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Cross-Sector Early Childhood Professional Development: A Technical Assistance Paper

Revised February 2005 
Anne Mitchell and Sarah LeMoine
National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC)

TABLE of CONTENTS

Introduction and background Why a professional development system? Characteristics of professional development systems What do we mean by cross-sector? Learning from other states State Examples Cross-Sector Sytem Planning Pennsylvania Public Schools Parallel Systems Change is Underway Compensation West Virginia State Pre-K and Collaborations Core Knowledge and Competencies Certification and Articulation Compensation Wisconsin Higher Education Early Learning Standards Teacher Certification The Early Childhood Collaborating Partners Wisconsin Children’s Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care Governor’s KidsFirst Proposal Compensation

Cross-sector Elements Arizona Articulation Early Learning Standards The School Readiness Plan and Board Connecticut The Registry The Early Childhood Education Articulation Plan Massachusetts Advancing the Field Results Lessons Learned The Early Childhood Education Compact Nebraska Early Childhood Training Center Services Budget and Staffing Strengths New Mexico Credentials Core Competencies Higher education Next Steps Advice from Profiled States Action Steps Appendices Appendix A: State Professional Development Contacts Appendix B: State Profiles Appendix C: Profiled States’ Professional Development Systems or Initiative(s)

“Always keep your eyes and your ears to the success of your partners—if you do, everyone can succeed.” Thanks to all the professional development leaders in States across the country who generously gave their time and wisdom to inform this paper. This paper was originally developed by the National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) to meet the specific technical assistance needs of Massachusetts. Some information in this paper is based on earlier work done by Anne Mitchell, Early Policy Childhood Research, for the Build Initiative in Pennsylvania, who granted NCCIC permission to use it. This paper is an effort to digest and highlight State plans and actions around cross-sector professional development systems and activities.

INTRODUCTION and BACKGROUND

The objective of this paper is to present information on State cross-sector early care and education professional development systems for State research and planning. Information contained in this report was gathered February through June, 2004.

Why a Professional Development System?

In early care and education, teacher knowledge and skill are the keys to quality. There are decades of research documenting teacher characteristics as key ingredients in program quality and child outcomes. Teachers need to have general education (college-level education, degrees), the more the better, and training that is specific to child development and the ages of children with whom they work.

System implies an organized approach to preparing for a profession. Pathways are well-known and understandable to prospective and current workers. The opportunities to prepare for these careers and the prospects for continuing education, once employed, are coherent, accessible, and rewarded.

Head Start has long had a system for training both within the regional management structure (Federal regions) and embedded in each Head Start program's funding. Every State has teacher certification for public school staff, and many States have early childhood teaching certificates. Beginning about 15 years ago, early childhood groups in States began to work on building career development or professional development systems. Some of these efforts were headed by citizen groups; others were led by the public sector. Some focused primarily on child care and others sought to encompass the whole range of early childhood professionals, including those in schools. These efforts have evolved into early childhood professional development systems of various types in nearly every State.

Wheelock College's Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education played a central role in this work until it closed last year. At the Federal level, the Good Start, Grow Smart (GSGS) initiative, launched April 2002, includes a focus on States' provisions of professional development for child care providers. The National Child Care Information Center (NCCIC) has become the repository for Wheelock's documents, publications, and online resources. In addition, NCCIC has created extensive information resources and training materials on professional development. NCCIC was charged by the Child Care Bureau to support States' efforts in meeting the GSGS requirements. A selection of professional development resources and tools can be accessed on NCCIC's Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/categories/index.cfm?categoryid=7.

Characteristics of Professional Development Systems

Common characteristics of a professional development system are generally agreed upon. Within professional development systems are several interconnected components. These components fall under five broad elements: 1) Funding; 2) Core Knowledge; 3) Qualifications and Credentials; 4) Quality Assurances; and 5) Access and Outreach. A one-page document that outlines and defines this simplified framework is available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pd_section2b.html or in PDF at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pd_section2b.pdf.

The foundation of a comprehensive professional development system is the knowledge base of theory and research that underlies practice. These are often referred to as core knowledge or core competencies documents. These are the basis for the content of professional development.

Core Knowledge: The range of knowledge that adults working with young children need to facilitate child learning and development.

Core Competencies: The range of observable skills that adults working with young children need to facilitate child learning and development.

Professional development systems specify a set of qualifications and credentials for the various roles included in the system. These may be required and/or voluntary. Preservice qualifications, e.g., teacher certification, are required and continuing education may be required for public school teachers and for child care staff. Most State systems include State-designed credentials at several levels of higher education. Infant-toddler credentials and director credentials are fairly common. Almost all include the national Child Development Associate (CDA) credential. States tend to have a mix of incentives and requirements (carrots and sticks). Incentives can include access to scholarships-T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Early Childhood Project is a good example-or bonus payments for achieving a particular level of qualifications-payments to teachers who achieve certification from the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards is an example.

Pathways leading toward the qualification and credentials are essential. These may include articulation agreements among levels of education, promotion of methods for granting credit for prior learning, and the offering of credit-bearing training workshops and sequences.

Quality assurance processes are a typical part of early childhood professional development systems. These processes may apply both to the deliverers of professional development (adult educators/trainers) and to the professional development offerings (training content) themselves.

Outreach and information dissemination to ensure access is considered a basic element of a professional development system. Current and prospective workers need to know how the system works, what is available, where to go, how to get financial aid, and other pertinent information. Rural and urban locations, multiple languages and literacy levels, and different professional (or nonprofessional) aspirations are just some of the distinctive characteristics that make the early childhood workforce so wonderfully diverse and yet so challenging to support. Inclusive outreach efforts, activities, and ongoing supports incorporate relevant cultural, background, linguistic, and individual frameworks to effectively support the population served by the professional development system.

Funding and financial support for the system is a must. Components that require funding include delivery of professional development, access for the participants/students, and administration of the system. For example, training may be offered free or at low-cost; scholarships are available; and the infrastructure is adequately staffed.

In addition to the essential elements described above, many have articulated another desirable characteristic of early care and education professional development systems-unity. A comprehensive system can promote unity by having one professional development system that works for all sectors and subsystems of the early care and education field. An early learning system that serves all children well, including English language learners, children with special needs, and children in all cultural and ethnic groups, requires a high performing inclusive system of professional development.

What Do We Mean by Cross-Sector?

There are several clearly recognizable sectors, or subsystems, in early care and education. These are: child care, Head Start, nursery schools, prekindergarten/preschool, public school kindergarten and early primary grades, nonpublic school kindergarten and early primary grades, early intervention, and preschool special education.

Each subsystem has a somewhat similar basic set of roles-assistant/aide, teacher, director/principal, teacher educator/trainer. Each sector also has unique professional roles. For example, roles include family child care providers, friend and relative caregivers, specialists who deliver therapy to children with special needs (speech, occupational, physical, etc.), Head Start component coordinators, and social workers and/or family workers.

Presently each subsystem has a set of personnel qualifications, different pathways for achieving them, and different delivery systems for preparation and continuing education. There may be multiple goals of cross-sector early care and education professional development:

• Aligning the content among sectors so that a consistent core is delivered via the various preparation and continuing education opportunities;
• Creating links among the professional qualifications, connecting credentials, and laying visible pathways among them;
• Examining the professional development delivery pathways in the subsystems, eliminating overlapping efforts, reducing complexity and barriers, and filling any gaps;
• Generally increasing harmony among the parts; and
• Creating a unified public engagement message.

Learning from Other States

Currently, few States have explicitly designed an early childhood professional development system to include public school, child care, Head Start, early intervention, and preschool special education professionals. Some States are in the process of planning cross-sector early childhood professional development systems, while other States are notable for their cross-sector implementation of certain professional development elements, including Statewide credit transfer/articulation agreements, credentials linked to teacher certification, and engagement of Head Start.

In this technical assistance paper, eight States' cross-sector professional development system plans and efforts are described. The State examples are divided into two major sections-States that are planning cross-sector systems, and States that have implemented cross-sector elements.

To the extent possible, each profile includes a description of the professional development system's goals and mission/vision, area(s) of cross-sector work, and significant elements of the system. Profiles include information on administration and management, the funding amounts and sources of financial support, the number of participants/students involved, which sectors they represent, as well as how the system addresses the issues of compensation and retention.

The appendices include Web site and contact information, and basic demographic information and illustrations of how the profiled States' early childhood system is organized. This information is intended to answer questions, such as:

• Are early intervention and preschool special education administered in separate agencies?
• Which agency administers pre-K, child care, etc.?
• What are the required qualifications for teachers across systems-preservice, and ongoing/continuing education?

