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: ECECD updated the advisory structure of the professional development framework by establishing a subcommittee for the Early Childhood Education and Care Advisory Council specific to Early Childhood Professionals. The Advisory Council were actively involved in creating the structure for the subcommittees, and individuals from within the council chair the subcommittees. [ ]No. b. Did the Lead Agency consult with other key groups in the development of their professional development framework? [ ] Yes. If yes, identify the other key groups: [x] 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 Mexico’s early childhood professional development system utilizes the Common Core Content and Competencies to guide training selection or creation and is used by the higher education system to guide coursework. These competencies includes seven standards and competencies for early childhood practitioners. The competencies were developed by the NM Higher Education Taskforce in 2002 and revised in 2011. The competencies describe what all early childhood professionals must know and be able to do, including: (1) Child Growth Development & Learning; (2) Health, Safety and Nutrition; (3) Family and Community Collaboration; (4) Assessment of Children and Evaluation of Programs; (5) Developmentally Appropriate Content; (6) Learning Environment and Curriculum Implementation; and (7) Professionalism. when they complete each level of the career pathway. This includes the entry level, a professional certificate/associate degree level, and a bachelor’s degree level for each defined early childhood degree pathway. At each level, content is based on the same set of competencies, but the indicators of competence represent increasing depth and breadth at each ascending level. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. ECECD released a professional development career pathway guide, which outlines steps, options, and financial supports for continuing education to better prepare individuals for multiple career options in early childhood. Using a lattice development progression that covers six levels of educational courses ￿ 45-Hour Entry Level Course, New Mexico Child Development Certificate, an Early Childhood Professional Certificate, Associate Degree, Bachelor’s Degree, and Master’s Degree ￿ the guide will help individuals interested in a career in early childhood understand the opportunities and supports available across the state. The career pathway guide also includes information on the 18 higher education institutions across New Mexico that provide early childhood preparation. 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. ECECD engages the Early Childhood Education and Care Advisory Council and the Early Childhood Professionals subcommittee to inform the framework for professional development. The Advisory Council is tasked to: (a) develop outcomes for children and families receiving services through early childhood programs; (b) develop goals and objectives with corresponding indicators that measure whether each of those objectives is reached; and (c) develop a workforce plan to include a career ladder, wage structure, and professional development plan that applies to the full continuum of programs. The Council is comprised of 41 individuals who were selected from across the state, and they include early childhood care providers, health professionals, workforce development professionals, higher education experts to fully represent New Mexico's ethnic, geographic, and cultural diversity. ECECD also engages an Early Childhood Higher Education Task Force which provides recommendations for the professional development and higher education for early childhood professionals. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. New Mexico has an articulation agreement and common course numbering across all two and four-year institutions of higher education that offer early childhood education degree programs. This allows educators to seamlessly transfer between institutions and courses articulate from associate to bachelor’s degrees and beyond. Unified syllabi and coursework are made available through an agreed upon manual created through the state’s Early Childhood Higher Education Task Force in New Mexico’s Universal Catalogue of Courses for Early Care, Education, and Family Support. The Early Childhood Higher Education Task force meets through the fall and spring semesters to approve upon this agreement and further align programs. 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. ECECD is developing a Professional Development Information System (PDIS) to serve as its workforce registry for all early childhood professionals. This system will launch in December 2024 and allow New Mexico to report on workforce demographics, retention, wages and benefits, among other information necessary to better support the workforce. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. ECECD employs multiple strategies including scholarships and wage enhancements to support the early childhood workforce. ECECD provides scholarships for associate’s through doctoral degrees to current early childhood educators and other key professions within the early childhood field. ECECD also offers pay parity for state PreK and Head Start educators and will extend this pay parity to infant and toddler educators in summer 2024. All early childhood educators who meet requirements can also access the state’s wage supplement program if they make less than $15/hour to supplement their pay. 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: ECECD uses Quorum and the Child Development Certificate as continuing education unit trainings and credit-bearing professional development. 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, 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 state’s professional standards and competencies, the Common Core Content for Early Childhood Educators, articulate what early childhood educators know and should be able to do in order to support children’s learning and development. These are designed to support providers across settings and age groups. All higher education programs, as well as ongoing training, are aligned to these competencies. ECECD will work with higher education institutions to revise these competencies in 2024 and roll out and assess the impact of new competencies beginning in 2025. 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? ECECD has developed a career pathway to document the possible career pathways in the state and addresses home visitors, early interventionists, child care providers in homes and centers, and early childhood educators in public schools. ECECD will develop a wage ladder in 2025 that is aligned with these professions and considers education and experience. 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 Early Care and Education Advisory Council and its Early Childhood Professionals subcommittee inform the framework for workforce compensation. ECECD has a Preschool Development Birth-to-Five grant that supports the work of the Council and the Subcommittees and the development of the Professional Development Information System which will support the wage and career ladder. 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? New Mexico has a longstanding history of strong articulation agreements across higher education, articulated primarily through centering all coursework on the Common Core Content for Early Childhood Educators. ECECD has representation from providers and higher education on the Early Childhood Professionals subcommittee to inform the ongoing improvement of this work. 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)? ECECD has limited data on the compensation and benefits of staff, as well as other demographic information. ECECD has collected data primarily through its compensation efforts but is currently building a Professional Development Information System (PDIS) to collect information on the early childhood 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? ECECD uses an Alternative Methodology approach to setting child care assistance reimbursement rates. This Alternative Methodology includes an assumed base compensation level that increases as quality levels increase. ECECD provides wage supplements to ensure all qualifying early childhood educator make a wage of $15/hour.