Description:
The Research Foundation of SUNY on behalf of the University of Buffalo will investigate the effectiveness of an intensive inservice training program designed for teachers and teacher assistants in Head Start classrooms. Teachers and teacher assistants will be randomly assigned to a one-day inservice training or five-day intensive experiential training before the beginning of the Head Start school year. Additionally, all teachers will have the opportunity to work with advanced school psychology graduate students who will serve as behavioral consultants. Specific aims for this study are to (a) develop and implement an intensive summer experiential training program for Head Start teachers that increases the effectiveness of classroom management procedures; (b) investigate the impact of experiential learning with follow-up relative to inservice training with follow-up on improving the effectiveness of teachers' classroom management procedures; and (c) investigate the impact of training on the program-level variables such as number of students referred from each classroom due to behavioral concerns, teacher turn-over, and supervisor ratings of teacher performance. In Year 1, investigators will identify strengths and needs related to teacher effectiveness in classroom management, develop and pilot teacher training procedures, and create forms and measures to monitor the integrity of the pilot training procedures. In Year 2 17 Head Start centers will be randomly assigned to one of the two training conditions. Year 3 will include the five-day intensive training for teachers who were assigned to one-day inservice training and booster sessions for teachers assigned to intensive training in year two. In October, February, and June of Year 2 and 3 teacher effectiveness for the sites will be assessed. Results are expected to show teachers participating in the intensive experiential training program will demonstrate better classroom management skills, have a better classroom climate, and demonstrate improved use and outcomes related to inservice training. In addition, improved teacher effectiveness in classroom management strategies and child-related outcomes will be observed in classrooms where the teacher and teacher assistants participated in the experiential learning.
Resource Type:
Administration for Children and Families/OPRE Projects
Grantee(s)/Contrator(s):