Illinois State Board of Education—STAR NET 2014–15 Evaluation Summary
The goal of STAR NET is to provide a variety of opportunities for
personal and professional growth for those who touch the lives
of young children, ages birth through eight, with an emphasis
on children with special needs. STAR NET provides training,
consultation, and resources to the early childhood community in
Illinois. STAR NET supports family-centered, researched and
evidence-based effective practices in early childhood education
and care. The STAR NET system works to develop more effective
partnerships and linkages among families, professionals, and
systems.
Jo DaviesStephensonWinnebago Boone McHenry
Carroll
(2)Developing and delivering inservice training and technical
assistance including workshops, webinars, consultation,
fellowships, referrals, and materials loan and dissemination;
(3)Supporting family education and involvement;
(4)Collaborating with other early childhood initiatives, agencies,
and personnel; and
(5)Promoting family-centered perspectives with other initiatives,
organizations, and personnel.
This report highlights the work conducted between July 1, 2014–
June 30, 2015.
STAR NET Evaluation
The work of STAR NET is organized around the following major
professional development strands:
• Training and Workshops
• Technical Assistance
• Funding
• Collaboration
Kane
Cook
Lee
Kendall
Henry
Grundy
Mercer
Warren
Cook
Will
LaSalle
Bureau
Rock Island
Kankakee
Putnam
Stark
Knox
Marshall
Livingston
Iroquois
Peoria
Woodford
Henderson
Hancock
McDonough
Fulton
Tazewell
McLean
Ford
Vermillion
Champaign
Adams
De Witt
Menard
Cass
Morgan
Pike
Logan
Mason
Schuyler
Brown
Piatt
Macon
Douglas
Sangamon
Edgar
Moultrie
Coles
Scott
Christian
Macoupin
Calhoun
STAR NET is operated statewide through a grant awarded by
the Illinois State Board of Education. All of the funding for this
project is from federal sources. As a statewide system, STAR
NET assists the Illinois State Board of Education Division of
Early Childhood in meeting regional and local needs by providing
professional development services throughout Illinois. To facilitate
the management of activities, the project has been divided into
six regions, with Regions I and III operating under the same
management structure.
(1)Identifying needs and responding to requests for professional
development support of staff and families involved in early
childhood special education;
DeKalb
Lake
DuPage
Whiteside
Greene
The focus of STAR NET is to increase knowledge acquisition and
facilitate skill application. The project accomplishes this mission by:
Ogle
Clark
Shelby
Cumberland
Montgomery
Fayette
Jersey
Madison
Effingham
Bond
Clay
Marion
Clinton
Saint Clair
Wayne
Jasper
Crawford
RichlandLawrence
Edwards Wabash
Washington Jefferson
Monroe
Randolph
Hamilton White
Perry
Franklin
Jackson
Saline Gallatin
Williamson
Union
Johnson Pope
Hardin
AlexMassac
ander Pulaski
Evaluation Methodology
In 2002, a responsive evaluation design was conceptualized
relying on the premise of measuring outcomes as reported by early
childhood education and care providers in the state of Illinois. This
evaluation design has been reexamined and revised periodically
throughout this period to ensure it remains up to date with the latest
federal and state directives. The majority of evaluation resources
and efforts were intended to monitor how well the STAR NET
system was meeting its objectives and outcomes and to determine
the overall impact of the project around these outcomes. In addition,
the evaluation was designed to support immediate program
improvement and provide timely information for decision-making to
the management team.
A significant portion of the evaluation was developed around a logic
model, which is intended to examine immediate, intermediate, and
long-term outcomes. The logic model highlights several “ultimate
outcomes” in which qualitative and quantitative impact data are
collected. Data were collected in a variety of ways including endof-session training and technical assistance evaluations, follow up
surveys, questionnaires related to the funding, and a compilation of
all the collaborations supported by STAR NET directors and regional
staff members. The logic model outcomes and indicators reflect the
broader state and federal context. In addition, in recent years, more
effort was given to evaluating the impact of sustained professional
development, webinars, family training, and collaborative efforts on
statewide professional development initiatives and conferences. The
following sections will highlight the evaluation findings from across
the broad array of STAR NET activities.
