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? [ ] 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: [x]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 Nebraska Child Development Associate credential (CDA) Roundtable has made significant progress in streamlining the CDA process and closing gaps for early childhood CDA candidates in the state. Through the formation of subcommittees and collaboration with key partners, the Roundtable has been able to establish structured pathways, create a central hub website, hire a full-time CDA Navigator, recruit and retain a network of dedicated Professional Development Specialists (PDS), expand coaching efforts, secure funding opportunities, and develop marketing resources. These efforts have not only benefitted CDA candidates by providing them with more support and resources, but have also improved the overall early childhood workforce in Nebraska. By working together and leveraging the strengths of various organizations and stakeholders, the Roundtable has been able to make significant strides in advancing the CDA credential and supporting early childhood educators in the state. [ ] 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). Nebraska's Core Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals: Core Competencies are what all adults who work with children need to know, understand, and be able to do. Following the voluntary Core Competency guide will provide practical, usable, and reasonable goals to assist early childhood educators in supporting each child’s development and school readiness in any setting or capacity. Bloom’s Taxonomy (Revised) was used to guide the revision of the Nebraska Core Competencies. The four levels advance in difficulty, as each builds upon the previous one. There is an expectation that a person working at any level should have the skills of the previous levels in that specific area. This framework provides a roadmap for professional learning design. It does not equate to any specific credential, license, or certification. There are nine areas of knowledge and skill in Nebraska's Core Competencies: A. Child Growth and Development. B. Health, Safety, and Nutrition C. Learning Environments D. Planning, Learning Experiences, and Curriculum E. Relationships and Social-Emotional Guidance F. Observation, Documentation, and Assessment G. Partnerships with Families and Communities H. Professionalism and Leadership I. Administration, Program Planning, and Development To assist educators in achieving their professional goals, a self-assessment tool is available in both English and Spanish. It helps the practitioner identify strengths and areas for improvement. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. Nebraska’s Career Pathways are described in the Early Childhood Education Career Advising Guide. The pathway begins as early as a Career and Technical Education (CTE) concentration in high school or with a high school diploma and progresses through individual training/workshops, the Child Development Associate Credential (CDA), certificate/diploma programs, associate degrees, bachelor’s degrees, post-bachelors degree specializations and endorsements, master’s degrees, and graduate-level teaching endorsements, and ends at doctoral degrees. Lifelong learning is stressed at all levels and all start with a strong foundation in early childhood education in which research-informed practices are embedded. The Career Advising Guide has been updated to reflect the revised Core Competencies and updates in the field. 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. The Nebraska Early Childhood Interagency Coordinating Council (ECICC) provides recommendations for the professional development system. ECICC is charged with advising the Governor and state agencies with issues related to early childhood education and care. It is the designated State Advisory Council (SAC) for Nebraska as well as the state Interagency Coordinating Council (ICC) for IDEA Part C. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. The Early Childhood Career Development Coordinator, housed at the Early Childhood Training Center (ECTC), facilitates a group of early childhood educators representing Nebraska two-year colleges. This group coordinates and aligns early childhood course offerings across the campuses of the Nebraska Community College system. This group also established a CDA pathway that is attainable through any community college across the state. Additionally, the Career Development Coordinator works with representatives of the state college system, the campuses of the University of Nebraska, and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute to attempt to bring two- and four-year institutions together to improve articulation agreements for students transferring between or among colleges and universities. 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. Nebraska has created a professional registry for early childhood education and care providers. The Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS) is available for early childhood education and care providers to create and maintain their personal education and training records. As of February 29, 2024, there were 21,568 active users with professional education and training records in NECPRS. The system also contains a statewide, searchable training calendar in which early childhood training approved by the Early Childhood Training Center (ECTC) is posted. NECPRS is tied to Step Up to Quality, Nebraska’s Quality Rating and Improvement System, and tracks the progress of programs participating in Step Up to Quality. NECPRS can track salaries and benefits for early childhood education and care providers. This information is voluntary and is self-reported by programs. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the Lead Agency are not able to verify the self-reported financial data. The system will eventually be able to link to the Teacher Education certification system. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. The Lead Agency provides CCDF funding to support TEACH Early Childhood Nebraska® scholarships and WAGE$ wage enhancements. b. Does the Lead Agency use additional elements? [x] Yes. If yes, describe the element(s). Check all that apply. i. [ ] Continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. Describe: ii. [x] Engagement of training and professional development providers, including higher education, in aligning training and educational opportunities with the Lead Agency's framework. Describe: The Office of Early Childhood Education at the Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) offers a variety of eLearning courses for early childhood educators. In 2023 and 2024, seven new and/or updated courses were added to the NDE Learning Network. Three of these courses are in Spanish. All courses follow current ADA guidelines for digital learning. Nebraska partners have received a privately funded grant entitled Responsive Equitable System for Preparing Early Childhood Teachers across Nebraska (RESPECT). The grant partners include the University of Nebraska system, community and state colleges, NDE, the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services, the Nebraska Council on Teacher Education, and the Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The three aims of the grant are: 1. Build a competency-based framework that defines common expectations for educator preparation, credentialing, and licensing across all early childhood settings. 2. Collaborate with local communities to ensure the competency-based curriculum and accessible pathways are implemented in ways that are contextually grounded and culturally relevant. 3. Develop accessible pathways and support mechanisms to ensure all members of Nebraska’s early childhood workforce have equitable opportunities to earn a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education and teaching certification. iii. [ ] Other. Describe: [ ] No. 6.2.3 Impact of the Professional Development Framework Describe how the framework improves the quality, diversity, 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 diversity of providers across role, child care setting, or age of children served? The TEACH® Early Childhood Nebraska program helped 122 individuals increase their education. 27.9% of TEACH® recipients were people of color and/or Latinx. Recipients attended one of eight community colleges or five universities offering early childhood degree programs in Nebraska. TEACH® scholars worked as teachers for children birth through preschool and as center directors or family child care directors. 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? Nebraska’s Core Competencies are aligned with the Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). Nebraska uses CCDF to assist early childhood education and care providers in beginning a pathway of education through the CDA credential. CCDF pays for an individual’s fees for applying for the initial CDA assessment and renewal of the CDA. In the last fiscal year, 106 early educators accessed CCDF funds to earn or renew their CDA. 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? The ECICC, the state’s advisory council, is the Advisory body for the Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Strategic Plan for Nebraska. The Strategic Plan has identified a goal of Access for workforce compensation. The activity that drives the goal is to increase availability quality early care and education services in communities across the state by creating funding strategies that pay providers for the full cost of quality services. 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 Early Childhood Career Development Coordinator, housed at the Early Childhood Training Center (ECTC), facilitates a group of early childhood educators representing Nebraska two-year colleges. This group coordinates and aligns early childhood course offerings across the campuses of the Nebraska Community College system. Additionally, the Career Development Coordinator works with representatives of the state college system, the campuses of the University of Nebraska, and the Buffett Early Childhood Institute to attempt to bring two- and four-year institutions together to improve articulation agreements for students transferring between or among colleges and universities. 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)? Nebraska has created a professional registry for early childhood education and care providers. The Nebraska Early Childhood Professional Record System (NECPRS) is available for early childhood education and care providers to create and maintain their personal education and training records. As of February 29, 2024, there were 21,568 active users with professional education and training records in NECPRS. NECPRS can track salaries and benefits for early childhood education and care providers. This information is voluntary and is self-reported by programs. The Nebraska Department of Education (NDE) and the Lead Agency are not able to verify the self-reported financial data. 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 pays in-home child care providers the state’s minimum wage.