Poster #70 - Cluster Randomized Trial of First Year SEEDS of Early Learning Professional Development on Student Outcomes

• In Event: 3-003 - Poster Session 09
  In Poster Session: PS 09 Section - Education, Schooling

Integrative Statement

This poster presents first year results from a cluster randomized controlled trial examining the impact of a multiyear preschool teacher professional development (PD) program (SEEDS of Early Learning) on key student language (vocabulary), emergent literacy (letter names identification, letter sound correspondence, phonological awareness) and executive function outcome. The SEEDS program provides preschool teachers with content knowledge and pedagogical training focused on improving students’ language, emergent literacy and social emotional development. PD includes monthly trainings convened in a community of practice, plus at least weekly coaching sessions. The program is based on a response to intervention (RtI) framework, where teachers collect seasonal assessment data (fall, winter, spring) and monthly progress-monitoring data for differentiating instruction and evaluating instructional effectiveness. Teachers learn how to use the assessment data to objectively identify Tier 2 or 3 students for small group or one-on-one intervention, and are provided with evidence-based interventions and strategies to accelerate student learning. A large early childhood care and education provider in the East Bay of San Francisco decided to implement the SEEDS program system-wide over the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 school years. They agreed to allow an independent evaluator to randomly select half the schools to participate in the SEEDS program in 2017-2018 (N=13) and the other half to serve as controls (n=13). A stratified randomization procedure was implemented, where length of day (part day vs. full day) was taken into account during randomization. All teachers in the treatment schools participated in SEEDS PD throughout 2017-2018. Independent evaluators collected fall (pretest) and spring (posttest) assessment data (specifically, IGDI 1.0, FAST and Head Toes Knees and Shoulders [HTKS]) from all 4 and 5 year old students in both treatment and control schools. In addition to assessment data, student demographic information (age, sex, race/ethnicity, dual language learner status) was collected. A mixed linear regression model was used to evaluate the impact of the SEEDS program on each of six key student language, emergent literacy and executive function outcomes in spring 2018, controlling for students’ fall 2017 pretest scores and demographics, as well as the length of the school day (part vs. full day). Receipt of all desired demographic data is still in process. Table 1 shows preliminary results from the regression analysis using a subset of available demographic variables. Students in classrooms whose teachers participated in SEEDS training significantly outperformed students in control classrooms on four of the six measures, specifically letter name identification, letter sound correspondence, rhyming fluency and alliteration fluency. No effects were found for vocabulary or executive function. The results of this study suggest that a single year of SEEDS training can have a positive impact on student emergent literacy outcomes. Control teachers will participate in SEEDS PD during the 2018-2019 school year, while treatment teachers will participate in a second year of PD. Future research will follow these two groups of teachers to see how multiple years of PD impact teacher practice and student outcomes, as the program is intended to take three years to reach full implementation.

Authors

• Marc Hernandez, NORC
  Presenting Author

• Eric Hedberg, NORC at the University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Gabriel Velez, University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Kelly Tockey, NORC at the University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author

• Lekha Venkataraman, NORC at the University of Chicago
  Non-Presenting Author