Project Summary

Ready to Learn Providence (R2LP) contracted with The Education Alliance to conduct an initial evaluation of R2LP's work. R2LP is an initiative to improve the early learning opportunities for all children in Providence, RI while specifically focusing on the eight linguistically and culturally diverse neighborhoods exhibiting the greatest need.

R2LP's goals and objectives are designed to support both existing and possible early learning opportunities available in Providence while supporting and expanding systems as they relate to ensuring that young children start kindergarten healthy and ready to learn.

In fall 2006, Ready to Learn Providence was awarded one of six Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (ECEPD) grants by the U. S. Department of Education, Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Through this grant, Ready to Learn Providence (R2LP) was funded to offer professional development training for Early Care Educators (ECEs) situated either in center-based settings, such as Head Start classrooms, or in home-based child care. In addition to funding the delivery of professional development, the ECEPD grant required a rigorous external evaluation that would examine both the impact of the professional development and the extent to which it was implemented as described in R2LP's program application. The Education Alliance partnered with R2LP to develop and design the research component for this grant. The Alliance was contracted for the external evaluation role and employed a cluster randomized control trial at the classroom/ECE level to assess the effectiveness of the R2LP professional development intervention.

Researchers administered pre- and post-assessments with children in the classrooms of treatment and control group teachers after treatment teachers completed their R2LP professional development. Pre- and post-interviews and classroom observations with treatment and control teachers were also conducted to assess implementation of professional development training and practices. A full implementation report inclusive of outcome data for an initial fidelity cohort of classrooms/teachers was completed for the first year of this grant initiative.