Publications Review Guidelines

Dear Visitors:
Federal funding for this website ended in 2003, therefore few materials have been added since that time. Fortunately, there is continued interest in culturally and appropriate materials, curriculum, and programs. Because of this, we have allowed this site to remain as an archive. Please feel free to use this site, but recognize that it is no longer current.

The following Review Guidelines are intended to help service providers and individuals involved in personnel preparation determine the congruence between the beliefs, values, and practices of the individuals in your community and current recommended practices in early childhood/special education. The Review Guidelines will first help you consider the overall effectiveness of presentation of a material. Next, questions follow which pertain specifically to the content area of Personnel Preparation.

It is important to realize that no material is likely to match the exact needs of individuals in your community. Therefore, in many instances, you may wish to make some simple adaptations to the materials before using them.

A separate set of Review Guidelines is available to help select materials that have been translated from one language to another. In addition, other suggestions for choosing materials are available on the CLAS Web site (http://clas.illinois.edu). It is our hope that you may use these Review Guidelines to engage in meaningful dialogue with families and colleagues in your community, as you decide which materials to use in your early childhood setting.

Effectiveness of Presentation

Please respond to all that apply.

Clarity

 

1. Is the purpose of the material clear?
2. Is the presentation of the information easy to follow?
3. If there are directions on how to use the material, are they clearly stated?
4. Does the material include an effective explanation of technical terms or jargon?
5. Does the language in the material acknowledge diversity (e.g., family structures, multi-generations, disabilities, gender, ethnicity, socio-economic status, religion, etc.)?
6. Is the format (e.g., print, audio, video, etc.) appropriate for the intended users of this material?
7. Are contact agencies or persons for accessing additional information or support easily identifiable?

Comprehension Level

• Easy= mainly simple sentences with minimal or no technical jargon;
• Average = a mix of simple and complex sentences with some technical jargon (e.g., USA Today);
• Difficult = mainly complex sentences with a lot of technical jargon or discipline-specific terms (e.g., College-level text or New York Times).

 

1. For printed materials, the reading level of the material is:
        Easy | Average | Difficult | N/A
2. For video and audio materials, the comprehension level of the material is:
        Easy | Average | Difficult | N/A
   

Graphics, Illustrations and Photos

Do the graphics:

 

1. Represent a non-stereotypical view of cultural (e.g., contemporary dress) and linguistic groups?
2. Represent a wide variety of groups (e.g., disabilities, gender, race, generation)?
3. Enhance the materials (e.g., photo prints and designs are appropriate and of high quality)?

 

For which audiences is this personnel training material appropriate?

Note: This material may be useful for audiences other than the ones identified by the developer. Check all that apply.

1. Level of Experience
   ___ Introductory/Beginner Level
   ___ Advanced Level
   ___ Other:
2. Role (For Implementor, mark with an "I" • Recipient = "R" • Both = "B") ___Parents/Family Members
   ___ Administrator
   ___ Students/Intern
   ___ Faculty/Trainers
   ___ Service Delivery Personnel
   ___ Para-Professionals
   ___ Other
3. Linguistic Background
   Implementor:
   Recipient:
4. Discipline (For Implementor, mark with an "I" • Recipient = "R" • Both = "B") ___ Interdisciplinary Groups
   ___ Audiology
   ___ Bilingual
   ___ Early Childhood Education
   ___ Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education
   ___ English as a Second Language
   ___ Family Therapy
   ___ Medicine
   ___ Multicultural Specialist
   ___ Nursing
   ___ Nutrition
   ___ Occupational Therapy
   ___ Orientation/Mobility
   ___ Physical Therapy
   ___ Psychology
   ___ Recreation/Leisure Therapy
   ___ Social Work
   ___ Special Education
   ___ Speech and Language Pathology
   ___ Other:
5. Other Audience Descriptors
   
   

To what extent does the material comprehensively cover information related to its primary topic/focus?

