CONSTELLATIONS OF SUPPORT: TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN HEAD START AND CHILD OUTCOMES

Arizona State University-Tempe Campus, Tempe AZ

Investigators

Abstract

This study aims to fill gaps in previous research by using data from the most recent cohorts (i.e., 2006 and 2009) of the Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) to identify meaningful constellations of Professional Development (PD) support received by Head Start teachers, and to examine the extent to which specific constellations of PD support contribute to supporting a skilled and effective workforce by having positive impacts on teachers' practice, as well as children's academic and socio-emotional outcomes. To address these research goals the study uses two complementary approaches: a traditional variable-centered approach to examine the association between the number of specific PD supports teachers receive and outcomes; and a person-centered approach to examine patterns of PD experiences among teachers by estimating profiles of teachers experiencing similar constellations of PD, and their association with outcomes. The goal of this study is to provide programs and centers, as well as researchers and program developers, more nuanced information about the specific, real world constellations of PD supports Head Start teachers actually receive across a school year, and their associations with teachers' practice and children's outcomes. This information can be used to inform the types of PD researchers and programs developers create, and inform Head Start programs and centers as they go through the process of selecting which types of PD support to provide to their teachers to make the most of the funds allocated for PD. In both cases, the information could be useful to improve the effectiveness of the PD that is currently being offered to Head Start teachers.