- Overview
- State Policy Blueprint
- Database of State Policies
- Workforce Policy Web Seminars
- Online Peer-to-Peer Community
- National Summit of States
- About the Funders
- Related Resources and Links
Sponsored by the Birth to Five Policy Alliance and Cornerstones for Kids.
Overview
The Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative’s purpose is to assist states in developing, enhancing, and implementing policies for an integrated early childhood professional development system for all early childhood education professionals working with and on behalf of young children. Integrated policies intentionally promote the building and support of an efficient cross-sector system that decreases duplication of efforts and increases accountability and sustainability. An integrated system helps develop and retain a competent and stable early childhood workforce—a skilled cadre of effective, diverse, and adequately compensated professionals.
An integrated system crosses sectors serving early education professionals working in direct and nondirect service roles. Such roles may be in Head Start; for-profit and not-for-profit child care programs in centers and homes; state prekindergarten programs in community-based and school-settings; public school programs; early intervention and special education services; resource and referral agencies; higher education institutions; state departments of education, licensing, health, and other early childhood education related departments.
State Policy Blueprint
Workforce Designs: A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems
This blueprint focuses on the policies that connect professional development activities and that support and make possible an effective implementation of a state system of professional development. It highlights policy principles and essential policy areas that build or sustain an integrated system—a system that ensures quality in all settings in which early childhood professionals work. These principles and highlighted policy areas look beyond the status quo; they are aimed at the development and retention of a competent and stable early childhood workforce—a skilled cadre of effective, diverse, and adequately compensated professionals.
Click here to access the full report.
Click here to access the brief.
Database of State Policies
The database of state policies is organized by the blueprint’s six essential policy areas of professional standards, career pathways, articulation, advisory structure, data and financing. The database also indicates whether or not state policies apply or address the blueprint’s four over-arching policy principles of integration; quality assurance; diversity, inclusion, and access; and compensation parity.
Click here to access database.
Workforce Policy Web Seminars
The workforce policy seminars are designed for state policy makers, early education advocates, and program administrators working to connect professional development activities and initiatives into an integrated system.
October 2009 Policy Seminar New!
- Focus on Professional Development (PD) Specialists—professionals who provide/deliver PD, e.g., trainers, coaches, mentors, advisors, technical assistance providers, and consultants (PDF / Online Presentation)
Spring 2009 Seminar Series
This six-part series is organized by the essential policy areas as outlined in Workforce Designs: A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems.
#1 Focus on Advisory Structures (PDF / Online Presentation)
#2 Focus on Articulation (PDF)
#3 Focus on Data (PDF / Online Presentation)
#4 Focus on Professional Standards and Career Pathways (PDF / Online Presentation)
#5 Focus on Financing (PDF / Online Presentation)
#6 Focus on Workforce Development Systems and QRIS (PDF / Online Presentation)Click here for more details on this seminar series.
Online Peer-to-Peer Community New!
The Early Childhood Professional Development System Policy Exchange is an online community designed to facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges between state policy makers, early education advocates, and program administrators working to connect professional development policies that support an integrated early childhood professional development system.
National Summit of States
The annual National Summit of States is an intensive work day designed for state leaders working to build and enhance policies for early childhood professional development and career systems. The summits include interactive peer-to-peer discussions with a variety of national experts serving as resources to state leadership teams.
2010 Summit New!
The 2010 National Summit: 4th Annual State Professional Development Leadership Team Work Day will be held on June 5, 2010 in Phoenix, Arizona. The summit will once again be a preconference day event at NAEYC's National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development. Additional information about the event, including state team applications, will be available in early 2010.
2009 Summit
Leaders from 36 states joined national experts to collaborate and refine their work on implementing integrated state professional development systems at the 2009 National Summit: Third annual state professional development leadership team work day. The summit was a preconference session at NAEYC’s 18th National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development in Charlotte, North Carolina. Click here for the press release on the 2009 Summit.
Selected materials from the 2009 Summit
2008 Summit
Hundreds of leaders from 30 states and national experts participated in Linking sectors, advancing systems: Second annual state professional development leadership team work day pre-conference session at NAEYC’s 17th National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development in New Orleans, Louisiana. Click here for the press release on this state team work day.
Selected materials from the 2008 Summit
About the Funders
Birth to Five Policy Alliance
The Birth to Five Policy Alliance was established in 2005 to help to shift the odds for very young children and narrow the achievement gap. The goal is to promote innovative and successful policy ideas that support families in their parenting role and ensure positive early childhood development and learning opportunities for at-risk infants, toddlers, preschoolers and their families.
Cornerstones for Kids
The mission of Cornerstones for Kids (C4K) is to improve the lives and circumstances of vulnerable children. Created in 2004, Cornerstones for Kids houses and manages the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Human Services Workforce Initiative. C4K defines the “Human Services Workforce” as the frontline staff in child welfare, juvenile justice, child care, youth development, and employment services.
NAEYC Resources
- Conceptual Framework for Professional Development
- Quality, Compensation, and Affordability
- Standards for Professional Preparation Programs
- Summary of ECE Provisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act
- Using the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act to Advance High Quality Professional Development for Early Childhood Educators
- Where We Stand on Standards for Programs to Prepare Early Childhood Professionals
Related Links
- American Associate Degree Early Childhood Educators (ACCESS)
- Birth to Five Policy Alliance
- Center for the Study of Child Care Employment
- Child Care Services Association
- Council for Professional Recognition
- National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies
- National Association of Early Childhood Specialists in State Departments of Education, Early Childhood Teacher Certification joint position statement
- National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators
- National Association for Family Child Care
- National Board for Professional Teaching Standards
- National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center, Professional Development topic
- National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
- National Council of La Raza, Early Care and Education Programs
- National Governors Association Center for Best Practices, Early Childhood Projects
- National Professional Development Center on Inclusion
- The National Registry Alliance
Press release on this NAEYC project, click here.
NAEYC looks forward to sharing more information as this initiative continues.