-1-
November 2015
Initial Impact of Training – Face-to-Face
Number of Trainings and Workshops
2014-15 Training Participants by Program Type
2014-­‐15 Training Par/cipants by Program Type (N=6908) (N=6,856)
STAR NET conducts training in a variety of formats. While
the majority are delivered in traditional face-to-face training
environments, a growing number are offered through webinars and/
or a combination of traditional face-to-face and webinar formats.
Community Pre-­‐school 3% In total, 258 traditional face-to-face training sessions were delivered
across Illinois between July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015 for 7,904
individuals. Evaluation forms were collected at the end of each
training session. A total of 6,856 end-of-session surveys were
collected. Return rates across the six regions ranged from 80% to
99% with an overall statewide return rate of 87%. Furthermore, a
random sample of approximately 20% of participants were asked to
complete an online follow up survey approximately three months
after a training event. Return rates from across the regions ranged
from 24% to 46% with an overall statewide return rate at 34%. In
total, 553 training follow up surveys were completed.
Other 13% Early Interven,on 7% Child Care 8% ECSE 25% State Preven,on Ini,a,ve 2% K-­‐3 7% 1/2 day ECSE/PFA 1% Preschool Head Start for All 2014-­‐15 8% Impact of Professional Development Ra:ngs Belended ECSE/PFA 12% 14% Participants
Similar to the past 5 years, Teachers represented the largest group of
participants (41%), with Teachers Assistants (12%), SLP (11%), and
Administrators (6%) also representing a significant percentage of
participants. Individuals from a variety of different early childhood
education and care systems were strongly represented in STAR NET
trainings. The majority of the training individuals were employed
by ISBE funded programs, including Early Childhood Special
Education (ECSE), Blended ECSE/Preschool for All, and Preschool
for All (PFA) programs. In addition, other programs represented
were as follows: 8% from Head Start, 8% from Child Care, and 7%
from Early Intervention.
2014-15 Impact of
Professional Development
Increased knowledge/skill of leaders Will improve learning for students Organize adults into learning communiCes Deepened knowledge of content Provide research-­‐based pracCces Prepare for classroom assessments Use appropriate learning strategies The two charts to the right show that a significant number
of participants of STARNET supported training believed the
Provide skills to collaborate professional development would lead to improved learning for
Apply research to decision-­‐making students (n-72%) and deepened their knowledge of the content
(n=62%). In addition, they felt that the professional development
None of the above was presented by knowledgeable presenters, well organized and had
2014-­‐15 Ra*ngs on how your feel bout 0 a10 20 the 30 PD 40 experience 50 60 70 clearly defined outcomes.
80 2014-­‐15 Training Par/cipants by Posi/ons (N=6908) 2014-15 Training Participants by Position (N=6,856)
2014-15 Ratings on how you feel
about the PD experience
Administrator Developmental Specialist Family Member Outcomes of PD were clearly iden9fied Family Educator Teacher PD will impact my professional growth or student growth Teacher Assistant PD will impact my or my students' social emo9onal growth OT/PT Psychologist Overall, presenter appeared knowledgeable Service Coordinator SLP Materials and presenta9on were well-­‐organized Social Worker PD aligned to my district or school improvement plan Other 0 November 2015
10 20 30 40 50 1 -2-
2 3 4 Initial Impact of Training – Webinar Training
Webinar Trainings
In addition to traditional face-to-face trainings with early childhood
practitioners, STAR NET has increased its training offerings
through Webinars. In 2014-15, STAR NET offered a total of 73
2014-­‐15 Webinar -­‐ Impact of Professional Development webinars, with 2,662 individuals participating (2396 evaluation
Ra<ngs (N=2396) forms returned). While
slightly
under the ratings of the face-to-face
trainings, mean ratings of the webinars across all evaluation items
were high with most of the averages ranging in the “Agree” to
“Strongly Agree” range. Notably, the experience of the presenter and
the organization of the presentation were ranked the highest.
2014-15 Webinar - Impact of Professional
Development (N=2396)
Increased knowledge/skill of leaders Will improve learning for students Organize adults into learning communiCes Deepened knowledge of content 2014-15
how
you
feel
2014-­‐15 W
ebinar Webinar
Ra0ngs oRatings
n how yon
our feel about about the PD experience
the PD experience Provide research-­‐based pracCces Prepare for classroom assessments Use appropriate learning strategies Outcomes of PD were clearly iden9fied Provide skills to collaborate Apply research to decision-­‐making PD will impact my professional growth or student growth None of the above 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 PD will impact my or my students' social emo9onal growth Webinar Participants
Teachers represented the largest group of participants (63%), with
Teacher Assistants (11%) and Administrators (9%) also representing
a significant percentage of participants. The majority of the training
individuals were employed by ISBE funded programs, including PFA
and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE).