STATE EXAMPLES

Cross-Sector System Planning

Three States involved in cross-sector professional development planning are described in this section-Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Wisconsin.

Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania began its training system for child care providers in 1992 using Federal funds from the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) through the Department of Public Welfare (DPW). The Pennsylvania Child Care/Early Childhood Development Training System (PA CC/ECD) was administered by one contractor, with training offered across the State through subcontracts with training organizations, some of which were colleges. By 1995, all the DPW-funded training for center-based, home-based, and school-age child care providers was administered under the PA CC/ECD umbrella.

In 2000, a plan, which used the professional development framework promoted by The Center for Career Development in Early Care and Education at Wheelock College, was prepared-the Career Development for Child Caregivers: A Plan for the Pennsylvania Child Care/Early Childhood Development Training System. The plan led to the development and implementation of several new elements:

• The Pennsylvania Core Body of Knowledge (CBK) for early childhood and school-age caregivers;
• The Professional Development Record (PDR) for use by caregivers to track their own growth and development;
• The Trainer Quality Assurance System (TQAS) that certifies individuals who wish to train or provide technical assistance to child caregivers in Pennsylvania using DPW funding; and
• An online training calendar and online system for the registration of training.

In 2002, the name of the system was changed to Pennsylvania Pathways (PA Pathways). Efforts in the past two years have focused on offering training that is part of a sequence, rather than single workshops, and training that is credit-bearing and thus may lead to credentials and degrees.

By law, Pennsylvania requires regulated child care providers to engage in six clock hours of continuing education each year.

Public Schools

Teachers of young children in public schools in Pennsylvania are required to have either the elementary education (K-6) or the early childhood education (N-3) certificates. Special education certificates are N-12. A large proportion of Pennsylvania colleges and universities-81 of 93 (87 percent)-offer teacher education programs leading to the elementary education (K-6) certificate; 58 of 93 (62 percent) offer programs leading to the early childhood education (N-3) certificate. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) establishes the regulations for colleges offering teacher education programs.

Since July 2000, continuing education has been required to maintain any teaching certificate; 180 clock hours must be taken every five years and must be from a "school entity" (i.e., district or intermediate unit, charter school, etc.) or from a PDE-approved provider. Districts are required to prepare a professional education plan that must be approved by the PDE. Content of professional education is meant to focus on increasing student achievement and meeting the Pennsylvania academic standards. In addition, "school entities" must have an induction (mentoring) plan for newly certified teachers.

Parallel Systems

There are several parallel professional development systems operating in early care and education in Pennsylvania. Child care professionals, because the minimum requirement for lead teachers is an Associate's degree, depend on community colleges for preservice preparation. PA Pathways is the continuing professional education system for child care. Head Start funds regional training and technical assistance contractors and each Head Start program has some resources to use for professional development. Head Start teachers need community colleges to acquire the required level of staff with Associate's degrees. Workers in the early intervention and preschool special education systems rely on colleges for preservice preparation and on colleges and intermediate units for ongoing professional development. Similarly, teachers in kindergarten and primary grades rely on colleges for preservice preparation, and primarily on the school districts to provide in-service, as well as intermediate units and the PDE.

Change is Underway

Governor Rendell's leadership is a strong factor affecting the current efforts toward cross-sector professional development in Pennsylvania. The governor came into office in 2003 with an early childhood agenda. He created both a Children's Cabinet in his office and a cross-agency Early Learning Team composed of leaders in the departments of Education, Health and Public Welfare, as well as Head Start representatives. The governor clearly saw cross-sector alignment as key-his agenda calls for "achieving full coordination between DPW and PDE to assure systematic support and public leadership for quality early childhood programs in community and in school settings." Relevant to professional development, Rendell's agenda calls for "improving the professional preparation and development of teachers and leaders in early care and education programs."

The Early Learning Team, with additional philanthropic support through the Build Initiative, worked with citizens across Pennsylvania to lay out a plan for an early childhood system, as part of the governor's vision. The plan called for developing cross-sector early learning guidelines, working toward a cross-sector professional development system, and reviewing child care rate policies to recommend alternative approaches to financing. At present, the early learning guidelines are complete, the rate review is completed, and a plan for redesigning professional development is about to be released.

Compensation

To increase the education levels of the early childhood workforce, Pennsylvania has offered the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project since 1997. Public funds for this scholarship program flow through the PA Pathways contract. The 2003-2004 budget appropriation for PA Pathways was $7.8 million, which included $1.75 million for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood PENNSYLVANIA.

In addition, Pennsylvania recently initiated the Keystone Stars Quality Initiative that provides a standards-based approach to quality improvement, includes supports (through Pathways) and incentives, and emphasizes improvements in continuing professional development and credentialing for staff of participating providers. Keystone Stars is a systemtic approach to quality improvement, starting at licensing, and includes four levels of quality rating above licensing and provides multiple supports including on-site technical assistance, improvement grants, merit awards, and education and retention awards.

West Virginia

In 1992, a Professional Development Committee was established for Early Care and Education, as part of the governor's Early Childhood Implementation Initiative. The Committee developed an early childhood registry system, now known as the State Training and Registry System (S.T.A.R.S.). S.T.A.R.S. is under the umbrella of the West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources (WVECTCR), which provides professional development opportunities for the West Virginia early care and education community. WVECTCR provides information, training and technical assistance, and resources in a collaborative effort to promote high-quality services for young children and their families. The WVECTCR is a collaborative project of the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources/Bureau for Children and Families/Division of Early Care and Education; Office of Maternal, Child and Family Health/West Virginia Birth to Three; WV Head Start State Collaboration Office; and the West Virginia Department of Education/Office of Special Education.

WVECTCR's objectives are three-fold: 1) to increase the availability and coordination of training and technical assistance opportunities for early care and education providers; 2) to provide training, technical assistance, and coordination for the training and consumer education components of the child care resource and referral system in collaboration with the Child Care Resource and Referral agencies (CCR&Rs); and 3) to serve as a central clearinghouse for the training and technical assistance materials developed by the local CCR&Rs to encourage non-duplication of efforts and resources by sharing and collaborating across the early childhood community.

State Pre-K and Collaborations

In 2002, West Virginia Legislators mandated that the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the Department of Education work together to implement State funded universal pre-K. To facilitate implementation, the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) and the State Superintendent of Schools established Partners Implementing an Early Care and Education System Advisory Council ("PIECES Advisory Council"). The PIECES council took a broad approach to their collaborative work and formulated a mission to assist with the planning for programs for all young children, through coordination of services for child care, Head Start, Education, and other early childhood programs. Staffed by employees of the Department of Health and Human Resources and the Department of Education, PIECES is charged with pulling together all early childhood services in West Virginia to create a unified system of early care and education for children birth to age 5. PIECES has a 20-member advisory council, comprised of representatives from education, Head Start, child care, early intervention and special education, legislative staff, and members from local communities.

PIECES Professional Development Subcommittee

Vision Statement
The early care and education workforce will be well trained and valued to ensure that children succeed and families are supported.

Mission Statement
To improve the quality of care and education for young children and their families by enhancing the skills and career opportunities for all those who care for and educate our youngest citizens.

Goals

• Adopt a core body of knowledge needed by all practitioners to ensure a consistent base of training.
• Make sure all practitioners have training based on the core body of knowledge available to them.
• Implement a career pathway encouraging increased compensation for higher levels of training.
• Strengthen connections among local, regional, and State partners to benefit children and families.

PIECES has several subcommittees, including Professional Development, Collaboration, Rules and Regulations, Curriculum and Quality, and Child Well-Being. WVECTCR works collaboratively with the PIECES Professional Development subcommittee to coordinate, implement, and strengthen S.T.A.R.S. Partnership efforts are underway to fine tune S.T.A.R.S. to meet the changing needs of the early childhood community in West Virginia.

The collaborative implementation of State pre-K has had a ripple effect on West Virginia's professional development efforts. Pre-K has served as a catalyst. For example, the pre-K work has intentionally impacted the entire early childhood system; even though the focus is on 4-year-olds, it provided an opportunity for all sectors to come together and work on the same issues.

