CA’s Efforts to Raise Standards and Compensation for ECE Professionals Roberta Peck – CCSESA November 2, 2006 Santa Barbara

To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe. –Anatole France

ECE: Invest in Quality Preschools Need Well-Trained Teachers Improve ECE Teacher Training to Achieve 3 Outcomes: Improve Results for Children Enhance ECE Professionalism to increase credibility and compensation Maximize Investment of Personal and Public Resources

Improve Results for Children CA is working on “program requirements” (NIEER) –Comprehensive early learning standards –BA Teachers With specialized training in ECE –Asst. Teachers with CDA or equivalent Annual professional development – 15hrs+ –Maximum class size of 20 Staff : child ratio or 1:10 or better –Vision-hearing-health and one support service –At least one meal Monitoring visits for quality

Improve Results for Children Logic Model - NICHD Program Requirements to Process Features to Children’s Behavior and Development Measure and monitor each level for results AND connections between levels

Improve Results for Children Quality Preschool Elements: –Rich Curriculum –Responsive and Well-Educated Staff –Group Size and Adult-to-Child Ratio

Improve Results for Children PK – 3 Components: Alignment School Organization Qualified Teachers Classrooms as Learning Environments Accountability to Parents and Community

Improve Results for Children Quality Preschool Programs Enhance School Readiness and Reduce Economic- Racial-Ethnic Achievement Gaps

Improve Results for Children Achievement Gap –About 1/2 Black-White gap evident at K entry –In low API schools, only 1/4 to 2/5 fully or almost mastered the developmental skills and behaviors in four domains (CA K Entry Profile) Factors –Socio-economic status (income, parental education and occupation) –Parenting behavior –Environmental stress and health –ECE Programs – quality and access –also Immigration and Isolation

Improve Results for Children Diversity of CA’s Youngest Approx. 3.5 million children ,000 newborns each year

Improve Results for Children Parents Support Preschool  Want Focus on Creating Positive Educational Activities that Prepare Children for K  91% Latino and African American Parents  76% Asian Parents Access is a Huge Challenge  No Quality Programs in their Communities that They Can Afford  50% Latino Parents  33% African American Parents  25% Asian Parents

Enhance ECE Professionalism CA Institutions of Higher Education About half (136) offer ECE teacher preparation –CC = 97 –CSU = 18 –UC = 2 Almost half of BA students transferred from community colleges Most CC and Half of BA grads work in ECE (1/3 BA grads go to K+) Majority of students: –Are working full time –Ethnicities other than white

Enhance ECE Professionalism First 5 CARES Program Goal: Increase education, professional development, and retention of early learning workforce Investments: $155.2M State and County funds since 2000; funding through 2008 Outcomes: –50,000 stipends/benefits in first 4 years –Participants exceeded program requirements with average completion of 2 courses –Participants receiving new or higher permit level almost doubled over 3 years –52% attended 1 (or more) trainings on children with special needs –96% retention for one year; 93% for 18 mo –New collaborations to address barriers to college courses

Enhance ECE Professionalism First 5 School Readiness & Preschool Project Strategies Preschool expansion Quality enhancements for programs (workforce, curriculum, facilities) Staff training – connect to CARES Developmental assessments/referrals Quality assessments for ECE Programs (ECERS and DR Training) Parent education, Family literacy, and Outreach Book distribution and reading promotion programs

Enhance ECE Professionalism County Superintendents and Offices of Education Academic Accountability Student Services such as support for – and knowledge of – early childhood education –88% operate and/or contract for early childhood education programs –80% administer Local Child Care and Development Planning Councils –Fiscal Accountability Legislative-Policy Priorities P-16 Councils Administrative, Personnel, and Technology-Telecommunication Services

California County Superintendents Educational Services Association County Superintendent Tools Available for District & School Assistance Statewide Integrated Coherent Assistance for Districts and Schools California API 1-3 Schools COE Capacity Building “Gates Grant” Quality Education Investment Act CTA Settlement – SB 1133 Teacher Quality California Teacher Recruitment Program AB 172 – Gov PreK State PreK Head Start First 5 SR and PoP

Maximize Quality RESOURCES Re-Design ECE Programs Clear, Articulated Course of Study Easy Entry and Transfer between and across IHEs Increase Capacity for BA and Credential (Birth to Grade 3)  2 High School Career Academy  2 Community College  2 CSU or UC Degree and New/Embedded Credential

Maximize Quality RESOURCES Re-Design coursework for a Birth to Grade 3 (0-8) Degree –Design course of study based on teacher competencies Base teacher competencies on Infant/Toddler, Early Learning (PreK), and Early Elementary Standards (P-3) –Early Learning Standards that reflect all domains of early childhood development and current research –Align standards with curriculum, pedagogy, and assessments

Maximize Quality RESOURCES Programs (coursework and new credential) delivered to preschool teaching staff in their communities –Distance Learning –Evening and Weekend Classes –Classes offered in neighborhood locations, such as preschools, schools and county offices, community centers

Maximize Quality RESOURCES Intensive Recruitment and Support for Workforce Success and Diversity –Basic Skills, ESL, VESL –General Education and ECE Courses (scaffold to English) –Assistance with Student Aid, Stipends, Scholarships –Advisement, Coaching, Mentoring (BTSA for ECE)

Maximize Quality RESOURCES Train, Retrain, Recruit ECE Faculty to build teaching and research capacity –Develop Masters and Doctorate Programs across disciplines –Recruit and retain diverse faculty –Enlist COE/LEA and PreK Program staff as adjunct faculty –Build incentives for integration with preschool practice, research, policies –Fund ECE research in CA

Maximize Quality RESOURCES CA Examples: CCC ECE Sacramento Alliance Bay Area ECE Professional Development Group Cal NET – Northern CA Project IMPACT – Central Valley SANTA BARBARA EC – Higher Education

What Could “WE” Do? Provide access to most vulnerable children first (greatest need and higher return on public investment) Support quality by developing state standards for ECE Programs, including content standards for children and their teachers Improve education and compensation by requiring Prek Teachers to have a BA degree with specialized training in ECE Monitor to ensure quality over time

What Could “WE” Do? Each IHE System AND Links between IHEs AND LEAs AND Preschool Providers Fundamental Change = continuous assessment and periodic revision of curriculum and course of study to reflect: –New policies –Research and evaluation results –Changing demographics –Grads’ competencies –Job placement and retention

What Could “WE” Do? Partners for Quality Preschool Local/Regional College, University, COE Projects First 5 State and County Commissions Foundations – Packard, Orfalea, and Grantees such as UCB, R&R, AIR, LIIF-Facilities County and District Superintendents and CCSESA Advocates such as PreK CA, Fight Crime Invest in Kids, Children Now CDE, Governor’s Office, Legislators Other States (IL, NY, NM, NJ)

“I touch the future. I teach.” Christa McAuliffe ( )