This study was designed to build on the KIDS (Kentucky Invest in Developing Success) NOW Initiative by conducting research investigating the degree to which a statewide unified professional development system impacted the educational level of early care and education providers and subsequent classroom quality.

1. External
Research
Project:
Chi-Square
Statistics
KENTUCKY PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
FRAMEWORK IMPACT ON
QUALITY AND CHILD
OUTCOMES, 2006-2007
Larry D. Weas, Ed. D. Program
Instructional Technology
ETR 521 –Educational Statistics

2. INTRODUCTION
Research Question
Is there a relationship between classroom
settings and to what extent have educators
implemented what they have learned from
training in their classroom?

3. SCOPE OF STUDY
This study was designed to build on the KIDS (Kentucky Invest in
Developing Success) NOW Initiative by conducting research investigating
the degree to which a statewide unified professional development
system impacted the educational level of early care and education
providers and subsequent classroom quality. It focused on three major
predictors of professional development outcomes:
1. Individual teacher characteristics: training experience, attitudes
towards training, personality
2. Characteristics of the program administrator: administrator
education and administrator support of professional
development
3. Characteristics of the teacher’s work setting: including program
administration, and policies and procedures, and classroom
setting (Child Care, Head Start, or Public Preschool)

4. Introduction & Literature Review
• Based on quantitative and qualitative surveys in which
employers and their employees were consulted, shows
that the environment provided by the company contributes
more decisively than employees' previous training and
career paths to the capability of the latter to attend
vocational training and develop professionally at work
(Lambert, Vero & Zimmermann, 2012).
• Regardless of the effects of demographic variables such
as gender, age, year of study or fields of study, the
prospective teachers' interest in teaching can be identified
through three distinctly different profiles: high, medium
and low interest in teaching (Eren, 2012).
• The need for professional associations to develop learning
environments which enable the effective continuing career
development of professionals and sets out the essential
elements for this learning environment--for example, work-
integrated learning, contextualized constructivism and self-
directed learning (Murphy & Calway, 2008).
• Coleman (2012) found that a growing number of
institutions are being more deliberate about bringing in
fundraisers who fit the culture of the development
department and about assessing skills and providing
training that fill specific needs.
• Agricultural education teachers perceive a need for
professional development in Career Development Events
(CDEs) preparation, but they did not identify the individual
CDEs where training was needed (Harris, 2008).
• According to the NGA Center for Best Practices
(2010), the knowledge, skills, and practices of early
childhood care providers and teachers are critical factors
in their delivery of high-quality developmental and
educational experiences to young children.
However, studies have found that the majority of
professionals that make up the current early childhood
workforce are not adequately prepared.
• Kentucky Initiative for Social Skill and Emotional
Development which provides annual training and
technical assistance to build early childhood programs'
capacity to deliver practices known to promote social and
emotional competency (McLaren, Hall & Fox, 2009).
• The link between program quality and professional
development of early care and education professionals
has prompted many states to increase professional
development activities and supports. Using research
about indicators of high-quality programs, the state of
Kentucky established a system to improve the
professional development of teachers of young children
Rous, Grove & Townley, 2007).

5. METHODS
Procedures
• Descriptive Statistics
• Cross Classification Table
Assessment
• Chi-Square Test Statistics of
Independence
• Cramer’s V Measure of Effect
Size
Data
• Data Source
• Kentucky Professional
Development Framework Impact
on Quality and Child
Outcomes, 2006-2007
• Study: N = 198
• Variables of Interest (Categorical)
• What extent implementing what
was learned in training into the
classroom (scale based on “5”
optional responses)
• Classroom setting (Child
Care, Head Start, or Public
Preschool)

6. DESCRIPTIVE STATISTICS
NOTE: There are 3.4% of the cases missing form the study of 205 (small percentage).
Chi-Square Test Statistic
24.42

7. CROSS CLASSIFICATION
Categorical Variables Table
(with all observed (fo) and expected (fe) frequencies)
Variables of Interest
(Categorical)

8. CLUSTERED BAR CHART
There are generally more
educators that “very much”
implemented what they
learned from their training
in the classroom, but there
is a big difference between
those who have indicated
“not at all” or “not much”
against those whom have
“somewhat” or “added to”
what they learned in the
classroom.

