Learn about defining and measuring program leadership, developing and assessing competencies of infant and toddler teachers, and defining and measuring professional development.

Defining and Measuring Early Care and Education Program Leadership (October 2017)

On October 12-13, 2017, the Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation (OPRE) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the US Department of Health and Human Services convened a meeting, Defining and Measuring Early Care and Education Program Leadership, in Washington, D.C. This meeting brought together experts from various sectors (academia, research firms, government, and technical assistance) to discuss the role of leadership and organizational functioning in supporting quality early care and education (ECE) services. We sought to advance the state of research on ECE leadership by building a dialogue with the K-12 education field and learning from K-12 research in this area. This document includes a brief overview of the key ideas that emerged during the one-and-one-half day discussion, followed by the attendee list, the agenda, and detailed meeting notes.

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• Meeting summary

Developing and Assessing Competencies for Teachers and Caregivers Serving Infants and Toddlers (January 2017)

Competency modeling has been used to improve workforce capacity in a variety of fields and it may offer promise as a means to professionalize the infant/toddler teacher and caregiver workforce. In January, 2017 the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE) sponsored a meeting to identify next steps for research and evaluation related to competencies for infant/toddler teachers and caregivers. The meeting brought together competency modeling experts from industrial-organizational psychology, experts on the development and assessment of competencies in other caregiving professions, and subject-matter experts in infant/toddler care and education.

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• Meeting summary

Presentations

• Using Competencies for Training and Evaluation: Lessons Learned From Gerontology Competencies (Colleen Galambos)

• Promoting Competence in Health Service Psychology: Models, Methods, and Considerations (Catherine L. Grus)

• Competency Modeling (Cheryl Hendrickson)

• Rise of Competency-Based Medical Education: Developing and Assessing Competencies for Teachers and Caregivers Serving Infants and Toddlers (Eric Holmboe)

• The Infant/Toddler Workforce: Who Are They and How Are They Prepared? (Diane Horm)

• Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation (Jacqueline Jones)

• Zero To Three Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators (Sarah LeMoine)

• Application of Competency Models within Organizations (Ray Morath)

• Implementing Competency-Based Education Models in Community Colleges: Findings and Implications from the Evaluation of a TAACCCT Grant (Ann E. Person)

• Occupational Competency Models: Taking Infant/Toddler Caregiving to The Next Level (Juan I. Sanchez)

• Competencies to Develop the Infant/Toddler Workforce (Claire Vallotton)

Professional Development Definitions and Measures (December 2005)

The Workgroup on Defining and Measuring Professional Development of the Early Childhood Workforce evolved out of a series of meetings, sponsored by the Child Care Bureau in collaboration with the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, DHHS and other federal agencies. The meetings focused on identifying problems in defining and measuring professional development of the early childhood workforce. These problems have implications not only for understanding research findings but also for policy and practice. The purpose of the Workgroup is to build on what was learned during these meetings and to take specific steps towards addressing definition and measurement issues.

The Workgroup's Statement of Purpose and materials from its various meetings and presentations are posted.