15 Webinar Par0cipants by Posi0ons (N=2396) 2014-152014-­‐
Webinar
Participants by Positions
(N=2396)
Overall, presenter appeared knowledgeable Materials and presenta9on were well-­‐
organized PD aligned to my district or school improvement plan 1 2 3 4 Administrator Developmental Specialist Family Member Family Educator Teacher Teacher Assistant OT/PT Psychologist Service Coordinator SLP Social Worker Other 0 20 40 60 80 -3-
November 2015
Initial Impact of Training & Webinar (Sustained PD) Ratings
STAR NET has also offered professional development that combines
both traditional face-to-face trainings along with follow up webinars.
In 2014-15, STAR NET offered a total of 25 combination traditional
training along with webinars, with 801 individuals participating and
730 individuals completing evaluation forms. The mean ratings of
the Combination sessions across all evaluation items were high with
all averages ranging in the “Agree” to “Strongly Agree” range.
Sustained Training Evaluation
Program attendees rated the training positively across all indicators,
with particularly strong responses to the following:
Presenters were clearly experienced in their content
• Presenter was knowledgeable of the content provided
• Materials and presentation techniques were well-organized
and engaging
• Professional development will impact my or my students’
social and emotional growth
“We are utilizing more of the
Creative Curriculum throughout the centers.”
• Professional development will impact my or my students’
— Regions I and III
growth in content knowledge
As the chart below illustrates, participants indicated strong
agreement that the training “will improve learning for students,”
“help participants use appropriate learning strategies,” and “deepen
content knowledge” in subject area.
2014-­‐15 Sustained PD -­‐ Ra4ngs on how your feel about the PD experience 2014-15 Sustained PD - Ratings on
how you feel about the PD experience
2014-­‐15 Impact of Sustained Professional Development Ra=ngs 2014-15 Impact of Sustained
Professional Development
Outcomes of PD were clearly iden9fied PD will impact my professional growth or student growth Increased knowledge/skill of leaders PD will impact my or my students' social emo9onal growth Will improve learning for students Organize adults into learning communi?es Overall, presenter appeared knowledgeable Deepened knowledge of content Materials and presenta9on were well-­‐organized Provide research-­‐based prac?ces Prepare for classroom assessments PD aligned to my district or school improvement plan Use appropriate learning strategies 1 2 3 4 Provide skills to collaborate Apply research to decision-­‐making None of the above 0 November 2015
-4-
20 40 60 80 Initial Impact of Training – Comparison Across Formats
The chart below compares training ratings across the 3 types of
training formats: (1) traditional training, (2) webinar-only, and (3)
combination of traditional training and sustained. Notably, ratings
were highest for sustained training, followed closely by traditional
face-to-face trainings. While webinar-only received the lowest
ratings, they were still rated highly across nearly all of the items on
the end of the training evaluation form.
“This was my very first webinar and I loved it!
Adobe Connect is so cool. I love how interactive
everything was and how everything worked
so smoothly. What a great experience.”
— Region IV
“Much of our TA was part of a yearlong sustained
training that consisted of a series of workshops,
“I no longer look at the way a child’s drawing
followed by classroom observation, coaching, and
should look
according
my expectations.”
2014 -­‐ 15 Comparison Ra,ngs Across Training Types -­‐ Otoutcomes of PD modeling visits. We’ve found this form of
— Regions I and III
providing TA extremely productive.”
