Quality Support Coaching in LAUP: Findings from the 2011-2012 Program Year

Los Angeles Universal Preschool (LAUP), an entity funded by First 5 LA, is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to provide access to high quality preschool education to the children of Los Angeles County. To achieve high quality preschool educational experiences for the children it serves, LAUP provides a number of services to both the center-based and family child care (FCC) programs in its network, including Quality Support Coaching. LAUP Quality Support Coaching has the potential to transform preschool educational settings by giving providers the skills and resources they need to support high quality environments. However, coaching occurs in a complex environment, and the resources brought to bear on the coaching process, the context in which it takes place, and the complexity of the coaching approach are factors that influence its success. As part of Phase 5 of the Universal Preschool Child Outcomes Study (UPCOS-5; the 2011–2012 program year), we conducted a study of Quality Support Coaching in LAUP to provide formative feedback to LAUP on these factors.