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 New Jersey Council for Young Children was created in 2010 by an Executive Order to serve as the Governor's State Advisory Council for Early Childhood Systems as authorized under the Improving Head Start for School Readiness Act of 2007. The Council is in the Department of Education and represents all state agencies with oversight of programs serving families and children from birth to thirteen. Head Start agencies, advocacy groups, child care organizations, school districts, universities, and foundations also are represented on the Council. The Early Care and Education Workforce Committee of the Council provided support and recommendations regarding the professional development framework. DHS/DFD is an active member of the Council. To further support the Child Care Assistance Program and ensure timely feedback loops from stakeholders, DHS/DFD has formed an advisory group that meets periodically. In the Fall 2018, DHS/DFD established the Child Care Advisory Group to complement the work of the NJ Council for Young Children. The advisory group consists of a significant number of existing NJ Council for Young Children stakeholders including all the State agencies. The major goals of the advisory group are to help DHS/DFD strengthen provider engagement, solicit input on how to better serve children and families in the Child Care Assistance Program, provide recommendations on ways to improve quality child care, expand outreach and communicate the benefits and importance of Grow NJ Kids. [ ] 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). New Jersey’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals NJ’s Core Knowledge and Competencies (CKCs) for Early Childhood Professionals identifies specific knowledge areas that a professional must have when working with children, their families, and other professionals. Although presented individually, all areas are intrinsically interrelated and interdependent. The CKCs for Early Childhood Professionals provide a framework of common evidence-based skills that can serve children and families, including programs in centers, homes and schools. These standards are an integral part of building a statewide comprehensive professional development system. The areas of Core Knowledge and Competencies are: ● Child Growth and Development ● Family and Community Relationships ● Learning Environment and Curriculum ● Teaching-Learning Interactions and Approaches ● Child Assessment ● Child Wellness: Health, Safety, Nutrition and Physical Activity ● Serving Diverse Populations ● Professionalism and Leadership ● Program Organization and Management NJ School-Age Childcare Core Knowledge and Competencies Similar to the Early Childhood Professionals CKCs, New Jersey’s School Age Child Care Coalition (Afterschool and Out-of-School Time Professional Network) has adopted the National Afterschool Association’s (NAA) Core Knowledge and Competencies to support the school-age workforce. In 2020 and 2021, in response to the Black Lives Matter movement and the rise of hate crimes against other communities, the NAA renewed its focus on equity, resulting in revisions to Out- of-School Time Professionals CKCs. The areas of the Out-of-School Time Professionals CKCs are: ● Child/Youth Growth and Development ● Learning Environments and Curriculum ● Child/Youth Observation and Assessment ● Relationships and Interactions with Children and Youth ● Youth Engagement, Voice, and Choice ● Equity and Inclusion ● Family, School, and Community Relationships ● Safety and Wellness ● Program Planning and Development ● Professional Development and Learnership NJ Early Childhood Director and Administrator Competencies NJ has also developed and adopted the NJ Early Childhood Director and Administrator Competencies. These competencies address several areas broken into three categories: ● Pedagogical Leadership￿Children’s Development and Learning, Family and Community Engagement ● Administrative Leadership￿Program Planning and Evaluation, Operations, Financial Management, Legal and Business Strategy ● Staff Management and Leadership￿Marketing and Public Relations, Leadership Essentials, Personal Leadership, Communication, Advocacy, Professional Leadership Technical Assistance Specialist Standards for NJ Early Childhood Professionals To articulate quality standards for all early care and education, afterschool, and family support, Technical Assistance (TA) Specialists are available to support the improvement of developmentally-appropriate experiences for young children birth through age eight. TA specialists should provide quality services that build the knowledge and skills of early educators and their program administrators. These services use relationship-based coaching and technical assistance strategies that are grounded in best practices. The intent of these standards is to provide Technical Assistance Specialists in New Jersey with a research-based inventory of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are considered necessary for all TA Specialists in all of NJ’s settings related to early childhood, afterschool, and family support. NJ Technical Assistance Specialist Standards are divided into four areas: Standards Area 1: Technical Assistance Approaches ● Relationship-based practice ● Communication ● Contextual understanding of families ● Contextual understanding of adult developmental stages, the role of the administrator, and work environments ● Cultural and linguistic appropriateness ● Differences between and appropriate uses of coaching, mentoring, and consultation strategies ● Conflict resolution ● Communities of Practice and Professional/Adult Learning Communities Standards Area 2: The Technical Assistance Process ● Stages of technical assistance ● Observation and assessment ● Plan development and evaluation ● Supporting TA Partner capacity ● TA Partner advocacy Standards Area 3: Professionalism ● Professional orientation ● Role as a change agent ● Roles of other TA Specialists and partners ● Managing a TA practice ● Self-assessment of knowledge and skills ● Creation and implementation of PD plans for self and others ● Current research and best practice ● Reflective practice ● Leadership ● Partnering and collaboration ● Foundations of training ● Dealing with resistance to change Standards Area 4: Systems Knowledge of Early Childhood ● Legislative, regulatory and policy-making processes ● Educator certification and licensure ● Assessment and evaluation ● Data collection, analysis and reporting ● Needs assessment and advocacy ● Connecting data to systems In partnership with the Early Childhood Learning Institute at Rowan University, we are also working towards the development of standards for TA Supervisors and Management that are closely aligned to the current TA Standards and Director’s and Administrator's competencies. