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: TECTA is responsible for curricula development and participates in and consults the Tennessee Young Child Wellness Council (TNYCWC), the State Advisory Council on Early Childhood Education and Care. The Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) solicits input and suggestions from instructors and TECTA coordinators as TECTA Orientation curricula may be revised. TECTA conducts focus groups comprised of TECTA management and coordinators, child care providers, early childhood professionals, and consultants as needed to review proposed revisions. Suggestions and recommendations by focus group participants are reviewed by the TECTA Curriculum Coordinator before a final review by TECTA staff and original authors. All revisions resulting from this process are incorporated into TECTA curriculum statewide. When revisions to the Tennessee Early Childhood Program Administrator Credential (TECPAC) curricula are identified, the TECPAC Program Manager coordinates a review following NAEYC Standards and Guidelines for Professional Development and finalizes curricula in collaboration with TECTA management. During the 2022-24 CCDF Plan cycle, elements of the framework were revised to align with Lead Agency licensure rules at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 1240-04-01 effective June 28, 2022, including content updates to all TECTA orientation trainings and select trainings available at the Tennessee Child Care Online Training System (TCCOTS) powered by ProSolutions Training. TCCOTS trainings were systematically reviewed to strengthen alignment with CCDBG health and safety training topics resulting in updates to Before You Begin: New Educator and Before You Begin: New Educator (School-Age); Emergency Preparedness and Response Planning; Preventing Shaken Baby Syndrome, Abusive Head Trauma, and Child Maltreatment; and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Safety Risks for Infants. The TECPAC Academy was also updated to incorporate changes made by the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership in the 3rd editions of the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS). [ ]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: Please see response at 6.2.1.a. [ ] 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). Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), the early care and education professional development hub for the Lead Agency, is a statewide training and professional recognition system based on the belief that early childhood educators should have professional knowledge and skills to provide appropriate and high-quality care and education for young children. The TECTA Professional Development System utilizes the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards for Professional Preparation as its framework for curriculum and training design, including: • Promoting child development and learning. • Building family and community relationships. • Observing, documenting, and assessing. • Using developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and families. • Using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum; and • Becoming a professional. TECTA administers TrainTN, the official clearinghouse for early childhood trainings recognized as approved by the Lead Agency and a companion to the state’s training and professional development workforce registry, Tennessee Professional Archive of Learning (TNPAL). TrainTN includes a core training and competency review team of subject matter experts from the Lead Agency, other state agencies, Tennessee Child Care Resource & Referral Network (CCR&R), and other CCDF Quality Child Care Partners who ensure training content and training delivery partners align with federal and state requirements, national standards of practice, and the state professional development framework. The Lead Agency is committed to recognizing research/evidenced-based training and professional development that aligns with CCDBG and other standards and practices. The TrainTN Catalog accommodates individual, institutional, and event-based training, and is organized by Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG) requirements, Tennessee Licensure Rules for Child Care Agencies, and the Lead Agency’s professional development framework aligned with NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation. TECTA administers Tennessee Child Care Online Training System (TCCOTS) powered by ProSolutions Training, a free online learning management system supporting early childhood professionals and high-quality child care services in Tennessee. TCCOTS offers web-based trainings which may be completed at any time to accommodate the schedules of early childhood professionals. TCCOTS trainings are organized by core competency and offer an online option for early childhood professional and child care providers to access training content at any time, including preservice and health and safety trainings. TCCOTS trainings meet Lead Agency licensing and CCDBG training and professional development requirements. TECTA Orientations offer curriculum as a series of 10 three-hour modules offered in five specializations: Center-Based, Child Care Administrator, Family Child Care, Infant/Toddler, and School-Age. Course content modules include: Professionalism, Developmentally Appropriate Practice, Family Relationships, Child Development, Observation and Assessment, Learning Environment, Health and Safety, Guidance, and Individual and Cultural Diversity. TECTA also offers two (2) advanced Orientations as intensive trainings designed to provide in-depth instruction and study of Building Strong Brains: Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Early Literacy: Books and Beyond. These Orientations may be offered biannually based upon demand and are available online only through the e-Learn system at Tennessee State University. All TECTA Orientations offered are 30-clock hour non-credit bearing courses. Curriculum is designed for TECTA trainers with backgrounds in child care and early education to deliver training through active hands-on instruction activities that include opportunities for relationship building between participants sand