~Professional Development & Workforce Workgroup Interview Protocol~
Rationale
As part of the Oklahoma early childhood professional development system assessment, interviews will be conducted with members of the Professional Development & Workforce workgroup to get feedback from members related to current policies and practices in early childhood professional development, what is working well with these policies and practices and what needs to be strengthened. The questions asked of the workgroup will reflect the components found in NAEYC’s Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative State Policy Blueprint Planning Guide. Information gathered from the interviews will be reflected aggregately in the Professional Development System assessment final report and will help inform the findings and recommendations for improvement.
Methodology
All members of the Professional Development & Workforce workgroup will be sent an email invitation to participate in the professional development assessment interviews. Scheduled options for telephone interviews as well as the interview questions will also be emailed to members of the workgroup. If members cannot participate at any of the scheduled times or prefer to provide written responses, a Survey Monkey link to the interview questions will be made available. Members will have a deadline to participate in the interview process as well as the option of using the survey posted on Survey Monkey. Interviews should take 30-45
minutes to complete. All interviews will be conducted and recorded by staff from Oldham Innovative Research. Recordings will be used for transcription purposes and will be erased after the information is transcribed. Identifying information will not be included in the final report.
Interview Questions and Results
The interview questions and the responses are highlighted below (in blue font). Four members of the Professional Development and Workforce workgroup responded to the questions.
1) After reading through the “Oklahoma Professional Development Assessment” Survey results what stood out for you in terms of:
a) Pleasant surprises or findings that don’t fit your experience?
…not sure that there were at first glance; so many different types of people that answered; analysis will allude to this more perhaps; interesting overall
…The variety of respondents was impressive.
…Given the large number of assistant, associate, and professor ranks of the
respondents, I am not surprised that the majority of training is for early childhood teachers and teacher candidates.
…I believe that the early learning guidelines are well represented in the standards area.
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… Pleased to see the high percentages of early childhood teachers participating in PD.
…Not really
b) Calls for action?
...one comment (interesting): HS not supportive; not sure that was representative;
bring to mind one thing…HS funding assisting people to get degrees not explicit unless a part of PD plan (no one has had entire degree paid by HS); in fact, HS $ spent on degrees employees need to sign form to stay at HS program for three years especially important for monitoring (wrote into HS ACT law)
…same thing could cause an increase as well as a decrease (p. 27)
…barrier to State scholarship program is perception that HS has a lot of money so makes HS employees not eligible; money of 2001 really gone
…other than HS only one with the mandate to have a ECE/CD degree
…Continue to build PD for early childhood directors since they are the pivotal point for a program’s success or failure.
…Didn’t see any that we didn’t already know about.
c) Cautions?
…study that we are meeting demand but view that we are not (increasing demand for staff as they leave the state); competing for a small group of people (HS and Pre-K-grade 2); more folks to work in 4 year old programs
…takes a long time to get a two-year degree…help these folks to get closer to a four year degree; CDA not getting credit toward a two-year degree
…compensation comparability; pressure on HS (costing more to have those teachers)
…There are so many standards listed. As a group, we need to realize that every entity has a set of standards that must be met.
…I question reliance on asking “stakeholders” about the degree of competence. The reliance should be within the profession and with parents. The term “stakeholders”
indicates the person with the money who often times does not have the knowledge of child development necessary to make those judgments.
2) Referencing the chart below (from, NAEYC Early Childhood Workforce Initiative: State Policy Blueprint Planning Guide) what are the top three to five questions that the
Oklahoma Professional Development and Workforce Workgroup should prioritize for work in the next six months to a year based on what has been learned from the survey as well as what you are hearing from the field?
(The highlighted questions were noted as priority areas to explore further) Integration Quality
Assurance
Professional Are competencies designed for all
Do the competencies
Do the competencies address and support
Do competencies explicitly tie adult
Interviews Page 196 of 208 Integration Quality
Assurance Diversity, Inclusion, and Access
Compensation Parity
Competencies early childhood professionals regardless of role or work setting?
Do competencies align with licensing, state-based credential, Head Start, pre-K, and other related standards from the various early childhood sectors?
(2 responses)
require mechanisms and processes to ensure that they are appropriate and current based on the latest research on best practices, skills, and knowledge? (2 responses) (State tests are really are not that good for EC or
CD…disconnect) These two points are highlighted because there needs to be more
tolerance or recognition of professional competencies that are not contained the Early Learning Guidelines.
diversity, inclusion, and access? Is there a focus on cultural competence and language acquisition?
Do they integrate special and general education? Do they incorporate or value adult learners’
previous knowledge and skill acquisition?
learners’ proficiency salary scales, wage supplements)? include and align professional systems to verify, record, update, and track individuals’
qualifications and ongoing
development?
Placement on career pathways? Evaluate such efforts?
Are there
specifications that require processes to inform professionals about professional growth and career opportunities? Are there varied entry points and qualification alternatives?