— Region V
2014 - 15 Comparison Ratings Across Training Types - Outcomes of PD
Increased knowledge/skill of leaders Will improve learning for students Axis Title Organize adults into learning communiCes Deepened knowledge of content Training Provide research-­‐based pracCces Webinar Sustained PD Prepare for classroom assessments Use appropriate learning strategies Provide skills to collaborate Apply research to decision-­‐making 2014 -­‐ 15 omparison Across Trainings -­‐ Feelings about the PD None of C
the above Experience 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 Percent of par,cipants indica,ng agreement 2014 - 15 Comparison Across Trainings - Feelings about the PD Experience
PD aligned to my district or school improvement plan Axis Title Materials and presenta?on were well-­‐organized Overall, presenter appeared knowledgeable PD will impact my or my students' social emo?onal growth Sustained PD Webinar PD will impact my professional growth or student growth Training Outcomes of PD were clearly iden?fied 3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.7 3.8 3.9 Axis Title -5-
November 2015
Impact of Training – Follow Up Face-to-Face
Training Follow Up –
Participants
2014-15 Training Participants by Positions (N=553)
2014-15TrainingParticipantsbyPositions(N=557)
Teachers represented the largest group of participants (41%)
responding to the Training Follow Up Survey, with Teachers
Assistants (12%) and Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs)
(11%) also representing a significant percentage of participants.
Individuals from a variety of different early childhood education and
care systems were strongly represented in STAR NET trainings.
Administrator
DevelopmentalSpecialist
FamilyMember
FamilyEducator
Teacher
TeacherAssistant
Evaluation Ratings
Data gathered from the Training Follow Up survey indicated that
participants across all programs reported that the training remained
applicable to their work (mean=4.73) several weeks after they
attended the STAR NET training. In addition, the rating about
improving their knowledge of practices that supported children with
disabilities (mean=4.64) and their families (mean=4.41) received
high ratings. Notably, participants also indicated that they applied the
knowledge they gained during the training and that they increased
their skills in accessing resources.
Other
8%
EarlyIntervention
5%
ChildCare
9%
SLP
2014-15
Overall RatingTrainingFollow Up(N=557)
SocialWorker
Other
0
10
20
30
40
50
Iincreasedmyknowledgeabout transitioninto
andoutofschoolservices.
IhavesharedtheknowledgeandskillsthatI
gainedwithotherfamiliesorcolleagues.
ECSE
26%
State
Prevention
Initiative
3%
Psychologist
ServiceCoordinator
2014-15 Overall Training Follow Up
Evaluation Ratings
2014-15 Training Participants by Program Type
2014-15TrainingParticipantsbyProgramType(N=608)
(N=553)
Community
Pre-school
3%
OT/PT
Ihaveincreasedmyknowledgeandabilityto
accessinformationandresources.
Myskillshavechangedinworkingwithchildren
withdisabilitiesandtheirfamilies.
K-3
10%
Ihaveappliedthecontentofthetrainingtomy
family/work.
1/2day
ECSE/PFA
2%
HeadStart
10%
Preschool
forAll
14%
Ihaveincreasedmyknowledgeofhowtohelp
familiessupporttheirchild'seducation.
BelendedECSE/PFA
10%
Iincreasedmyknowledgeasaresultof
participatingintheSTARNETtrainingsession.
Thetrainingwasapplicabletomyfamily/work.
“Best feature about the training on the ILELDS –
the hands on materials and activities…and the
manual I received; others in my building want one!”
0
2
4
6
StronglyDisagreeDisagreeAgreeStronglyAgree
—Region II
“It was an eye opener to learn about
the importance of using movement
in all areas with children to prevent
obesity and diabetes.”
—Region VI
“As with all other STAR NET trainings I have
attended, this one was excellent. It was exactly
as presented.”
— Regions I and III
November 2015
-6-
Impact of Training – Follow Up Webinar
Participants
Staff from Child Care (37%) and Preschool for All (20%) responded
in high numbers to the STAR NET Webinar Follow Up survey.
Similar to the follow up data from the traditional trainings, data
gathered from the Webinar Follow Up survey indicated that
participants across all programs reported that the training remained
applicable to their work (mean=4.54) several weeks after they
participated in the STAR NET supported webinar. In addition,
participants noted that they applied the knowledge they gained
during the webinar (mean=4.31) and that they increased their overall
knowledge (mean=4.44).
2014-15 Webinar Training Participant by
Program
Type (N=89)
2014-­‐15 Webinar Training Par2cipant by Program Type (N=89) Other 2% Community Pre-­‐school 11% ECSE 8% Preschool for All 20% 2014-15 Overall RatingWebinarTrainingFollow Up(N=89)
2014-15 Overall Rating Webinar
Training Follow Up (N=89)
Iincreasedmyknowledgeabout transitioninto
andoutofschoolservices.
