The Descriptive Study of the Head Start Early Learning Mentor Coach Initiative, Volume 1: Final Report. OPRE Report 2014-05a
Author: Howard, Eboni C.
Date: 2014-01-00
Type: Reports - Research
Subjects: Early Intervention,At Risk Students,Mentors,Coaching (Performance),Stakeholders,Attitude Measures,Early Childhood Education,Educational History,Mixed Methods Research,Sampling,Recruitment,Data Collection,Data Analysis,Sustainability,Success,Barriers,Professional Development,Racial Differences,Ethnicity,Educational Attainment,Qualifications,Interpersonal Competence,Training,Goal Orientation,Interviews,Interaction,Role

The purpose of this study was to describe the coaching that occurred at Head Start (HS) grantees as a result of the Early Learning Mentor Coach (ELMC) initiative. This provided a unique opportunity to describe the different dimensions of coaching within HS settings from the perspective of multiple stakeholders--administrators, coaches, and staff. Based on information gathered in the study, this report describes the various approaches to coaching implemented by ELMC grantees across context and basic dimensions (e.g., size of grantee, professional development resources, coaching goals, hiring coaches, qualifications of the coaches, and selecting staff to receive coaching); structural dimensions (e.g., logistics relating to where coaching will take place, coach and staff travel demands, workload); procedural dimensions (e.g., identifying staff needs and topical areas of coaching, coaching strategies, format, and frequency); and perceptions about coaching (e.g., the role of relationships, successes, challenges, and sustainability). The study team was also charged with developing a conceptual model that would not only help guide the ELMC study, but also could be refined based on the study to serve as a resource for both HS programs considering coaching and researchers tasked with evaluating coaching initiatives. Findings from this study provide descriptive details about various aspects of coaching in early childhood settings. The report is organized into the following sections: (1) &quot;Coaching in Head Start and Early Childhood&quot; provides a concise overview of the history of ECE professional development in general and approaches to coaching specifically; (2) &quot;Study Design&quot; outlines the mixed-methods design that was used to collect and analyze data; participant information; and the sampling, recruitment, and data collection procedures; (3) &quot;Data Analysis Procedures&quot; provides information about the overarching goals of the study and delineates the primary study questions within the three major goals of the study; (4) &quot;Study Findings&quot; reports the results of the data analyses across seven aspects of coaching that include grantee context, basic dimensions, structural dimensions, procedural dimensions, outputs, perceived outcomes, and sustainability; (5) &quot;Summary of the Key Findings&quot; offers a synopsis of the key points that emerged from the study data; (6) &quot;A Program Logic Model for Coaching&quot; provides the program logic model that emerged from the study; and (7) &quot;Suggestions for Future Research&quot; outlines areas for additional research to inform the field of coaching in early childhood.