REL Midwest Reference Desk. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 1

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1 Reference Desk Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness Question October 2015 Among licensed preschool teachers, what is the relationship between educational attainment and kindergarten readiness? Background received a request for information on preschool teacher educational attainment in relation to kindergarten readiness. Following an established research protocol, we conducted a search for research reports as well as descriptive and policy-oriented briefs and articles on teacher educational attainment and kindergarten readiness. The sources included federally funded organizations, research institutions, several educational research databases, and a general Internet search using Google and other search engines. We also searched for appropriate organizations that may act as resources on this issue. We have not done an evaluation of these organizations or the resources themselves but offer this list for reference only. Among licensed preschool teachers, what is the relationship between educational attainment and kindergarten readiness? Brown, E. T., Molfese, V. J., & Molfese, P. (2008). Preschool student learning in literacy and mathematics: Impact of teacher experience, qualifications, and beliefs on an at-risk sample. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 13(1), From the abstract: Few studies investigating the impacts of teacher characteristics and beliefs about the importance of early skill learning have included measures of children s learning outcomes. This study investigated how teachers educational attainment, experience, and beliefs impact the development of letter identification and number concepts (enumeration, cardinality, and numeral identification). One hundred thirty-eight 4-year-old children from low-income homes attending public preschool programs were the focus of a study based on findings that early learning is impacted by family characteristics and teachers perceptions of children s eagerness to learn (West, Denton, & Germino Hausken, 2000). Children s skills were assessed fall and spring, with more change found in spring measures of letter identification than in measures of number concept skills. Teachers educational attainment was found to strongly influence Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness _10/15

2 development of letter identification, with teacher experience a weaker influence. For number concepts, teacher education and experience were equivalent influences. Teachers beliefs about literacy and mathematics were weakly related to children s learning outcomes, but added to the variance accounted for beyond the influence of teacher education and experience in the development of numeral recognition. More information is needed from studies focusing on children learning across the school year on how structural and process features influence young children s learning. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Connor, C. M., Son, S., Hindman, A. H., & Morrison, F. J. (2005). Teacher qualifications, classroom practices, family characteristics, and preschool experience: Complex effects on first graders vocabulary and early reading outcomes. Journal of School Psychology, 43(4), From the abstract: Using an ecological model, this study explored the effects of distal and proximal sources of influence on students learning. We first examined three markers of teacher qualification elementary education credential, years of education, and years of experience on observed classroom practices across three dimensions warmth/responsivity, control/discipline, and time spent on academic activities as they related to children s vocabulary and early reading skills. We then examined the impact of this core system embedded in a larger system that included children s vocabulary and word recognition skills prior to school entry, their home and preschool learning environments, and family SES. Results, using structural equation modeling, revealed that students whose teachers were more warm and responsive and who spent more time in academic activities demonstrated stronger vocabulary and decoding skills at the end of first grade. Teachers with more years of education interacted with students more responsively but, surprisingly, their students had weaker early reading skills. Overall, students language and letter-word recognition scores when they were 54 months of age, their home learning environment and family SES accounted for most of the variability in vocabulary and early reading scores at the end of first grade. Implications of the multiple and concurrent sources of influence on students language and literacy development are discussed. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 2