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. All training coordinated through DHS/DFD provides a pathway for individuals. It begins with the foundational training to meet CCDBG training requirements and is complemented with progressive PD offerings. Trainings are offered through a variety of quality initiative contracts that also include Grow NJ Kids (QRIS). Consecutively, the workforce is supported with scholarships to further educational achievements including scholarships for Child Development Associate (CDA) training, CDA Assessment Fees, and college coursework. All training and PD coordinated through DHS/DFD contracts is posted on the NJ Workforce Registry (the Registry), a module associated with the NJCCIS, New Jersey's integrated data system. The Registry allows training agencies to post educational offerings with easy access for the workforce to search and register for training opportunities. All trainings posted on the NJ Workforce Registry demonstrate alignment with some or all of the Core Knowledge and Competency areas. This alignment helps professionals identify their areas of strength and areas of need when selecting training to support their individual ongoing professional development. In addition, the Registry supports the workforce in maintaining a professional profile, tracking professional development, training, and educational achievements, and the ability to apply for a higher career level within the NJ Career Lattice. Furthermore, NJ launched a single sign-on point of entry for a Learning Management System (LMS) through the NJ Workforce Registry. The LMS was launched in June 2022. Over the next several years, contracted training agencies will be transferring their asynchronous training modules onto the LMS. This will provide additional opportunities for the workforce to access and complete training based on their individual schedules. In 2024, similarly to the Core Knowledge and Competencies, NJ will also be launching the Child Development Credential Competencies as a part of the training transcript. This will allow the workforce to acquire the needed training hours through the various professional development offerings. And, ultimately will increase the number of individuals eligible for the CDA. In 2020, DHS/DFD, along with a workgroup comprised of early educational professionals across the early childhood spectrum (i.e., center base instructional staff, home visitors, certified teachers, community health workers, etc.), reviewed and revised the career lattice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shift in priorities, the revisions were not implemented in The Workforce Registry. In 2024, NJ will be reconvening the workgroup to review the proposed revisions and determine if additional revisions are needed and will make the necessary programmatic updates in the Registry to reflect these revisions. Furthermore, in 2020 DHS/DFD, in collaboration with the Higher Education Workgroup, developed the Director and Administrator Competencies. The inclusion of the Director and Administrator (D&A) Competencies supports the training and assessment of growth and learning with leadership. It also supports career pathways for the early education workforce. These D&A Competencies have many commonalities with the current Technical Assistance Specialist Standards. Having them aligned with the broader audience of TA Specialists/Coaches shows an integrated system that builds upon one another within the career lattice. Lastly, over the next year, NJ will be revisiting the trainer approval process within the NJ Workforce Registry and determine which revisions are needed to move forward. These are all efforts to ensure the workforce is supported and has access to equitable and quality professional development and training. 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 New Jersey Council for Young Children represents all state agencies with oversight of programs serving families and children from birth to thirteen. Head Start agencies, advocacy groups, child care organizations, school districts, universities, and foundations also are represented on the Council. DHS/DFD is an active member of the Council. The Early Care and Education Workforce Committee of the Council provides support and recommendations regarding the professional development framework. To further support the Child Care Assistance Program and ensure timely feedback loops from stakeholders, DHS/DFD has formed a Child Care Advisory Group that meets periodically. Established in the fall 2018, the Child Care Advisory Group complements the work of the NJ Council for Young Children. The advisory group consists of a significant number of existing NJ Council for Young Children stakeholders including all the State agencies. The major goals of the advisory group are to strengthen DHS/DFD’s engagement with providers, and solicit input on how to better serve children and families in the CCAP, provide recommendations on how to improve quality child care, and expand outreach efforts to communicate the benefit and importance of Grow NJ Kids. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. DHS/DFD in partnership with the NJ Council for Young Children and the Child Care Advisory Group will continue to work with Higher Education Partners in developing the alignment of professional development for articulation, and build upon articulation where it already exists. This includes the CDA course offerings among other professional development opportunities. 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. The NJ Workforce Registry, a component of New Jersey's Child Care Information System (NJCCIS) maintains workforce data, including self-reported demographic information, such as, the address/county, age, race, and ethnicity of the workforce. In addition, the Registry maintains training records, certifications, transcripts, career levels, scholarships, and educational achievements. Much of the data in the registry is self-reported by the workforce. As of December 31, 2023 the workforce profile in the NJ Workforce Registry is as follows: ￿ Directors average age is 48 years old, 61% identified as white/Caucasian, 23% Black/African American, 4% didn’t report a race. 13% identified as Hispanic while 85% did not identify an ethnicity. 4,207 identify as female. Over 50% are master degree professionals with majority having over 12 years of experience. The average yearly salary reported for directors is $54,419. ￿ Teachers average age is 41 years old, 56% identified as white/Caucasian, 22% Black/African American, 20% didn’t report a race. 17% identified as Hispanic while almost 80% didn’t identify an ethnicity. Almost 90% identify as female. Over 51% are master degree professionals, 35% have an associate’s degree, and 7% reported having a Child Development Associate Credential (CDA). On average, teachers reported having 8 years of experience in the field and an annual salary of $42, 584. ￿ Assistant Teachers average age is 37 years old. 51% identified as White/Caucasian, 21% reported to be Black/African American. 69% did not report an ethnicity, while 25% reported to be Hispanic. Again, majority identified as female with the majority reporting having an associate’s degree. On average, assistant teachers are in the field for 5 years with a reported annual salary of $29, 301. ￿ For Family Child Care Providers, the average age is 45 years old. 31% identified as White/Caucasian and 41% identified as Black/African American, 15% did not answer the race question. 38% identified as Hispanic and almost 60% didn’t answer. Majority identified as female with the highest education level being reported as an associate’s degree. The average field experience is 7 years with an annual salary of $70,605. NJ is in the process of developing a strategic plan inclusive of piloting an Apprenticeship program for ECE workers. During the pilot phase, NJ will research ECE worker wage scales across different systems to help inform wage scales. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. In addition to the robust professional development system, NJ offers a variety of scholarships to support the workforce in obtaining higher levels of education. Scholarship supports include the Child Development Credential (CDA) ($1,500), Child Development Credential Assessment Fee ($425), Child Development Credential Renewal ($150 check or $125 credit card), College Scholarships ($6,000 per round), and Preschool-3rd Grade Certification ($6,000 per round). In addition, NJ offers a reimbursement book stipend (up to $175) and a Merit Award ($500 for scholarship recipients who receive the credential (CDA, AA, BA, P-3). Also, with support of the Preschool Development Block Grant, Birth-5 years old, NJ has been researching and developing a framework for an ECE Apprenticeship Program. Through that work, NJ is reviewing the current wages of the ECE workforce and including wages as a discussion within the framework of the pilot. 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: ● DHS/DFD offers CCDBG online trainings for Health and Safety and other progressive trainings to meet the quality standards through Rutgers University, School of Social Work, Institute for Families. ● Social-emotional/behavioral training supports are offered through Montclair State University, Center for Autism and Early Childhood Mental Health. ● Rowan University, College of Education, Center for Access, Success, and Equity provides training and support regional technical assistance centers for Grow NJ Kids and other quality initiatives. Note: The professional development provided through Rowan University (especially the 39-hour orientation that technical assistance specialists receive), satisfies the requirement for 1 course of 5 courses of the Certificate of Graduate Study: Early Childhood Coaching and Technical Assistance. 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: NJ has a number of Higher Education Partners that support the professional development framework. More work can be done to support articulation. DHS/DFD will work with partners to develop an inventory of PD providers and articulation agreements. DHS/DFD will also work with the Council for Young Children and the Child Care Advisory Group on the intentionality of the articulation and engagement of the professional development framework. 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? DHS/DFD has a number of initiatives in place to increase educational attainment in the childcare workforce as a strategy to recruit and retain a highly qualified and diverse workforce. DHS/DFD contracts with a variety of partners to support the workforce. For example, CC&Rs meet with FCC providers at their location in a manner that will best enable them to successfully operate a home-based business and also provide high quality childcare. FCC providers are embedded in neighborhoods reflecting the communities in which they live. DHS/DFD requires contracted partners to hire staff that reflect the diversity within communities and implement relationship-based strategies to ensure all providers receive the support they need to build early childhood competencies, cultural competencies, and business best practices to ensure that families with children have access to a quality child care setting of their choice. Quality: A critical step toward professionalism in the early education and child care workforce is the establishment of a credential defining the qualifications for those authorized to work in the field. An infant-toddler credential in particular is a qualification that asserts that the holder has specialized knowledge and skills that serve as a foundation for high quality interactions and care of babies and toddlers. DHS/DFD will continue to work with stakeholders, such as the Coalition for Infant and Toddler Educators (CITE), to align an Infant-Toddler credential or certification within the PD framework. The QRIS, Grow NJ Kids, has standards that reflect