instructors. Journal writing is encouraged with each module facilitating participant reflection, understanding of the module topic, and feedback from the instructor. Journals are used by instructors to evaluate participant understanding, clarify meaning, and engage in technical assistance. Pre- and Post-Assessments of Learning are administered for each TECTA Orientation offered including live, hybrid, and online classes. Each Orientation has a specific assessment based upon the information shared within the orientation, one question per module. The correct number of answers from the pre- assessment is then compared to the correct number of answers from the post- assessment and is represented through a percentage of change. Orientation pre- /post-assessment results for all orientations combined during the period indicate an approximate gain. Tennessee Early Childhood Administrator Credential (TECPAC) is awarded by TECTA to early childhood directors who have demonstrate specific competencies for effective leadership and management through academics, experience, and a portfolio assessment using a framework designed around the NAEYC Standards for Professional Preparation. These competencies are documented and measured as identified in the Program Administration Scale® Measuring Early Childhood Leadership and Management or Business Administration Scale® for Family Child Care from the McCormick Tribune Center for Early Childhood Leadership specifically designed for directors. TECTA offers continued support through its TECPAC team for Early Childhood Program Accreditation on topics including staffing, retaining quality educators, and decreasing turnover while maintaining an overall quality child care program. The TECPAC team offers coaching training in addition supports for accreditation fees and materials to mitigate financial barriers to seeking accreditation for child care providers licensed by the Lead Agency through the Nashville Area Association for the Education of Young Children (NAAEYC) supporting NAEYC accreditation, and the Tennessee Association for Children’s Early Learning (TACEE) supporting National Early Childhood Program Accreditation (NECPA). TECTA offers The Director’s Pathway to Success training series is designed to offer training to early childhood administrators on relevant topics commensurate with experience: • Strive to Thrive, early childhood administrators having fewer than five years of experience; • Go Getters, early childhood administrators having between 5-10 years of experience; and • Pacesetters, early childhood administrators with 10+ years of experience. TECTA administers the Tennessee Infant Toddler Credential professional development pathway for infant and toddler early childhood educators. The Tennessee Infant Toddler Credential is awarded upon completion of the Infant Toddler Credential Academy facilitated by TECTA instructors, featuring course content, reflective discussions, and cohort activities supplemented by Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network (CCR&R) specialists, technical assistance, and training and professional development that emphasize core competencies related to the Tennessee Quality Rating Improvement System (QRIS). The Tennessee Infant Toddler Credential is delivered online through the e- Learn system at the Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences at Tennessee State University. ii. Career pathways. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about professional development registries, career ladders, and levels. TECTA Orientation trainings offer a gateway to accessing academic tuition support and career advancement from associate’s degree through graduate degrees, including earning the Tennessee Early Childhood Administrator Credential (TECPAC) for administrators and the Tennessee Infant and Toddler Credential. The academic pathway for earning the CDA® is a key first stepping stone on the career advancement lattice and fully articulates into the Early Childhood Education Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) or Associate of Science (A.S.) degree at Tennessee Board of Regents (TBR) institutions of higher education statewide. State credentials also include academic preparation that articulates into academic technical certificates and degrees statewide. The TBR Early Childhood Education AAS programs are accredited by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Regional articulated pathways toward earning an Early Childhood Education or Child Development Bachelor of Science (BS) degree are in place at some institutions and additional articulation pathways are in development. The TECTA Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program (TECAP) is a paid Registration Apprenticeship Program (RAP) designed to increase education and training opportunities for current and emerging child care workforce. This career pathway is defined by the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA). Child care programs licensed by the Lead Agency that meet the RAP requirements are eligible to participate. Each apprentice is assigned an experienced mentor teacher who has the same or higher education certification/degree. The mentor must complete training, meet with the apprentice for an hour each week, attend coaching meetings, document the apprentice’s progress, and serve as a role model to help connect theory to practice on the job. 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 TECTA advisory structure is designed by the Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences and comprised of various academic, state government, professional agency, and community-based stakeholders, some of whom sit on the Tennessee Young Child Wellness Council. TECTA forms select subcommittees as needed for purposeful strategic planning and implementation of services. iv. Articulation. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about articulation agreements, and collaborative agreements that support progress in degree acquisition. TECTA provides leadership in the development and revision of courses within the Early Childhood Education Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree as well as ongoing evaluation and effectiveness of curriculum including textbook adoption for the academic courses used for CDA® qualifications. TECTA convenes no fewer than two Higher Education Institutes annually to facilitated coordination and collaboration between and among Early Childhood Education/Child Development (ECED) programs of universities, community colleges, and/or colleges of applied technology to promote coursework for ECED credentials, certificate programs, and degrees. Based upon new research, state initiatives and/or new federal guidelines these faculty institutes provide for continuing infusions of new best practices and updating course alignments. TECTA also convenes a Summer Research Institute annually featuring research-based content on relevant ECED topics as well as a School-Age Summer Research Conference in collaboration with the Tennessee Afterschool Network emphasizing School-Age Development and quality program standards. TECTA staff at the two-year academic institutions provide statewide academic advisement for students. 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 Lead Agency uses the Tennessee Professional Archive of Learning (TNPAL), a training and workforce registry for early childhood education in Tennessee, as its official system of record for qualifications, training, and professional development for licensed child care providers. TNPAL is designed to support the training and professional development needs of educators, child care providers, and the Lead Agency and its CCDF Quality Child Care Partners, including the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), to strengthen quality child care services. TNPAL builds upon existing data systems with extensive information about the early care and education workforce in child care providers licensed by the Lead Agency. TECTA uses individualized professional development plans for educators to further empower educators to identify and pursue professional development and continuing education opportunities. This feature is also available for educators through TNPAL. To strengthen the value of individualized professional development plans, the Tennessee Child Care Resource and Referral Network (CCR&R) will work with child care providers, the Lead Agency, and other CCDF Quality Child Care Partners to further strengthen quality child care services through the implementation of enhanced quality improvement plans designed to identify achieve provider program goals, potential deficiencies, or apply corrective action. The Lead Agency also coordinates closely with the University of Tennessee Social Work Office of Research and Public Service (SWORPS) in areas of applied research and data analytics, survey design and research, data collection, and technical assistance to identify characteristics, training and professional development needs, and other provider-focused topics to ensure supports are relevant and promote high-quality the early care and education workforce. vi. Financing. For example, Lead Agencies can include information about strategies including scholarships, apprenticeships, wage enhancements, etc. The Lead Agency ensures financial assistance is available for post-secondary students through the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA). To qualify, a student must meet the following requirements: - Meet eligibility requirements for in-state tuition. - Be currently employed or volunteer on a consistent basis at a child care provider licensed by the Lead Agency. - Applicants must provide proof of employment or consistent volunteer time to support their application. - Have either completed a TECTA Orientation course, received a TECTA Orientation certificate via the High School Equivalency Program, or be a declared major in an Early Childhood Education ECE, Child Development, or related degree program, and have earned 3 credits of ECE coursework with a minimum grade of C. - Be admitted to a college or university and be enrolled in a required academic course leading to a credential or degree in Early Childhood Education or Child Development. - Have completed and submitted the appropriate TECTA application forms, including a signed "Release of Academic Information" form, permitting the college or university to release the student's grades at the end of the semester to TECTA. TECTA offers financial assistance to eligible students enrolled in academic courses leading to CDA® preparation and academic credentials or degrees in Early Childhood Education/Child Development. This financial assistance may include full or partial in-state tuition costs. Based on availability of annual grant funds, TECTA Management will determine the percentage of financial assistance to be awarded for CDA preparation, academic credentials, and degrees. TECTA offers scholarships to individuals seeking the CDA® credential. The scholarship pays for the application fee and assessment due to the Council for Professional Recognition upon application. TECTA identifies stipends or incentive awards for each student completing the CDA® credential, TECPAC, or other identified credential incentives contingent on funding availability. Textbooks for CDA® preparation courses may be borrowed from TECTA sites as funding allows. The amount of financial assistance an individual may receive per semester each academic year subject to funding availability. Funding consideration may also be given to students whose program of study is designed to meet early childhood professional career goals of a student when an early childhood education major is not available/accessible. Student tuition is paid directly to the institution of credit through a tuition-only contractual agreement with TECTA and the Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences at Tennessee State University. TECTA and institutions of higher education collaborate to verify student eligibility. Students must request financial assistance from the local TECTA contract institution. Students are not eligible to receive financial support from multiple TECTA contract institutions within a given semester. 