3 Coplan, R. J., Wichmann, C., Lagace-Seguin, D. G., Rachlis, L. M., & McVey, M. K. (1999). The degree of instructor education and child outcomes in junior kindergarten: A comparison of certificated teachers and early childhood educators. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 14(1), From the abstract: The goal of this study was to explore differences in the social and cognitive development of 4-year-old children in junior kindergarten, taught by groups of differentially educated instructors. Indices of social competence and social skills (i.e., solitary play, reticent behaviors, sociodramatic play) and cognitive skills (i.e., vocabulary, storybook knowledge, counting) were assessed for children in classrooms instructed by early childhood educators (with 2-year college degrees in early childhood education) and by teachers (who have obtained a university teaching certificate). Results from a series of MANOVAs indicated that children taught by differentially educated teachers did not differ in terms of social and cognitive skills. Results are discussed in terms of conceptual and policy implications associated with the use of differentially educated early childhood instructors. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Early, D. M., Bryant, D. M., Pianta, R. C., Clifford, R. M., Burchinal, M. R., Ritchie, S.,... Barbarin, O. (2006). Are teachers education, major, and credentials related to classroom quality and children s academic gains in pre-kindergarten? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21(2), From the abstract: To date, few studies of state-funded pre-kindergarten have fully addressed questions about the association between teachers education, major, and credentials with classroom quality or children s academic gains. The current paper uses data from the National Center for Early Development and Learning s (NCEDL) Multi- State Study of Pre-Kindergarten, involving 237 pre-kindergarten classrooms and over 800 children, randomly selected from six states with well-established state-funded prekindergarten programs. The study includes multiple days of classroom observation, direct child assessments of children s early academic skills in the fall and spring of the prekindergarten year, and questionnaires from teachers. For the current paper, teachers education has been operationalized in three different ways (years of education, highest degree, and Bachelor s versus no Bachelor s). Additionally, the paper considers the role of college major, state teaching certification, and CDA credential. Consistent with findings in the K-12 literature, this study finds few associations between any of the measures of education, major, or credentials and classroom quality or children s outcomes. Teachers education, regardless of how it is operationalized, is linked to gains in children s math skills across the pre-k year, and the CDA credential is linked to children s gains in basic skills; however, education, training, and credentialing are not consistently related to classroom quality or other academic gains for children. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 3

4 Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Early, D. M., Maxwell, K. L., Burchinal, M., Alva, S., Bender, R. H., Bryant, D.,... Zill, N. (2007). Teachers education, classroom quality, and young children s academic skills: Results from seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78(2), From the abstract: In an effort to provide high-quality preschool education, policymakers are increasingly requiring public preschool teachers to have at least a Bachelor s degree, preferably in early childhood education. Seven major studies of early care and education were used to predict classroom quality and children s academic outcomes from the educational attainment and major of teachers of 4-year-olds. The findings indicate largely null or contradictory associations, indicating that policies focused solely on increasing teachers education will not suffice for improving classroom quality or maximizing children s academic gains. Instead, raising the effectiveness of early childhood education likely will require a broad range of professional development activities and supports targeted toward teachers interactions with children. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Saracho, O. N., & Spodek, B. (2007). Early childhood teachers preparation and the quality of program outcomes. Early Child Development and Care, 177(1), From the abstract: The issue of the preparation of effective teachers becomes more critical for teachers of early childhood programs. It has been hypothesized that better program quality depends on better-educated teachers. The purpose of this investigation was to explore the importance of a high level of education for all early childhood education teachers. This issue has intrigued early childhood researchers and has prompted a large amount of research studies over the past decades. In order to assess the status of this line of inquiry and to provide guidance for future research, a critical analysis of 40 studies on the preparation of early childhood education teachers and the quality of their educational programs that were published within a 15-year ( ) period is presented here. The analysis consisted of literal and allegorical critical analysis and interpretative critical analyses, which generated results in three main areas that focused on the professional development of the teachers, including teachers professional development, the importance of a Bachelor s Degree and educational standards for early childhood education teachers. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 4