Core Knowledge and Competencies

During the past year, the PIECES Professional Development subcommittee has been revising the State's core knowledge and competencies-an essential part of continuing collaborations across sectors. Previously, the State's core competencies were used by S.T.A.R.S. almost exclusively in child care. Partners from all sectors worked on the new edition, creating a framework and common language that applied to child care, Head Start, and public education. Partners from higher education were involved in drafting the document and had an opportunity to provide feedback. There are now three tiers in each of the competency areas, which outline a continuum of knowledge and skill acquisition. The new core content is being used to write the curriculum for a collaborative, college-level summer institute for pre-K staff. The draft is almost completed and will soon go out for public comment.

With common content accepted by all sectors, the subcommittee will focus on the different pathways needed for the early childhood workforce. The collaboration is looking at all the different avenues that are available and that are needed to effectively support their diverse workforce. Training approval processes are being re-examined, and plans are in process to use the core competencies as a lever for articulation.

Certification and Articulation

The State Department of Education certifies staff in pre-K programs. Due in large part to the collaborative work on implementing pre-K, the certification process is becoming more inclusive. Changes have been made with attention to capacity building for the entire ECE workforce. The Department of Education hopes to develop permits for child care and Head Start staff that have a Bachelor's degree that is not in the required field, an Associate's degree, or an Applied Associate's degree from completing the Apprenticeship program. The permit holders can work in community-based pre-Ks and have five additional years to complete the certification requirements.

The Apprenticeship program in West Virginia has brought many positive outcomes and support to the child care sector workforce. However, the Apprenticeship pathway does not lead to certification-coursework does not articulate to the required Bachelor's programs. A partnership between the Higher Education Policy Commission, the Department of Health and Human Resources, the Head Start State Collaboration Office, and the Department of Education is working to create a pathway that supports articulation and that leads to certification for all. Possibilities for resolution include the development of new degrees, a revised Apprenticeship curriculum, and a new Birth through Four certification. This summer, via a pooling of the various agencies' resources, a consultant will be hired to work full-time on articulation issues.

Compensation

Similar to many States, West Virginia continues to struggle with compensation and retention issues, and acknowledges that the lack of incentives and rewards is a big gap in their professional development system. As a part of collaborative county plans for WV pre-K, some county boards of education now contribute to increasing salaries of qualified staff in community-based pre-K programs. Because the State's school aid funding formula rolls a year behind, the difficulty is putting up initial funds. Five-year resource planning is encouraged as a strategy to determine growth and results over the long term. Such current cross-sector efforts and unifying relationship-building bear the promise of addressing compensation and retention issues in a collaborative fashion by working toward solutions and initiatives that will support the entire early childhood workforce.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin has been working on early childhood professional development since the early 1990s when it was one of four States (along with New Mexico, New York, and West Virginia) to receive a grant from Wheelock College in the Partners in Change initiative. Wisconsin's Professional Development Initiative (PDI)was the hub for the work, which originally focused on child care and gradually grew to include other sectors of the early childhood profession. Accomplishments include Administrator and Infant/Toddler Credentials, a personnel registry (The Registry) supported by many of the State's early childhood professional organizations, a T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarship program, and a R.E.W.A.R.D.™ incentive program. Wisconsin's child care licensing rules require staff to join The Registry.

Higher Education

In the late 1990s, the Joint Council on Administrative Policy (JCAP) of Wisconsin's higher education system determined that easier transfer access was needed among Wisconsin technical colleges and between the two- and four-year higher education systems. The JCAP recommended nursing and early childhood education as pilot areas for developing 2+2 transfer agreements, and a joint transfer agreement was signed in April 2000 by the Boards of the Wisconsin Technical College and University of Wisconsin systems.

With resources from a Head Start Supplemental State Collaboration grant, a Statewide early childhood education curriculum was developed for the Wisconsin Technical College System using a facilitated process called DACUM (developing a curriculum). A group of early childhood practitioners representing a cross-section of settings (i.e., early childhood education, special education, early intervention, child care, family child care, Head Start, etc.) were brought together for a three-day deliberative process. The DACUM panel discussed the realities of the duties and skills needed to work in early childhood education and care settings in Wisconsin. The skills were summarized in a DACUM chart which was revised based on public review, and over the following year, processed into a Statewide competency-based curriculum.

The core curriculum is now used throughout the Wisconsin Technical College System. To facilitate transitions into Bachelor's degree programs, a subsequent Head Start Supplemental Collaboration grant supported system-level articulation in early childhood education. The result is a set of articulation agreements between University of Wisconsin campuses and the entire technical college system. Recently an additional agreement was made between the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin Technical College Systems-increasing the number of general education credits which will automatically transfer from technical colleges to university degree programs.

Early Learning Standards

The completion of Wisconsin's Model Early Learning Standards in October 2003 has led to a review of the early childhood education core curriculum within the technical college system. A faculty committee is reviewing the current curriculum and reorganizing the competencies into common courses to be taught Statewide. Once implemented, the common courses will facilitate articulation with the four-year degree programs and development of online Associate degree options. A training package is also being developed to promote understanding and use of Wisconsin's early learning standards, particularly through community-based training opportunities facilitated by regional collaboration coaches.

Teacher Certification

The State administrative rules for teacher licensing, PI 34, have been redesigned creating new levels of intial, professional, and master teachers. This new competency-based approach to teacher licensing ensures continuous improvement through a system of professional development planning, mentoring, and support teams. The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction established a cross-sector work group on early childhood teacher licensing to offer advice on implementation of PI 34 for early childhood teachers in nonpublic settings as well as in public schools. The early childhood professional development leaders in Wisconsin view this as important work that will likely lead to a system of individual licensing of early childhood professionals in the overall field, not only in public schools.

The Early Childhood Collaborating Partners

Cross-system efforts began in earnest in Wisconsin through the Early Childhood Collaborating Partners (WECCP), a Statewide group of about 50 public and private agencies, organizations, and associations "united through a common desire to transform early childhood care and education." The purpose of this group is to facilitate the development and implementation of a plan that permits every child and family in Wisconsin access to a blended, comprehensive delivery system for high-quality early childhood care and education. More information is available on the Web at http://www.collaboratingpartners.com.

The WECCP evolved from three early childhood summits in the early 1990s with State department and stakeholder leadership. Guiding principles were created as the WECCP evolved to improve communication across State agencies and among State and community leaders in the field. WECCP is a voluntary effort that has been sustained because it continues to be a valuable avenue for communication and activity; it is often used by State agencies to give information, to get feedback on proposals, and to plan new cross-sector efforts.

The WECCP vision is for a comprehensive system of high-quality early childhood education and care, built through partnerships with families, communities, and State and local agencies. The system is for children ages birth to 8, and the programs that serve these children and their families, including the following: child care, Birth to 3 early intervention, early childhood special education, public school early education, Head Start, Even Start Family Literacy, preventive health services, CCR&Rs, parent education, home visitation, and family resource centers.

Professional development has emerged over time as a key focus area for the WECCP, and eventually the Professional Development Initiative (PDI) merged with the WECCP to become the Professional Development Action Team. PDI's continuing mission is to achieve a coordinated professional development system for early childhood and school-age care and education professionals in Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Children's Agenda for Early Childhood Education and Care

This Children's Agenda was completed in 2002, framed as a series of 17 recommendations in three goal areas. The complete Agenda may be accessed on the Web at http://www.collaboratingpartners.com/docs/agenda_wecp.pdf. The professional development goal includes several relevant recommendations, excerpted below.

• Recommendation 7:Recognize the importance of work force development, staff retention, and compensation as critical features of high-quality programs.
• Recommendation 13:Develop an articulated and competency-based system of professional development at the secondary, technical college, and university levels to ensure that all those who work with young children in all settings have the knowledge and skills to facilitate quality early learning experiences.
• Recommendation 14:Establish a competency-based career ladder that provides a continuum of educational experiences from introductory to mastery level.
• Recommendation 15:Develop a coordinated system of mentoring and career planning for those who work with young children, building on the Department of Public Instruction's teacher licensing redesign (PI34) and other initiatives through the Department of Workforce Development Office of Child Care, Head Start, etc.
• Recommendation 16:Ensure that professional development for all those who work with young children incorporates competencies related to working with children with special needs and that all settings include adequate support for children and families with special needs.
• Recommendation 17:Ensure that professional development for all those who work with young children and families incorporates competencies addressing diversity including, but not limited to, cultural, linguistic, and socio-economic variations.

An additional product of the early childhood professional development collaboration was The Wisconsin Early Care and Education Career Guide that provides information on programs, positions, and careers within early childhood care and education-across child care, Head Start and public schools-including the requirements needed for positions ranging from entry level to those requiring Doctorate degrees.

