In 2008, Indiana
launched a statewide child care quality rating and improvement system, called
the Paths to Quality. To assist providers in improving the quality of their
programs, professional development, coaching, and teacher support are provided.
Yet the approach, format, and quality of coaching vary. This represents a
potential disconnect between high-quality coaching, high-quality child care
services, and positive child outcomes. The purpose of this study was to
investigate stakeholder views on the strengths and needs of the early childhood
coaches with respect to the current coaching system. To meet this goal, the focus
group and dyadic interview data were collected with technical assistance
administrators, early childhood coaches, and early childhood providers. Data
were collected through audio recording and transcription of each data
collection session. Results were analyzed by thematic analysis using the
long-table approach. Five steps of familiarization,
identifying, categorizing, labeling, and summarizing were used for interpretation of the results. The
results showed that coaches have a passion for their profession and are very
dedicated to helping support early childhood providers and teachers in their
growth. On the other hand, the results also show the serious need for change in
the coaching approaches and coaching model that is offered across the agency. There
is a need for new complex formal training on coaching practices for both early
childhood coaches and specialists and technical assistance administrators. Support
for coaches needs to be established with an emphasis on an ongoing system of
supports and follow up. Additionally, more specific areas of supports and its
structure are presented in this study.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:purdue.edu/oai:figshare.com:article/12635834 |
| Date | 27 July 2020 |
| Creators | Veronika Peskova (9106277) |
| Source Sets | Purdue University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, Thesis |
| Rights | CC BY 4.0 |
| Relation | https://figshare.com/articles/thesis/Examination_of_Early_Childhood_Coaching_in_Paths_to_Quality_Rating_System_in_Indiana/12635834 |
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