DOI: 10.3886/icpsr26341.v2
title: Kentucky Professional Development Framework Impact on Quality and Child Outcomes, 2006-2007
title: Version 2

description: In 2000, the Kentucky General Assembly passed historic early childhood legislation (Kentucky's KIDS [Kentucky Invests in Developing Success] NOW Initiative) of which a component included the development of a seamless professional development system. The professional development system includes core content, articulation, credentials, scholarships and a training framework. This comprehensive professional development system, along with other initiative components in assuring maternal and child health, supporting families, enhancing early care and education, and establishing a support structure, have moved the field of early childhood care and education forward in the state and improved child and family outcomes. This study was designed to build on the KIDS NOW Initiative by conducting research investigating the degree to which a statewide unified professional development system impacted the educational level of early care and education providers and subsequent classroom quality. It focused on three major predictors of professional development outcomes: Individual teacher characteristics, including learning readiness, education (level and type), training experience, attitudes towards training, personality (conscientiousness, self-efficacy), job satisfaction (perceptions of support) Characteristics of the program administrator, including administrator education and administrator support of professional development Characteristics of the teacher's work setting, including program administration, and policies and procedures, and classroom setting (Child Care, Head Start, or Public Preschool) The impact of these three predictors was measured on two major outcomes: (a) professional development outcomes, as measured by job status, learning and transfer of learning, and (b) organizational outcomes, as measured by program quality, child outcomes and staff retention. The research questions guiding this research were focused on determining the degree to which (1) a unified professional development framework initiated at the state level results in positive child outcomes, and (2) the educational level of early care and education providers enhances the quality of classroom environments. Specifically: What components of a professional development framework are more effective in encouraging and supporting individuals to remain in early care and education settings? What components of a professional development framework are more effective in supporting early care and education professionals in enhancing classroom quality and child outcomes? Are there specific factors that impact early care and education professionals' ability to participate in professional development activities at various levels? Does the level and intensity of professional development experiences impact classroom quality and child outcomes? What personnel factors have the highest impact on quality classroom environments and child outcomes? What is the interaction between the personnel, professional development, and program variables on classroom quality and child outcomes?
description: To answer the research questions, a quasi-experimental design was used with teacher educational experience (e.g., AA, BA) and classroom type (Head Start, Child Care, and Public Preschool) as the main variables for selecting participants. Within this design, the theoretical framework took into consideration administrator and organizational predictors; the level of incentives for participation in professional development components; and individual outcomes related to job status, learning and transfer of learning combined with organizational outcomes of program quality, child outcomes and staff retention.
description: Four categories of variables were identified for inclusion in the study. Based on previous research and expert knowledge of early care and education systems in Kentucky, system, program, teacher and child level variables were used. The theoretical model for this study hypothesized that the level and intensity of participation in components of the Professional Development Framework in Kentucky by teachers and the support of administrators for this participation have an impact on teacher retention, program quality and child outcomes. Teacher: Teacher Demographics; Education Level and Type; Amount and Type of Training Attended; PD Plan; Attitudes Towards Training; Learning Readiness; Personality; Self Efficacy; Perceptions of Organization and Job Satisfaction; Perceptions of Supervisor Support System: Administrator Education; Administrator Support of Training and PD; Program Administration, Policies and Procedures, Program Supports (Wages, Benefits) Program: Program Type; Children Served; Classroom Quality; Turnover Rate Child: Child Demographics; Child Developmental Status
description: Response Rates: Of 645 programs contacted for participation, 227 agreed to participate for a response rate of 41.4 percent.
description: Presence of Common Scales: 1. The Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scale, Revised Edition (ECERS-R) (Harms, Clifford, and Cryer, 1998) 2. The Early Language and Literacy Classroom Observation (ELLCO) (Smith and Dickinson, 2002) 3. The Head Start Family and Child Experiences Survey (FACES) battery. Specifically, the: McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (McCarthy, 1972)Story and Print Concepts (FACES, 2001) Color Names and Counting (FACES, 2001) Pre-LAS 2000 (Duncan and Avila, 2000) Woodcock-Johnson-III, (Woodcock and Mather, 1990) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-III (Dunn and Dunn,1997) 4. The Social Skills Rating System (SSRS) (Gresham and Elliot, 1990) Please refer to the <em>Professional Development Framework Research Collaborative Report</em> for full descriptions of the measures used.
description: stratified, purposive sample
description: Datasets: DS0: Study-Level Files DS1: ECERS Classroom Level Public-Use Data DS2: ELLCO Classroom Level Public-Use Data DS3: Child Level Public-Use Data DS4: Big 5 Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS5: Job Satisfaction WAQ Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS6: Work Environment Scale Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS7: Training Transfer Inventory Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS8: Learning Benefit Inventory Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS9: Professional Development Matrix Teacher Level Public-Use Data DS10: Teacher Survey Level Public-Use Data DS11: Program Administration Scale Program Level Public-Use Data DS12: Administrator Interview Program Level Public-Use Data DS13: ECERS Classroom Level Restricted-Use Data DS14: ELLCO Classroom Level Restricted-Use Data DS15: Child Level Restricted-Use Data DS16: Big 5 Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS17: Job Satisfaction WAQ Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS18: Work Environment Scale Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS19: Training Transfer Inventory Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS20: Learning Benefit Inventory Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS21: Professional Development Matrix Teacher Level Restricted-Use Data DS22: Teacher Survey Level Restricted-Use Data DS23: Program Administration Scale Program Level Restricted-Use Data DS24: Administrator Interview Program Level Restricted-Use Data
description: Administrators, teachers and children in child care, Head Start and Pre-K programs in Kentucky. Smallest Geographic Unit: urbanicity
description: coded on-site observation; cognitive assessment test; mail questionnaire; on-site questionnaire; telephone interview