Building Professional Development for Urban Public Preschools: Experiences and Reflections

Abstract

This ECEPD project implemented a professional development (PD) protocol within a large public school system. The PD was designed to provide support for both teachers and their instructional partners in implementation of two curricula designed to foster children's language, literacy, math competencies, and overall cognitive development. The specifics of the PD are outlined including its development, coaching strategies, training approaches, and coursework components.

Results of the evaluation of the project are also highlighted and discussed. Analyses indicated that teachers showed significant growth in relation to the implementation of the curriculums and the PD efforts of both the district and the intervention, with less-experienced teachers showing the highest levels of growth. In addition, results indicated a significant difference between the intervention and the control group teachers in their developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices, with intervention teachers indicating higher levels of developmentally appropriate beliefs and practices. The challenges to field work in a large and ever-changing school system are discussed, and recommendations for further PD are made.

Citation

Roberts, J., Frye, A., Lu Love, M. and Van Thiel, L. (2011), "Building Professional Development for Urban Public Preschools: Experiences and Reflections", Sutterby, J.A. (Ed.) The Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Grant: Research and Practice (Advances in Early Education and Day Care, Vol. 15), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 91-128. https://doi.org/10.1108/S0270-4021(2011)0000015008