5 Vu, J. A., Jeon, H., & Howes, C. (2008). Formal education, credential, or both: Early childhood program classroom practices. Early Education and Development, 19(3), From the abstract: Research Findings: This study is intended to widen the debate around the bachelor s degree (BA) as preparation for early childhood teaching when head teachers possess various levels of credentials and education. We examined classroom quality and teacher involvement in 231 classrooms sponsored by 122 different agencies, staffed and supervised by teachers and program directors who had varying levels of credentials within the California Child Development Permit. We found that not only teachers education and credential level but also the credential level of the program director as well as auspice predicted classroom quality. In private, nonprofit programs as well as Head Start/general child care programs, teacher BAs did predict classroom quality, but when classrooms were sponsored by school districts and the state, preschool program teacher BAs were not as predictive of classroom quality. Practice or Policy: These findings point to the importance of considering not only teachers education but also the effects of supervision and auspice when examining the influences of variations in professional development on classroom quality. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Although we were unable to locate a link to the full-text version of this article, we determined that it might be of interest to you. The resource may be available through university or public library systems. Additional Resources Bogard, K., Traylor, F., & Takanishi, R. (2008). Teacher education and PK outcomes: Are we asking the right questions? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 23(1), 1 6. From the abstract: Recent studies do not find consistent relationships between teacher degree, major, and certification, and PK outcomes (Early, D. M., Bryant, D. M., Pianta, R. C., Clifford, R. M., Burchinal, M. R., Ritchie, S., et al. (2006). Are teachers education, major, and credentials related to classroom quality and children s academic gains in pre-kindergarten? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, ; Early, D. M., Maxwell, K. L., Burchinal, M., Bender, R. H., Ebanks, C., Henry, G. T., et al. (2007). Teachers education, classroom quality, and young children s academic skills: Results from seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78, ), raising questions about the impact of the degrees and certifications of PK teachers on children s learning. The researchers note that these findings do not support the conclusion that teacher education does not matter for children s learning. However, they do not provide specific directions for policymakers who decide on the minimum requirements for teacher qualifications in PK programs. This commentary raises issues for researchers and policymakers about whether PK is part of a K-12 educational continuum, how teachers are prepared to teach, how research is designed to inform policy, and the importance of developmental science in policy-relevant education research. As part of a future PK 16 education system, we propose that the BA be the entry requirement for PK as it is for K 12 teachers, followed by professional education combined with extensive classroom experiences. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 5

6 Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Gomez, R. E., Kagan, S. L., & Fox, E. A. (2015). Professional development of the early childhood education teaching workforce in the United States: An overview. Professional Development in Education, 41(2), From the abstract: Resulting from a fragmented landscape of policies for and uneven investments in the early childhood education (ECE) field in the United States, the qualifications of the ECE teaching workforce are typically quite low. This article first reviews the history and status of the ECE teaching workforce in the United States, focusing on the evolution of the field, current demographic characteristics of the teaching workforce and the pathways to professional development and professional preparation of the teaching workforce. The authors then discuss the legacies of this history and policy landscape: a lack of quality, equity and sustainability. Offering a re-conceptualization of professional development within the context of systems thinking, the article concludes with a discussion of innovations and challenges with which the field contends relative to workforce development. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Hyson, M., Tomlinson, H., B., & Morris, C. (2009). Quality improvement in early childhood teacher education: Faculty perspectives and recommendations for the future. Early Childhood Research & Practice, 11(1). Retrieved from From the abstract: Approximately 1,200 institutions of higher education in the United States offer a degree in early childhood education, but recent research questions the strength of the relationship between teachers having a degree and benefits to child development and learning. However, there has been little empirical focus on the quality of degree programs. This exploratory study examined faculty perspectives on program priorities and factors that may facilitate or impede program quality-improvement efforts. Data were obtained from an online survey of early childhood education program administrators and faculty (N = 231); additional telephone interview data were obtained from 20 survey participants. Faculty reported relying on national and state standards for guidance in designing and implementing their programs. Results indicated inadequate knowledge of current early childhood research and theory on the part of some faculty. Faculty-reported priorities to enhance program quality included strengthening student competencies (the highest priority being implementing curriculum effectively), building faculty capacity, and accreditation. When describing their program s organizational climate, most faculty reported being in implementation or maintenance mode, building mode, and change mode. Those who described themselves as being in survival mode Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 6

