Professional Development - Head Start - U.S. Department of Health ...
Professional Development - Head Start - U.S. Department of Health ...
Professional Development - Head Start - U.S. Department of Health ...
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HEAD START AND CHILD CARE PARTNERSHIPS<br />
BENEFIT TEACHERS<br />
A recent study <strong>of</strong> <strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> and<br />
child care partnerships shows that they<br />
are making a difference to child care<br />
teachers’ pr<strong>of</strong>essional development<br />
(Chauncey & Schilder 2006).<br />
The Child Care/<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong><br />
Partnership Study (Chauncey et al.,<br />
2005) was designed to collect quantitative<br />
data from two groups <strong>of</strong> randomly<br />
selected licensed child care<br />
centers providers in Ohio. Seventyeight<br />
centers had formal partnership<br />
agreements with <strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> and 63<br />
comparison child care centers did not.<br />
Five survey instruments were<br />
administered to the partnership center<br />
directors, teachers, and parents<br />
and to the comparison centers. They<br />
were administered once per year in<br />
2002, 2003, and 2004. The surveys<br />
included questions about structural<br />
indicators <strong>of</strong> quality and parental<br />
perceptions <strong>of</strong> quality; services provided<br />
by the centers; and teachers’<br />
pr<strong>of</strong>essional development, education,<br />
and benefits. The study was conducted<br />
by the Center for Children &<br />
Families (CC&F), based at Education<br />
<strong>Development</strong> Center, Inc., and funded<br />
by the Child Care Bureau<br />
(<strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Health</strong> and Human<br />
Services) and the Ohio <strong>Department</strong> <strong>of</strong><br />
Job and Family Services.<br />
The report notes that child care<br />
teachers at partnering centers:<br />
� Participated in enhanced training<br />
opportunities,<br />
� Had better compensation<br />
� Used structured curricula more<br />
Photo by D. Mentzer. Rosemount Center HS/EHS. Systems/Partnerships<br />
broadly with standardized<br />
assessments<br />
� Participated in more total<br />
hours <strong>of</strong> pr<strong>of</strong>essional development<br />
than teachers at non-partnering<br />
centers, and<br />
� Were <strong>of</strong>fered more <strong>of</strong>f-site<br />
workshops.<br />
Child care centers that were in<br />
partnership longer and received greater<br />
<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> funds were more likely to<br />
<strong>of</strong>fer teachers on-site workshops.<br />
The longitudinal study comparing<br />
partnership centers and comparison<br />
centers will continue for the purpose<br />
<strong>of</strong> addressing whether reported<br />
improvements in teacher practices,<br />
along with the additional services,<br />
lead to improvements in children’s<br />
school readiness.<br />
This information is excerpted<br />
from the research study available at<br />
www.ccf.edc.org/projects/partnershipr<br />
esearch/. ■<br />
REFERENCES<br />
Chauncey, B. & D. Schilder. Child<br />
care/<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> partnerships:<br />
Teachers at partnering centers<br />
report benefits <strong>of</strong> partnership.<br />
2006. Newton, MA: Education<br />
<strong>Development</strong> Center (EDC).<br />
Schilder, D., B. Chauncey, M.<br />
Broadstone, C. Miller, A. Smith,<br />
S. Skiffington & K. Elliott. Child<br />
care/<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> partnership<br />
study: Final report executive summary.<br />
2005. Newton, MA:<br />
Education <strong>Development</strong> Center<br />
(EDC). Available at<br />
www.ccf.edc.org/pdf/ExecSumm-<br />
122105.pdf.<br />
<strong>Head</strong> <strong>Start</strong> Bulletin 23
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