Poster #180 - A Pilot Feasibility Study of the Pre-K TIPS Coaching Model in Preschools Serving Low-Income Children

• In Event: 3-106 - Poster Session 11
  In Poster Session: PS 11 Section - School Readiness/Childcare

Integrative Statement

High-fidelity implementation of socioemotional learning (SEL) programs in preschool has the potential to improve school readiness and decrease the risk of school failure. A growing evidence base supports the efficacy of universal SEL programs in promoting persistent school-readiness skills relevant not only to social and behavioral competencies but also to academic performance. Unfortunately, due to significant decrements in treatment fidelity during implementation, these programs have underwhelming outcomes when implemented in authentic education settings. Unsurprisingly, children who live in low-income communities not only have lower school readiness but also are less likely to receive high-fidelity SEL programs. Low treatment fidelity is predictably related to malleable implementer and site characteristics, and the risk for low-quality implementation can be detected before the intervention even begins. The purpose of the current study is to evaluate an implementation intervention called Pre-K TIPS that can be tailored to address barriers to treatment fidelity, thus boosting SEL program effectiveness in the context of urban, low-income preschool classrooms.

Nine teachers from three urban schools and their 125 students participated in this pilot feasibility study (see Table 1 for demographics). Two schools (six classrooms) were randomly assigned to the intervention and one school (three classrooms) was randomly assigned to the comparison group. All teachers and co-teachers were trained on the evidence-based SEL curriculum in a single 3.25-hour professional development presentation. The SEL curriculum consisted of 1) seven research-supported classroom behavior management strategies; 2) an eight-lesson social skills training curriculum; and 3) early childhood consultation for individual children with behavioral, emotional, or social concerns. The intervention group received the Pre-K TIPS coaching package, which used motivational interviewing and included coaching in SEL implementation and on teacher wellness. The comparison group received coaching as usual. Teacher self-report, teacher ratings, classroom observations, and child observations were collected at pretest and posttest and included measures of teacher barriers to SEL program implementation, teacher classroom behavior management, and children’s social, behavioral, and pre-academic competencies. Teacher self-report and classroom observations were used to gather data on fidelity of implementation, acceptability, and feasibility.

Overall, teachers were satisfied with the Pre-K TIPS training (M = 4.62 out of 5, SD = .55). Teachers across both groups found the SEL intervention to be feasible and acceptable (M = 5.76 out of 7, SD = .56), and intervention teachers found the Pre-K TIPS coaching implementation intervention to be feasible and acceptable (M = 6.60 out of 7, SD = .58). In both conditions, teachers reported implementing an average of about 29 of the 40 possible sessions (SD = 6 sessions). Compared to the control group, teachers in the intervention condition demonstrated greater improvements in self-efficacy, confidence, and implementation of classroom behavior management. Finally, preschoolers in the intervention condition showed greater improvements in their kindergarten readiness, academic competence, and behavior problems, compared to the control group (see Table 2).

This pilot feasibility study demonstrated that Pre-K TIPS is feasible, acceptable, and shows promise with regard to improving preschoolers’ kindergarten readiness within low-income preschools.

Authors

• Courtney N. Baker, Tulane University
  Presenting Author

• Megan Saybe, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Corey L. Black, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Veronica L. Coriano, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Trenesha L. Hill, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Stephanie Moberg, Tulane University
  Non-Presenting Author