Governor's KidsFirst Proposal

Since he took office, Governor Jim Doyle has been meeting regularly with the heads of the five major departments that affect children and families (Public Instruction, Health and Family Services, Corrections, Justice, and Workforce Development). During the first week of May 2004, the governor announced a new initiative, called KidsFirst. The first portion of the KidsFirst plan, "Ready for Success," focuses on early care and education.

The "Ready for Success" priorities include the following:

• "Quality Counts," a new quality rating system tied to consumer information and subsidy-reimbursement levels;
• Funding to promote child care worker education and retention (the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project, and R.E.W.A.R.D.™, Wisconsin's child care worker wage enhancement program);
• Funding to support child care quality focused on child care resource and referral, technical assistance and information, and The Registry; and
• Support for 4-year-old kindergarten (Wisconsin's Pre-K program), through collaborative partnerships between the schools, child care, and Head Start.

The governor accompanied the announcement with an immediate request for $5.4 million from the Legislature for T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood WISCONSIN, R.E.W.A.R.D.™, and other quality support programs, using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) bonus funds recently received by the State.  This request would restore significant portions of child care funding cut in the last biennial budget. Other parts of the proposal will be part of the governor's budget proposal for the 2005-2007 biennium.  Other KidsFirst proposals include: "Safe Kids," "Strong Families," and "Healthy Kids."

To promote integration among the sectors of the early childhood system, six regional collaboration coaches have recently been hired. The coaches will work in local communities to develop new 4-K (prekindergarten) programs as partnerships between schools and community-based organizations. The funding for the coaches is collaborative, including resources from the Department of Workforce Development (CCDF funds), Head Start Collaboration funds, the Department of Public Instruction, Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) discretionary funds, the Maternal and Child Health agency, and two private foundations (the Trust for Early Education and The Joyce Foundation).

Compensation

Compensation in the lower paid sectors of the field is a critical professional development issue. Wisconsin has funded both a compensation program and T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood scholarships. The Head Start requirements for teachers with Bachelor's degrees, and the funding Head Start programs have to support the requirement, are also key levers. Higher education will pay attention to the needs of a workforce when there is money to pay tuition and when there are incentives within a workforce to reward education.

Cross-Sector Elements

Cross-sector professional development efforts of five States are described in this section-Arizona, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Nebraska, and New Mexico.

Arizona

Arizona's Statewide Child Care and Early Education Development System (SCCEEDS) is a multi-faceted registry that supports early childhood professional development. SCCEEDS is operated by the Association for Supportive Child Care under contract with the Arizona Department of Economic Security, using Federal CCDF funding.

SCCEEDS Core Knowledge Elements and Competencies defines the knowledge, skills, and attributes a child care and early education practitioner needs. The registry tracks the progress of individuals according to the Core Knowledge Elements and Competencies and the established levels of the career lattice. In order to promote participation in SCCEEDS, practitioners may receive a monetary incentive for initially joining the registry ($25), and an additional $50 for each higher level achieved.

Trainer approval standards are one way to ensure quality. Trainers listed by SCCEEDS must achieve a minimum Career Level of III-A on the Arizona lattice system. The requirement for a Career Level III-A is one of the following: 1) a Child Development Associate (CDA), Certified Child Care Professional (CCP), or a Certified Professional in Child Care (CPC) credential, or a National Administrators Credential (NAC), or equivalent; 2) twelve credit-hours in early childhood education or child development; or 3) one hundred and eighty clock hours of training.

SCCEEDS-listed trainings must address at least two of the Core Knowledge Elements and Competencies, and can only be conducted by SCCEEDS approved trainers. Arizona offers a continuum of community-based training and education at no cost to practitioners. Training is offered both on-site and off-site. Some training topics are offered in both Spanish and English and may also lead to college credit and/or certification.

For example, Child Care Professional Training (CCPT) is a two-week, 60-hour community-based course offered throughout Arizona. The training is designed for individuals who are entering the field or lack basic early childhood knowledge. CCPT includes six hours of coursework leading to First Aid and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) certification with an additional 54 hours of introductory early childhood coursework. Training topics include: child development, positive discipline, developmentally appropriate activities, child nutrition, health and safety, rules and regulations, child abuse, communication, and illness recognition and prevention. In some instances, CCPT training may be articulated for community college credit.

Articulation

Articulation is a key area of work. Initially, the Professional Development Policy Work Group (PDPWG) of the Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families, which laid the groundwork for SCCEEDS, participated in relevant Statewide articulation taskforces. The articulation task forces are designed to strengthen existing articulation agreements between community colleges and universities. PDPWG members act as a conduit to share information and inform the relevant higher education articulation task forces in Arizona. These are: Early Childhood Education Articulation Task Force; Teacher Education Articulation Task Force; and the Child and Family Studies Articulation Task Force.

The Early Childhood Education Articulation Task Force is, among other issues, addressing horizontal and vertical articulation for Child Care Professional Training (CCPT) and the Arizona Infant Toddler Institute (AITI). Currently, some community colleges in Arizona offer practitioners three college credits for the completion of the CCPT and AITI courses.

Early Learning Standards

Arizona's Early Learning Standards are commonly referred to as early childhood standards. The Arizona Department of Education (ADE) is the lead on establishing these standards. The standards reflect the belief that certain knowledge and skills are essential to every child's social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development. ADE approved and published the Arizona Early Childhood Education Standards in April 2003. The standards are now being incorporated into the existing plan for professional development. The State School Readiness Board and the Professional Development Policy Work Group will review the standards for compatibility with the SCCEEDS professional development system's Core Knowledge Elements and Competencies.

The School Readiness Plan and Board

Governor Jane Napolitano established the School Readiness Board[1] to make recommendations for achieving school readiness. The Board developed a framework and action plan and now is overseeing implementation. The Governor's School Readiness Action Plan is a five-year, ten-point plan including health care, family support, prekindergarten (pre-K), quality child care and full-day kindergarten. The School Readiness Board has established implementation teams for the action plan.

The sixth point of the plan is to increase the pool and retention of qualified early childhood education professionals. Professional development is the task of the Professional Leadership Implementation Team (PLIT). PLIT includes representation from the three State universities, several community colleges, Tribal members, private child care associations, and public school districts with pre-K. It has three task forces working on the following:

1. Establishing scholarships for the pursuit of credentials (CDA, AA, BA in ECE) and a Statewide wage incentive program for early childhood education professionals who attain additional education beyond the CDA credential. They are exploring the possibility of adopting T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood ARIZONA.

2. Developing strong articulation pathways from community-based training to community colleges, and to colleges/universities, using the core knowledge elements from SCCEEDS as the basis for agreements on content. This effort continues the work begun by the Policy Work Group. Public colleges, a realm where the governor can have legal authority, is a focus of this articulation work. Private colleges are not officially involved, but seem interested and may respond to market forces faster than public colleges.

3. Recruiting early childhood professionals by identifying programs and funding to encourage young people to choose the field of early childhood education as a career choice, and building the leadership skills of existing early childhood educators through an initiative for Emerging Leaders in Early Education, with the first class to begin in 2005.  

Arizona School Readiness Action Plan Framework

Result	Outcome	Indicators	Strategies
All Children in Arizona Start 1st Grade Safe, Healthy & Ready to Succeed	Ready Families	Families are informed & supported in their role as parents.	Parent education (early brain development, child development, early intervention, child care); Family support programs (Healthy Families; Family Literacy), Family Advisory Committees; Reading and literacy programs.
		Children have access to a variety of high-quality early childhood education programs.	Early screening/ detection; Health consultation; AHCCCS/KidsCare; Behavioral health, Medical homes.
	Ready Programs & Schools	Families have access to community based health services.	Quality Rating System, Child Development Specialists, infant-toddler care; Family child care; Center-based care; State-supported preschool; Head Start; Access for special needs, special populations.
		Children have access to high quality early school experiences.	Voluntary full-day kindergarten; Transition from pre-K to K; Kindergarten quality.
	Ready Teachers	Teachers have access to support for education & training.	Professional development program, Scholarships, Mentors, Leadership development, Coordinated training.
		Teachers are appropriately compensated.	State-level School Readiness Board; Local partnerships/coord. with cities; Coord. bet. State agencies/ Head Start; Licensing/ accreditation/standards; Accountability/Assessments/Indicators; Child care resource & referral.
	Ready ECE Systems	Early Childhood Education is supported by an infrastructure.	Wage enhancements; Access to health & dental benefits; Preservice & in-service requirements.
		Early Childhood Education has durable funding.	Child care subsidies; Target, maximize & enhance state & federal funding; AZ Early Education Fund; Foundation; Corporate support.

