Page 17 - Gateways for Early Educators

Gateways for Early Educators
2016
Coaching Within the Context of QRIS
In the context of a QRIS coaching takes on additional roles including helping early childhood educators understand the system and requirements of the QRIS, helping them understand the observational measures used in the QRIS, helping them understand the written documentation required (which is often quite extensive), assisting the early childhood educators in applying for funding or grants available for quality improvements or professional development activities, and helping them understand and prepare for the ratings that are a fundamental part of the QRIS.xvi
Often the work of coaching within a QRIS focuses on changing practices rather than increasing knowledge through training or coursework.xvii There are often multiple staff who assist the early childhood educator in completing paperwork or forms, creating the portfolio or binder, assisting with understanding the observation tools (e.g., environmental rating scales), making changes to practices and environment and often these staff work for different programs or agencies with different purposes, dramatically increasing the complexity and potential confusion for the participants. This research on QRIS found that work within the QRIS occurs in phases including preparing for the quality rating, facilitating the rating process (understanding, scheduling, etc.), and following up to develop a quality improvement plan to improve the practices and environment based on the initial rating. Initial goals often entailed “quick technical fixes” with participants transitioning to setting goals that required more time and effort. These experiences and activities have been cited by Coaches who deliver quality improvement coaching to LACOCC QRIS participants within the Gateways program. Additionally, the idea of tackling a quick fix to solidify a strong working relationship is consistent with that described by well-known early childhood consultation experts Virginia Buysee and Patricia Wesley.xviii
Theory of Change
Studies of early care and education consistently show a connection between high- quality care and positive child development outcomes and indicate that the quality of early childhood programs is largely determined by the education and training of the providers.xix xx xxi Children who attend centers that have more educated and trained caregivers are rated higher on language skills, social competence, and school readiness than children in centers with providers who have less education and training. Hence it is important to have a highly trained early care and education workforce to better serve children.
According to a study of the early care and education workforce in Los Angeles County, the typical licensed family child care provider is a woman of color in her late forties who has been taking care of children in her home for nearly nine years and is less likely than the average Los Angeles County adult to speak English only, and more likely to speak English and Spanish.xxii Given that the study also revealed that approximately three-
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