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 SD Core Knowledge and Competencies document was completed and recently published. In addition, the state’s Pathways to Professional Development Career Lattice is being revised and relaunched as a Career Ladder. An advisory group will be developed following the launch of the new Career Ladder. Both projects will be for individuals working in early childhood and school-age care settings. For each project a cross-sector workgroup was formed to provide guidance and input. [ ]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: Key groups which contributed to the development of the professional development framework included the SD Early Childhood Enrichment (ECE) System, Head Start Collaboration Office, higher education, South Dakota State University (SDSU) Quality Collaborative (QRIS pilot), child care providers, school-age educators, associations and networks, and other stakeholders as relevant. [ ] 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). South Dakota Core Knowledge and Competencies for Early Childhood and School-Age Educators represent a core body of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions all early childhood and school-age educators must demonstrate to effectively support the development, learning, and well-being of young children and school age youth. The Core Body of Knowledge and Competencies guides self-reflection and professional growth by describing what early childhood and school age educators need to know, understand, and be able to do at all levels of professional practice. They are designed to be inclusive of all types of early care and youth educational settings including center-based, family child care, Head Start and Early Head Start, pre-school classrooms, school-age programs, and in situations where individuals are teaching or mentoring others in the field. The intent of the competencies is that any individual, regardless of their background or where they are professionally, can view their placement on the continuum, set goals, and work toward improvement. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. The South Dakota Career Ladder is a voluntary workforce registry. The revised Career Ladder is proposed to be eight levels that range from Entry Level Training to Masters & Doctoral Degrees. The training system provides training opportunities from entry level training to age-specific certificates which leads to 120 hours of training required for the CDA credential and has articulation agreements to assist providers in moving into associate or a bachelor's degree program at one of five South Dakota higher education institutions. 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. CCS is currently working with a cross-sector workgroup to revise the Career Ladder. When implemented, there will be an Advisory Committee that will provide feedback on the SD Career Ladder. The Committee includes the State Head Start Collaboration director, Early Childhood Enrichment staff, and CCS representatives. When developing professional training and technical assistance opportunities, CCS works with the five regional ECE coordinators, licensing specialists, the Head Start Collaboration Office, representatives from higher education, and other various experts, such as the State Department of Health or Department of Public Safety based on the project or focus. For special projects or initiatives, advisory groups are developed based on the needs of the project. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. CCS has articulation agreements with five higher education institutions (South Dakota State University (SDSU), Black Hills State University (BHSU), Oglala Lakota College (OLC), Southeast Technical College, and Sisseton Wahpeton College) to enable childcare providers to articulate training completed through the South Dakota Child Development Associate (CDA) Training Program into 9 or more college credits toward an associate or bachelor's degree program. All current articulation agreements will be revised in the next state plan due to a recent revision of the SD CDA Training Program curriculum. 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 Career Ladder collects workforce data relative to those individuals who voluntarily participate. Additional workforce data is collected registration for the South Dakota Orientation to Early Childhood and School-Age Care Series and Ongoing Health and Safety Series, program profile updates through the child care provider portal for child care referrals, and other provider surveys. This data includes provider characteristics such as educational level of the provider/director and hours and days of operation. ECE staff provide presentations to high school students in area schools to introduce them to the early childhood field. In SD, the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential qualifies a person as a program planner in a child care center. CCS and Office of Licensing and Accreditation (OLA) staff participate on the SD early childhood informal workforce development group. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. CCS provides financial support in the form of an online, on-demand orientation training series to providers to assist them in meeting that training requirement. Funding has been provided to the SD Early Childhood Enrichment (ECE) system to cover the CPR Certification fee cost so that the costs are not passed on to providers. As the CDA credential is one option to meet the licensing educational requirement for a program planner, CCS funds scholarships to cover the full cost of SD CDA Training through the ECE System along with scholarships. In addition, scholarships are provided to cover the Assessment Application Fee as well as CDA Renewal scholarships to support to child care providers working in state registered and licensed child care programs to obtain and maintain their CDA credential. After receiving the national CDA credential can articulate their SD CDA Training into free college credit by enrolling into a specified associate or bachelor's degree program at a South Dakota college or university. CCS also provides funding to support a position within the SD Early Childhood Enrichment System to provide the SD CDA Training curriculum to high school students during the school day making the training opportunity free for students. 