Program Summary
Implementing a Quality Coach Pilot Program with Winchester-based Early Childhood Coalition
- Work within the formal early childcare system to improve educator and student outcomes of targeted programs channeling students into Winchester Public Schools (WPS)
- Early Childhood Coalition will be anchored by WPS Virginia Pre-K Initiative (VPI) and Head Start classrooms; however, additional subsidized private sector Coalition partners will be brought into the program over time
- Quality Coach will mirror current VPI Quality Coaches in developing Coalition teacher action plans and usage of the CLASS evaluation tool
- Theory of change: Quality Coach will improve early childhood educator skills, confidence, and capabilities which will then result in higher-quality academic/social-emotional learning environments for students, ultimately improving student performance and getting more students on level upon entering public school kindergarten
- Will provide 3-years of funding to cover the cost of a Quality Coach employed by WPS
Testimonials
“We need you for years to come!”
“Our Coach is an essential part of the teacher’s learning experience. She has become a valuable part of the day. She provides a new perspective to teacher’s lessons, classroom organization, and allows the teacher to learn new ‘teachable tools’ to offer the students.”
“I have seen an improvement in the teacher’s ability to cope with disciplinary challenges. Our Coach has helped with implementing ‘Conscious Discipline’ in our rooms. She has become a great role model for the teachers and I look forward to having her coach the teachers in the future!”
“All the directors we have talked to who work with the J2W Quality Coach have expressed both the need and the positive effect of her coaching in their centers. Directors have found her coaching method to be effective with their teachers by providing ways to improve quality in instruction, planning and being an advocate for their teachers. Directors have stated that her presence is making positive changes in their centers.”
Measures of Performance
For more information, please see Data Analysis section at the bottom of the page
Measures of Performance
For more information, please see Data Analysis section at the bottom of the page
Data Analysis
- Goal: To improve the quality of early learning opportunities for economically disadvantaged children.
- The Quality Coach program was mirrored off the Virginia Pre-Kindergarten Initiative (VPI) Instructional Coach model, whereby a Winchester Public School instructional coach works directly with the VPI classroom teachers to improve teacher skills and classroom organization, ultimately with the goal to provide an improved environment where children can thrive.
- The Quality Coach is working within the formal early childcare center-based programs that pipeline students into the public school system.
- Intent: We believe we can improve kindergarten readiness through early intervention by improving the quality of education of early childhood programs that eventually place students into the Winchester public school system. We expect that overall kindergarten readiness scores, as measured by the Virginia Kindergarten Readiness Program (VKRP), will demonstrate increased readiness over time.
- We will measure teacher performance by using the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS Observation). As a Preschool Development Grant (PDG) or Mixed Delivery Grant (MDG) recipient, these center-based programs are required to conduct CLASS Observations on the teachers. The CLASS tool assesses 3 areas: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support. CLASS Observers will score teachers 2/year.
- We are developing our own internal literacy assessment, based on the PALS model, that can be used by all of the private centers in our community in order to create a uniform assessment tool across centers. We expect to launch this tool in the fall of 2023, with measurements to share in 2024.
- Initial results:
- In the first year, we launched the program with a total of 3 programs and 5 classrooms (one VPI expansion class at WPS, 2 Head Start classrooms, and 2 Childhaven classrooms), totaling 63 students. By year two at the end of 2022, we had 5 programs, with 8 classrooms, totaling 85 students. Heading into our third and final year, the program has grown to 14 classrooms with 138 students. These results reflect the growth of the program and the trust of the community in this strategy, earning a “green” health score.
- Our teacher CLASS Observation scores were very positive over the course of the year, receiving a “green” in 2 of 3 categories of Emotional Support Growth (decreased slightly from 6.09 to 6.06, earning a “yellow”, with a goal of 5.93. It exceed the goal but the dip is the reason for the yellow); Classroom Organization (improved from 5.27 to 5.44, with a goal of 5.14); and Instructional Support (improved from 2.4 to 3.18, with a goal of 3.04).
- We did complete our initial PALS-modified literacy assessment across several of these programs in the fall of 2023. Our baseline assessment of meeting benchmarks was 27%, which will be scored again in the spring 2024.
- We also launched a program satisfaction survey, with earned 100% satisfaction in both categories, earning a “green” score. The categories included:
- If the teacher being coached believes the program is positively impacting professional development and growth.
- If the teacher being coached believes the program is better preparing students for the next academic year.