6.2 Professional Development Framework

A Lead Agency must have a professional development framework for training, professional development, and post-secondary education for caregivers, teachers, and directors in child care programs that serve children of all ages. The framework must include these components: (1) professional standards and competencies, (2) career pathways, (3) advisory structures, (4) articulation, (5) workforce information, and (6) financing. CCDF provides Lead Agencies flexibility on the strategies, breadth, and depth of the framework. The professional development framework must be developed in consultation with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care or a similar coordinating body. 6.2.1 Updates and consultation a. Did the Lead Agency make any updates to the professional development framework since the FFY 2022-2024 CCDF Plan was submitted? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the elements of the framework that were updated and describe if and how the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care (if applicable) or similar coordinating body was consulted: Legislation passed in the 2024 session modified the structure of Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) which is integral in Iowa’s professional development framework and houses Iowa’s State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. The Early Childhood Iowa system is in the process of reorganizing and a potential new structure will be presented to the ECI State Board in coming months for their feedback. [ ]No. b. Did the Lead Agency consult with other key groups in the development of their professional development framework? [x] Yes. If yes, identify the other key groups: The Lead Agency also consulted specifically with Before and After School programs as the Early Childhood Iowa initiative is generally an initiative focused on ages 0-5. [ ] No. 6.2.2 Description of the professional development framework a. Describe how the Lead Agency’s framework for training and professional development addresses the following required elements: i. Professional standards and competencies. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about which roles in early childhood education are included (such as teachers, directors, infant and toddler specialists, mental health consultants, coaches, licensors, QIS assessors, family service workers, home visitors). Early Childhood Iowa has approved professional competencies for early childhood educators, adult educators and coaches. For early childhood educators Iowa has adopted the 2019 NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators. For adult educators and coaches Iowa formed a cross disciplinary committee that researched and developed the competencies. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. Career pathways for early childhood educators and early childhood program administrators were developed and approved by Early Childhood Iowa (Iowa’s multi-disciplinary, private-public statewide initiative to support young children and their families). Individuals interested in careers in either pathway can explore the pathways at this interactive website https://www.ecieducationpathway.org/ built to help individuals understand their options and what their next step in their career pathway might be. The Lead Agency has also developed a pathway for school-age professionals building off the National Afterschool Alliance’s Core Knowledge and Competencies and with the feedback of afterschool programs in the state. This pathway can be accessed on the lead agency’s website at https://hhs.iowa.gov/media/10557/download?inline=. iii. Advisory structure. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about how the professional development advisory structure interacts with the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. Legislation passed in the 2024 session modified the structure of Early Childhood Iowa (ECI) which is integral in Iowa’s professional development framework and houses the professional development advisory structure. The Early Childhood Iowa system is in the process of reorganizing and a potential new structure will be presented to the ECI State Board in June 2024. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. Many strong agreements exist between early childhood community college AA programs within the state and four-year early childhood programs within the state. The workforce committee which is the advisory group for Iowa's T.E.A.C.H. and W.A.G.E.$ programs provides leadership and direction to move articulation needs forward. This group is led by the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children and a staff from the Lead Agency is member of the committee. v. Workforce information. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about workforce demographics, educator well-being, retention/turnover surveys, actual wage scales, and/or access to benefits. Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children with funding from the Lead Agency completed a workforce study in 2023 as part of the requirements of their WAGE$ license. Key findings from the study include demographics and insights into recruitment and retention issues. Demographics of the Iowa child care workforce include: 96% female, 86% white, 98% primarily English speaking, 46% unmarried, 23% have no college experience and 48% have an associate’s degree or higher. Key findings regarding recruitment and retention are that individuals find this work meaningful but they struggle financially. This is evidenced by 78% said they find the work meaningful, 62% plan to stay in the field as long as they are able financially, 50% of provider report they have used public assistance (i.e. SNAP, WIC, Medicaid, CCA), 53% have a household income below 200% FPL, 17% have another paid job in addition to their child care job and 52% that left the field would come back if there were improved compensation/benefits. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. There are multiple funding streams for Iowa’s PD system including CCDF, HeadStart funds, State funds and private-public partnerships. The Lead Agency uses CCDF dollars to contract with multiple organizations such as CCR&R, Iowa State University and First Children’s Finance to provide training and technical assistance at no cost to providers. The Lead Agency also funds T.E.A.C.H. scholarships and WAGE$ stipends statewide with CCDF dollars. The Lead Agency and CCR&R also work closely with the Iowa Department of Education and the Head Start State Collaboration office to co-fund training and community of practice opportunities for early childhood professionals. Additionally Early Childhood Iowa has state funds that support local training needs as well as state-level Professional Development funds that support PD system needs. The Lead Agency is also funding a new private-public partnership opportunity in pilot communities throughout Iowa to support wage enhancements. The communities set up a Solutions Fund, generally housed in a chamber of commerce or a local economic development office. The fund manger solicits donations from area employers, business or foundations, then the Lead Agency matches those donations. Local child care programs can then apply to the fund manager for wage enhancements for their workforce. b. Does the Lead Agency use additional elements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the element(s). Check all that apply. i. [x] Continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. Describe: Credit-bearing professional development is encouraged in the ECI career pathways. Additionally the Lead Agency supports the T.E.A.C.H. program which assists child care providers in removing barriers to credit-bearing courses. Credit-bearing professional development does count toward professional development requirements and is tracked in Iowa's Early Childhood and School Age Workforce Registry (i-PoWeR) system. ii. [ ] Engagement of training and professional development providers, including higher education, in aligning training and educational opportunities with the Lead Agency's framework. Describe: iii. [ ] Other. Describe: [ ] No. 6.2.3 Impact of the Professional Development Framework Describe how the framework improves the quality, stability, and retention of caregivers, teachers, and directors and identify what data are available to assess the impact. a. Professional standards and competencies. For example, do the professional standards and competencies reflect the range of providers across role, child care setting, or age of children served? For early childhood educators Iowa has adopted the NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies. These competencies were developed by national experts in the early childhood field with a focus on reflecting the diversity of early childhood educators. Additionally multiple chances for feedback from the early childhood field were offered on drafts of these standards and competencies so that all individuals within the field could provide feedback. For Iowa’s adult educator and coaching competencies the workgroup that drafted the competencies represented professionals from a multitude of settings (i.e. districts, area education agencies, child care resource and referral agencies, Head Start recipients, institutions of higher education and state agencies). Additionally multiple chances for feedback from adult educators and coaches were offered on drafts of the competencies before they were finalized. b. Career pathways. For example, has the Lead Agency developed a wage ladder that provides progressively higher wages as early educators gain more experience and credentials? What types of child care settings and staff roles are addressed in career pathways, such as licensed centers and family child care homes? The Workforce Committee which is the advisory body for Iowa’s T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ programs has released a recommended salary scale for early care and education in which the wage recommendations increase as staff gain credentials and experience. The scale uses data from the 2023 Iowa Child Care Workforce Study as well as data from similar occupations with the goal of parity with school district staff for equivalent qualifications. A staff member from the Lead Agency sits on the Workforce Committee and was involved in the subcommittee that worked on this resource. This resource can be found on the Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children’s website as that organization is the administrative home of T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ https://iowaaeyc.b- cdn.net/app/uploads/2023/12/ECE-Salary-Scale.pdf c. Advisory structure. For example, has the advisory structure identified goals for child care workforce compensation, including types of staff and target compensation levels? Does the Lead Agency have a Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant and is part of its scope of work child care compensation activities? Are they represented in the advisory structure? Iowa’s advisory structures sits within our Early Childhood Iowa initiative. The 2023-2026 ECI Strategic Plan Goal 3 is to transform the early childhood workforce. Specifically this includes targeted PD opportunities such as coaching to increase skills and knowledge as well as promotion of parity in compensation models. Strategies to achieve this goal included support of programs such as T.E.A.C.H. and WAGE$ that address compensation and implementation of a salary scall for the early childhood system. d. Articulation. For example, how does the advisory structure include training and professional development for providers, including higher education, to assist in aligning training and education opportunities? The Lead Agency as well as other funders such as ECI support the T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood Iowa program which provides financial scholarships but also counseling support to help providers navigate the higher education system and articulation concerns. e. Workforce information. For example, does the Lead Agency have data on the existing wages and benefits available to the child care workforce? Do any partners such as the Quality Improvement System, child care resource and referral agencies, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and universities and research organizations collect compensation and benefits data? Does the Lead Agency monitor child care workforce wages and access to benefits through ongoing data collection and evaluation? Can the data identify any disparities in the existing compensation and benefits (by geography, role, child care setting, race, ethnicity, gender, or age of children served)? The 2023 Iowa Workforce Study by Iowa AEYC provided a wealth of information regarding existing wages and benefits available to the child care workforce. f. Financing. For example, has the Lead Agency set a minimum or living wage as a floor for all child care staff? Do Lead Agency-provider subsidy agreements contain requirements for staff compensation levels? Do Lead Agencies provide program-level compensation grants to support staff base salaries and benefits? Does the Lead Agency administer bonuses or stipends directly to workers? The Lead Agency does not have the authority to set a minimum wage for all child care staff. Based on information from the 2023 Workforce Study and with the feedback of stakeholders Iowa Association for the Education of Young Children has developed a Recommended Salary Scale as a resource to early childhood programs with the intent to help plan towards competitive wages that will reduce turnover and stabilize early childhood programs.