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: Placement of Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) sites within institutions of higher education and relationships with the Tennessee Board of Regents, Locally Governed institutions (LGIs), and Tennessee Department of Education enable and support strengthened partnerships with professional development organizations to align with post-secondary education credit-bearing opportunities. The career lattice framework of TECTA allows for implementing comprehensive pathways and multiyear timelines for transitioning to a bachelor's degree and beyond. TECTA coordinating institutions, which may change as local needs and other factors change, include Austin Peay State University, Chattanooga State Community College, Dyersburg State Community College, East Tennessee State University, Roane State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Tennessee State University, and Tennessee Technological University. 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: TECTA convenes no fewer than two Higher Education Institutes annually to facilitated coordination and collaboration between and among Early Childhood Education/Child Development (ECED) programs of universities, community colleges, and/or colleges of applied technology to promote coursework for ECED credentials, certificate programs, and degrees. Based upon new research, state initiatives and/or new federal guidelines these faculty institutes provide for continuing infusions of new best practices and updating course alignments. TECTA also convenes a Summer Research Institute annually featuring research-based content on relevant ECED topics as well as a School-Age Summer Research Conference in collaboration with the Tennessee Afterschool Network emphasizing School-Age Development and quality program standards. 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? Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), the early care and education professional development hub for the Lead Agency, is a statewide training and professional recognition system based on the belief that early childhood educators should have professional knowledge and skills to provide appropriate and high-quality care and education for young children. The TECTA Professional Development System utilizes the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards for Professional Preparation as its framework for curriculum and training design, including: Promoting child development and learning; Building family and community relationships; Observing, documenting; and assessing; Using developmentally effective approaches to connect with children and families; Using content knowledge to build meaningful curriculum; and Becoming a professional. 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? Placement of Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) sites within institutions of higher education and relationships with the Tennessee Board of Regents, Locally Governed institutions (LGIs), and Tennessee Department of Education enable and support strengthened partnerships with professional development organizations to align with post-secondary education credit-bearing opportunities. The career lattice framework of TECTA allows for implementing comprehensive pathways and multiyear timelines for transitioning to a bachelor's degree and beyond. TECTA coordinating institutions, which may change as local needs and other factors change, include Austin Peay State University, Chattanooga State Community College, Dyersburg State Community College, East Tennessee State University, Roane State Community College, Southwest Tennessee Community College, Tennessee State University, and Tennessee Technological University. 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 Tennessee Child Care Workforce was created by Public Chapter N. 474 to help improve the quality, affordability, and access of child care in Tennessee. The final report of the task force in December 2022 recommended strategies that included investing in apprenticeship models with partner state agencies, expanding financial support for early childhood educators through bonuses or other public benefit eligibility options, establishing an early educator target compensation scale, promoting pathway progression, and ongoing collaborative partnerships to further support rebuilding the workforce and ensuring families accessibility to child care. 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 Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA), a statewide training and professional recognition system administered by the Tennessee State University Center of Excellence for Learning Sciences, serves as the Lead Agency’s early care and education professional development hub. TECTA provides leadership in the development and revision of courses within the Early Childhood Education Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree as well as ongoing evaluation and effectiveness of curriculum including textbook adoption for the academic courses used for CDA® qualifications. TECTA convenes no fewer than two (2) Higher Education Institutes annually to facilitated coordination and collaboration between and among Early Childhood Education/Child Development (ECED) programs of universities, community colleges, and/or colleges of applied technology to promote coursework for ECED credentials, certificate programs, and degrees. Based upon new research, state initiatives and/or new federal guidelines these faculty institutes provide for continuing infusions of new best practices and updating course alignments. The Lead Agency additionally collaborates through its partnerships with universities, community colleges, and colleges of applied technology as institutions of higher education coordinated by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission to facilitate the development of articulation and accreditation planning to support the early childhood workforce in Tennessee. 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 does not directly collect wage and benefits information from the early care and education workforce in Tennessee. Limited applicant data is available only from participants in the Child Care WAGE$® Tennessee program. The Lead Agency is exploring opportunities to identify data and engagement opportunities for use with research and analysis of workforce compensation and benefits. 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? N/A.