Method: Two hundred and seventy two PYFP participants completed the PYFP Index prior to engaging in online professional development courses. The 20-item PYFP Index was developed based on items from the 2012 School Health Index developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as targeted goals of the PYFP. The survey was administered at baseline and at year-end to assess teacher perceived changes in the degree of implementation of the program.
Analysis/Results: Response options ranged from 0=not in place to 3=fully in place. A confirmatory factor analysis conducted in MPlus with a subset of the baseline participants (N=272) found that a six-factor solution was a good fit (CFI=.96, TLI=.95, RMSEA=.05, SRMR=.04). The six factors were interpreted as: 1) availability of adequate facilities and opportunities, 2) school and community engagement, 3) use of evidence-based teaching strategies, 4) nutrition tracking, 5) use of awards as incentives, and 6) professional development and curriculum strategies. T-tests in SAS 9.3 were used to determine changes in the overall PYFP Index score as well as in each of the six factors across year one of the PYFP. Preliminary results (from 105 teachers who have completed both assessments) show that teachers’ perceptions of the degree to which the activities and strategies were being implemented currently at their school declined, both overall and across every component (all p<.05).
Conclusions: Surprisingly, teacher self-reported degree of implementation significantly declined after participation in PD that included online courses, the provision of teaching resources, and webinars. While it is unclear why there was a decline in degree of implementation, gaining a better understanding of how teacher knowledge of appropriate practices may have contributed is relevant. Continued data collection that includes teacher interviews and site visits, should provide an opportunity to elucidate these findings.