Blended ECSE/PFA 6% Child Care 37% IhavesharedtheknowledgeandskillsthatI
gainedwithotherfamiliesorcolleagues.
Head Start 9% K-­‐3 1% Ihaveincreasedmyknowledgeandabilityto
accessinformationandresources.
1/2 day ECSE/PFA 6% Myskillshavechangedinworkingwithchildren
withdisabilitiesandtheirfamilies.
Ihaveappliedthecontentofthetrainingtomy
family/work.
Ihaveincreasedmyknowledgeofhowtohelp
familiessupporttheirchild'seducation.
“I find the STAR NET trainings to be very helpful.
I like that I can do them in the evenings when it is
convenient for my schedule versus having to miss
a day of work for a conference.”
Iincreasedmyknowledgeasaresultof
participatingintheSTARNETtrainingsession.
Thetrainingwasapplicabletomyfamily/work.
— Regions I and III
4
4.2
4.4
4.6
StronglyDisagreeDisagreeAgreeStronglyAgree
“Learning a new skill that will directly affect my
ability to impact students’ learning in a positive way.
I’m also looking closer at summative vs. formative
assessments and corrective vs. accommodating feedback.”
“I am now helping our district move
towards blending classrooms and using
the Creative Curriculum.”
— Region II
— Region IV
-7-
November 2015
Family Training
A total of 61 Family Trainings were also conducted with 799
individuals participating with 672 surveys being returned. Mean
ratings across all evaluation items were high reflecting a great deal of
impact from these family-focused trainings.
2014-15 Overall Family Training Ratings
— Regions I and III
Family workshops and trainings are offered at <mes and loca<ons that are convenient for me/my family. Overall, this workshop was beneficial. “My son is enrolled in this program next year so I am
familiarizing myself with the program first. The most
beneficial feature was getting this basic understanding.”
I have increased my knowledge and ability to find informa<on, support, or other resources to help my family. — Region II
The training today has increased my knowledge and/ or understanding of my child’s educa<onal rights. — Region IV
“Everything always runs smoothly.
Keep up the excellent work. It is greatly appreciated.”
2014-­‐15 Overall Family Training Ra>ngs (N=672) (N=672)
“Schools should have more training
for us (family members) like this!
The training material was organized, easy to follow and was presented in a way that was easy to understand. — Region VI
It was clear that this training was presented by persons with educa<on and experience in the subject maIer. I feel that I can try an idea or strategy presented today to help my child and /or family. I have increased my ability to ac<vely support my child and effec<vely speak on behalf of my child’s needs at the IFSP or IEP mee<ng. Training has increased my knowledge and understanding of my child’s strengths, abili<es and special needs. 3 4 5 No Opinion Somewhat Agree Strongly Agree “Best feature- information explained
based on questions from parents at
previous meetings which helped because
we need answers to questions that we
didn’t even know we have!”
— Region V
November 2015
“I understand more why my grandson does the
things he does & how to handle the situation.”
-8-
Initial Impact of Technical Assistance
Number of Technical Assistance Activities
STAR NET conducted 129 technical assistance (TA) sessions across
Illinois between July 1, 2014–June 30, 2015. Evaluation forms were
collected at the completion of each technical assistance session. A
total of 250 participants were asked to complete a survey and 207
end of TA session surveys were returned. Return rates across the six
regions ranged from 21% to 94% with an overall statewide return
rate of 83%. Furthermore, a random sample of participants were
asked to complete a follow up survey approximately three months
after a TA event. All six regions were able to conduct follow up
evaluations of their TA efforts. Return rates ranged from 19% to 64%
and an overall statewide return rate at 41%.
“Because of the technical assistance provided,
teachers rearranged, ordered, or moved furniture to
meet the requirements of ECERS-R.”
—Regions I and III
“We planned how we can use TS GOLD
reports for our students’ IEP
program monitoring.”
— Region II
2014-15OverallTechnicalAssistanceRatings(N=250)
2013-14 Overall Technical Assistance Ratings
Technical Assistance Participants
As the chart beneath illustrates, the vast majority of these individuals
were Teachers (74%) and Teacher Assistants (8%).
