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2. Procedures for Developing Evidence-Informed

Performance Checklists for Improving Early

Childhood Intervention Practices

Carl J. Dunst

Abstract
conceptualization-operationalization-measurement framework is described for developing ev-
A idence-informed early childhood intervention performance checklists. Performance checklists
include lists of practice indicators where the indicators, taken together, operationally define par-
ticular types of intervention practices that, when used as intended, can be expected to have desired
outcomes and benefits. The use of the framework for operationalizing recommended practices is de-
scribed to illustrate its applicability for developing tools for improving early childhood intervention.
Keywords: Performance checklists, conceptualization, operationalization, measurement

1. Introduction ents’ and other primary caregivers’ abilities to engage
young children in development-enhancing learning op-
arly childhood intervention involves the provision portunities (e.g., Roberts, Kaiser, Wolfe, Bryant, & Spi-
Eof different types of supports and resources to young dalieria, 2014; Salisbury & Cushing, 2013). These expe-
children birth to 6-8 years of age and their families to riences, opportunities, activities, methods, strategies, etc.
improve child, parent, and family functioning (Shonkoff constitute different kinds of intervention practices where
& Meisels, 2000). The term early childhood interven- individual practices include core components (Fixsen,
tion encompasses early intervention for infants and tod- Blase, Naoom, & Wallace, 2009), active ingredients
dlers with identified disabilities or developmental de- (Clark, 2009; Li & Julian, 2012), or key characteristics
lays (Dunst & Espe-Sherwindt, 2017), early childhood (Dunst & Trivette, 2009c; Landry, Smith, & Swank,
special education for preschoolers with identified dis- 2006), that are intended to have desired outcomes or con-
abilities (Reichow, Boyd, Barton, & Odom, 2016), early sequences.
years education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers The knowledge base for early childhood interven-
who are at-risk for poor developmental outcomes due tion practices has expanded rapidly in recent years to the
to family circumstances (Burger, 2010), and early child- point that it is almost impossible for any early childhood
hood education for all young children birth through eight intervention practitioner to keep pace with advances in
years of age (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009). theory, research, and practice (e.g., Guralnick, 2005;
Early childhood intervention practices include the Reichow et al., 2016; Shonkoff & Meisels, 2000; Sukkar,
experiences, learning opportunities, and activities used Dunst, & Kirkby, 2017). A PsychINFO search for “ear-
to influence child learning and development (e.g., Camp- ly childhood intervention” AND “models OR research
bell & Sawyer, 2007; Raab, 2005), the methods and pro- OR practice” yielded over 12,600 results, and a Google
cedures used by adults (early childhood practitioners, Scholar search using the same search terms resulted in
parents, and primary caregivers) to support young chil- 18,700 hits. A Google Scholar search of “early interven-
dren’s learning and development (e.g., Kahn, Stemler, & tion” AND “model OR research OR practice” resulted in
Berchin-Weiss, 2009; Swanson, Raab, & Dunst, 2011), 1,120,000 hits. These search results, taken together, are
and the methods and strategies used by early childhood an indication that the knowledge base far exceeds one’s
intervention practitioners to support and strengthen par- capacity to keep up with the contemporary knowledge
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Dunst, C. J. (2017). Procedures for developing evidence-informed performance checklists for improving early childhood inter-
vention practices. Journal of Education and Learning, 6(3), 1-13. doi:10.5539/jel.v6n3px. Reprinted with permission. This is an
open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of a Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.
org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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