Connecticut

Connecticut Charts-A-Course (CCAC) is the Statewide professional development system for early education and school-age care. Their mission is to support career development and program improvement by promoting the achievement of national and State professional standards. The Departments of Social Services, Education, and the Connecticut Community Colleges jointly support Connecticut Charts-A-Course.

The Registry

The registryis the first link to Connecticut Charts-A-Course members.  When an early education or school-age care provider joins Connecticut Charts-A-Course, the registry creates an electronic personal career development file for that individual and stores it in a confidential database.  Each file holds the following information:

• Information from the initial membership application;
• Copy of a First Aid certificate (required from all members who work directly with children);
• Training and education, from CCAC approved workshops to college credits and degrees;
• Copy of the Registry Certificate; and
• Current level held on CCAC's career ladder.

All personal information held in the registry is confidential and can only be released with the individual's permission.

The Early Childhood Education Articulation Plan

The Early Childhood Education Articulation Planis a recommended process for articulation of Associate Level Early Childhood Education Programs and Baccalaureate Level Programs leading to State Teacher Certification in Early Childhood Education. This agreement assures the seamless transfer of 18 college credits in early childhood education from Associate and Baccalaureate early childhood education teacher certification programs to the University of Connecticut Human Development and Family Relations Program.

The Early Childhood Pathways Exams offer credit for prior learning to anyone in the State. The exams turn experience and workshop training into six college credits by testing knowledge in two subjects: Introduction to Early Childhood Education and Child Developmental Psychology. All of the Connecticut Community Colleges with early childhood Associate's degree programs have agreed to accept these credits; two Bachelor's degree granting institutions also accept the credits.

Massachusetts

While Massachusetts does not have a fully implemented early childhood professional development system, there are aspects of their work that are relevant to other States' efforts. Significant work to develop common core content and access and outreach activities are well underway, including a core body of knowledge for school-age care professionals developed several years ago. The Massachusetts Department of Education, through an initiative called Advancing the Field, has worked for the past six years with colleges to build their capacity to offer early childhood coursework and degrees to adult students. In addition, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education's Early Childhood Education Compact took effect in September 2004 and is available on the Web at http://www.mass.edu/new/html_docs/EarlyChildhoodCompact.pdf.

One of the Commonwealth's strengths is its minimum standards for all ECE practitioners. Preservice licensing requirements for Massachusetts' center teachers require at least three credits in Child Growth and Development[2] and at least nine months of experience working with children. A practitioner applying to be an infant/toddler teacher must have three of the nine required months of work in caring for infants and toddlers; and preschool teachers must have at least three months experience with preschoolers. In addition, there are requirements for each licensed center-based program to have a lead teacher and an administrator who completes additional early childhood coursework and practicum requirements, depending on the size of the center-based program. Massachusetts' regulations are also notable because they specify both content areas and the distribution among content areas in the ongoing training requirements. The Preschool Standards approved in 2003 by the State Board of Education require all who teach young children, in any setting receiving Department of Education funding, to have an Associate's degree in early childhood or a closely related field by 2010 and a Bachelor's degree by 2017. Early childhood teacher certification in Massachusetts is inclusive (regular and special education are combined in one certificate).

Advancing the Field

For the past six years, the Massachusetts Department of Education, through an initiative called Advancing the Field, worked with colleges to build their capacity to offer early childhood coursework and degrees to adult students. Advancing the Field was based on an adult learning model that includes multiple strategies to assist adults in succeeding in college. These strategies include various approaches for colleges to welcome adult learners, such as English as a Second Language (ESL) classes, academic support services, cohort groups, mentoring, and other innovations.

Advancing the Field was funded with special education (IDEA Part C) dollars. The initiative offered institutions of higher education-mainly community colleges and several four-year schools-funding for early childhood student scholarships and for the provision of support services to these students. Supports included books and child care if necessary, and payment of 10 percent to 20 percent of the salary of a faculty member to coordinate the program. Each institution was given a three-year commitment: $90,000 in the first year; $90,000 in the second year; and $45,000 in the third year.

Each institution was expected to work with approximately 25 students per year. The first wave of institutions began in 1997 and included nine community colleges, one Bachelor degree granting college, and one child care resource and referral agency that subcontracted with a community college. This group was continued for an additional three years at reduced funding ($24,000/$24,000/$12,000). The purpose of declining funding was to encourage institutionalization of the support services and innovations in the colleges.

The second wave of Advancing the Field began in 2001 and included five additional community colleges, two Bachelor degree granting colleges, and two child care resource and referral agencies that subcontracted with community colleges.

Results

Over 800 students have participated in this initiative. More than 50 percent of them received an Associate's or Bachelor's degree and a quarter achieved a one-year certificate in early childhood or school-age care.

Colleges have instituted a number of innovations such as offering introductory courses in several languages to accommodate adults who are knowledgeable but not proficient in English. To aid new students with academic support needs (remedial courses in writing, reading, etc.), colleges developed a team teaching approach that pairs an academic development instructor with an early childhood content instructor. Typically, academic courses are non-credit, but this pairing strategy allows students to acquire credit toward their degree. New schedules were developed, offering courses on weekends and in longer blocks over shorter time periods than the typical semester.

Practicum for child care licensing or student teaching for certification pose a significant problem for full-time working students who are not able to work unpaid in another setting to complete the requirements. Some of the innovations colleges developed to address this barrier include operating lab schools on weekends to provide a practicum/student teaching experience; helping early childhood programs to create a more inclusive mix of children in the program and then trading classrooms; and developing paid internships.

Over time colleges have sought other sources of support for scholarships (e.g., Pell Grants) and have incorporated the innovations and staffing into the college budget. Administration attitudes have moved from "can't accommodate that student" to "how can we accommodate these students?"

Lessons Learned

An essential element in making an initiative like Advancing the Field a success is having a faculty member who can help nontraditional students negotiate the culture of college. An additional prerequisite is making accommodations when possible-such as not requiring a full-time working person to register for courses in the middle of the day.

The demographics of the current and future teaching workforce demand attention to the needs of English language learners. Successful approaches in supporting this population include ESL classes, content courses taught in native languages, and immersion courses similar to the team teaching previously described.

Ideally, this initiative would have increased compensation in tandem with professional development-Massachusetts' small compensation initiative is limited to Head Start. Advancing the Field has made a definite impact. However, developing the transfer agreements on a program to program or individual basis is less effective than a systemwide agreement.

The Early Childhood Education Compact

The Compact took effect in September 2004, and specifies coursework that fulfills Office of Child Care Services' (OCCS) professional child care qualifications, prepares the students for entry into a Bachelor's degree program approved for early childhood education, and guarantees admission to early childhood education licensure programs at Massachusetts' State colleges or university campuses offering early childhood education licensure at the baccalaureate level.

Former Governor Jane Swift appointed a School Readiness Commission that recommended in 2001 that agreements to transfer credit for early childhood students be negotiated among community colleges, colleges, and the university system. The Board of Higher Education created an inclusive work group to form this agreement including higher education representatives from all three levels, as well as representatives from OCCS, the Department of Education, the Advancing the Field initiative, and child care service providers.

The Compact addresses programs that prepare students for licensure in the public schools. However, the designers of the Compact state that they "are committed to expanding this model to facilitate transitions by community college graduates to non-licensure Baccalaureate programs related to early childhood education." The Compact has been agreed to by all of the community colleges, public four-year institutions of higher education, and the university system.

Nebraska

In 1998, Nebraska published the Framework for Early Childhood Professional Development, described as "a voluntary guide created by the efforts of representatives from the early childhood workforce across the State to identify Priority Actions, Key Factors, and Suggestions for meeting training needs and goals of those who work in all types of early childhood programs and settings." This cross-sector approach is well-demonstrated in the Early Childhood Training Center.

Early Childhood Training Center

The Early Childhood Training Center (ECTC) has been operating since 1978. Since its inception, the ECTC has been operated by one of the State's 17 regional Education Service Units (ESU#3 in Omaha). Nebraska was a "birth-mandate" State for special education at that time; the ECTC was started to train mainly public school teachers who had certification in special education K-12, but needed to learn about educating young children with disabilities. Early content focused on children birth to 3 and 3 to 5 years old, as the ECTC worked directly with teachers, while higher education institutions geared up to revise their special education teacher preparation programs. The ECTC defines its philosophical foundation as developmentally appropriate practice, inclusion, and family-centered practices.

In 1990, when the Federal Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) began, the Nebraska Legislature granted statutory authority to the Department of Education to establish "an early childhood training center" using quality dollars from CCDF in addition to special education funds.

