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Project Description
Research has clearly identified a serious trend among low income children with regard to learning regression during the summer months. While children continue to learn they do so at a much slower rate than their affluent peers who participate in summer activities that stimulate language and provide opportunities for cognitive growth at a more increased rate. The high poverty rates for children in
Mississippi (31%) are even more devastating in the
Delta; up to 50.1% (MS Kids Count2010). Through the partnership between Sunflower County Head
Start, Mississippi State University, Indianola Public
Schools and the Delta Health Alliance, the Delta
Promise School has served over 400 impoverished children from the rural area of the MS Delta have participated in a summer program designed to engage children through intense literacy skill building activities to enhance their chances of success in kindergarten and beyond.
Research questions

Can learning regression of 4 year-old children be reduced during the summer in the Mississippi Delta where the majority of minority children live in poverty?

Can pre-literacy skills (upper and lower case letter recognition) be increased within 4 year-old children from low income families within the MS Delta during a well-designed summer program?

Can social & emotional development skills of 4 year-old children from low income families within the MS Delta be increased through a well designed summer program?

Can language, vocabulary, and early literacy development skills of 4 year-old children from low income families within the MS Delta be increased through a literacy enriched summer program?

Will children that participate in the MS Delta
Promise School be more prepared for success in
Kindergarten and beyond?
Sample
Actual sample includes approximately 380 children from the MS Delta currently living in poverty that previously attended Head Start.
Methods
This study utilized a mixed methods approach including both quantitative and qualitative methods.
The following product outcome measures included:
The Phonological Awareness Literacy Screenings
(PALS), a nationally used standardized evaluation to determine alphabet letter knowledge was administered to all children at the beginning (pre) and end (post) of the program by an external evaluator.
Language, Vocabulary, and Early Literacy
Development Checklist (MS Early Learning
Guidelines) was completed by the classroom teachers at the beginning and end of the summer program.
Social and Emotional Developmental Checklist (MS
Early Learning Guidelines) was completed by the classroom teachers at the beginning and end of the summer program.
In addition, teacher feedback questionnaires, parent surveys, teaching effectiveness observation tools, and training feedback summaries were used as measures of program evaluation.
Progress Update
Evaluation findings indicate statistically significant gains between the children’s pre- and post- assessment results and statistical gains noted within pre- and post- checklist results.
Triangulation of data provided by these checklists provides additional evidence that these children improved significantly over the life of the program.
In addition, further analysis of data revealed that
Promise School children, upon kindergarten entry
(when compared to other children in poverty who did not attend the Promise School) scored significantly higher on the kindergarten entrance test. Analysis of this data is ongoing.
Implications for policy/practice
While the MS Delta Promise School takes a monumental collaborative effort for all involved each summer, it is apparent that the impoverished children

who have participated have made significant gains in their preparedness for kindergarten. All indications are that this program provides a model for additional sites to flourish throughout other counties in the MS
Delta, as a means to help prepare disadvantaged children for a future of success.
Implications for research
Additional tracking of children (quantitative) that attended the Promise School as they progress through
Kindergarten and the elementary grades, as compared to those in poverty that did not attend Promise
School, is needed to determine specific child outcomes within this study. Research implications and findings of the Delta Promise School are ongoing and modifications will be made to further contribute to the field of research.
For more information:
Contact
Cathy Grace, Ed.D.
Professor Emerita Curriculum,
Instruction and Special Education
Director Early Childhood Institute, Mississippi State
University CGrace@colled.msstate.edu
Melina Vaughan, Ph.D.
Interim Associate Director,
Early Childhood Institute, Mississippi State
University mnv1@colled.msstate.edu
(662)325-9402
Lynn Darling, Ph.D.
Interim Executive Director,
Early Childhood Institute, Mississippi State
University ldarling@colled.msstate.edu
Key Topics
Please select all that apply and briefly describe/explain.
This information will be used internally in planning the CCPRC Annual Meeting.
Interactive discussion around meeting the needs in rural settings will occur by discussing the collaboration that is occurring collaborations at the state and local levels? between the Early Childhood Institute at
Collaboration, Integration, & Linkages e.g., What are characteristics of different types of collaborations? What are reasonable outcomes to expect?
Association, and Public School entities to implement the Delta Promise School . The
What are we learning from coordination across different
Mississippi State University, MS Head Start systems? What is the value added of effective outcomes expected are the development of a stronger foundation and continuum of learning for children in poverty. Head Start teachers are receiving additional training, guiding, and mentoring through the creation of the Promise School.
Additional professional development opportunities for Head Start teachers through the collaboration of early childhood educators Quality Frameworks
What are we learning about collaborative professional development strategies and effective targeting of quality resources? at the university level lead to the implementation of more effective teaching strategies. Barriers/challenges related to collaborative professional development can be discussed within a group panel discussion. it is influenced by issues such as culture, employment,
Parent Education is an essential component of
Parents & Families
What do we know about parent decision-making and how the Delta Promise School. Poverty and lack of parental education can lead to toxic stress subsidy policies? What other family-level constructs are in children of low income families. relevant to child care policies/practices?
Presentations related to parent education for low income families could evolve.