Within the strand of Technical Assistance, individuals indicated that
the Resource Specialist was knowledgeable (mean=4.82) and flexible
(mean=4.82) and supported the practitioner in:
• Applying the TA to their work
Ifapplcable,myknowledgeonlegalrightsfor
childrenwithdisabiliitiesincreased.
TheTAincreasedmyabilitytoaccess
informationandresources.
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessofproblem
solvingstrategiesandskills.
TheTAincreasedbyknowledgeinsupporting
thedevelopmentofchildrenwithdisabilities.
• Increasing their problem solving skills
• Providing practical suggestions
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessof
supportingtheuseofappropriatebehaviors.
• Increasing their knowledge in supporting children with
disabilities
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessofsupporting
theacquisition/useofknowledgeandskills.
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessofsupporting
positivesocialemotionalskills.
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessofsupporting
childrenininclusiveenvironments.
Suggestionsprovidedwerepractical.
2014-15 Technical Assistance Participants by
2014-­‐15 Technical Assistance Par5cipants by Posi5ons Positions
(N=250)
(N=250) OT/PT 1% SLP 2% Other 6% Resourcespecialist wasflexible.
Administrator 8% Family Member <1% Resourcespecialist wasknowledgeable.
Thetechnicalassistancewasapplicabletomy
family/work.
Family Educator 1% Teacher Assistant 8% 0
1
2
3
4
5
“I plan to use the iPad as a timer for
motivation & support during transitions, peer
praise, and discussing emotions (through
literature and throughout the school day).”
— Region V
Teacher 74% -9-
November 2015
Collaboration and Funding
Collaboration
“I was glad to attend the program to learn more about
how we, as Paraprofessionals, can help our students excel.
It also made me aware what teachers are zoning
in on that may not be shared.”
Collaboration is an essential element in supporting families who
have children with disabilities. Therefore, interagency collaboration
is essential in order to offer the full range of supports needed to assist
families and providers.
Regional directors and staff members from STAR NET provide
leadership and collaboration with a multitude of initiatives and
agencies across the state of Illinois. Key collaborations maintained or
developed over the 2014–2015 period were with, but are not limited
to, the following:
*Not all regions work with all entities on this list.
• Early Childhood Outcomes (ECO) Stakeholders Committee
• Early CHOICES: Preschool LRE Initiative
• ExceleRate: Award of Excellence - Inclusion of Children with
Special Needs
• ExceleRate: Award of Excellence - Linguistically and
Culturally Appropriate Practice
— Regions I and III
Funding Oppportunities
The statewide STAR NET system awarded 189 funding opportunities
to professionals and family members. Primary categories of funding
for 2014-15 included Professional Fellowships (n=74) and Family
Fellowships (n=39). All funding recipients were requested to
complete an evaluation of the funding support. All of the regions
were able to conduct evaluations of their funding efforts. Return
rates ranged from 19% - 100% with an overall return rate of 79%. In
total, 149 funding evaluation forms were completed. Awardees who
received financial support and completed evaluation forms provided
2014 -­‐ 15 Overall Funding Ra5ngs (N=149) positive ratings similar to the trends over the past five years.
Scores across the state all had a mean around 4.5 indicating “strong
agreement” to all items.
• Illinois Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
2013-14 Overall Funding Ratings (N=149)
• Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children
• Illinois Children’s Mental Health Partnership
• Illinois Division for Early Childhood
• Illinois Early Childhood Center for Professional Development
(ECC/The Center)
• Illinois Early Intervention Training Project
Funding helped me meet the performance standards. The funding helped me meet the Illinois Teaching Standards. • Illinois Early Learning Council - Special Education
Subcommittee
• Illinois Governor’s Office of Early Childhood
My skills in suppor7ng my child or the educa7on and development of young children with special needs increased. • Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral
Agencies
• Illinois Principals Association
Funding enhanced my knowledge in suppor7ng my child or the educa7on and development of young children with special needs. • Professional Development Advisory Council
• RTT-ELC: Innovation Zones
• Sharing A Vision Statewide Conference Committee
Funding helped me learn new informa7on, gain resources, and/or establish new networks of support. • Statewide LRE Stakeholders Consortium
• Statewide Transition Guidance Committee
• Strengthening Families Illinois
1 2 3 4 • The Autism Program of Illinois
“I know a lot of time and effort must have gone into
preparing and executing plans to make this another
successful summer camp. You make it look so easy.”
