5 innovative models for elevating pre-k teaching ......5 innovative models for professional learning...

Elevating Pre-K Teaching: 5 Innovative Models for Professional Learning

Shayna Cook & Abbie LiebermanEarly & Elementary Education Policy

New AmericaJuly 2018

Early & Elementary Education Policy Team

• Conduct research, develop policy recommendations, and disperse new ideas that aim to improve access, quality, and coordination of early and elementary education for all children from birth through 3rd grade.

• Our team is dedicated to helping policymakers develop an early education system that equitably serves all children.

• https://www.newamerica.org/education-policy/edcentral/

Agenda

● Opening Activity: Gallery Walk

● Extracting Success in Pre-K Teaching report

● Profile of Professional Learning Program in San Jose, CA

● What are the Components of Effective PD?

● Five Innovative Models

● Five Lessons for Growing Pre-K Teachers

● Key Takeaways & Questions

Opening Activity

● Introductions

○ Name

○ Where are you from?

○ How does your work relate to professional learning?

● Gallery Walk and Small Group Discussions

Panel Discussion

Chris SciarrinoDirector of Early Childhood Practice and InnovationThe Early Learning Labcsciarrino@earlylearninglab.org

Melinda WallerDirector of Early LearningFranklin-McKinley School Districtmelinda.waller@fmsd.org

What do you think are the key components of effective professional learning?

11 Components of Effective Pre-K PD

• Ongoing: Intensive and sustained over time

• Job-Embedded: Seamlessly incorporated into professional life

• Classroom-Focused: Developmentally appropriate and relevant to instructional practice

• Teacher Buy-In: Teachers elect to participate and/or help design programs

• Leader Buy-in: program/administrative leaders actively support the program

11 Components of Effective Pre-K PD

• In-Classroom Coaching: one-on-one coaching available

• Collaborative: multiple educators work together on the same content or practice, such as through PLCs

• Reflective Practice: Teachers encouraged to analyze their classroom actions, values, & educational philosophy

• Data-Driven: analyzes and responds to teacher and/or student data

• Continuous Improvement: improves outcomes through an iterative process, using research and evaluation

• Scaled: replicated or expanded to need the meets of a larger group of educators

Teaching Social & Emotional Skills in San Jose, California

Voice & Choice: Training must have buy-in from and be led by the teachers themselves, and it must be embedded in their jobs or the efforts will not be successful.

Teachers work with students to identify their feelings each day.

Teaching Social & Emotional Skills in San Jose, California

Strengthening STEM Instruction in Passaic, New Jersey

SciMath-DLL is strengthening pre-K teachers’ STEM instruction.

The program serves a cohort of teachers who work in both public schools and Head Start centers.

Caption: Hagit Mano (right) guides pre-K teacher (left) in turning a seemingly simple lesson like juicing oranges into an exploratory, language-rich science experiment that challenges children to think critically about how people transform food.

Strengthening STEM Instruction in Passaic, New Jersey

Building a Cohort of Early Ed TechLeaders in Chicago, Illinois

TEC Mentors Program is designed to develop a cohort of early childhood educators who can be technology leaders and coaches. The teachers learn how to integrate technology into their early childhood programs, classrooms, and out-of-school initiatives.

Caption: (Left) Two teachers in the TEC Mentors Professional Development playground at the Erikson Institute. They are playing with conductive playdough and building circuits. Photo taken by Shayna Cook. (Right) Conductive play dough and wires. Photo from TEC Mentors Program’s Twitter Account.

Building a Cohort of Early Ed TechLeaders in Chicago, Illinois

Connecting Research to Practice in Nashville, Tennessee

The Magic 8:

1. Reduce transition time 2. Increase the quality of instruction3. Create a more positive emotional

climate4. Have teachers listen more to children5. Provide more sequential activities6. Foster social learning interactions7. Foster high levels of child

involvement8. Create more math opportunities

Caption: Researchers from Vanderbilt’s Peabody Research Institute discuss “Magic 8” with group of Metro Nashville Public Schools pre-K coaches.

Connecting Research to Practice in Nashville, Tennessee

Improving Language and Literacy Across Texas

Children’s Learning Institute manges the Texas School Ready Project and the Engage online platform. This is a screenshot from the platform.

Improving Language and Literacy Across Texas

5 Lessons for Growing Strong Pre-K Teachers

1. Embrace that high-quality professional learning is an investment of time and money.

2. Help teachers and administrators see the value early on.

3. Develop opportunities for teacher leadership and growth.

4. Coach the coaches.

5. Align the program model with the latest research on professional learning and use evaluation tools for continuous improvement.

Whip Around

● What is your one takeaway from this session that you will bring back to your colleagues?

● What questions do you still have?

Shayna CookPolicy Analyst

Email: cook@newamerica.orgTwitter: @cook_shayna

Abbie Lieberman Policy Analyst

Email: lieberman@newamerica.orgTwitter: @abbielieberman