title: Experimental impacts of a teacher professional development program in Chile on preschool classroom quality and child outcomes.
abstract: We assessed impacts on classroom quality and on 5 child language and behavioral outcomes of a 2-year teacher professional-development program for publicly funded prekindergarten and kindergarten in Chile. This cluster-randomized trial included 64 schools (child N = 1,876). The program incorporated workshops and in-classroom coaching. We found moderate to large positive impacts on observed emotional and instructional support as well as classroom organization in prekindergarten classrooms after 1 year of the program. After 2 years of the program, moderate positive impacts were observed on emotional support and classroom organization. No significant program impacts on child outcomes were detected at posttest (1 marginal effect, an increase in a composite of self-regulation and low problem behaviors, was observed). Professional development for preschool teachers in Chile can improve classroom quality. More intensive curricular approaches are needed for these improvements to translate into effects on children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Psychology, New York University.
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Davidson College.
authors.forename: Diana
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Leyva
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Catherine E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Snow
authors.affiliation: School of Education, Universidad Diego Portales.
authors.forename: Ernesto
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Treviño
authors.affiliation: Instituto Universitário de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Cis-IUL.
authors.forename: M Clara
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Barata
authors.affiliation: School of Education, University of Michigan.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Weiland
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Celia J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Gomez
authors.affiliation: Mathematica Policy Research.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.affiliation: David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rolla
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Education, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Nikhit
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Sa
authors.affiliation: Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard University.
authors.forename: Mary Catherine
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Arbour
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002677:Chile; D004493:Education / Q000592:standards; D004496:Education, Continuing; D005178:Faculty; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016730:Program Development; D015397:Program Evaluation; D058996:Quality Improvement; D012578:Schools, Nursery / Q000592:standards*; D013663:Teaching / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards