free/Reduced Lunch- Eligible 5 Year- Olds Entering Kindergarten

General Population 5 Year- Olds Entering Kindergarten

Letters Numbers Shapes Colors

Midland, MichiganPTT Assessment

Letters Numbers Shapes Colors0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

3.8

1.72.2

4.2

9.7

3.5 3.2

4.7

14.7

5.7

3.8

5.5

13.2

7

3.4

5.6

17.2

8

3.9

5.9

Boyne CityPreschool Tool Totes Assessments

Age 3 Preschool Tool Totes

Age 3½ Preschool Tool Totes

Age 4 Preschool Tool Totes

Age 5 Free/Reduced Lunch--No PTT

Age 5 Non- F/R Lunch--No PTT

Cognitive Elements

Num

ber o

f Ran

dom

ly R

ecog

nize

d C

ogni

tive

Elem

ents

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Beaufort, South CarolinaPTT Assessment

Letters Numbers Shapes Colors0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

20

3.8

1.51.9

3.1

6.9

3.43.1

4.3

11.9

5.6

3.8

5.4

16.9

7.7

4.4

5.8

13.2

7

3.4

5.6

17.2

8

3.9

5.9

Age 3 Age 3.5

Age 4 Age 4.5

Age 5 Free/Reduced Lunch PTT Non-Participants Age 5 General Population

Cognitive Elements

Nu

mb

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of

Co

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itiv

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Fall 2011 Spring 2012

Fall 2011 Spring 2012

Fall 2011 Spring 2012

Fall 2011 Spring 2012

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61

15

73

5

31

5

47

14

37

73

27

82

67

78

51

77

2

12

0

13

2

17

2

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Midland, MichiganGreat Start Readiness Program Preschool Tool Totes Outcomes

Below Expectations

Meets Expectations

Exceeds Expectations

Cognitive Elements

Perc

ent

Math Literacy ClassificationSkills

Spatial Relationships

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PTT Features/BenefitsFeatures Benefits

Provides learning resources to economically at-risk children

Equips family with resources, information and knowledge to facilitate development of their children

Supplies are taken home by the child Complements and reinforces center-based quality preschool programs

Includes easy to use teaching guide Promotes family engagement in children’s learning at home

Children evaluated at 6-month intervals Encourages accountability for learning progress

Supplies “refreshed” every 6 months Provides incentive and motivation to continue

Low cost to provide (~$35 +S/H per PTT) Offers sensible, proven, cost-effective intervention for disadvantaged preschoolers

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Conclusions

• PTT concept is demonstrably effective in accelerating the development of cognitive skills in economically disadvantaged children

• Opportunity for investment in economically disadvantaged preschoolers promises to promote their well-being and to reduce the school-readiness gap

• Targeted investment in vulnerable children has been demonstrated to reduce public expenses and to generate long-term returns