this credential. DHS/DFD offers scholarships for CDA coursework endorsed by the Council for Professional Recognition. Scholarships cover CDA assessment fees and college coursework from any NJ college or university or training organization that has an articulation agreement with a NJ college or university. As an additional support for individuals pursuing a CDA, many CCR&Rs provide hands-on assistance in building a CDA portfolio, which is a required component of the CDA and often where CDA applicants need help to ensure completion in attaining the credential. Diversity: Serving a growing and changing population and reflecting the diversity of that population requires an intentional focus on building a highly-qualified, effective, and diverse early childhood workforce, which is foundational to New Jersey’s Core Knowledge and Competencies for Early Childhood Professionals framework. It is one of the primary core competencies promoted in the Early Childhood CKCs across all competency levels. The framework’s focus on diversity provides professionals with the opportunity to evaluate and chart progress from one level to the next through a combination of training, experience, education, self-reflection, and assessment that affirm and respect cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity. Furthermore, adding the CDA competencies to the NJ Workforce Registry will result in contracted training agencies aligning their offerings to those competencies. As a result, the additions will enable more workers to become eligible for the CDA by providing an additional pathway to complete the CDA's required 120 hours of professional development. Stability: Scholarships are offered to instructional staff (teacher or teacher’s assistant) and family child care providers for CDA Training ($1,500 maximum), CDA Assessment Fee (online only), CDA Renewal (reimbursement), College Scholarships ($6,000 maximum), P-3 Scholarships ($6,000 maximum), Book Stipend (reimbursement up to $175), and Merit Award ($500) for scholarship recipients who receive a credential (CDA, AA, BA, P-3). Most of the PD initiatives have been put in place to provide stability and support for the early child care workforce and are funded with quality set-aside funds. Retention: To reward and retain individuals who have obtained competency-based credentials, a $500 merit award is awarded to scholarship recipients who obtain a credential (CDA, AA, BA, P-3 certification). This is a supplement to New Jersey’s scholarship program. DHS/DFD offers career pathways for the child care workforce that include specializations or credentials for working with English language learners and children with disabilities. Scholarships and merit rewards have been established in these areas in an effort to recruit and support career ladders for bilingual early childhood professionals, those who speak languages other than English, as well as those who want to serve children with disabilities. DHS/DFD is able to use the data from the merit awards to track progress and retention of scholarship participants. In addition, DHS/DFD, using American Recovery Plan relief funds, provided grants to child care programs and family child care providers intended to recruit and reward/retain staff. Over 50,000 teaching staff received the $1,000 bonus grant and just over 25,000 received the bonus grant twice. 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? In 2020, DHS/DFD along with a workgroup comprised of early educational professionals across the early education spectrum (i.e., center base instructional staff, home visitors, certified teachers, community health workers, etc.) reviewed and revised the career lattice. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shift in priorities, the revisions were not implemented in the Workforce Registry. In 2024, NJ will be reconvening the workgroup to review the proposed revisions and determine if additional revisions are needed; and will make the necessary programmatic updates in the Registry to reflect the revisions. Furthermore, NJ is in the process of developing a strategic plan inclusive of piloting an Apprenticeship Program for ECE workers. During the pilot phase, NJ will research ECE worker wage scales across different systems to help inform wage scales. Considerations will be discussed to determine the best approach for aligning a wage scale with the career lattice. 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? Through support of the Preschool Development Grant Birth to 5 Grant (PDG B- 5), NJ is in the process of developing a strategic plan inclusive of piloting an Apprenticeship Program for ECE workers. During the pilot phase, NJ will research ECE worker wage scales across different systems to help inform wage scales. 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? DHS/DFD, in partnership with the Council for Young Children and the Child Care Advisory Group, will continue to work with Higher Education Partners in developing alignment of professional development for articulation and build upon articulation where it already exists. This includes the CDA course offerings, among other professional development opportunities. 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)? New Jersey’s voluntary Workforce Registry captures self-reported wage data on providers and staff. Over the past three years, DHS/DFD has been able to significantly increase workforce data collection because of the grants administered by DHS/DFD, requiring wage data information, such as the Hiring and Retention Initiative. Through this initiative, DHS/DFD collected a subset of workforce wage data. The Department of Labor also collects workforce data and partners with DHS/DFD on child care initiatives, such as PDG’s Planning Grant. Through our partnership, New Jersey plans to pilot an ECE Apprenticeship, which will provide an opportunity to explore and research disparities by child care settings. 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? Over the past four years, New Jersey’s minimum wage has incrementally increased to reach $15.13 per hour as of January 2024. For businesses with less than six (6) employees it is $13.73. There are also different rates for agricultural employers and direct care staff at long term care facilities.