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Abstract
Institutional characteristics of preschool centers can influence the successful implementation of professional development programming. This article provides an overview of a dynamic Head Start teacher professional development program. The program, conducted by a well-respected theatre-in-education organization, was designed to help preschool teachers learn how to use educational drama strategies and techniques to foster children's language and social development. Factors that supported or inhibited the successful implementation of the program are identified. Preschool professionals should consider these factors before investing in teacher professional development initiatives.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
This research was supported in part by a Head Start Research Scholars Dissertation Grant. I am grateful to the Administration for Children and Families Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation for funding this study. I also thank New York City's Administration for Children's Services/Head Start, Pat Hussey, and each of the Head Start centers that granted me permission to conduct my research on-site, as well as all of the education directors and teachers with whom I worked while conducting this research. In addition, I appreciate Lynda Zimmerman for granting me permission to conduct research on the Creative Arts Team's Early Learning Through the Arts: New York City Wolf Trap Program and the members of the Creative Arts Team who agreed to participate in this study. I also thank Alexandra Miletta for her helpful suggestions and Tara L. Edelschick for her invaluable feedback on multiple drafts of this article. Finally, I gratefully acknowledge Barbara Alexander Pan, Catherine E. Snow, Paul L. Harris, and Terrence Tivnan; their wise advice and support guided my dissertation study on which this article is based.