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Decision Points and Options for Weaving Early Learning Guidelines into Professional Development
Goal
The workforce has the knowledge, competencies, and aptitude to support children's development and school readiness.
The foundation of a comprehensive professional development system is the knowledge base of theory and research that underlies practice, often called core knowledge. Core knowledge areas and competencies define what all adults who work with children need to know, understand, and be able to do to support children's development and school readiness. They provide a broad categorization of knowledge and skills that apply across all roles in the early/school-age care and education field. Using these categories as a framework, explicit skills and knowledge required of adults that work with specific age-groups, children with special needs, English language learners, in family child care settings, or who administer programs can be developed. Recommended qualifications for specific roles or specializations are developed from the core knowledge base with variations in the depth and breadth of content knowledge or by adding role-specific content areas. Basing all professional development activities and strategies on a consistent core of knowledge and skill areas supports a progressive, articulated, and unified system.
Establishing Scope
Specifications for content focus, competency development, delivery, quality assurances, access, etc., are determined by the populations served. For the professional development system and for each element and strategy employed, the following question must be addressed: Who is/are the target population(s)?
Adults who work in:
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Adults who work with:
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A survey or study of the early/school-age care and education workforce can provide an informed picture of the population requiring professional development. Resources on and examples of State workforce studies are detailed in the document State Early Childhood Workforce Studies (March 2005), by NCCIC, available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/workforcestudy.html and in PDF at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/poptopics/workforcestudy.pdf.
Directions: This tool is meant to serve as a discussion guide. Related resources, delineated by question number and topic, are provided in the companion document Selected Resources for Decision Points and Options for Weaving Early Learning Guidelines into Professional Development. As you use this tool, consider the specific needs of the populations served. Start with question 1a, below. Your answer will lead you to either the Yes or No column that provides the next direction. If you are unable to answer any of the questions, consider who/what partner can—the tool Understanding Collaboration (March 2005), by NCCIC, addresses engaging and collaborating with essential partners.
| Decision Point | Yes | No |
CORE KNOWLEDGE |
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| 1a. Does your State have core knowledge areas and core competencies for early/school-age care and education professionals? | Go to next question | What is used to determine content for training and courses of study? Go to 1e; substitute “core knowledge and competencies” with answer to question above. |
| 1b. Do the core knowledge and competencies apply across all sectors? |  Head Start
Child care
Public schools
Other
Go to question 2. |
Go to next question |
| 1c. Are there separate core knowledge and competency documents that are used in each sector? | Go to next question | What is used to determine content for training and courses of study? Go to next question; substitute “core knowledge and competencies” with answer to question above. |
| 1d. Are the core knowledge and competencies aligned across all sectors? | Go to 2. | Go to next question |
| 1e. Are there plans to align the core knowledge and competencies? | Go to next question | What are the benefits for each sector to align core knowledge and competencies? Go to next question |
| 2. Do the core knowledge areas and core competencies align with the early learning guidelines? | How are they aligned?
Are the ELG domains embedded in or linked to specific core knowledge areas (e.g., child development, curriculum, environment, etc.)? Are there early learning guidelines for infants and toddlers? If so, are they also aligned? Go to next question |
Are the early learning guidelines aligned with core knowledge in any of the sectors? Are all the sectors being trained on the guidelines? Go to next question |
QUALIFICATIONS and CREDENTIALSAre the pieces linked in policy; is there a linked framework for training and professional development offerings? |
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| 3a. Are the core knowledge areas and competencies aligned with or linked to preservice requirements?