“Thank you for breaking down the subject
areas and providing real life examples with
positive suggestions and solutions. Providing
the audience with strategies to help and
assist the transition from EI to EC.”
— Region VI
—Regions I and III
“We need more workshops on how to use or
incorporate technology in both the classroom
and home.” —Region VI
November 2015
- 10 -
5 Impact of Technical Assistance – Follow Up
Similar to the Training Follow Up, participants received a follow up
survey 3 months after the TA from STAR NET ended to determine
the long-term impact of the technical assistance. Most of the
participants that responded were from ECSE (27%), Preschool for
All (25%), Blended ECSE/PFA (16%), and Child Care (16%).
As the figure below illustrates, data gathered from the Technical
Assistance Follow Up survey indicated that participants across all
programs reported that they were able to apply the knowledge and
skills to their family and work (mean=4.86), developed their abilities
2014to support
their 15OverallTechnicalAssistanceFollowUp
child’s education and/or help families support
Ratings(N=89)
their child’s education (4.64),
increase their knowledge to access
information and resources (mean = 4.63), and increase their use of
problem solving strategies, ideas and skills (mean=4.59).
2014-15 Technical Assistance Follow Up
2014-­‐15 Participants
Technical Assistance Follow Up Par:cipants by Program
Type (N=89)
by Program Type (N=89) Child Care 16% 2014-15 Overall Technical Assistance Follow Up
Ratings (N=89)
Early Interven,on 3% K-­‐3 1% TheTAincreasedmyawarenessof
supporting theuseofappropriate
behaviors
TheTAincreasedmyawarenessof
supporting theacquisition/useof
knowledgeandskills
ECSE 27% TheTAincreasedmyawarenessof
supporting positivesocialemotionalskills
Head Start 12% TheTAincreasedmyawarenessof
supporting childrenininclusive
environments
Increasedmyknowledgeabout the
provision ofspecialeducation services
Increasedmyknowledgetoaccess
informationandresources
Blended ECSE/PFA 16% Preschool for All 25% Developed myskillsinadvocatingfor
familieswithchildrenw/disabilities
Increasedmyuseofproblemsolving
strategies,ideasandskills
Increasedmyknowledgeandskillsin
supporting thedevelopmentofchildren
2014-15 Technical
2014-­‐15 Technical Assistance
Assistance Follow
Follow Up
Up Participants by Positions (N=89)
Par:cipants by Posi:ons (N=89) OT/PT 1% Teacher Assistant 2% SLP Social Worker 1% 3% Developed myabilitiestosupport my
child'seducation
Other 3% Appliedtheknowledgeandskillstomy
familyandwork
Administrator 22% 1
2
3
4
5
“Thank you for this service and opportunity to engage with
STAR NET resource staff (onsite technical assistance);
it is a wonderful resource and made us feel valued and
supported as we move through this transition with our staff.”
— Region VI
“The advice provided will be applied when reporting our
Improvement plan for the Illinois State Board of Education.”
— Region IV
Teacher 68% - 11 -
“I learned that if a student has trouble with social skills, it
may be that they have not yet mastered a particular skill
and that we can always break down the task to help him/her
master the skill.”
— Region V
November 2015
Summary of Impact
Results from the multiple sources of data collected continues
to suggest that STAR NET has had a significant effect on early
childhood education personnel who serve children and families
across the state of Illinois. Key findings from 2014-15 STAR NET
evaluation support impact data on several of the intermediate
outcomes including the following:
are assisting in the professional development of practitioners and
families. This collaboration promotes the dissemination of evidencebased practices in a systematic and comprehensive manner across the
state of Illinois.
In 2008, the STAR NET system revised their strategic plan to make
sure that their efforts were driven by current research and exemplary
practices in professional development. Given those changes to the
strategic plan, the STAR NET system has been reexamining their
evaluation design that was developed in 2002. The logic model that
has guided this evaluation over the past several years was revised
over the course of the last year and now contains components that
include connections to the federal reporting requirements (APR, SPP,
ECO).
• Families and early childhood education and care providers
increased their knowledge and skills.
• Participants indicated that the professional development
opportunities were well organized, delivered by experienced
presenters or consultants, and that suggestions provided were
practical.
