Contra Costa CARES Plus
Professional
Development
Program
Summary and Enrollment Guide
July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015
Dear Early Childhood Educator,
You spend every day helping the children in your care to learn and grow. This guide contains information about the opportunities that are available to help you learn and grow professionally.
Most of the professional development options included here require that you continue your education if you have not completed a college Degree in Early Childhood/Child Development. The three community colleges have cohort classes, textbook loans, tutoring, and other supports to help you achieve your educational goal. These options will also add to your knowledge about the types of interactions with children that promote children's social, emotional and academic development, practice identifying your behaviors that characterize those effective interactions, and develop strategies to improve your practices.
Many early childhood professional development opportunities are moving to an online delivery method,
and this year’s options are no different. Don’t let that stop you from signing up! You have more to gain from these professional development activities than just the stipend. You will grow as a professional, receive resources, and help us build a community of leaders in Contra Costa.
Information about different CARES Plus PDP options, where to find more information about them, and how to enroll in the 2014-2015 CARES Plus PDP program is in-cluded in this guide.
See your PDP Advisor for more information and enrollment forms, or go to www.firstfivecc.org.
Sincerely,
Edirle Menezes, Ph.D. ECE Program Officer [email protected] 925-771-7333
PDP Advisors
PDP Advisors
PDP Advisors
Diablo Valley College
Sue Handy
925-685-1230 ext. 22393 [email protected]
Los Medanos College
Melissa Jackson 925-473-7639
Contra Costa College
May Saeteurn 510-235-7800 ext. 44985 [email protected]
Child Care Council
Monica Joseph 925-676-5442 ext. 3126 [email protected]
In order to enroll and participate in 2014-2015 First 5 Contra Costa CARES Plus Professional Development Program (PDP), participants must meet the following requirements:
Be employed at a licensed center-based program or family child care home in Contra Costa County and work directly with a group of children five years and younger for a minimum of 15 hours per week.
Hold a position traditionally referred to as assistant/aide, associate teacher, teacher, master/head teacher, site supervisor, assistant director, program director, substitute, family child care owner, or family child care staff.
Be at least 18 years of age and have a Social Security Number or Tax ID Number. Participants working in state-funded programs are welcome to register for First 5 Contra Costa’s professional development options. Please note, participants may
not receive a stipend from both First 5 Contra Costa and AB 212, even if professional development activities differ. To learn about the AB 212
Professional Development Program options, please visit www.plan4kids.org.
Email is the primary communication method to participate in First 5 Contra Costa CARES Plus Professional Development Program (PDP). Therefore, participants must
have access to a valid email account. We ask that all participants add
[email protected] to their email contacts list to ensure email messages are received.
Complete an enrollment form through one of Contra Costa Community Colleges— DVC, LMC, or CCC. Forms are available at www.firstfivecc.org.
The enrollment period is August 1- September 2, 2014.
Enrollment
At the end of the program year, participants must meet the following requirements to qualify for a stipend:
Have worked consistently within the same program for a minimum of 15 hours per week for at least the previous 9 months.
Have submitted a Stipend Request From, Employment Verification and W-9 Forms, and the First 5 California Participant Survey. These forms will be emailed to partici-pants in Spring of 2015.
Stipends
Eligibility Requirements
2014-2015 CARES Plus
As a new participant, if approved for CORE you must complete the following required activities to qualify for a stipend:
Participate in regular three-hour Looking at CLASSrooms seminars (Peer Learning Groups) during Spring 2015 at one of Contra Costa Community Colleges (DVC, LMC, or CCC) or at Child Care Council.
First year participants with less than an Associate’s Degree in Child Development/ Early Childhood Education or equivalent must complete 3 units of pre-approved coursework between July 1, 2014 and May 31, 2015.
Individuals who are new to the CARES Plus program must enroll in CORE, which includes participation in regular Looking at CLASSrooms Seminars (Peer Learning Groups), and completion of the three following online activities:
1. Introduction to the CLASS™ is a 2-hour online program that introduces the CLASS™ structure, its uses, and the importance of effective teacher-student interactions to learning.
2. Looking at CLASSrooms is a 20-30 hour, self paced online program. Participants will identify and analyze effective teacher-child interactions with videos and interactive materials supported by peer group discussions.
3. Kids & Smoke Don’t Mix is a self-directed online training (1 hour). All of the materials for these trainings will be provided free of charge and will be available in English and
Spanish. The introduction to the CLASS and the Looking at CLASSrooms trainings are coordinated by Teachstone.