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 the Council for Professional Recognition accepts training in the form of three college credits, 4.5 Continuing Education Units (CEUs), or 45 clock hours to meet the Child Development Associate renewal requirements, South Dakota has limited the number of CEU training opportunities available through the ECE System. Although there are few many advertised CEU classes, there are several advanced training opportunities where there is an option for a student to receive CEU credit hours upon request. In addition to these opportunities, most professional early childhood, and school-age conferences in South Dakota provide both CEU and college credit opportunities. 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: Most of the early childhood and school-age training opportunities in South Dakota are provided by the ECE System. CCS works closely with these five regional agencies to design, implement, and periodically revise all statewide training and quality improvement initiatives, carefully considering how they will fit into the existing training framework. A training pathway has been established for child care programs from orientation to credential training. In addition, CCS works with representatives from higher education to maintain current articulation agreements for the SD Child Development Associate (CDA) Training Program and implementation of the SD Early Learning Guidelines and SD Core Knowledge and Competencies and incorporating those into the early childhood and school-age care field. 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? The South Dakota professional development framework was designed to improve the quality of child caregivers, teachers and directors by offering training opportunities that meet them wherever they are in their knowledge and skill level whether it be at entry level or more advanced levels. The South Dakota Core Knowledge and Competencies (CKCs) document represents a core body of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions all early childhood and school-age educators must demonstrate to effectively support the development, learning, and well-being of young children and school age youth. This includes a section on program administration with a focus on centers and school-age care programs and another on family child care. Training opportunities in the professional development framework address the diverse needs of the child care workforce and the diverse needs of the people they care for by providing training specific to provider types such as family child care, child care center and out-of- school time, as well as specific ages of children such as infants, toddler, preschool, and school age 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? South Dakota has developed a training pathway that begins with an online, on-demand orientation training series that is offered free of charge to all providers through the Child Development Associate and SD Out-of-School Time Credential programs. Access to ongoing quality in- person and online training from the South Dakota Early Childhood Enrichment (ECE) System is available at no or low cost to programs. Management classes are available statewide online not only to current directors, but also to leaders within the field. These classes provide an opportunity for directors to learn new skills and network with other professionals from across the state. The South Dakota professional development framework was designed to support the retention of caregivers by providing them with the knowledge and skills to better and more efficiently do their jobs. When providers are equipped with the knowledge and skills specific to their work they are empowered, tend to stay in their positions longer, and provide higher quality care. Continuing professional development offered through the framework provides opportunities for providers to obtain age-specific certificates and training toward the CDA credential. Income-based scholarship opportunities are available to providers to support the cost of the SD CDA training program and to cover the full assessment fee from the Council for Professional Recognition. Individuals with a CDA credential meet the state licensing requirements to be a program planner or director. 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? Following the creation of new core knowledge and competencies for the early childhood and school-age care workforce, CCS is currently working with a cross-sector workgroup to revise the Career Ladder to align with the current child care workforce and available educational opportunities. The goal for the professional development framework is to create a clear vision of opportunities in the field of early childhood and school-age care and support individuals in attaining their career goals. Through the framework, CCS aims to raise the status of early care and education as a viable and critical profession in South Dakota. Practitioners can use the career ladder to accumulate an accurate record of their education and receive recognition for their professional commitment. The advisory structure will aid CCS in aligning current resources such as scholarships and identifying ways to support child care providers in their individual professional development journey. 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? Articulation agreements with higher education provide an opportunity for child care providers to obtain free college credit upon enrollment in an associate or bachelor's degree program. South Dakota also partners with SD Educators Rising and the SD Head Start Collaboration Office in the SD Department of Education to provide CDA training to high school students to encourage entrance into the field and provide access to articulation agreements. 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)? In 2024, South Dakota conducted the cost of care and a workforce study that gathered information such as current wages and benefits. Results of these surveys are pending and will be used to inform work in this area in the coming state plan period. 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? South Dakota does not set a minimum living wage. Child Care Assistance provider agreements do not have requirements for compensation levels. Guidance is provided to inform businesses, providers and stakeholders regarding this topic as requested. Funding is provided to support scholarships to assist child care providers in obtaining their CDA Credential