Head Start Classrooms and Children’s School Readiness Benefit from Teachers’ Qualifications and Ongoing Training

Abstract

Background Teacher qualifications have been emphasized as a basis of professional development to improve classroom practices for at-risk children's school readiness. However, teacher qualifications have often not been compared to another form of professional development, in-service training. Objective The current study attempts to investigate contributions of multiple types of professional development to school readiness skills of low-income preschoolers. Specifically, we examined the significance of teachers' education level, degree, teaching certificate, teaching experiences as well as specialized in-service training and coaching support as these teacher trainings are linked to preschoolers' school readiness through proximal classroom practices. Method We used a multi-level path analysis to examine multiple pathways from teachers' professional development to classroom environments and school readiness with Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey 2003 (N = 2,159). Results Teachers with an early childhood education major provided higher-quality provision for learning and social-emotional practices in the classroom; teachers who received coaching provided higher-quality social-emotional and parent involvement practices. Further, children in higher-quality social-emotional classrooms had better math skills, social skills and learning behaviors; children in the classrooms with higher-quality parent involvement practices had higher receptive vocabulary and parent-reported social skills and positive approaches to learning. Conclusions Along with early childhood education degree, ongoing coaching support would work effectively, improving classroom environments and a broad array of school readiness skills of at-risk children.

Institutional norms that maintain early educator's credentialing requirements in Massachusetts, a case study

“…Professional development systems for early educators are a combination of work training, degree programs, and the CDA credential (Son et al, 2013). Some are required, others optional.…”

“…Considering that most early educators receive the majority of their training in-house rather than through formal educational opportunities like degree programs, there are not many studies that have examined the influence of in-service trainings when it comes to the outcomes of children or the effectiveness of this form of professional development towards teacher knowledge (Son et al, 2013). Son et al (2013) define in-service training as learning and training opportunities early educators receive once they enter the workforce and can include informal training and educational opportunities as an alternative to formal education and degree programs as well as coaching opportunities. Coaching, in particular, has been shown to lead to better early education classroom practices and can work effectively as a form of professional development (Son et al, 2013).…”

“…Son et al (2013) define in-service training as learning and training opportunities early educators receive once they enter the workforce and can include informal training and educational opportunities as an alternative to formal education and degree programs as well as coaching opportunities. Coaching, in particular, has been shown to lead to better early education classroom practices and can work effectively as a form of professional development (Son et al, 2013). Coaching has also been shown to be useful in intervention programs designed to improve practices in classrooms and some child development domains such as early literacy practices and language (Son et al, 2013).…”

“…Coaching, in particular, has been shown to lead to better early education classroom practices and can work effectively as a form of professional development (Son et al, 2013). Coaching has also been shown to be useful in intervention programs designed to improve practices in classrooms and some child development domains such as early literacy practices and language (Son et al, 2013). Karp (2005) postulates that any form of training, including in-service training, should include research, rigor, and respect and they are needed for the field of early education to receive the respect that it deserves.…”

“…More recently, within the last fifteen to twenty years, researchers have been looking into the credentialing of early educators. Early educators, as defined as educators working with children from birth to age five, in many states throughout the United States require little more than a high school diploma to work with our youngest children while most states require a Master's degree and professional licensure to work with children in elementary school (Son, Kwon, Jeon, & Hong, 2013).…”