MAKING THE MOST OF CLASSROOM INTERACTIONS AND ITS EFFECTS ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT DOMAIN

Professional learning for teachers has become a staple in today’s education continuous improvement system. Federal programs such as the Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Program (RTTT), Every Student Succeeds Act of 2015, Elementary and Secondary Education Act and others have supported funds over the years to account for developing teachers’ professional knowledge with the intended outcome being the development of high-quality classrooms and learning opportunities that equalize the playing field for all students. The RTTT program supported Georgia’s Pre-K in using the observational tool Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) to identify strengths and areas of growth in child outcomes. Quickly following the use of CLASS, Georgia’s Pre-K began the implementation of the Making the Most of Classroom Interactions (MMCI) training model to meet the professional learning needs of teachers. There is an abundance of empirical studies citing evidence for the use of CLASS and its effects on student growth socially, emotionally, and academically; however, there is limited research citing evidence for the use of CLASS’ MMCI professional learning model and its effects on teachers’ instructional support based on consultants’ perspectives. The purpose of this study was to assess Georgia Pre-K consultants’ perspectives on the role of the MMCI PD model on prekindergarten teachers’ instructional support implementation in classrooms.