Abstract
Objective
This study sought to document the necessary adaptations to early childhood education program policies, procedures, and funding allocations to fully implement the Pyramid Model framework with fidelity.
Methods
An administrative interview including both quantitative and qualitative data was developed for the purposes of the research. Ten program directors and administrative staff from 6 CSEFEL and TACSEI demonstration site programs in 4 states across the USA participated.
Results
Quantitative results revealed that program administrators reported either altering (70.44%) or creating (60.52%) a new policy, procedure, or budget item for a majority of all interview item categories to fully implement the Pyramid Model. Across interview items, more than half of demonstration programs (69%) reported altering or creating a program policy, procedure, or budget item. Over half of programs (58%) also reported that these policies, procedures, or related budget items were documented in writing. Qualitative results suggested that program administrators viewed (1) program alterations reflecting alignment specifically with Pyramid Model practices; (2) intra-program collaboration and collaboration between program staff and stakeholders; and (3) written documentation of program policies, procedures, or budget items as highly important for fully implementing the Pyramid Model with fidelity.
Conclusions
Results provide detailed information regarding specific ways that administrators adapted program policies, procedures, and related budget items to fully implement the Pyramid Model with fidelity. These findings can prove useful for administrators aiming to successfully implement the Pyramid Model framework in their early childhood programs to support children with developmental disabilities and typically developing children.
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Funding
This work was supported by the US Department of Education under grant H325D070002.
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MSM: collaborated to design the study, drafted the administrative interview, recruited participants, collaborated to collect the data, conducted data analyses, and wrote the paper. CO: conducted data analyses and significantly contributed to editing the paper and final manuscript. BJS: collaborated to design the study, consulted to draft the administrative interview, identified participants for recruitment, and collaborated to collect the data.
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The institutional review board at the University of Colorado Denver reviewed and granted ethics approval and consent to conduct this study.
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All individual participants verbally offered informed consent to participate in the study and for all data to be shared through publication.
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The authors declare no competing interests.
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Mincic, M.S., Ostryn, C. & Smith, B.J. An Evaluation of Early Childhood Program Adaptations for Implementing the Pyramid Model for Children with and Without Developmental Disabilities. Adv Neurodev Disord 6, 521–536 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00247-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00247-9