To access these trainings each participant must set up an online account and register for the Intro to CLASS™ training by January 31, 2015.
Participants will have until February 28, 2015 to complete the Intro to CLASS™ online training. Once this training is completed participants will be granted access to the Looking at CLASSrooms training.
Participants will have until May 31, 2015 to complete the Looking at CLASSrooms trainings.
No extensions will be given.
The Kids & Smoke Don’t Mix training will begin in October 2014. This training must be completed by
May 31, 2015. It can be accessed at the following links: English: http://caresplustobacco.org OR Spanish: http://caresplustobacco.org/espanol
New Participants Only
AND
Regular three-hour Looking at CLASSrooms Seminars (Peer Learning Groups)CORE
Kids & Smoke Don’t MixOnline Looking at CLASSrooms Online Introduction to CLASS™ Online
Stipend = $800
For a complete list of CDE-approved trainings please visit the following links:
California Department of Education—Approved CARES Plus Component A trainings: http://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/compatraining.asp
California Early Childhood Online (CECO) www.caearlychildhoodonline.org AND
Contra Costa County Office of Education www.plan4kids.org
IMPORTANT: Training Fees reimbursement
Participant pays registration fee for training(s). Fees will be reimbursed upon successful com-pletion of 21 hours (up to a maximum of $150 in addition to stipend).
Available to CARES Plus participants with an Associate’s Degree or higher in ECE/CD or equivalent. Participants with less than an Associate’s Degree may be recommended for this option if also enrolled in College Coursework (Component B). Completion of a Professional Growth Plan OR Education Plan is required for Component A eligibility.
To find a Professional Growth Advisor please contact your PDP Advisor (refer to pg. 2). Requirements to qualify for a Component A stipend:
Complete 21 hours of training certified by the California Department of Education (CDE), including any of the following:
Infant-Toddler and Preschool Learning and Development Foundations Infant-Toddler and Preschool Curriculum Framework
Preschool English Learners (PEL): Principles and Practices to Promote language, Literacy, and Learning
Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL) Program for Infant-Toddler Care (PITC)
Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) trainings UC Davis Family Child Care at Its Best
Environment Rating Scales (ERS)
Health, Safety, and Nutrition (2 hour online training) http://www.healthypreschoolers.com/
The 21 hours must begin after July 1, 2014 and must be completed by May 31, 2015.
Stipend = $300
Complete 21 hours of CDE-approved trainings
New & Returning
Participants
Component A:
Training
If approved for Component B, participant must complete the following required activities to qualify for a stipend:
Meet with a PDP College Advisor twice: once at the beginning of the program year and at the end to identify and obtain approval of coursework on either the participant’s 2014-2015 edu-cation plan or otherwise documented and approved by your PDP College Advisor.
Coursework bonus - Participants who complete more than the required 6 units during the program year will re-ceive $100 for each additional unit of coursework, up to $800.
The highest stipend paid under the College Coursework component is $1,200.
The college coursework component is designed to support early educators pursuing a college degree in Early Childhood Education, Child Development or equivalent degree, or taking coursework to obtain or upgrade a Childhood Development Permit. Participants must complete the following required activi-ties to qualify for a stipend:
Complete the minimum of 6 semester units during the program year with a grade of “C” or better to earn the stipend of $400.
Coursework must begin after July 1, 2014 and be completed by May 31, 2015.
Participants who are taking coursework towards an Associate’s Degree must take classes at Contra Costa College, Diablo Valley College, or Los Medanos College.
Participants who are taking classes towards a Bachelor’s Degree must complete coursework in a four-year accredited institution and have an education plan pre-approved by First 5 Contra Costa.
Stipend = $400-$1200
Component B:
College Coursework
During the program year complete a minimum of 6 units applicable to ECE/CD or equivalent degree to obtain or upgrade a
Childhood Development Permit
New & Returning
Participants
Stipend = $300
Reflective Practice
Seminar (RPS)
Complete 5 hours of group reflective practice seminars for
at least one course
This option requires group reflective practice seminars integrating CLASS behaviors and indicators, and participants’ learning experi-ences drawn from the course (s) they are en-rolled in. Reflection seminars will take place during the Fall semester. RPS participation is required for only one course and it requires PDP College Advisor pre-approval.
First 5 California will randomly select enrolled CARES Plus participants from counties throughout California to receive CLASS assessments. This assessment will occur twice: once at the start of the program year (pre-assessment) and at the end (post-(pre-assessment).
