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: The Early Learning Council spent a year working with cross-agency partners Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Education, Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Lead Agency and hearing from communities, partners, parents, and providers to develop Raise Up Oregon (2024- 2028): A Statewide Early Childhood System Plan Constituents including parents, early educators, higher education faculty, local regional partners and committees of the Early Learning Council informed the strategies ultimately approved, including Oregon’s professional development framework. The second edition of Raise Up Oregon highlights the continued commitment to professional development and a robust professional development framework. [ ]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 Early Learning Council spent a year working with cross-agency partners Oregon Department of Human Services, Oregon Department of Education, Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Oregon Health Authority, Oregon Housing and Community Services and the Lead agency and hearing from communities, partners, parents, and providers to develop Raise Up Oregon (2024 ￿ 2028) A Statewide Early Childhood System Plan. Constituents including parents, early educators, higher education faculty, local regional partners and committees of the Early Learning Council informed the strategies ultimately approved, including Oregon’s professional development framework. [ ] 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). DELC is in the process of adopting the NAEYC Standards and Competencies for Early Educators. The intent of this adoption is to provide common competencies for educators and professional learning for early educators. This process is built into current funding streams to Oregon State University- Early Learning System Initiative, Portland State University-Oregon Center for Career Development and Western Oregon University- the Research Institute. This adoption process is estimated to take three to five years. OSU-ELSI will be conducting a landscape analysis to identify current technical assistance and make recommendations for priorities focuses for technical assistance capacity building. Additional activities will include aligning NAEYC Standards and Competencies for Early Educators and Zero to Three Critical Competencies, creating plain language and multi-language supporting documents and creating implementation supports. The framework for trainings will be revised to include guidance for implementation support through consultation and coaching. For the Baby Promise Program, providers (including Directors, aides, and Early Educators) are required to take the ZERO TO THREE Critical Competencies as part of their subcontract with the CCR&R. Providers are then supported by Infant Toddler Specialists at the CCR&R, who are also trained in the Zero to Three Critical Competencies and engage in Focused Child Care Networks together for ongoing training and support. Infant Toddler Specialists outside of the Baby Promise Program also receive training in the ZERO TO THREE Critical Competencies for Infant/Toddler Educators and implement it within their regions both via training and individualized coaching. ELSI, which does not get CCDF funds, is developing coaching supports, including tiered coaching certification, based on DELC-provided framework. QRIS Observation & Assessment Specialists demonstrate their competency by achieving and maintaining reliability status in one or more observation tools. Within the early childhood suspension and expulsion prevention program, DELC is working with the Oregon Infant Mental Health Association which will identify and provide professional development on infant and early childhood mental health consultation competencies to DELC-funded infant and early childhood mental health consultants throughout the state. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. CCR&R staff monitor and support Early Educators step level on the Oregon Registry system, providing trainings and professional development for providers to increase step levels. The Professional Development plans for each region are designed based on the training and TA assessments CCR&Rs conduct annually. The results build the strategies for child care providers in each region to meet their needs to advance in their career and access the state’s professional development framework. Portland State University (PSU) who is Oregon’s registry and clearinghouse of early childhood training, including approval of trainings and trainers, partnered with National Workforce Registry Alliance to make recommendations for system improvement. The Lead Agency is currently in the process of finalizing the workplan from those recommendations. Possible items include NWRA PER certification and revision of the career lattice to a pathways system among other proposed ideas. 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. While the Lead Agency does not have a singular advisory structure, it works in tandem with a variety of advisory workgroups based on subject matter to ensure lived experience is provided in each topic area. Some of these advisory committees include (but are not limited to): the Oregon Center for Career Development Advisory, the Spark accountability team, the Tribal Advisory Council, the Early Learning Council, and the Early Childhood Equity Advisory Group. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. Multiple colleges and universities are in discussion around articulation. In addition, most colleges provide credit for prior learning for a CDA. Consortia, which are designed to support students seeking degrees and certification in early childhood education, with wrap-around academic, language, and person support, were expanded through a planning grant and subsequent implementation grants. Oregon now has one university and 8 community colleges across the state. In addition to offering students support and a pathway to debt free degrees, consortia have increased connections between institutes of higher education to share ideas and increase alignment between colleges and with colleges and the participating university. These partnerships have had ripple effects, encouraging those, even outside of the consortia, to work together towards better alignment and support for students. Efforts towards multi region apprenticeship models have also created apprenticeship course specific articulation between the three participating colleges. 