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Child care licensing regulations
Subsidy policies
Public education regulations
Early intervention requirements
Head Start/Early Head Start requirements Other requirements
How are they aligned or linked in the policies or regulations? Are there distribution and/or other related stipulations? Are professional development stakeholders aware of these alignments/links? How? Go to next question |
Has there been discussion about specifying the content of required training for directors, teachers, family child care providers, or subsidy providers? Go to next question |
| 3b. Are the core knowledge areas and competencies aligned with or linked to voluntary preservice qualifications? |
Quality Rating System policies
Accreditation
Career lattices/pathways
Other
How are they aligned or linked in the policies or regulations? Are there distribution and/or other related stipulations? Are professional development stakeholders aware of these alignments/links? How? Go to next question |
Are there discussions about linking the core knowledge areas to systems that provide recognition or financial rewards? Have there been any studies of the workforce or of the system components mentioned under Yes column that support the need for training in specific content areas? Go to next question |
| 3c. Are the core knowledge areas and competencies aligned with or linked to required ongoing/inservice training? |
Child care licensing regulations
Subsidy policies
Public education regulations
Early intervention requirements
Head Start/Early Head Start requirements
Other requirements
How are they aligned or linked in the policies or regulations? Are there distribution and/or other related stipulations? Are professional development stakeholders aware of these alignments/links? How? Go to next question |
Go to next question |
| 3d. Are the core knowledge areas and competencies aligned with or linked to voluntary ongoing/inservice training? |
Quality Rating System policies
Accreditation
Career lattices/pathways
Other
How are they aligned or linked in the policies or regulations? Are there distribution and/or other related stipulations? Are professional development stakeholders aware of these alignments/links and stipulations? How? Go to next question |
Are there plans to align with or link to voluntary ongoing/inservice training? Go to next question |
| 4. Are the core knowledge areas and competencies aligned with or linked to State or National credentials offered through community-based and/or higher education? | Infant/Toddler
School-age
Family child care
Director/Administrator
Trainer
Topic/target specific (e.g., literacy, children with special needs, etc.)
National credentials (e.g., CDA, CCP)*
Other
How are they aligned or linked? Are any or all of the credentials offered at more than one level (e.g., Level I and Level II; or Bronze, Silver, and Gold; etc.)? Go to next question |
Are there discussions about developing State credentials? If so, will they link to/be based on the core knowledge areas and competencies? Go to next question |
| 5a. Are the entities delivering/providing community-based training/professional development using core knowledge areas and competencies in their offerings? | Core knowledge and competencies are used for:
Content development
Categorizing workshops
Setting expectations and objectives Determining intensity/depth and breadth Other
Go to next question |
What is used to determine training content? Is there any uniformity or linkages in the content? What entities would need to meet to discuss the possibility of having consistent content as a framework for trainings? Go to next question |
| 5b. Are the entities delivering/providing courses of study that lead to an early childhood certificate, degree, and/or certification using core knowledge areas and competencies in their offerings? | Core knowledge and competencies are used for:
Content and curricula development
Categorizing courses/programs
Setting expectations and objectives
Determining intensity/depth and breadth
Creating a framework for degree or certificate programs
Other
Go to next question |
What is used to determine course/program content? Is there any uniformity or linkages in the content? What entities would need to meet to discuss the possibility of having consistent content as a framework for courses/programs? Go to next question |
QUALITY ASSURANCEHow is the embedding or alignment in training/professional development assured?
|
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6a. Are there mechanisms to assure that core knowledge areas and competencies are embedded in community-based training/professional development? | What are the mechanisms for trainers/deliverers? | Are there identified problems that might be addressed through quality control processes? |
| What are the mechanisms for training/professional development activities?
Go to next question |
Are there identified problems that might be addressed through quality control processes? Go to next question |
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6b. Are there mechanisms to assure that core knowledge areas and competencies are embedded in courses of study that lead to an early childhood credential, certificate, degree, and/or certification? | What are the mechanisms for faculty/trainers working in:
Community-based settings?
Colleges or universities?
Other arenas? |
Are there identified problems that might be addressed through quality control processes? |
| What are the mechanisms for courses/ programs leading to:
Credentials?
Certificates?
Early childhood degrees?
Certifications?
Go to next question | Are there identified problems that might be addressed through quality control processes?
Go to next question |
|
PATHWAYSAre there pathways within and across professional development offerings?
|
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| 7a. Do the community-based trainings and professional development offerings support multiple entry levels and a continuum of offerings that tie to the core knowledge and competencies? | Do they also support increased knowledge and competencies in role-specific content?
Go to next question | Are there discussions about how to organize trainings to create pathways?
Do practitioners/trainers express interest or frustration about moving along a career path? Go to next question |
| 7b. Do the courses of study that lead to an early childhood credential, certificate, degree, and/or certification support multiple entry levels and a continuum of offerings that tie to the core knowledge and competencies? | Do they also support increased knowledge and competencies in role-specific content?
Go to next question | Is there a demand for more qualified teachers because of pre-K or other State initiatives?
Go to next question |
| 8. Are there pathways across community-based trainings/professional development offerings and courses of study that lead to an early childhood credential, certificate, degree, and/or certification?
|
Articulation agreements
Credit for prior learning
Credit for credentials
Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for trainings
Modularized workshops
Other
Go to next question | Are colleges and universities, students and trainers interested in or struggling with articulation issues?
