Guilford County Incredible Years Preschool Sustainability Project

Project Description

In 2017-18 and 2018-19, with funding from the Institute of Education Sciences, we provided training to 54 classrooms in Guilford County to promote the implementation of two of the Incredible Years Series of Programs: Incredible Years Teacher Classroom Management and Incredible Years Dinosaur School. Preliminary results from this cluster randomized trial showed positive effects on two aspects of self-regulation: social-emotional skills and executive functioning.

Self-regulation has been clearly implicated in every aspect of a person’s long-term wellbeing, and its early development lays a foundation for physical and mental health, relationships, academic achievement and socioeconomic success. The development of self-regulation is influenced by a combination of individual and external factors including temperament, skills, caregiver support, and environmental context. It can be derailed by extreme stress and adversity, but it can also be strengthened and taught.

This project supports implementation of these programs to benefit future cohorts of preschoolers by extending coaching and teacher support to anchor in the skills that teachers have learned and motivate them to continue regular delivery of Dinosaur School Lessons. Funding also supports a Teacher Leadership Development Program for teachers who have been certified in Dinosaur School. This program supports teachers in this track to begin mentoring others in ongoing implementation and leading quarterly meetings and Peer Learning Community conversations, thus spearheading sustainability when this project comes to an end.

Project Goals

This funding from the Duke Endowment supports ongoing implementation of these programs to benefit future cohorts of preschoolers by extending coaching and teacher support to anchor in the skills that teachers have learned and motivate them to continue regular delivery of Dinosaur School Lessons.

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