Supporting New York City’s Early Childhood Educators in a Global Pandemic

• In Event: Emerging Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic: Future Directions for Supporting the Early Childhood Workforce

Abstract

Introduction
Prior research documents benefits of “outside-in” professional learning (PL)—more formal PL provided by external facilitators/coaches (Phillips et al., 2017; Weiland et al., 2018)—as well as “inside-out” PL that happens among educators working in the same school (Sheridan et al., 2009). However, outside-in and inside-out PL have shifted dramatically during the pandemic to respond to health concerns and new PL needs. This descriptive mixed-methods study examined NYC early childhood educators’ experiences with outside-in and inside-out PL, the extent to which PL experiences differed in historically marginalized communities, and unique challenges and innovative strategies that emerged.

Participants
This study took place in 48 pre-K programs across NYC, representative of Pre-K for All in terms of location, program type (public schools and pre-K centers), COVID-19 exposure, student race-ethnicity, and student socioeconomic status. A total of 197 teachers and leaders (principals, directors) completed surveys, and 21 teachers participated in interviews. About 22% of respondents identified as Latine, 18% as Black, 13% as Asian, and 18% as White; the remaining participants selected “other” or did not provide their racial-ethnic identity.

Methods
Teachers and leaders in participating sites were invited to complete a survey in Spring 2021. The survey was developed with the NYC Department of Education (DOE) and included questions about outside-in and inside-out PL and coaching, stress, coping, efficacy, and professional background. Virtual one-on-one interviews lasting up to one hour covered these same constructs.

Results
Results indicated that inside-out PL experiences were more salient than outside-in PL. Teachers received support most frequently from, and felt most supported by, other educators. That said, teachers were generally satisfied with outside-in PL, found trauma-focused PL content as especially relevant, and indicated that PL provided by the DOE facilitated learning among educators (e.g., they watched and discussed PL videos together). Results highlighted advantages of both in-person PL (e.g., more hands-on) and virtual PL (e.g., could learn at own pace and rewatch PL videos). Educators felt supported through virtual coaching, and those who lost access to coaches described a loss of instrumental and emotional support as a result. Teachers felt the least supported around their own mental health, indicating a need for greater support. We did not find evidence of systemic inequities in PL experiences based on the data we collected (that is, teachers in sites serving greater proportions of Black children, Latine children, and families with low income had similar access to and satisfaction with PL compared to other teachers).

Implications
Results highlight how policymakers can better support early childhood educators. For example, they can find ways to facilitate inside-out PL related to outside-in PL, provide trauma-focused PL, and offer in-person and virtual PL. Although we did not find evidence of inequitable PL experiences, COVID-19’s effects are likely to be long-standing, as are structural inequities. It is critical to collect, analyze, and review information on an ongoing basis on PL experiences, PL impacts on teaching and learning, and the extent to which experiences and impacts may vary across sites and educators.

Group Authors

NYC Early Childhood Research Network

Author

• Rachel M Abenavoli, New York University
  Presenting Author