Study of Coaching Practices in Early Care and Education Settings (SCOPE), United States, 2019

The Study of Coaching Practices in Early Care and Education Settings (SCOPE), funded by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF), aimed to examine the range of coaching options utilized in the early care and education (ECE) field. SCOPE examined how the prevalence, implementation, combination, and tailoring of coaching features vary across center-based classrooms and family child care (FCC) homes serving preschool-age children. In addition, the study explored programmatic and systems-level factors related to the implementation of coaching. The SCOPE project was a mixed-methods study conducted in seven states and focused on centers and FCCs that serve preschool-age children from families with low incomes. It primarily examined coaching in programs funded through a Head Start grant or serving children receiving Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidies, and used a purposive sampling approach. From February through July 2019, the research team implemented web-based surveys with center directors, center teachers, FCC providers, and coaches.