Recipient Organization
PURDUE UNIVERSITY
(N/A)
WEST LAFAYETTE,IN 47907
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
The Early Learning Matters (ELM) project supports the continued development, dissemination,implementation, and sustainability of the ELM curriculum, a comprehensive, evidence-informed program to support the optimal learning and development of children from birth to five years of age.This project will aim to strengthen the ELM curriculum through six key objectives:Complete, maintain, and sustain web-based platform for the ELM curriculum.Engage with content experts that have subject matter expertise on the development, content, and implementation of the ELM curriculum.Conduct filming of high-quality early childhood environments to highlight best practices for curriculum implementation. Filming includes implementation of weekly lesson plan activities of the classroom/learning environment and related areas, interviews highlighting areas of expertise and personal experiences, and special projects happening in the classroom/learning environment.Develop videos, as needed, highlighting best practices for implementing ELM hosted on the ELM website that are accessible to all military-affiliated early childcare professionals and public visitors.Continue the development of core training components to support curriculum objectives for direct care staff, trainers, managers, and family childcare administrators and providers within the DoD child development program system of care.Continue the development of implementation resources and provide expert consultation to support ELM curriculum implementation.By offering these supports, the military child care workforce will be qualified to implement theELM curriculum with fidelity which will lead to strong school readiness and later life success for military children.
Animal Health Component
50%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
0%
Applied
50%
Developmental
50%
Goals / Objectives
The goal of this project is to continue providing the Early Learning Matters (ELM) curriculum worldwide for both military and civilian audiences, a functional, interactive web-based platform, ongoing training and implementation support resources, and expert consultation. Our core ELM team, and alsoother scholars in the Human Development and Family Science (HDFS) department at Purdue University, have and will continue to contribute to ELM content development that is representative of new, innovative research on early learning and developmentallyappropriate practices. Additionally, the Ben and Maxine Miller Child Development Laboratory School (MCDLS) within the HDFS department at Purdue University is the ELM demonstration site, where the ELM team holds both military and civilian trainings. This hands-on training provides military early care and education staff with opportunities toobservethe ELM curriculum in action. Specifically, at MCDLS, the ELM team offers training and coaching sessions for direct care staff, opportunities for observations of implementation of activity plans across all ages, observations of progress assessment implementation and tailoring of children's learning experiences, and opportunities to engage in conversations and mentoring experiences with skilled MCDLS teachers.The keyobjectives of this project are:Complete, maintain, and sustain web-based platform for the ELM curriculum.The ELM team will collaborate with our web developers to ensure that the ELM web-based platform is maintained and is freely accessible to all ELM users. We will regularly check the website to ensure it is user-friendly and all content is available and meets ADA (508 compliance) standards. We will promptly update the website as new content is developed or revised in both PDF format and web-enabled text as appropriate. The ELM team will ensure that the design of the web-based platform enhances the usability of the curriculum including searchable content, links across curriculum materials, and supplemental resources. Finally, the ELM team will add any system enhancements to web design as they emerge.Content experts must have subject matter expertise on the development, content, and implementation of the ELM curriculum.The ELM team will continue to only include content experts that have subject matter expertise on the development, content, and implementation of the ELM curriculum. The team's expertise is vast and not only includes 12+ years of ELM experience, but expertise in child development, school readiness, early care and education, curriculum and instruction, early intervention, assessment and observation, and coaching. The ELM team will also engage with Department of Defense (DoD) subject matter experts and military Service subject matter experts on a regular basis in relation to content development, training implementation, and consultation on all other aspects of the ELM curriculum project. For example, we meet with DoD leaders twice each month to discuss ELM content, training, and implementation support. Further, we have hired two consultants that are former military Service leaders to help with revisions to the curriculum to ensure alignment with federal policies and early learning standards.Conduct filming of high-quality early childhood environments to highlight best practices for