Services

All training offered by the ECTC is open to all early childhood workers in the State. All training is offered with Continuing Education Units (CEUs) and some sequences are designed for credit at community and Bachelor's degree colleges, including Heads Up! Reading and a 45-hour Early Childhood Management course. As much as possible, training is offered for free or at very low-cost. An online search is provided for materials from the multi-media collection and the early childhood training database. The ECTC sponsors several conferences, including a biennial early childhood conference, annual kindergarten conference, and family literacy conferences. When Federal programs require personnel training, the ECTC works with the State agencies to deliver it (e.g., early intervention service coordinators, literacy in the No Child Left Behind Act, etc.). Much of the ECTC's training is based on the train-the-trainer model, a strategy to build local and regional capacity.

The ECTC has an extensive multi-media borrowing library available to anyone in Nebraska who is working with young children or with adults who teach young children. Most materials are distributed via mail. The library loans about 700 items per month.

In 1994, the ECTC piloted regional early childhood training coalitions with support from a Head Start Collaboration supplemental grant. These are partnerships between local organizations with an interest in early childhood training that form a coalition, usually staffed by a part-time coordinator. Funding is $15-20,000 per coalition. Typical partnerships include collaborations between public schools, early intervention agencies, Head Start programs, child care associations, Association for the Education of Young Children (AEYC) affiliates, and Cooperative Extensions. At first, coalitions were required to rotate fiscal agency among the partners to prevent hierarchy and turfism; now partnerships may by consensus decide to keep the fiscal agent in one organization. There are currently 13 regional early childhood training coalitions that cover the State. Three of them are now piloting a model that provides a full-time coordinator for the coalition within the regional Education Service Unit. This is supported by the early childhood office in the Department of Education (DOE) using CCDF quality funds, early childhood special education funds, and a small amount of Head Start Collaboration funding.

The ECTC has worked to build the early childhood capacity of higher education in Nebraska, through two projects sponsored by the Frank Porter Graham Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Both seek to integrate the preparation of early childhood and early intervention professionals. One project focuses on Bachelor's degree colleges (SCRIPT); the other (Natural Allies) focuses on community colleges. As a result of these efforts and the ECTC's influence over time, there are now 10 core early childhood courses taught at all community colleges across Nebraska, and all count for the same number of credits.

Budget and Staffing

This year, the budget for the ECTC is just under $1.5 million, supported by three primary funders (CCDF, Part C, Section 619), and smaller amounts from the Head Start State Collaboration Office and Even Start T&TA funding. A small amount of State general revenue comes from the State's early childhood program, which allows up to 5 percent of funds to pay for evaluation and technical assistance, provided by the ECTC. The ECTC has eight professional and four support staff and contracts with dozens of consultant trainers across the State. The professional staff and all consultant trainers have at least a Master's degree in their area of expertise.

Strengths

The founders and current leaders of the ECTC believe there are several keys to success in cross-system early childhood professional development. One is having a master plan based on strong philosophical values about early childhood education and stable, multiple funding sources. The concept of partners in funding is crucial-if there were only one funder, the ECTC would not be as attractive to the entire field of early childhood practitioners and would be vulnerable in times of limited funding. Sustaining funding over time is difficult but necessary. The State has to constantly reinforce the "both-and" approach-Nebraska needs both the ECTC and T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project scholarships.

New Mexico

The Child Development Board was created by the governor in 1990 and charged with planning the implementation of an early childhood professional development system and overseeing the State-funded pre-K program. The Board is connected to the department that funds pre-K (Department of Children Youth and Families). Under the current governor (Richardson), the Board's charge has widened to creating and aligning the early learning system. The Board has standing committees, one for professional development (the Higher Education Task Force), and now has a new standing committee that focuses on the early learning system.

For about 10 years, New Mexico has had an Early Childhood Inter-Agency Team (ECIAT) made up of the middle-level managers who implement policy and manage programs: the Bureau Chiefs for Early Intervention and Child Care, and the Head Start State Collaboration Office, etc. Anyone who is programmatically responsible for services to young children is invited. The original focus of the group was early childhood professional development because it was viewed as necessary for all and not a major turf-battle area. The ECIAT works with the Higher Education Task Force.

Credentials

New Mexico reasoned that it does not make sense to have multiple competing early childhood professional development systems, yet it is difficult to bring early intervention, Head Start, and child care together. Rather than trying to restructure the training delivery systems, ECIAT thought credentials were a good leverage point. Early on, a memorandum of agreement was negotiated among the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Children, Youth and Families (CYF), and the Department of Education (DOE) in which all departments agreed to use the DOE's licensure system (teacher certification) for those with Bachelor's degree and above, and the CYF's early childhood certification system for those with Associate's degrees and below. Whenever certification or licensing is reviewed or redefined, DOE considers the needs of DOH and CYF. Instead of thinking of public school licensure as separate, the various certificates are a lattice for professional movement between/among systems. The Early Childhood license is now considered to be the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher for pre-K and below. The K-6 (K-8) license holder is not a highly qualified teacher of pre-K children.

Core Competencies

The process of developing the core competencies brought the public and private sectors together and was a unifying process. Discussions of who is in the system (roles and responsibilities) and what they need to know at what levels causes people to see that young children are more similar than different. No matter whether the adults work in early intervention, child care, public pre-K, Even Start, or Head Start, all staff need to know how to be part of a Individual Family Service Plan (IFSP) team, and need to understand the stages of growth and development. The core competencies drive content, which drives higher education.

Higher Education

Involving higher education is key-all the subsystems need higher education. The State can drive the content and structure of it through regulation of teacher education and its authority to license professionals.

The Higher Education Task Force involves faculty from all public colleges and is seen as responsible for the early childhood professional development system. After 10 years of monthly faculty meetings, there is a "universal catalogue of courses." These early childhood courses represent 29 credits of lower division courses (credits for the Associate's or the first half of a Bachelor's degree). Combined with 35 credits of general education and one or two electives, they equal an Associate's degree. The "transfer module" is the 29 credits of early childhood and the 35 credits of general education. If a student graduates with the module, then they enter any public four-year program as a junior. The 35 general education credits meet the requirements for the Bachelor's degree at any public institution.

Individuals who complete the 29 early childhood credits receive a vocational certificate from CYF Child Development Board. When they get the Associate's degree, they can apply for another CFY certificate. When they receive the Bachelor's degree, they can apply for a teaching certificate from DOE.

The universal catalog is taught in, and the transfer module is accepted by all public colleges and universities in New Mexico (there are no private colleges offering early childhood professional courses). The universal catalog is all based on the common core content. The same courses are taught in all two-year and four-year institutions, using the same syllabi and course titles. The universal catalog also ensures that a student can take courses at several community colleges and all course credits transfer. Faculty concluded that it was difficult for students to take a course over after transferring to a different school. Agreeing on core competencies and recognizing different levels of depth in course content/student understanding at different levels of degrees make this possible. Faculty can teach their courses in their own unique ways. Trust and accountability have developed among faculty in different colleges. Compensation remains an issue; the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project is just beginning in New Mexico.

NEXT STEPS

Advice from Profiled States

Several of the State leaders interviewed offered advice to their colleagues on creating a cross-sector early childhood professional development system. Many believe firmly that content agreement is essential and probably a first step. One said, "Focus on content-agree on what teachers need to be able to do-and offer professional development aligned closely with that, and keep track of it for people, so it's easy." Another noted that if content agreement is reached, typically by developing a core body of knowledge cross-systems, and then used in all the subsystems of the early childhood professional development system, the delivery systems will begin to align and qualifications will tend to move closer together across the sectors. Another piece of advice: "Focus on pathways for people (not systems). Systems will change to support people if the incentives are right."

Incentives and conditions that move systems include the requirements for professional qualifications, the rules for higher education institutions, the way public money is spent, and the content alignment already noted. One leader spoke about government's role in supporting professional development systems and how it can include setting personnel standards, approving college programs, and granting licensure: "Institutions respond to standards set by the State-standards for personnel and for institutions. If a director credential was required, then colleges would offer it."

Another circumstance mentioned frequently is creating the conditions to make compensation more equitable, typically through compensation bonus programs and T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Project scholarships. As one person put it, "First level the playing field, then change the rules." Access to college is important to leveling the playing field, especially for the lower-paid child care workforce. Access can be supported by scholarships, loan forgiveness, and other means. Several people interviewed noted that changing regulations is much easier after practice is at a tipping point-when more than half the teaching workforce in child care has college degrees, changing the regulations to require degrees meets modest resistance.

