Coaching programs in ECE to improve effective teaching: Variations in implementation

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Abstract

In early care and education (ECE), coaching, an ongoing job-embedded form of professional development, shows positive impacts on effective teaching practices and child outcomes (Kraft et al., 2018; Lipscomb, et al., 2021). Yet, little is known about the breadth of variation in how coaching is implemented or structured, especially at scale. This symposium aims to describe characteristics of coaching in EC programs that lay the foundation for more effective teaching practices, ultimately supporting children’s development.

The first paper investigates patterns of and variations in implementation of coaching as a tool for ECE educator professional development ‘in the real world’ across seven states. Results indicate that while coaching approaches do not vary widely, there is variation in the factors that structure coaches’ work. For instance, policy-relevant characteristics such as education and caseload emerged as varying across settings. Our second paper describes characteristics of ECE coaches within one state’s system, and focuses on one coaching approach: Practice-Based coaching. In line with the first paper, results indicate differences between settings, often favoring Head Start programs compared to other settings. The final paper focuses on changes in teaching practices as a result of a structured coaching program aimed to improve emotion-focused teaching. Results indicated that dosage matters to improve observed teaching practices and that teachers reported improvement after each cycle.

The discussant will focus on ways to further develop ECE coaching and professional development systems as well as scalable implementation that will ultimately support young children’s learning and school readiness.

Sub Unit

• School Readiness/Childcare

Chair

• Bridget E Hatfield, Oregon State University - Corvallis

Discussant

• April Crawford, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston

Individual Presentations

• Coaching in the real world of early care and education: A consistent toolbox under highly-varied constraints - Presenting Author: Elizabeth Cavadel, Mathematica Policy Research - District of Columbia; Emily M Moiduddin; Yange Xue, Mathematica Policy Research - New Jersey; Nikki Aikens, Mathematica Policy Research - District of Columbia

• A snapshot of Practice-Based Coaching across a state: Coach demographics and differences of implementation - Presenting Author: Hillary Ross Lewis, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Bridget E Hatfield, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Katherine C Pears, Oregon Social Learning Center; Amara Bradetich, Oregon State University - Corvallis; Isabella Sciuto Ozenbaugh, Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD); Michael Connor, Oregon Early Learning Division

• Changes in Observed and Self-reported Emotion-Focused Teaching in Response to Coaching Early Childhood Educators - Presenting Author: Kate Zinsser, University of Illinois at Chicago; Timothy W Curby, George Mason University; Catherine Main, University of Illinois at Chicago; Christen E Park, SRI International; Joanna Skourletos, University of Illinois at Chicago