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 State of Child Care Business Survey assesses business conditions across child care programs throughout the state and is intended to gauge how current economic conditions, workforce issues, and public funding are affecting the child care sector. First Children’s Finance has developed a standard survey, which will collect information about child care business owner/director demographics, well- being, barriers to retention of staff/turnover, enrollment, and fiscal management. The data collected from the State of Child Care Business Survey highlights gaps in business efficiencies and allows systems leaders to gain more insight into the financial and operational challenges child care businesses face statewide. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. An Early Learning Degree Pathways scholarship was created that can be used for working and not yet working students to achieve degrees at community colleges and universities or have their out of country degree evaluated, where previously only lower-level degrees were possible, and the student was required to already be working. and passed in the legislature but has yet to be funded. This scholarship has been highly accessed, and the Lead Agency hopes to use that data to demonstrate the demand and push for funding a HECC scholarship that was passed but unfunded in the legislature. One apprenticeship model is in place across 2 colleges in partnership with local Head Starts and several other apprenticeships are in the planning phases. 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: As a part of the consortia work, Southern Oregon University offers in person and online Saturday Sessions that are University credit bearing workshops based of field identified training needs. These sessions will be offered in Spanish soon as well as Southern Oregon university expands their coursework offerings in general to support Spanish speaking students coming in from the Spanish language community college consortia programs. With consortia planning grants other colleges and Universities experimented with credit bearing conferences that articulated to introductory coursework towards a degree in an effort to support providers to see themselves as college and university capable students. 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: As a part of the consortia work, Southern Oregon University offers in person and online Saturday Sessions that are University credit bearing workshops based of field identified training needs. These sessions will be offered in Spanish soon as well as Southern Oregon university expands their coursework offerings in general to support Spanish speaking students coming in from the Spanish language community college consortia programs. With consortia planning grants other colleges and Universities experimented with credit bearing conferences that articulated to introductory coursework towards a degree in an effort to support providers to see themselves as college and university capable students. 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 all Infant Toddler Specialists, the Zero to Three Critical Competencies is specific to the development of infants and toddlers. The Critical Competencies reflect a variety of types of provider settings serving many populations. Participants in the trainings experience different perspectives demonstrated in the curriculum and in the interactions with co-participants. Data describing the impact of these competencies may be found in TA logs, Quality Improvement Plans, and goals set by early educators for themselves, the children they serve, and their curricular programming. DELC is in the process of adopting the NAEYC Standards and Competencies for Early Educators. The intent of this adoption is to provide common competencies for educators and professional learning for early educators. This process is built into current funding streams to Oregon State University- Early Learning System Initiative, Portland state University-Oregon Center for Career Development and Western Oregon University- the Research Institute. This adoption process is estimated to take three to five years. OSU-ELSI will be conducting a landscape analysis to identify current technical assistance and make recommendations for priorities focuses for technical assistance capacity building. Additional activities will include aligning NAEYC Standards and Competencies for Early Educators and Zero to Three Critical Competencies, creating plain language and multi- language supporting documents and creating implementation supports. The framework for trainings will be revised to include guidance for implementation support through consultation and coaching. Oregon's professional standards and competences incorporate ten Core Knowledge Categories that provide the foundation for Oregon's Career Development Systems. These ten categories are the basis for training required for Oregon Child Care Licensing, Spark (QRIS), and programs that receive CCDF subsidies. The core knowledge categories are Diversity; Families and Community Systems; Health Safety and Nutrition; Human Growth and Development; Learning Environments and Curriculum; Observation and Assessment; Personal Professional Leadership; Program Management; Special Needs; and Understanding Guiding Behavior. These ten areas offer guidance to professionals for providing quality and culturally responsive care and education for children. 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 Oregon Registry: Pathways for Professional Recognition in Childhood Care and Education (career lattice) include Step 1 through Step 12. Each step represents training and education in the Core Knowledge Categories. There are three pathways for moving up in the Oregon Registry. 