Educational reform policies such as the No Child
Left Behind Act continue to place great demands on teachers.
Additionally, educational reform policies such as this imply
the need for continuous professional development activities
that enhance teacher qualifications, especially for practicing
teachers. This study examined the effectiveness of a nationwide mentor-coach initiative towards enhancing teacher
pedagogy and its effect on children’s literacy performance.
Forty-four Head Start teachers and classrooms were examined. Results indicated that reading and writing scores benefited significantly more when teachers participated in the
mentor-coach initiative. These findings suggest that professional development activities such as mentor-coach initiatives, if offered appropriately, can enhance children’s
academic performance