Douglas Powell and Karen Diamond

The purpose of this study is to develop, implement, and evaluate with an experimental design the effectiveness of a comprehensive professional development program to improve the teaching of early reading in preschool classrooms for at-risk children.

The project will contribute to solving a serious education problem in the United States related to the consequence of achievement gaps that exist at kindergarten entry and persist as children move into first grade; the paucity of research-based professional development programs that address pre-kindergarten early reading; and the need for efficient professional development methods that ensure teachers effectively implement best practices in supporting early literacy development.

The project examines the effectiveness of different types of expert coaching, coupled with web-based resources, for improving teaching. Expert coaching is among the most promising approaches to in-service professional development, yet there is limited research on effects of alternative approaches to coaching. The primary purpose of our project is determine whether direct, face-to-face support for teachers (on-site coaching) is significantly more effective than support provided at a distance through the use of digital video and web-based hypermedia supports (remote coaching).

The professional development intervention includes workshops and expert coaching (on-site or remote). Teachers in the on-site condition will receive classroom visits from an expert coach twice each month, with immediate feedback related to improving teaching related to early reading. Teachers in the remote coaching condition will videotape targeted teaching practices twice a month and promptly receive feedback from a coach on the videotaped teaching via commentary that includes links to cases demonstrating best practices. Case-based hypermedia that feature videos of best practices with links to explanatory text and additional instructional resources will be provided for teachers in the remote coaching conditions (these cases will be available to teachers in the on-site coaching condition through a website or compact disk). Sixteen cases focused on best practices in teaching early reading will provide research-based content in the following areas: reading with children; phonological sensitivity and letter/print knowledge; writing and conventions of print; conversations between teachers and children; and individualization and responsiveness.

The research methods include a randomized trial in which teachers (n=80) are randomly assigned to (1) on-site coaching or (2) remote coaching conditions. Classroom-level observational data will be collected in the semester prior to the coaching semester, permitting analysis of both the effects of coaching on teachers’ practice and the differential effects of the two coaching interventions. Child (n=480) data will be collected before and after the intervention, using standardized measures of language and early reading competence.

The project is being carried out with teachers serving at-risk preschool children in Indiana. It is a collaborative effort with Dr. Matthew Koehler, an educational technology expert, and Dr. Nell Duke, an early literacy expert, both at Michigan State University. The three-year project began in October 2004 and is supported through the Teacher Quality grants program of the federal Institute of Education Sciences.

Funding: Institute of Education Sciences, U.S. Department of Education

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