curriculum implementation. Filming includes implementation of weekly lesson plan activities of the classroom/learning environment and related areas, interviews highlighting areas of expertise and personal experiences, and special projects happening in the classroom/learning environment.The ELM team will continue to conduct filming of high-quality early childhood environments to highlight best practices for curriculum implementation. Specifically, the team will regularly video record at the ELM demonstration site (i.e., MDCLS) and will ensure that filming captures a variety of ELM components, including but not limited to, high quality implementation of activity plans and individualization tools, interviews with skilled ELM teachers, and other relevant classroom activities. This filming will be used to revise existing training sessions and/or videos and/or develop new training sessions and/or videos.Development of videos, as needed, relating to best practices for implementing ELM curriculum hosted on the ELM website that are accessible to all military-affiliated early childcare professionals and accessible to public visitors. The ELM team will refresh and produce video content, as necessary, explaining the research evidence and demonstration of best practices in early childhood education and development as well as the implementation of ELM resources. The videos will be produced at the ELM demonstration site (i.e., MCDLS) and, when possible, at military child development programs. The videos will be hosted on the ELM website to support the effective use of ELM.Continue the development of core training components to support curriculum objectives for direct care staff, trainers, managers, and family childcare administrators and providers within the DoD child development program system of care.The ELM team will provide multiple trainings both in-person and virtually to support military Services, DoD subject matter experts, and DoD guests. As requested by DoD administrators and Service headquarter leaders, we are transitioning from five, two-day ELM trainings to three, three-day ELM trainings that we will be offered over the course of one year and will accommodate 60 attendees. This new training model will incorporate a visit to the ELM demonstration site (i.e., MCDLS) so military child care staff can observe high quality implementation of ELM, discuss the curriculum with skilled ELM teachers, and learn how to set up a developmentally appropriate and engaging classroom that is conducive to ELM implementation. The ELM team will plan and facilitate trainings, including the development of training sessions, demonstrations, and reflective practice scenarios for training on and implementing ELM effectively. In addition to these three trainings, the ELM team will provide up to two specialized virtual trainings and consultations each year to installation personnel as approved by DoD administrators.Continue the development of implementation resources and provide expert consultation to support ELM curriculum implementation.The ELM team will review the ELM curriculum periodically and make revisions and adjustments as needed to ensure alignment with national early learning standards, national accreditation standards, current best practices, and federal policies. The ELM team will provide updates, design additional resources, and refresh content as necessary for effective implementation of the ELM curriculum. The ELM team will engage with DoD subject matter experts and military Service subject matter experts on a regular basis to learn what additional resources are needed in the classroom to support ELM implementation and to receive feedback on resources as they are being developed. The ELM team will meet with other military stakeholders as needed and we will maintain a Help Desk (i.e., "Contact Us" link on ELM website) to support ELM users. The ELM team will conduct outreach to non-DoD early care and education entities that will include informational meetings, and presentations at local, state, and national early care and education conferences and annual meetings to share the ELM curriculum and resources.
Project Methods
The Early Learning Matters (ELM) team will provide deliverables to ensure the uninterrupted continuation of Services that promote military family and youth readiness. Annually, Department of Defense (DoD) and ELM leaders will contribute to a plan and timeline to identify deliverables and create a comprehensive schedule for all deliverables that aligns with the scope of work. Through monthly Teams Meetings with DoD leaders, the ELM team leaders (Chanele Robinson-Rucker, Sara Schmitt, and Elizabeth Schlesinger-Devlin) will communicate pertinent information, progress, and results of the project. DoD and ELM leaders will contribute to a list of agenda items to discuss during each monthly meeting. The ELM leadership team will also provide progress updates to DoD leadership upon request via email, calls, and meetings as requested. Additionally, an annual report including a trend analysis of quantity of users, analytics of website usage, and Help Desk support will be provided to DoD leadership. Lastly, as requested, the ELM leadership team will participate in annual in-person meetings with DoD-OSD leaders to discuss updates and project outcomes.