1) Degree, Credential, Certificate (DCC), 2) College Course Credit (CCC), and 3) Community Based Training (CBT). Oregon is preparing Requests for Proposals to adapt career pathways and registry to Oregon’s vision and transition from Core Knowledge Categories to adopting NAEYC’s Early Educator Competencies. Career pathways will then incorporate these competencies in the step advancement. Apprenticeship and other potential models will also be researched and adopted within Career Pathways. As discussed above, Oregon’s career lattice is in the process of moving to a career pathway model. In its current state the pathway includes college credit, community training credit and a pathway that combines both that span the educational requirement of all roles in care from just starting out in the system to master’s and doctorate level education. Movement on the educational pathway is rewarded with one time education awards at 3 different checkpoints in the 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? In 2016 legislation for the Preschool Promise program required pay parity with kindergarten teachers for program teacher and teacher assistants. The agency adopted salary guideline rules that defined minimum and target salaries for these positions. Then in 2020, the agency updated the salary guidelines (increased) and adopted the same salary guidelines for Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten program. The salary guidelines are the same for all regions and are based on the highest paid school districts in the state (Multnomah County). The passage of House Bill 3073 in the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session required Oregon to plan to move to an alternate rate setting structure based on the cost of quality. The Alternative Rate Methodology Committee formed and drafted a report for the Oregon legislature in December 2022. Due to the creation of DELC as a new agency, the re-design of Oregon’s QRIS (Spark), budgetary constraints, and the development of a new provider management platform, movement to an alternative rate setting structure is ongoing. Oregon has a contract with Prenatal to 5 Fiscal Strategies presently providing technical assistance to Oregon State University, who will eventually conduct future cost modeling to inform Oregon’s application to use alternative rate methodology. 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? In 2016 legislation for the Preschool Promise program required pay parity with kindergarten teachers for program teacher and teacher assistants. The agency adopted salary guideline rules that defined minimum and target salaries for these positions. Then in 2020, the agency updated the salary guidelines (increased) and adopted the same salary guidelines for Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten program. The salary guidelines are the same for all regions and are based on the highest paid school districts in the state (Multnomah County). The passage of House Bill 3073 in the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session required Oregon to plan to move to an alternate rate setting structure based on the cost of quality. The Alternative Rate Methodology Committee formed and drafted a report for the Oregon legislature in December 2022. Due to the creation of DELC as a new agency, the re-design of Oregon’s QRIS (Spark), budgetary constraints, and the development of a new provider management platform, movement to an alternative rate setting structure is ongoing. Oregon has a contract with Prenatal to 5 Fiscal Strategies presently providing technical assistance to Oregon State University, who will eventually conduct future cost modeling to inform Oregon’s application to use alternative rate methodology. 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 Lead Agency contracts with the Oregon Child Care Research Partnership (OCCRP) to conduct reports on the state of Oregon’s child care workforce. These reports outline demographics of the workforce, pay and compensation, education and training levels, and retention/turnover rates. In 2016 legislation for the Preschool Promise program required pay parity with kindergarten teachers for program teacher and teacher assistants. The agency adopted salary guideline rules that defined minimum and target salaries for these positions. Then in 2020, the agency updated the salary guidelines (increased) and adopted the same salary guidelines for Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten program. The salary guidelines are the same for all regions and are based on the highest paid school districts in the state (Multnomah County). 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? Requirements for the Baby Promise Program include a stipulation that Baby Promise Providers pay staff wages comparable to those of other publicly funded programs within their region. Further, providers work with technical assistance staff at the CCR&R to determine budgets that include salaries and benefits. CCR&Rs are also required to provide business trainings through shared services to The Baby Promise Program Providers to assist with ongoing business growth and development. In the current system. movement on the educational pathway is rewarded with one time education awards at 3 different checkpoints in the lattice. Milestone 1 (field entry): $125 at Step 3 through Step 6 of the Oregon Registry Milestone 2(CDA/equivalent): $175 at Step 7 through Step 8.5 of the Oregon Registry Milestone 3(AA and above): $225 at Step 9 or above of the Oregon Registry Education awards. In 2016 legislation for the Preschool Promise program required pay parity with kindergarten teachers for program teacher and teacher assistants. The agency adopted salary guideline rules that defined minimum and target salaries for these positions. Then in 2020, the agency updated the salary guidelines (increased) and adopted the same salary guidelines for Oregon Prenatal to Kindergarten program. The salary guidelines are the same for all regions and are based on the highest paid school districts in the state (Multnomah County). The passage of House Bill 3073 in the 2021 Oregon Legislative Session required Oregon to plan to move to an alternate rate setting structure based on the cost of quality. The Alternative Rate Methodology Committee formed and drafted a report for the Oregon legislature in December 2022. Due to the creation of DELC as a new agency, the re-design of Oregon’s QRIS (Spark), budgetary constraints, and the development of a new provider management platform, movement to an alternative rate setting structure is ongoing. Oregon has a contract with Prenatal to 5 Fiscal Strategies presently providing technical assistance to Oregon State University, who will eventually conduct future cost modeling to inform Oregon’s application to use alternative rate methodology.