Evaluation Projects

[ChristaWerle]

Sno-Isle Libraries is looking at our strategic priority of increasing kindergarten readiness in language and literacy.

We want to make sure that our storytimes are serving the children that most urgently need help developing these skills:  children ages 0-5 who are from low-income households and are not in structured care.  This project will identify the number of these children we need to reach in order to have a positive effect in the community and assessing the extent to which we are currently reaching this audience.  If there is a gap, then this project will develop and implement a plan to deliver storytime services to a meaningful number of this audience.  

We don't know if who we're reaching with the majority of our early literacy programming is our target audience.

Ross Hunter, Director of the Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) has set a statewide goal of 90% of Washington's children to be ready for kindergarten by the year 2020: 

• Of all kindergarten students in Island and Snohomish Counties (approximately 7500 children):
  
  • 11% demonstrated literacy skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
  • 15% demonstrated the language skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
• Of low-income students in Island and Snohomish Counties (approximately 2700 students eligible for free or reduced meals):
  • 20% demonstrated literacy skills expected of children three years old or younger
    
  • 24% demonstrated language skills expected of children three years old or younger
    

We know that the content of our early literacy storytimes aligned with current research and results in associated proved outcomes (VIEWS2, ECRR2).  If we can also show that library storytimes are reaching the kids that need skill development the most and their language and literacy skills improve as a result of exposure to library services, then we can say we are contributing to their long-term educational success.