Title page for ETD etd-03152006-144622

Type of Document

Dissertation

Author

Clancy-Menchetti, Jeanine L.

Author's Email Address

jmenchetti@fcrr.org

URN

etd-03152006-144622

Title

Early Literacy Professional Development: Exploring the Effects of Mentoring for Preschool Teachers

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Childhood Education, Reading and Disability Services, Department of

Advisory Committee

Advisor Name	Title
Stephanie Al Otaiba	Committee Chair
Barbara Edwards	Committee Member
Joseph Torgesen	Committee Member
Vickie Lake	Committee Member

Keywords

Early Childhood Education
Preschool
Professional Development
Staff Development
Teacher Training
Mentoring
Early Literacy

Date of Defense

2006-02-27

Availability

unrestricted

Abstract

ABSTRACT

This study examined the impact of mentoring as a separate component of professional development on both teacher and student outcomes. Preschool teachers from Head Start centers and Public School programs were randomly assigned to condition and then received extensive professional development training over a two-year period. The teachers were observed three times per year in their classrooms using an observation instrument that measured the overall quality of language and literacy environment. The students were assessed three times per year to assess growth in the following emergent literacy skills: (a) phonological sensitivity, (b) print awareness and (c) expressive vocabulary. Both teacher and student measures were analyzed by condition, by site, and by condition controlling for site using growth curve analysis.
Mentoring was found to have no impact on teachers’ observation scores however the mentored teachers did have higher levels of compliance to implementing one of the emergent literacy activities. Children from mentored classrooms had significantly greater growth on the Elision subtest than children from non-mentored classrooms. More differences were found when the student data was analyzed by site than by condition.

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