Are there
specifications as to advancement on career pathways linked to increased compensation or compensation comparable to other professions with similar
requirements?
Compensation/pay is always a concern.
Articulation Do articulation agreements support qualification requirements for all sectors? Do articulation agreements connect IHE’s to each other and to review and revision of courses or processes to inform students about and advise them on education options and requirements (e.g., student advising)?
Include alternative methods of course and degree
Interviews Page 197 of 208 Integration Quality
Assurance Diversity, Inclusion, and specifically aimed at supporting,
Does policy for advisory structure include
representatives from the various early childhood sectors, across agencies and quality initiatives?
Does the advisory structure have mechanisms or processes in place to ensure
accountability (strategic planning, research/evaluation tied to planning process,
reviews/reports of progress,
stakeholder input tied to planning or recommendations)?
Does the advisory structure include perspectives representing the diversity of the field (racial, ethnic, ability, role, etc)?
Does the advisory structure explicitly address
compensation related issues (as part of planning, as an objective)?
Data Tracking and Collection Foundation of all the
problems; can’t get one data system to talk to each other
Are there methods for collecting, sharing, and disseminating cross-sector data to stakeholders, funders, and the public?
Does the system verify, record, update, and track individuals’
qualifications and ongoing
development?
Placement on career pathways?
Professional development offerings? Evaluate such efforts?
Does the system collect workforce data by role, program setting, credential, demographic characteristics,
experience in the field, population and age of children served, and compensation? Data related to program sustainability, stability, and other access and support related issues? Is data shared with those it represents and who need it?
Is data collected and analyzed specific to compensation (salaries and benefits)? Data collected on other professions for which parity is sought for early childhood professions?
Retention data by role?
Financing Public-private partnership should be continued to be fostered
Are federal, state and/or private resources are being directed and why?
Are review
processes and other accountability measures tied to financial programs or spending?
Do funders, administrators, participants, and families know what fiscal resources are available? Are barriers to financial aid and scholarships are examined and policies crafted to increase access? Is financing of the governance and
Does funding explicitly address workforce compensation and/or include financing in all sectors of the system to support
compensation equivalent to positions within and across fields
Interviews Page 198 of 208 Integration Quality
Assurance Diversity, Inclusion, and believe that there needs to be more transparency.
institutional aid to higher education included in the system?
requiring similar preparation and experience?
3) What are the barriers that get in the way of addressing early childhood professional development and workforce issues?
…different systems and standards
…Child Care licensing biggest barrier right now; especially with blended rates (esp. with EHS); not enough money (cannot do HS and then wraparound); dollars do not work;
exception is home-based…doesn’t work for working parents
…There is little understanding or tolerance of individual or various program roles.
…The field of early childhood is so broad that there cannot be a one-size-fits-all approach. Public schools are vastly different from child development centers, from Head Start, from higher education teacher preparation programs.
…Dealing with such a broad range of ages is difficult. Programs for infants cannot be rightfully compared to programs for eight-year-olds.
…Articulation between community colleges and universities need to be better.
Financing for supporting PD as well as salaries for those working in early childhood need to be increased. In addition, agencies need to collectively work to facilitate funding avenues.
…There is a stronger sense of collaboration. However, sometimes we get caught in hearing only what Head Start might be able to offer. What about State Department of Education?
…There is not enough cross-system discussion and coordination.
…Pay inequities exist and make standardization difficult to pursue
…Sometimes we get caught in hearing only what Headstart might be able to offer.
What about State Department of Education?
4) What opportunities exist (and are ripe right now) for designing and/or implementing changes to the early childhood professional development and workforce system?
…removing barrier of EHS and child care funding; national discussion (present at SmartStart)
…model in Illinois
…continuing to get HS in the Registry to formulate better PD for HS; need to do training that folks are getting credit for; mine to see what the needs are
…Registry now requiring all licensees to be on Registry
…people care about working together; a place to work on issues like OSPE workgroups
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…Cross-walks of standards have been made between standards and programs, but there is still little acceptance of specific program requirements. Now would be a good time to inform each other of our roles.
…There is a stronger sense of collaboration.
…Keep talking, Early Learning Guidelines have been updated. Now we need to try and get everyone on the same page.
5) Are there other priorities that you feel should be addressed there were not captured in question 2?
…CDA thing; don’t know about CDA’s leading to a 2 –year degree; if they do not lead to something then eliminate; waste of time for practitioners unless it leads to somewhere;
need credit and to get recognized
…practitioners need to know what they are paying for and what the differences are
…Smart Start often overlooks partners that are needed in the process.
6) Other additional thoughts, suggestions, questions, etc.?
…While this process is a beginning, we need regular opportunities to do this type of review (every other year would be quite helpful). I think it would build trusts between those who are working on these efforts as well as help ALL to see the bigger system effort rather than what one or two agencies or entities might provide.
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