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Preface

nowledge growth in early intervention and early education studies. The checklist indicators in turn
K childhood intervention necessitates both knowl- were used to develop user-friendly family and prac-
edge management and knowledge sharing in ways that titioner practice guides that include descriptions and
increase the likelihood that accumulated knowledge is examples of how to use evidence-informed interven-
used to improve the lives of young children and their tions as part of everyday practice.
families. One way in which knowledge management A unique aspect of performance checklist and
is accomplished is through research reviews of studies practice guide development were field tests of both
of particular types of early childhood practices where products (tools) where practitioner and family sug-
the aggregated findings from the studies permit infer- gestions and feedback were used to inform improve-
ences about which practice characteristics are most ments in both the checklists and practice guides. The
important in terms of explaining outcomes of interest. feedback and suggestions proved extremely valuable,
But knowledge management is only a first step. Find- where progressive improvements made in response to
ings need to be packaged and disseminated in ways field-test participants’ comments were correlated with
that promote the use of evidence-informed practices. increases in practitioner and family judgments of the
This is accomplished using knowledge sharing meth- social validity appraisals of both products. The more
ods, strategies, and tools. Knowledge management improvements that were made in response to practi-
and sharing bridges the research-to-practice gap so tioner and family member evaluative appraisals, the
that the best available evidence informs day-to-day more the performance checklists and practice guides
practice. were judged as socially valid tools.
This monograph includes information about par- The methods and strategies described in the
ticular approaches to knowledge management and monograph are part of the Editor’s research and prac-
knowledge sharing that has proven effective for bridg- tice for promoting adoption and use of evidence-based
ing the research-to-practice gap in early intervention and evidence-informed early intervention and early
and early childhood intervention. The knowledge childhood intervention practices. The approach for
sharing method that is the focus of the monograph doing so should, however, could serve as a model and
is performance checklists where checklist indicators framework for others who might be interested in the
(key characteristics, active ingredients, core compo- research-to-practice methods and strategies described
nents) are informed by results reported in research in the monograph.
reviews of early intervention/early childhood special Carl J. Dunst

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