Promoting Cultural Competence

To what extent does the material …

1. Focus on cultural competence as a specific training outcome?
2. Provide the individual recipient opportunities for exposure and experiences to:
   1. Develop awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences?
   2. Develop awareness and sensitivity to linguistic differences?
   3. Increase knowledge and understanding about cultural and linguistic diversity?
   4. Explore personal attitudes and values about cultural and linguistic diversity?
   5. Highlight the importance of honoring the child’s first language?
   6. Address factors that impact second-language acquisition (e.g., age, motivation, status of language, etc.)?
   7. Develop skills in working with children, families, and professionals from diverse populations (e.g., cross-cultural communication)?
3. Assist individual recipients in addressing systems-level issues regarding cultural and linguistic diversity by:
   1. Addressing the program's/organization's values and goals?
   2. Addressing the program's/organization's policies and procedures?
   3. Providing strategies and suggestions for implementing systems-level change (e.g., county, state)?

Considering Adult Learners

To what extent does the material …

 

1. Incorporate practices recommended for teaching adult learners?
2. Encourage family-professional co-instruction?
3. Encourage instruction by culturally and linguistically diverse presenters?
4. Provide strategies to support the participation of culturally and linguistically diverse participants (e.g., use of interpreters/translators)?
5. Include materials and activities suitable for interdisciplinary teams, including diverse families?
6. Use a variety of methods used for conveying information that reflect different learning styles and communicative patterns

What types of strategies or methods are found in this training material?

(Check all that apply.)
___ Values or Self-Reflection Exercises (e.g., journaling)
___ Interview (Single Experience)
___ Fieldwork/Practicum/Student Teaching (Multiple Contacts)
___ Internet (World Wide Web Links, Listservs, E-Mail, etc.)
___ Trainer of Trainers Format
___ Mentorship
___ Case Study
___ Simulation
___ Role Play
___ Handouts
___ Group Work
___ Storytelling
___ Critical Incident
___ Videotape
___ Information Booklet
___ Overheads
___ Lecture/Presentation
___ Other:

Is information provided on ways to structure training to be responsive to community preferences, values, and beliefs (e.g., mode of delivery, scheduling, room arrangement)?

Are strategies included for adapting materials for different audiences?

Does the material include ideas for how recipients can follow up on what they have learned from the training (e.g., personal contact through liaison or via e-mail)?

Model Effectiveness

To what extent does the material …

1. Identify potential short-term outcomes for both the caregiver and/or the child?
2. Identify potential long-term outcomes for both the caregiver and/or the child?
3. Specify the cultural and linguistic groups with whom the approach has been used?

Evaluating Impact and Appropriateness of Personnel Training Program

To what extent does the material …

1. Encourage providers to systematically evaluate the appropriateness of the interventions with families based on their changing needs and preferences?
2. Suggest ways of ensuring that outcomes are important and meaningful to the families as well as the service providers?
3. Include a variety of options for gathering information from families (e.g., interviews, observations, checklists, etc.) that respect families’ cultural and linguistic background and considers families’ level of acculturation?

The following two questions are intended to deepen the analysis of the ways materials address issues of diversity. In some cases, these issues may have been addressed in the preceding questions.

Does the material acknowledge and address complex and sometimes subtle aspects of diversity as they relate to personnel preparation, such as:

1. Power (refers to the division of members of society into levels with unequal access to resources, knowledge, and authority)
2. Racism (refers to systems advantage based on race)
3. Prejudice (refers to an adverse judgment or opinion based on preconceived beliefs and ideas about different groups)
4. Socio-Economic Class (refers to the division of society into levels with unequal wealth and prestige)

Are there any spoken or unspoken assumptions, values, or beliefs in this material that could conflict with the delivery of culturally and linguistically appropriate services (e.g., assuming all parents view themselves as advocates or equal partners)?

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
College of Education
Early Childhood and Parenting Collaborative
Contact CLAS

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