Abstract
The long-term impact of the Children's Early Assistance Act (PL 90-538) was assessed with regard to the viability of transporting a model early childhood education program from a demonstration site at the University of Illinois to potential replication sites. Follow-up data on replication training efforts of the PEECH Program (Precise Early Education for Children with Handicaps), developed at the University of Illinois, were obtained from all sites (N = 43) that received technical assistance from 1976 to 1982. Data were collected to determine if replication sites could (1) achieve child progress comparable to the University of Illinois demonstration site and (2) continue to implement the PEECH model after a single year of technical assistance. The child progress data from the 1981-82 replication sites showed that similar gains in cognitive/language and social functioning were made in both the demonstration and the replication sites. Long-term follow-up data showed that the PEECH intensive training approach resulted In lasting impact at the replication sites. Seventy-two percent of the sites that received training are still implementing the model. Even after a 5-year interval, 50% of the sites continue to implement the model successfully. To date, 2,987 handicapped children, 827 nonhandicapped children, and 1,472 parents have been served at the replication sites. Impact at the local and state level is also documented. Finally, issues regarding successful approaches to technical assistance are discussed.
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