9. HYPOTHESIS RESULTS
(Chi-Square Test Statistic)
Step 1: H0: There is NO relationship (independence)
between classroom setting and implementing
what was learned from the training in the
classroom
H1: A relationship exist between the classroom
setting and implementing what was learned from
the training in the classroom
Step 2: df = (R – 1) (C – 1)
df = (3 – 1) (5 – 1) = (2)(4) = 8
Chi-square (Χ2
crit) critical value

10. HYPOTHESIS RESULTS
(Chi-Square Test Statistic)
cellsall
2
cellsall
2
2
frequencyexpected
frequencyexpected-frequencyobserved
e
eo
f
ff
24.42
Test Statistic:
Step 3: (SPSS)

11. HYPOTHESIS RESULTS
(Chi-Square Test Statistic)
Fail to Reject the (Ho) Hypothesis: there is NO significant relationship
between classroom setting and implementing what was learned from
training in the classroom.
Step 4: Make a Decision?
Since the observed frequencies (fo) have
very little difference from the expected
frequencies (fe), then we can say that the
variables are independent (i.e., they are
not related in the case with three
different classroom settings
The chi-square test statistic value is
less extreme than the Chi-square
(Χ2
crit) critical value.

12. MEASURE OF EFFECT SIZE
Cramer’s V Symmetric Measures (SPSS)
General Guidelines for Interpreting V
 V > .25: Very strong relationship
 .15 < V < .25: Strong relationship
 .11 < V < .15: Moderate relationship
 .06 < V < .10: weak relationship
 .01 < V < .05: No or negligible relationship
The study can be
interpreted as a
weak relationship of
the two variables.

13. DISCUSSION
Summary
Two categorical variables had NO relationship
but contribute to the major outcomes:
1. Professional development
outcomes, as measured by job
status, learning and transfer of
learning, and,
2. Organizational outcomes, as measured
by program quality, child outcomes and
staff retention.The research question guiding this Chi-square
statistic test contributed to determining the
degree to which:
1. A unified professional development
framework initiated at the state level
results in positive child outcomes, and,
2. The educational level of early care and
education providers enhances the
quality of classroom environments.
Description of Variables
Two categorical variables used in Chi-square
test statistics were not ALL inclusive to this
major study. Based on previous research and
expert knowledge of early care and education
systems in Kentucky, system, program,
teacher and child level variables were used.
The two categorical variables used for the Chi-
square test also identified that the level and
intensity of participation in components of the
Professional Development Framework in
Kentucky by teachers and the support of
administrators for this participation have an
impact on teacher retention, program quality
and child outcomes.

14. References
Lambert, M., Vero, J. & Zimmermann, B. (2012).
Vocational training and professional
development: A capability. International
Journal of Training and
Development, 16(3), 164-182
Eren, A. (2012). Prospective teachers' interest in
teaching, professional plans about teaching
and career choice satisfaction: A relevant
framework? Australian Journal of Education,
56(3), 303-318.
Murphy, G. A. & Calway, B. A. (2008). Professional
development for professionals: Beyond
sufficiency learning. Australian Journal of
Adult Learning, 48(3) 424-444.
Coleman, T, (2012). Path to the profession
CURRENTS Review, 38(7), 44-50.
Harris, C. R. (2008). Career development event
participation and professional development
needs of Kansas Agricultural Education
Teachers. Journal of Agricultural
Education, 49(2), 130-138.
Building an Early Childhood Professional (2010).
Development System. Issue Brief Center for
Best Practices.
Karoly, L. (2012). A golden opportunity: Advancing
California's early care and education
workforce professional development system.
Monograph, RAND Corporation.
Anctil, T. M., Smith, C. K. Schenck, P. & Dahir, C.
(2012). Professional School Counselors'
Career Development Practices and
Continuing Education Needs. Career
Development Quarterly, 60(2), 109-121.
McLaren, E. M., Hall, P. J., Fox, P. (2009).
Kentucky's early childhood professional
development initiative to promote social-
emotional competence. NHSA
Dialog, 12(2), 170-183.
Rous, B., Grove, J. & Townley, K. (2007).
Kentucky's statewide early childhood
professional development system.
Dimensions of Early Childhood, 35(1), 29-37.

15. PRESENTATION AT NIU
MAY 2, 2012