• Participants were able to provide quantitative as well as
qualitative data indicating that they have enhanced their
knowledge as well as applied the knowledge and skills
obtained through a STAR NET sponsored professional
development opportunity.
Whenever changes in ECSE policy or practices indicate a need for
change in attitudes, knowledge, and skills by those who serve young
children, STAR NET will continue to play a critical role as a training
and TA Provider.
VI
V
IV
II
I & III
Region (s)
Not only does the STAR NET system provide professional
development, they also play a critical linkage to other systems that
Traditional Training
Traditional/Webinar
(Sustained PD)
As indicated in the final table, the STAR NET regions are not only
providing professional development guided by state priorities, they
are also responding to requests from the stakeholders in their regions.
As more Webinars are being offered, additional efforts are being
made to systematically evaluate impact from trainings offered in
this format. Also, more follow up evaluations are happening through
electronic means in an effort to utilize technology more effectively.
Finally, more targeted family trainings are being offered, so
additional tools were designed to capture the impact of STAR NET
services for families.
Webinars
Requested
by Others
Designed by STARNET
Requested by
Others
Designed by
STARNET
• Illinois Early
Learning & Dev.
Standards (IELDS)
• Teaching
Strategies GOLD
• Math
• ECERS-R
• IELDS
• Social/Emotional
Topics
• Creative
Curriculum
• Work
Sampling
• Art
• Creative
Curriculum
• ECERS-R
• Focus on
Centers Series
• Making EC
Appropriate
Series
• ECERS-R
• Classroom Environment &
Room Arrangement
• Portfolios
• Inclusion Strategies
• ECO
• Challenging
Behaviors
• Autism
• Advocacy
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• Behavior
• Disability Specific
Training-Austism,
Comm.
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• ECERS-R
• Curriculum
• Curriculum
• Assessment
• IEP Dev.
• Transdisciplinary
Play Based
Assessment
• Transition Strat.
• Classroom Environments
• Assessment Practices
• Professional Dev. Planning
• Classroom Observations
• ECERS-R
• Behavior
• Selective
Mutism
• Transition to
Early Childhood
• Early Childhood
Outcomes (ECO)
• An Overview of
STAR NET
• ECERS-R
• Inclusion
• Behavior
• Assessment
• Portfolio
• Curriculum
• Curriculum
• 1st Step Book
Club Series
• Writing High
Quality IEP
Goals
• Rtl
• ECERS-R/Compliance
Checklist
• Behavior
• Disability Specific/ASB
• Inclusion/Blending
• Co-Teaching
• Challenging
Behaviors
• SOS-H Conf.
• Inclusion
• Getting Ready
for the Future
• CSEFEL
• Engaging
Families
• Data is Your
Friend
• CLASS
• Social Emotional
Dev.
• IELDS
• CSEFEL
• Teamwork
• Classroom
Mgmt.
• Working with
Your Bilingual
Para
• Sensory
Support in the
Classroom
• Using Visual
Supports
• Class Observation Tool Social
Emotional Dev.
• Engaging Families
• IELDS
• Assisting with Inclusion of
Children with Special Needs
• Positive
Interactions that
Support Social/
Emotional Dev.
• Being your
Child’s
Advocate
• Math is more
than Counting &
Numbers
• Transition
from EI
• Family Fun
Night (Teaching
Social Skills)
• Bringing it
Home
• Behavior
• Speech &
Language Dev.
• Schedules &
Routines
• TS Creative
Curriculum &
GOLD
• Sensory/Mvmt.
• Autism Spectrum
• CSEFEL
• Creative
Curriculum
• Math
• Sensory
Integration
• Autism
• Classroom Environment
• ECERS-R
• Curriculum
• Behavior
• Assessment
• Behavior
• Schedules &
Routines
• Speech &
Language Dev.
• Importance of
Play
• Dev. Milestones
• Challenging
Behaviors
• Para-pro
Training
• ECERS-R
By Request
Family Training
Requested by Others
• ECERS-R
Designed by
STARNET
Technical Assistance
Requested by
Others
Designed by STAR
NET
• Social
Emotional
Development
• Stress Relief
• Family
Engagement
Produced for the Illinois STAR NET 2015
For additional information, please contact Dr. Susan P. Maude (smaude@iastate.edu) or Dr. Rob Corso (rob.corso@vanderbilt.edu)
November 2015
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