7 were more likely to report low philosophical and financial support from their institutions. To improve program quality, faculty cited the following needs: more faculty, more time, institutional recognition of their program s value, financial support, professional development opportunities, and institutional understanding of the larger context of early childhood education. The paper concludes with recommendations for research, policy, and technical assistance and support for teacher preparation programs in the United States. Pianta, R., Howes, C., Burchinal, M., Bryant, D., Clifford, R., Early, D., & Barbarin, O. (2005). Features of pre-kindergarten programs, classrooms, and teachers: Do they predict observed classroom quality and child teacher interactions? Applied Developmental Science, 9(3) From the abstract: This study draws from the National Center for Early Development and Learning s Multi-State Pre-Kindergarten Study to examine the extent to which program, classroom, and teacher attributes of the program ecology predict observed quality and teacher-child interactions in a sample of 238 classrooms representing 6 states pre-kindergarten programs. Quality was assessed observationally at the global level and for specific teaching practices. Quality was lower in classrooms with more than 60% of the children from homes below the poverty line, when teachers lacked formal training (or a degree) in early childhood education, and held less child-centered beliefs. Program and teacher attributes were statistically significant, albeit quite modest, predictors of observed quality. Location of the program in a school building, child:staff ratio, and length of day had no relation to quality. State-level factors not attributable to the teacher, program, and classroom factors examined accounted for the majority of explained variance in observed quality. Results suggest that the association between distal features of programs and teachers and quality in pre-kindergarten is more similar to elementary school settings than to child care settings and that quality appears most closely related to proximal teacher and child characteristics. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. White, K. (1993). Does a degree make a difference? A comparison of interactions between degreed and non-degreed early childhood educators and their four-year-old children. Early Child Development and Care, 96, From the abstract: Two case studies examined the relationship between preschool teachers educational level and their interactions with students. Subjects were two preschool teachers with degrees and three without. Specific similarities and differences among the teachers support the need for instruction in developmentally appropriate practices for adults who work with young children. Note: tries to provide publicly available resources whenever possible. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 7

8 Additional Organizations to Consult National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) ( From the website: The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a professional membership organization that works to promote high-quality early learning for all young children, birth through age 8, by connecting early childhood practice, policy, and research. We advance a diverse, dynamic early childhood profession and support all who care for, educate, and work on behalf of young children. National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) ( From the website: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences. NCES fulfills a Congressional mandate to collect, collate, analyze, and report complete statistics on the condition of American education; conduct and publish reports; and review and report on education activities internationally. Keywords and Search Strings Used in the Search Preschool teacher AND degree Preschool teacher AND qualifications Teacher degree AND preschool Teacher degree AND readiness Teacher qualifications AND readiness Teacher qualifications AND preschool Teacher qualifications AND kindergarten Teacher qualifications AND kindergarten readiness Teacher education AND outcomes AND preschool Teacher education AND outcomes AND kindergarten Teacher degree AND early childhood education Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 8

9 Search of Databases and Websites Institute of Education Sciences sources: Institute of Education Sciences (IES), Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Program, National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) Other federally funded sites: Center on Enhancing Early Learning Outcomes (CEELO), Center on Great Teachers and Leaders (GTL Center) Additional data resources: ERIC, EBSCO databases, JSTOR database, Google Scholar, Google, general Internet search Criteria for Inclusion When Reference Desk researchers review resources, they consider among other things four factors: Date of the publication: We include the most current information, except in the case of nationally known seminal resources. Source and funder of the report/study/brief/article: We give priority to IES, nationally funded, and certain other vetted sources known for strict attention to research protocols. Methodology: Randomized controlled trial studies, surveys, self-assessments, literature reviews, policy briefs. We generally give priority for inclusion to randomized controlled trial study findings, but the reader should note at least the following factors when basing decisions on these resources: numbers of participants (just a few? thousands?); selection (Did the participants volunteer for the study, or were they chosen?); representation (Were findings generalized from a homogeneous or a diverse pool of participants? Was the study sample representative of the population as a whole?). Existing knowledge base: Although we strive to include vetted resources, there are times when the research base is slim or nonexistent. In these cases, we presented the best resources we could find, which may include, for example, newspaper articles, interviews with content specialists, and organization websites. The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Reference Desk is a service provided by a collaborative of the REL Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Education s Institute of Education Sciences (IES). This response was prepared under contract ED-IES-12-C-0004 with IES, by, administered by American Institutes for Research. The content of the response does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of IES or the U.S. Department of Education, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. government. Teacher Educational Attainment and Kindergarten Readiness 9