Page 21 - Gateways for Early Educators

Gateways for Early Educators
2016
Research Questions, Method and Results
The following research questions were developed to explore findings of the program:
1. What is the background of the participants being coached and how does that compare with the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) as well as more local statistics?
2. Is there access to training across the County and do the training sessions impact practice?
3. How are coaching services delivered? Does that differ by agency?
4. What areas of coaching are participants targeting?
5. What are the successes and challenges experienced by participants and coaches?
6. Is the foundation for coaching established?
7. Did core participants make changes to their professional practice as a result of their
coaching experience?
8. Do participants know about ECE career pathways and options as a result of their
participation in Gateways?
9. How do quality improvement strategies (coaching and training) improve knowledge and
practice?
10. Did program intensity relate to knowledge and practice change?
11. What was the reach of the Gateways for Early Educators Program from 2011 to 2016?
Research questions serve to guide the analysis and reporting. The following are program- specific research questions (not required by First 5 LA or by LAUP, but tracked and reported to internal and external stakeholders and funders). These are questions of interest based on the research literature and prior years of program knowledge and results. A multi-method approach was taken to answer these research questions. The program collected quantitative (i.e., administrative data, computer literacy assessment, computer and technology training evaluation, training evaluation) and qualitative (i.e. focus groups with Gateways participants, interviews, responses to open-ended survey questions) data during the 2015-2016 program year (PY) and throughout the course of the program from 2011-2016.
Research Question 1: What is the background of the participants being coached and how does that compare with the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) as well as more local statistics?
The demographic data described in this report was collected on an intake form by coaches during their initial sessions with the participant and was then entered into a countywide web- based database (ProDev+). These data were extracted and analyzed for this report. Percentages in the categorical variables of education, ethnicity, and language are presented in the following section. Median and average length of years of experience in the ECE field are also presented.
Educational Attainment. Prior to the requirements of Head Start to increase the educational attainment of its teaching staff, most prior studies had shown a relatively low level of college degrees among center-based staff with approximately 11 percent with an AA degree and 25
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