Examining Features and Outcomes of a Residency-Based Licensure Pathway for Early Childhood Educators

• In Event: Supporting the ECE Workforce: Findings from Four System-Level Professional Development Initiatives

Abstract

Introduction
This study examines a residency-based teacher preparation program developed as an alternative licensure pathway for incumbent early educators to obtain critical training and state licensure. The program uses a Grow-Your-Own framework and supports teacher residents to enhance classroom practices that promote children’s development by providing a program model that integrates individualized coaching, didactic instruction, and group reflection.
This presentation will provide an overview of the program model, describe which program components participants found most critical to their success, and present changes that occurred in teachers’ salaries, retention, and classroom outcomes over time.

Methods
Participating teachers (N=122) held a bachelor’s degree and had an average of 18 years of experience teaching in early childhood classrooms. Surveys for data collection were administered at several timepoints: before starting residency, during residency, and at multiple program completion intervals (6, 18, 30, and 42 months).

Results
Participants were asked to reflect on which aspects of the program they found most helpful to their success. Descriptive analyses indicated that several components of the program model were important to the success of the completers. However, participants most frequently endorsed three elements as being most important for their success: having their tuition and fees paid for, receiving support to prepare for and pass the required content test, and receiving support from their coach.
Changes in self-reported compensation were analyzed using a structural mean differences approach. Findings indicated that compared to participants’ salaries during the program, program completers’ salaries were significantly higher at 6 months and 18 months and marginally significant at 42 months post program completion (Figure 1).
Workforce retention was examined using Fisher’s Exact Test to compare the distribution of work categories across three contrasts within each time point: those that stayed at their program versus, those that stayed at their program or worked at a different ECE program, and those that continued to serve young children either at an ECE program or in a different capacity. All retention tests were found to be highly significant (p-values < 0.001), with odds ratios close to zero (Table 1).
Changes in classroom outcomes were examined using classroom-level Teaching Strategies Gold (TSG) data (N=86 classrooms) from three timepoints (i.e., Fall, Winter, Spring). Growth in the percent of children was modeled with a latent-growth curve model using maximum likelihood with robust standard errors. Classroom outcome data from program participants was compared to publicly reported citywide averages from the Department of Family and Support Services (DFSS) using a one-sample t-test. Findings indicate that classroom outcomes significantly improved across all learning areas at a rate of 9.1-11.2 percentage points. Even in their first year as lead teachers, program participants demonstrated classroom outcomes that were equivalent to classroom averages reported by the city's DFSS (Figure 2).

Discussion
This study emphasizes the value of professional development programs that integrate coaching, instruction, and group reflection. These components are associated with improvements in teacher compensation, retention, and classroom outcomes. Such improvements are crucial for building a stable and effective early childhood workforce.

Authors

• Joanna Skourletos, Loyola University Chicago

• Emma Gregory Casey, George Mason University

• Kate Zinsser, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Catherine M. Main, University of Illinois at Chicago

• Timothy W. Curby, George Mason University

• Natalie Vesga, University of Illinois at Chicago