Teaching style more important than certification for pre-k learning
at the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies

February 2005

Contact:
Betsy Robertson
University Relations
404-651-3572
b-robertson@gsu.edu
_________________________________________________

ATLANTA - Georgia pre-kindergarten teachers who lack certification appear to do as well as better-educated teachers at preparing kids for school, Georgia State University researchers say.

“In this study, no differences were found in children's outcomes when they were taught by teachers who were certified by the state as opposed to teachers holding associate's degrees or technical diplomas,” said lead researcher Gary Henry, professor of public administration and urban studies, political science, and educational policy studies in Georgia State's Andrew Young School of Policy Studies.

The finding may represent good news for Georgia because the number of certified pre-k teachers in the state is declining. The proportion of pre-k teachers who have been certified by the state dropped from more than 78 percent in 1998 to below 60 percent in 2002, the year examined by the study. The decrease appears to have been fueled largely by class-size reduction mandates which have drawn certified teachers from pre-k into kindergarten and elementary-school classrooms, Henry says. During the same period, the percentage of teachers with four-year degrees related to early-childhood development increased from about 6 percent to more than 20 percent.

Henry's findings counter other studies that indicate teacher certification increases the effectiveness of early-childhood education programs. Georgia's pre-k program may be affected differently from similar programs in other states because of the large amount of training and on-site technical help offered to teachers here, Henry said. Also, all Georgia pre-k teachers must earn at least a two-year degree or technical diploma related to child development.

Funded by Bright from the Start: Georgia's Department of Early Care and Learning and the National Institute for Early Education Research, Henry's study assessed how differences in the way pre-k is implemented affect children's development. His past research has shown that Georgia's lottery-funded pre-k program has produced better-prepared kindergarteners since its creation 11 years ago.

His latest study also indicates:

• Higher concentrations of economically disadvantaged students in pre-k classrooms may reduce the positive effects of pre-k on certain skills, yet improve children's attitudes about school and learning.
• “Child-centered” teaching practices, which allow children to initiate more of their own activities, benefit kids more than other approaches.
• Children taught using the “High Reach” curriculum did not perform or behave as well, or have as positive attitudes about school and learning, as children taught using two other curricula, “High/Scope” and “Creative.” “While these differences are, in some cases, small, they lead us to recommend a review of the curricula that have been approved for use in the pre-k program, as well as the curriculum-approval process,” Henry says.

For more information, contact Henry at 404-651-2343 (office), 404-808-9352 (cell) or gthenry@gsu.edu.

View the study: An evaluation of the implementation of Georgia's Pre-k program: Report of the findings from the Georgia Early Childhood Study (2002-03)