Planning for a Comprehensive Early Childhood Curriculum

描述(由申请人提供)：在提案中，我们描述了将开展的一组核心活动，以便有效地为实施大规模多地点有效性试验做准备，以加强幼儿教育和儿童入学准备的过程和结果。我们的建议包括五个目标：1)建立一个具有强大研究背景的多学科的合作者小组；2)建立一个概念模型，以综合的方式说明项目的不同组成部分(即识字、语言、社会、数学)和研究人员的取向；3)开发有效的测量技术、具有适当抽样策略的随机临床试验和具有足够复杂性的数据分析方法，以评估综合课程的多个组成部分；4)制定战略，在大规模研究中使用综合课程提供有效的专业发展；以及5)建立机制，确保收集正在进行的、关于计划实施的关键阶段的状态的系统信息，以及以动态方式使用这些信息以响应计划需求的方法。我们聚集了一批在幼儿发展方面具有广泛专业知识的研究型科学家和实践者，目标是制定一项全面的幼儿课程。课程将重点放在语言、识字、数学和社交方面。本规划年的一个目标将包括将这四个领域整合在一起，使它们能够相互促进。儿童特殊学习需要小组的专门知识将有助于为需要更多专门教学方法的儿童制定特别干预战略。我们的团队还包括评估项目成功的潜在主持人和调解人的专业知识，以及大型多点研究的定量和方法学程序的深厚知识。我们将制定有效的战略，与实践者合作，将该课程纳入一系列幼儿环境中。这一综合办法还将针对各种方式，向家庭提供知识和活动，以促进其子女的入学准备。拟议的研究小组将已建立的伙伴关系带到规划过程中，包括与Head Start计划、早期Head Start计划、学区和托儿实体的关系。拟议中的小组的一个优势是他们在将研究转化为实践方面拥有广泛的专业知识，在公立学校、Head Start和儿童保育环境中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): In the proposal we describe a core group of activities that will be carried out in order to effectively prepare for the implementation of a large-scale multi-site effectiveness trial to enhance the process and outcomes of early childhood education and children's school readiness. Our proposal includes five objectives: 1) establish a group of collaborators from multiple disciplines with strong research backgrounds 2) develop a conceptual model that can account for the various components of the program (i.e., literacy, language, social, math) and researchers' orientations in a comprehensive manner, 3) develop effective measurement techniques, randomized clinical trials with appropriate sampling strategies, and data analytic approaches that have sufficient complexity to evaluate the multiple components of the comprehensive curriculum, 4) develop strategies for providing effective professional development in using the integrated curriculum in a large scale study, and 5) establish mechanisms for assuring the collection of ongoing, systematic information on the status of key phases of program implementation and ways to use this information in a idynamic way to respond to program needs. We have gathered a group of research-based scientists and practitioners with a broad range of expertise in early childhood development with the goal of developing a comprehensive early childhood curriculum. The curriculum will include a focus on language, literacy, math, and socialization. A goal of this planning year will include integration of these four areas in ways that allow them to build on one another. Expertise in the group on special learning needs children will allow for the development of special intervention strategies for children who require more specialized teaching approaches. Our group also includes expertise in evaluating potential moderators and mediators of program success and strong knowledge of quantitative and methodological procedures for large multi-site studies. We will develop effective strategies for partnering with practitioners to incorporate this curriculum into a range of early childhood settings. This comprehensive approach also will target ways to support families with knowledge and activities that promote their children's school readiness. The proposed research group brings established partnerships to the planning process including relationships with Head Start programs, Early Head Start programs, school districts, and childcare entities. A strength of the proposed group is the broad range of expertise they have in bringing research-to-practice in public school, Head Start, and child care settings.