Action Steps

Bring together representatives of the public agencies and professional associations that broadly represent the early childhood workforce.

Determine the current status of the professional development system-across sectors.

• What are the qualification requirements in each sector?
• What are the continuing education requirements?
• What are the perceived strengths and weaknesses of each sector's current system?

Begin with content.

• Examine existing content documents from all sectors;
• Collaboratively develop core knowledge and competencies that align across sectors; and
• Engage higher education in the development of this common foundation.

Examine and analyze the delivery system(s) for professional development.

• To what extent are current offerings of each system credit-bearing and leading to credentials and degrees?
• What pathways are available to the workforce in each sector?
• Can individuals easily access professional development and document their training and qualifications?
• What is the capacity of the higher education system?

Determine the current status of the early childhood workforce.

• What qualifications do staff have now?
• What is the status of compensation across sectors?

Analyze the financial status of the professional development system.

• What sources are used?
• How much is being invested?

Use tool(s) Status of State Professional Development Systems and/or Discussion Questions on Coordination and Financing with cross-sector partners (available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/index.html#3).

APPENDIX A

STATE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CONTACTS

Arizona Alicia D. Smith Professional Development Policy Analyst Arizona School Readiness Board Governor’s Office for Children, Youth and Families 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 101 Phoenix, AZ 85007 602-364-2259 asmith@az.gov Connecticut Darlene Ragozzine Executive Director Connecticut Charts-A-Course 495 Blake Street New Haven, CT 06515 203-397-4008 http://www.ctcharts-a-course.org Massachusetts Joni Block Director, Advancing the Field 508-698-3510 joniblock@aol.com Janet McKeon Director of Policy and Training Office of Child Care Services 617-988-6604 janet.mckeon@state.ma.us   Nebraska Marcia Corr Office of Early Childhood Nebraska Department of Education 301 Centennial Mall South Lincoln, NE  69509 402-471-0951 mcorr@nde.State.ne.us Carol Fichter Early Childhood Training Center 6949 S. 110th Street Omaha, NE 68128-5722 402-597-4820 cfichter@esu3.org

New Mexico Dan Haggard Director, Office of Child Development Children, Youth and Families Department State of New Mexico 505-827-6614 dmhaggard@cyfd.State.nm.us West Virginia Ann Nutt Director Early Care and Education Quality Initiatives WV DHHR 350 Capitol St., Room B-18 Charleston, WV 25301 304-558-0863 annnutt@wvdhhr.org Judy Curry Program Coordinator WV DHHR 350 Capitol St., Room B-18 Charleston, WV 25301 304-558-0938 jcurry@wvdhhr.org Wisconsin Linda Leonhart Director Wisconsin Head Start Collaboration Project Department of Workforce Development P.O. Box 7946 Madison, WI 63707 608-261-2137 linda.leonhart@dwd.State.wi.us Kathy McGurk State of Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development P.O. Box 7935 Madison, WI  53707-7935  608-266-7001  Kathy.McGurk@dwd.State.wi.us

APPENDIX B

STATE PROFILES

Basic Demographic Facts	PA	WV	WI
2000 Census number of children aged 0-4 years1	727,804	101,805	342,340
2000 Percent of children under 6 living with working parents2	60%	54.2%	68%
2003 Estimated State median income for family of 43	$65,411	$46,270	$66,725
2003 Number of children in Head Start4	30,908	7,650	13, 515
2003 Number of children in State prekindergarten5	2,609	7,727	17,500
2003 Number of preschoolers in special education5	14,947	2,678	8,362
2001 Number of children in kindergarten6	119,318	20,937	56,507
2004 Number of licensed child care centers7	3,966	600	2,415
2004 Number of licensed family child care homes8	5,132	3,136	8,099

Sources:

¹ "Demographic profiles: Census 2000," U.S. Census Bureau.

² "Table QT-P26. Employment status and work status in 1999 of family members: 2000," Census 2000 Summary File 3, U.S. Census Bureau.

³"Estimated state median income for 4-person families, by state, fiscal year 2003," U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services.

⁴ "FY 2003 Head Start state allocations and enrollment," in Head Start Program Fact Sheet, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Head Start Bureau. Available on the Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/research/2004.htm.

⁵ The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook (2004), by the National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Available on the Web at http://nieer.org/yearbook/.

⁶ "Table 38:Enrollment in public elementary and secondary schools, by grade and state: Fall 2000," Digest of Education Statistics (2002) by National Center for Education Statistics. Available on the Web at http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d02/dt038.asp.

⁷ 2004 Child Care Center Licensing Study (February 2004), by the Children's Foundation and the National Association for Regulatory Administration.

⁸ 2004 Family Child Care Licensing Study (August 2004), by the Children's Foundation and the National Association for Regulatory Administration.

State Organization and Structure	PA	WV	WI
Child Care Agency1	Department of Public Welfare	Department of Health and Human Resources	Department of Workforce Development
Head Start Collaboration Agency1	Center for Schools and Communities	Department of Health and Human Resources	Department of Workforce Development
Early Intervention Agency	Department of Public Welfare	Department of Health and Human Resources	Department of Health and Family Services
Preschool Special Education Agency	Department of Education	Department of Education	Department of Public Instruction
Prekindergarten Agency	Department of Education	Department of Education	Department of Public Instruction
Kindergarten Agency	Department of Education	Department of Education	Department of Public Instruction

Source:

¹ NCCIC State Profiles available on NCCIC's Web site at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/statedata/statepro/index.html.

Minimum ECE Preservice Qualifications of Lead Teachers/Providers	PA	WV	WI
*Child Care Centers: Teachers1	None	None	2 credit/non-credit department-approved courses in ECE and 80 days experience
*Child Care Centers: Master/Lead Teachers1	Associate's degree with 30 credits in ECE, child development, special education, elementary education, or human services field and 3 years experience	None	**No role
*Small Family Child Care Homes2	None	None	****None
*Large Family Child Care Homes2	None	None	No category
Head Start3	CDA credential or Associate's or higher degree in ECE/CD	CDA credential or Associate's or higher degree in ECE/CD	CDA credential or Associate's or higher degree in ECE/CD
Early Intervention5	(data not confirmed)	Bachelor's degree in field or equivalent program of study approved by WV Birth to Three for credential and 6 hours related course work4	Licensed practitioners (e.g., audiologist, occupational therapist)
Preschool Special Education5	Special Education (K-12) Certification	Preschool Special Needs (ages 3-5) Certification	Early Childhood Special Education (ages birth-8) Certification
State Prekindergarten6	Early Childhood (Pre-K-3) or Elementary Education (K-6) Teacher Certification	B-5, Early Childhood, or Preschool Special Needs Certification; or Pre-K/K Endorsement on Elementary Education Certification	Pre-K-K, Pre-K-3, Pre-K-6, or K Teaching License
Kindergarten7	Early Childhood (N-3) or Elementary Education (K-6) Certification	Early Education (Pre-K-K) or Elementary (K-6) Certification	Early Childhood (Pre-K-3) Certification

Notes:

*Minimum ECE preservice qualifications-if a State has requirements for experience, high school completion, age, or training not specified in early childhood education (ECE), such as first aid/CPR, that can substitute for ECE training, it is reported as "None." For complete methodology, please see source.

** Wisconsin does not delineate a master/lead teacher position in their child care center regulations.

****Wisconsin requires small family child care providers to have 40 hours of approved training within six months of becoming licensed.

Sources:

¹ Center Child Care Licensing Requirements (August 2004): Minimum Early Childhood Education (ECE) Preservice Qualifications and Annual Ongoing Training Hours for Teachers and Master Teachers, by Sarah LeMoine, NCCIC. Available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/cclr-teachers.html [NCCIC editor's note (6-9-05): this Information Product was updated April 2005].

² Child Care Licensing Requirements (August 2004): Minimum Early Childhood Education (ECE) Preservice Qualifications, Orientation/Initial Licensure, and Annual Ongoing Training Hours for Family Child Care Providers, by Sarah LeMoine, NCCIC. Available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/cclr-famcare.html [NCCIC editor's note (6-9-05): this Information Product was updated April 2005].

³ Head Start Act of 1998. Available on the Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/budget/headstartact.htm.

⁴WV Birth to Three Personnel Standards: Highest Entry Level Requirements for Discipline or Profession (Revised 2/28/2003), by West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Available on the Web at http://www.wvdhhr.org/birth23/personnel%20standardsrev022803.pdf.

