Tuesday, May 23, 2006
If you live in certain areas of Minnesota... The Ounce Research Project has an opportunity for you to:
- Have a voice in the restructuring of the professional development system for child care providers
- Build your skills working with infants, toddlers and their parents
- Receive free training and materials for assessment
The Ounce Research Project (ORP) is a study about how using The Ounce Scale™ affects the professional development of childcare providers and parents’ knowledge and understanding of their infants and toddlers.
What is the Ounce Scale™?
The Ounce Scale is a resource for assessing infant and toddler development. It provides guidelines and standards for observing and understanding infant and toddler growth and behavior. It provides information for parents and caregivers to enhance everyday interactions with their infants and toddlers.
Who will participate in the Ounce project?
About 120 licensed family and center-based childcare providers will participate in Ounce. Additionally, about 250 parents and children will participate. If you are interested in learning to incorporate the Ounce Scale into your work with infants, toddlers and families, and if you have at least two children in your childcare site who will be age 2½ or younger by October 2006, you may be eligible for ORP.
What will I be asked to do?
- You will be randomly assigned to be in one of two groups. One group will receive Ounce materials and training in the fall of 2006. The trainings will be a series of four evening class sessions spaced over a five-month period. You will use The Ounce Scale™ with at least two children in your care (age 2½ or younger in October 2006) and their parent(s) from fall 2006-fall 2007. You will also receive on-going support from your Ounce trainer. This follow-up support will consist of about three to four hours of additional phone, in-person, and/or internet contact.
- The second group will receive vouchers for free Ounce materials and training at the end of the data collection period, after fall of 2007.
- Whether you are in the first or second group, you will participate in three research visits from the fall of 2006 through the fall of 2007. Each visit will consist of an on-site observation, an interview, and questionnaires. You will receive $10 for the first visit, $15 for the second, and $20 for the third.
What will happen to the information that is collected?
All information collected about you, your program, and the children in your care will be kept confidential. We will never identify individual providers, homes, or centers. In addition, we will not share details of our visits with anyone, including any state agency. If, however, we see child abuse or neglect, we are required by law to report it.
How long will the research study last?
Data collection and evaluation will last for about a year and a half, though most study participants will be actively involved for only one year. All participants in the study will receive copies of reports describing the findings from the evaluation.
Who is funding the evaluation?
ORP is funded by grants from The McKnight Foundation and the Greater Twin Cities United Way. The University of Minnesota’s Center for Early Education and Development (CEED) is overseeing the evaluation.
Who should I contact if I want to sign up or if I have questions?
Feel free to contact the Study Coordinator, Jennifer Cleveland (jestu001@umn.edu or 612-692-5519) by Thursday June 1, 2006 to see if you are eligible for ORP or if would like more information about the study.
