Author Description

Ready to Learn is an outreach initiative designed to increase the potential of PBS children's television programs to teach children cognitive and social skills. The program funds workshops for parents and teachers, materials supplementing children's television programs, children's book distribution, and "PBS Families1'and "PBS para la Farnilia'l magazines. One hundred thirty-nine participating PBS member stations implement the Ready To Learn initiatives goals. This report describes the findings of a 2001 evaluation of Ready To Learn, which used a survey and site visits to document the activities conducted by 20 Ready To Learn stations and study outcomes for Coordinators, workshop participants, and the children in their care. Following an introductory chapter, Chapter 2 describes the surveyed sites, noting factors such as geographic region, urbanicity, license type, type of market, and station budget. Chapter 3 looks at Ready To Learn Coordinators educational background, skills, dedication, turnover, and professional development. Chapter 4 focuses on community partnerships with Ready To Learn types of partners, roles they play, and the nature of the relationships between the partners and Ready To Learn staff. Chapter 5 explores the nature of outreach workshops, who attended them, their content, their length, and how they were delivered. Chapter 6 describes outcomes that Coordinators expect from their programs, specifically, more parents reading to their children, teachers viewing television as a learning tool, and children developing a positive attitude toward reading and books. Chapter 7, the final chapter, provides lessons for stations, partnership and outreach. Recommendations include reducing Coordinator turnover, developing partnerships with multiple roles for partners, making workshops organized yet flexible, and focusing on outcomes when planning workshops. (Contains 12 tables and figures.