Participants will use a video camera (provided by and to be returned to First 5 California) to record interactions in their classrooms for the assessment. The video recordings will be submitted and scored by assessors funded by First 5 California. The highest level of security will be used to keep these videos confidential. Only the assessor will view them; once the assessor has scored a video it will be destroyed. If you are selected to receive an In-Person CLASS
Observation (a pre-and post-assessment), First 5 Contra Costa staff will notify you in October 2014. If your employer will not allow videotaping of your
classroom, you may submit a Waiver Request for the In-Person CLASS Observation.
Stipend = $250
In-Person CLASS
Observation
Participants are randomly selected by First 5 California and will be notified in
October 2014
New & Returning
Participants
Stipend: up to $1000
Lost Wages
Reimbursement for time spent in field experience, practicum course. Limit
$1000 per semester per person.
Does your program hire a substitute teacher when you take student-teaching coursework? Does your program deduct this time from your pay? Lost Wages reimburses teachers for this unpaid time.
Reimbursement is for time spent in field experience. Participants must provide to First Five
Contra Costa verification of wages and transcripts showing completion of student-teaching or field experience courses with a “C” or better.
See your College PDP Advisor to apply for this option.
Participants who completed the In-Person CLASS Observation during the 2013-14 program year will not be se-lected again this year.
If approved for MTP™ (Component D), participants must complete the following required activities to qualify for a stipend:
Participants must have regular ac-cess to an email account. Commu-nication and any project work are entirely through email.
The certificate of program comple-tion must be submitted to your PDP Advisor by May 31, 2015.
My Teaching Partner™ (MTP) is a supportive, year-long, one-on-one coaching program focused on help-ing teachers interact more effectively with children. This is a unique professional development opportunity for early educators in Contra Costa County. To be eligi-ble for MTP™ early educators must:
Meet eligibility requirements for participation in the CARES Plus program.
Currently hold a position as a center-based teacher or as a family child care owner/teaching staff.
Commit to the entire 2014-15 program year to com-plete the coaching cycle.
Have three (3) children enrolled in their program at the age group they are receiving MTP coaching.
Submit application to your PDP College Advisor by
Au-gust 15, 2014.
IMPORTANT: If you have previously participated
in MTP™ and wish to complete the coaching program during 2014-2015 on a different age group, you are eligible to do so if currently working with the age group you desire to receive MTP coaching on.
Selected participants will be notified via email in
September 2014.
If a participant is not randomly selected to participate in My Teaching Partner s/he will be contacted by First 5 Contra Costa staff and offered an opportunity to choose another CARES Plus component.
Stipend = $1300
Component D:
My Teaching Partner
Complete a year long, one-on-one coach-ing program focused on helpcoach-ing teachers
interact more effectively with children
Returning Participants
Only
First 5 Contra Costa may raise or lower stipend amounts based on the amount of available funds and the number of eligible applicants.
After all stipends are paid to eligible participants, if there are surplus funds in the stipend budget, First 5 Contra Costa may provide a bonus stipend to any partic-ipant on the College Coursework option (Component B) who completed more than the required 6 semester units. Coursework bonuses would be based on available funds, additional units participant completed, and the number of eligible participants for this bonus.
In the Spring of 2015 participants will receive Stipend Request Form, Employment Verifica-tion and W-9 forms to be filled out, signed by their PDP Advisor, and submitted to First 5 Con-tra Costa no later than June 17 , 2015 .
Stipends will be issued in July 2015 and will be mailed to participants’ home mailing address. Stipends must be declared as income subject to
income tax regulations. A 1099 form with your stipend amount will be mailed during the first week of January 2016 to any participant who re-ceived a stipend of more than $600 during 2014-2015 CARES Plus program year.
Enrollment and Stipend Dates
Enrollment Begins……... August 1, 2014 Enrollment Deadline... September 2, 2014 Stipend Requests Period... May 31 - June 17, 2015 Stipend Checks Distributed... July 2015
Meeting with PDP College Advisors
Identify pre-approved courses in your Education Plan and/or
Develop your Professional Growth Plan... August - December 2014 Review and update your Education Plan and/or
Professional Growth Plan with your PDP Advisor……... April - May 31, 2015
Required CORE Option Dates
Register for Intro to CLASSTM by...January 31, 2015
Complete Intro to CLASSTM by... February 28, 2015
Complete Second-Hand Smoke training by... May 31, 2015 Complete CORE Option by... May 31, 2015
College Coursework, Training, and MTP™ Options Date
Complete Options Requirements by... May 31, 2015
In-Person CLASS observations Dates
Complete Fall observation ... November 15, 2014 Complete Spring observation ... May 15, 2015