⁵The NASDTEC Manual on the Preparation & Certification of Educational Personnel (2004), by National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education & Certification (NASDTEC).

⁶ The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook (2004), by The National Institute for Early Education Research (NIEER). Available on the Web at http://nieer.org/yearbook/.

Continuing Education Requirements	PA	WV	WI
Child Care Centers: Teachers1	6 hours annually	15 hours annually	25 hours annually
Child Care Centers: Master/Lead Teachers1	6 hours annually	15 hours annually	No role
Small Family Child Care Homes2	12 hours every 2 years	8 hours annually	15 hours annually
Large Family Child Care Homes2	6 hours annually	10 hours annually	No category
State-Funded Head Start3	Not specified	Not specified	Not specified
Early Intervention	(data not confirmed)	None specified4	Varies by professional license
Preschool Special Education5	6 semester credits or 180 hours every 5 years	6 semester credits or 180 hours every 5 years	6 semester credits every 5 years
State Prekindergarten6	6 semester credits hours every 5 years	18 hours annually	6 semester credits or 180 hours every 5 years
Kindergarten5	6 semester credits or 180 hours every 5 years	6 semester credits or 180 hours every 5 years	6 semester credits every 5 years

Notes:

Wisconsin does not delineate a master/lead teacher position in their child care center regulations. 

Sources:

¹ Center Child Care Licensing Requirements (August 2004): Minimum Early Childhood Education (ECE) Preservice Qualifications and Annual Ongoing Training Hours for Teachers and Master Teachers, by Sarah LeMoine, NCCIC. Available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/cclr-teachers.html [NCCIC editor's note (6-9-05): this Information Product was updated April 2005].

² Child Care Licensing Requirements (August 2004): Minimum Early Childhood Education (ECE) Preservice Qualifications, Orientation/Initial Licensure, and Annual Ongoing Training Hours for Family Child Care Providers, by Sarah LeMoine, NCCIC. Available on the Web at http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/cclicensingreq/cclr-famcare.html [NCCIC editor's note (6-9-05): this Information Product was updated April 2005].

³ Head Start Act of 1998. Available on the Web at http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/hsb/budget/headstartact.htm.

⁴ WV Birth to Three Personnel Standards: Highest Entry Level Requirements for Discipline or Profession (Revised 2/28/2003), by West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources. Available on the Web at http://www.wvdhhr.org/birth23/personnel%20standardsrev022803.pdf.

⁵ The NASDTEC Manual on the Preparation & Certification of Educational Personnel (2003), by National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education & Certification (NASDTEC).

⁶ The State of Preschool: 2004 State Preschool Yearbook (2004), by The National Institute for Early Education Research. Available on the Web at http://nieer.org/yearbook/.

APPENDIX C 

Profiled States' Professional Development Systems or Initiative(s)

State	State System or Initiative	Contact Information	*Highlights of Components and Online Information
			Web Site	Funding	Core Knowledge	Qualifications and Credentials	Quality Assurances	Access and Outreach
AZ	Miscellaneous	Initiatives/entities involved include: Association for Supportive Child Care (ASCC) [houses SCCEEDS (Statewide Child Care and Early Education Professional Development System)] 3910 South Rural Road, Suite E Tempe, AZ 85282 Toll-free Phone: 800-535-4599, ext. 102 Fax: 480-820-7288 Arizona School Readiness Board Governor's Office for Children, Youth and Families 1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 101 Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: 602-542-3620 Child Care Administration Arizona Department of Economic Security 1789 West Jefferson 801A Phoenix, AZ 85007 Phone: 602-542-4248 Fax: 602-542-4197 E-mail: childcare@mail.de.state.az.us	Association for Supportive Child Care [houses SCCEEDS (Statewide Child Care and Early Education Professional Development System)]	Completion Bonuses	Career Ladder	Orientation Training Advanced Training Infant/Toddler Training Training Registry		Self-Study Project Job Bank Kith and Kin Project Lending Library Training Calendar
CT	Connecticut Charts-A-Course	Connecticut Charts-A-Course 495 Blake Street New Haven, CT 06515 Phone: 203-397-4036 or 800-832-7784 Fax: 203-397-4035	Connecticut Charts-A-Course	Scholarships	Core Knowledge Career Ladder	Director Credential CDA Articulation Plan	Registry Trainer and Training Approval	Higher Education Directory Advising Credit for Prior Learning Training Opportunities
NE	Miscellaneous	Initiatives/entities involved include: Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children, Inc. 650 J. Street, Suite 205 Lincoln, NE 68508 Phone: 402-476-2089 Fax: 402-441-4883 Office of Early Childhood Nebraska Department of Education 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, NE 68509 Phone: 402-471-3184 Fax: 402-471-0117 Early Childhood Training Center 6949 South 110th Street Omaha, NE 68128-5722 Phone: 402-597-4820 or 800-89-CHILD Fax: 402-597-4828	Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children, Inc	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood NEBRASKA		CDA		Conferences Training Partners
			Nebraska Department of Education: Office of Early Childhood			HeadsUp! Reading Nebraska SCRIPT CDA		PD Guide Regional Training Coalitions
			Nebraska's Early Childhood Training Center	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood NEBRASKA		HeadsUp! Reading Leadership Training CDA Credentials Teacher Certification		Training Calendar Media Library Newsletters Information Packets Independent Study Course Higher Education Directories
NM	Early Childhood Professional Development Initiative	Early Childhood Professional Development Initiative Office of Child Development P.O. Drawer 5160 Santa Fe, NM 87502-5160 Phone: 505-827-7946 Fax: 505-476-0490	New Mexico Kids: Care Givers/Educators		Core Competencies Career Lattice	Licensing Regulations Articulation	Trainer Registry	Training Calendar Career Guides Training and TA Centers Job Post Online Library Recruitment and Training of Minority Personnel
PA	Pennsylvania Pathways: Professional Development for Child Caregivers	Pennsylvania Pathways 3823 West 12th Street Erie, PA 16505 Phone: 814-836-9625 or 800-492-5107 Fax: 814-836-9615	Pennsylvania Child Care Association	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood PENNSYLVANIA				Conferences
			Pennsylvania Pathways: Professional Development for Child Caregivers	Training Reimbursement	Core Knowledge	Core Training Series Personnel Registry Director Certificate	Training and Trainer Approval Trainer Registry	Individual PD Plans Training Calendar Training Resource Manuals Toll-Free Help Line
WV	West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources (WVECTCR)	West Virginia S.T.A.R.S. & West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources 611 7th Avenue, Suite 322 Huntington, WV 25701 Phone: 304-529-7603 or 888-WVECTCR Fax: 304-529-2535 E-mail: cestep@rvcds.org	West Virginia Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist			Apprenticeship
			West Virginia Early Childhood Training Connections and Resources		Core Knowledge and Comptencies Career Pathway	Training Registry	Training Approval	Training Calendar Conferences TA
WI	Professional Development Initiative (PDI)	Collaboration of several agencies and organizations. Contact agency: Professional Development Initiative (PDI) c/o The Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction P.O. Box 7841 Madison, WI 53707 Phone: 608-267-9625	Child Care Information Center: State of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, Reference and Loan Library			Ongoing Training Licensing Regulations		Conferences Correspondence/ Independent Home Study Courses    Training Guidelines Free Resources Newsletter Lending Library
			The Registry: Wisconsin's Recognition System for the Childhood Care and Education Profession		Core Knowledge Career Ladder	Training Registry Administrator Credential Infant/Toddler Credential
			TNet, the Wisconsin Training Network and Event Calendar			Preservice Qualifications and Training Administrator Credential Infant/Toddler Credential		Training and Events Calendar Higher Education Directory
			Waisman Center: Birth to 3 Training and Technical Assistance			Orientation Training Leadership Training Licensing Regulations		Teleconference Network Community Training Calendar TA Career Guide Resources and Tools Video Lending Library Interactive Learning
			Wisconsin Early Childhood Association	T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood WISCONSIN R.E.W.A.R.D.™ WISCONSIN				Conferences Events Resource Centers
			The Wisconsin Early Childhood Collaborating Partners		Career Matrix	Licensing Certification		Career Guide

Source: State Early Care and Education (ECE) Professional Development Systems and Initiatives (February 2005), by NCCIC.

[1] More information on the School Readiness Board and Action Plan is available on the Web at http://www.governor.State.az.us/cyf/school_readiness/index_school_readiness.html.

[2] A Child Development Associate credential or completion of a two-year vocational child care course may substitute for this educational requirement.

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