Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals

1. Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals An Overview of The Development, Content, and Application

2. The Core Competencies were developed to: • Define what professionals need to know and do to provide quality services for children and families. • Serve as the foundation for decisions and practices carried out by professionals in all settings. • Establish a set of standards that support the professionalization of the field.

3. A Collaborative Effort • Professional Development Initiative for Early Care and Education in Kansas • Opportunities in a Professional Education Network in Missouri (OPEN) • Greater Kansas City Careers in Early Childhood Care and Education

4. A Collaborative Effort • Professionals in Kansas and Missouri • Early care and education providers (center, home, religious, Head Start) • Higher education faculty, administrators, and staff • Federal and state agency personnel • School-age organizations • Community-based trainers • Draft reviewed by ~6000 professionals across the two states

5. Parallel to the Core Competencies for Youth Development Professionals

6. Eight Content Areas I – Child/Adolescent Growth and Development II - Learning Environment and Curriculum III - Child/Adolescent Observation and Assessment IV - Families and Communities V - Health, Safety, and Nutrition VI - Interactions with Children/Youth VII - Program Planning and Development VIII - Professional Development and Leadership

7. Levels

8. 1 - Child Growth and Development Understand how children acquire language and creative expression and develop physically, cognitively, and socially. • Child Growth and Development • Level 1 – Identifies basic developmental milestones of children. • Level 2 – Adapts care and education to children’s changing need. • Level 3 – Explains physical, social/emotional, and cognitive differences of children. • Level 4 – Integrates information on growth, development, and learning patterns of individuals and groups and applies to practice. • Level 5 – Articulates, analyses, evaluates, and applies current theory, research, and policy on child growth and development.

9. 2 – Learning Environment and Curriculum Establish an environment that provides learning experiences that meet each child’s needs, capabilities, and interests. • Creating the Learning Environment and General Curriculum • Promoting Physical Development • Promoting Cognitive Development • Promoting Language/Communication Development • Promoting Social Development • Promoting Creative Expression

10. 3 – Child Observation and Assessment Observe and assess what children know and can do in order to provide curriculum that meets their developmental and learning needs. • Child Observation and Assessment

11. 4 – Families and Communities • Relationships with Families • Use of Community Resources Work collaboratively with families and agencies/organizations to meet children’s needs and to encourage the community’s involvement with early care and education.

12. 5 – Health, Safety, and Nutrition • Knowledge of Regulations • Environmental Safety • Responding to Health Needs of Children • Nutrition Establish and maintain an environment that ensures children’s healthy development, safety, and nourishment.

13. 6 – Interactions with Children • Providing Individual Guidance • Enhancing Group Experiences Establish supportive relationships with children and guide them as individuals and as a part of a group.

14. 7 – Program Planning and Evaluation • Program Planning and Evaluation • Personnel Management • Financial Management Establish, implement, and evaluate an early care and education program.

15. 8 – Professional Development and Leadership Serve children and families in a professional manner and participate in the community as a representative of early childhood care and education. • Displaying Professionalism in Practice • Ongoing Professional Growth • Leadership and Advocacy

16. How can the Core Competencies be used … • by Program Staff? • by Directors/Administrators? • by Trainers/Agencies?

17. How can the Core Competencies be used? • All Staff • Self evaluation • Professional development goal setting • Monitor and record trainings by Core Competency area

18. How can the Core Competencies be used? • Directors/Administrators • Specify requirements for staff job descriptions • Establish salary scale based on educational achievement or demonstrated competence

19. How can the Core Competencies be used? • Trainers/Agencies • Organize training opportunities • Create a framework for a career development system

20. Questions? • For more information about the Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals, visit: www.openinitiative.org