Go to next question |
FUNDING, ACCESS and OUTREACHAre there infrastructure and strategies that offer supports, funding, access, and outreach for individuals and the system, and that are tied to core knowledge and competencies? |
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| 9a. Are there infrastructure and strategies that offer supports for practitioners to increase their knowledge and competencies? | Mentoring
Career advising/professional development planning
Leadership development
Support/peer groups or cohorts
Professional associations
Other
Are these supports available to and utilized by all sectors and roles? Go to next question | What are possible sources of supports for practitioners?
Are there agencies or organizations that have the expertise to develop or deliver the supports?
|
| 9b. Are there infrastructure and strategies that offer supports for trainers/faculty to increase their knowledge and competencies? |
Train-the-trainer
Faculty development
Leadership development
Support/peer groups or cohorts
Professional associations
Other
Are these supports available to and utilized by all adult educators? Go to next question | What are possible sources of supports for trainers and faculty?
Are there agencies or organizations that have the expertise to develop or deliver the supports? Go to next question |
|
10a. Are there infrastructure and strategies that make it possible and desirable for practitioners to increase their knowledge and competencies? |
Quality Rating System
Scholarships
Wage incentives
Practitioner registries
Tuition reimbursements
Training/travel stipends
Substitute pools
Time/place/language of trainings and
programs appropriate for target population(s)
Other
Are these supports available to and utilized by all sectors and roles? Go to next question |
Can you identify agencies or institutions that might have an interest in or the capacity to provide supports? |
|
10b. Are there infrastructure and strategies that make it possible and desirable for faculty/trainers to increase their knowledge and competencies? |
Quality Rating SystemScholarships
Wage incentives
Trainer registries
Tuition reimbursements
Training/travel stipends
Substitute pools
Time/place/language of trainings and
programs that meet the needs of target population(s)
Other
Are these supports available to and utilized by all adult educators? Go to next question |
Can you identify agencies or institutions that might have an interest in or the capacity to provide these supports? Go to next question
|
| 11. Are there outreach strategies that engage and inform practitioners and trainers/faculty about opportunities to increase knowledge and competencies? | Online training calendars
Quality Rating System
Registries
Public engagement efforts
Marketing
Other
Go to next question | Are there any existing strategies or initiatives that could be used to provide outreach?
Go to next question |
| 12. Is there a system to track practitioners’ and trainers/faculty’s progressive professional development by core knowledge areas and competencies? | Quality Rating System
Practitioner/training registry
Trainer registry
System for faculty
Other
Go to next question | Which organizations already track information on practitioners, trainers, or faculty, or have the capacity to do so?
Go to next question |
SYSTEM-LEVEL QUALITY ASSURANCEAre there mechanisms/measures to ensure that the trainings and professional development offerings are impacting practice and improving quality? |
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| 13a. Is evaluation of professional development activities, system components, and/or the overall system included in the State professional development plans and budget? | Go to next question | Can questions be included as part of the Market Rate Survey?
Are there other agencies and organizations with which you could partner that collect information on staff qualifications, program quality, or child outcomes? Are there university research departments or research organizations interested in professional development outcomes? Go to next question |
| 13b. Are the outcomes of professional development activities included in the descriptions of expected results in Section 5 of the State Child Care and Development Fund Plan? | EarmarksSet-asidesGSGS
| Are there any studies or evaluations that have explored results? |
*CDA credential = Child Development Associate Credential awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition
CCP = Certified Child Care Professional Credential awarded by the National Child Care Association
Developed by the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) and the Child Care Bureau, in collaboration with the following Child Care Technical Assistance Network (CCTAN) partners: the Afterschool Investments Project; the Center on Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL); the National Infant and Toddler Child Care Initiative; and the Tribal Child Care Technical Assistance Center (TriTAC).
Additional information about CCTAN is available on the Child Care Bureau's Web site at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/ccb.
10530 Rosehaven St., Suite 400 • Fairfax, VA 22030 | Phone: (800) 616-2242 • Fax: (800) 716-2242 • TTY: (800) 516-2242
NCCIC is a service of the Child Care Bureau (CCB), Office of Family Assistance (OFA), Administration for Children and Families(ACF), U.S. Department of Health & Human Services