Overview

At NAEYC, we embrace a vision of the profession in which early childhood educators exemplify excellence and are recognized as vital and performing a critical role in society.

We know that an excellent profession is built upon an excellent system of professional development - and that's why we have the Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative. The purpose of this Initiative is to support states in developing, enhancing, and implementing policies to achieve an integrated, high-quailty and equitable PD system that is for all early childhood education professionals working with and on behalf of young children birth through age 8. The resources below are designed to help policymakers, advocates and educators work together to get us there.

Questions or comments? Email [email protected].

Build It Better: Indicators of Progress

Build It Better: Indicators of Progress to Support Integrated Early Childhood Professional Development Systems builds on Workforce Designs' four principles and six policy areas, providing a set of indicators that look across early childhood education settings, sectors and roles to build a better system - one that can integrate PD regulations and initiatives, raise PD quality, address workforce equity and diversity and make the case for compensation parity.

This resource can be used to help states stimulate strategic planning, construct goals and benchmarks that support state initiatives, meet new federal requirements for state child care plans, and work on the Institute of Medicine's Transforming the Workforce report recommendations. Stay engaged for more support around the use and implementation of the Indicators in your state!

Read or download your copy of the Indicators

Learn more about how NAEYC worked with a national Advisory Panel and cross sector teams in Connecticut, Indiana, Iowa, North Carolina, Oregon, Tennessee, and Virginia to pilot and develop these indicators here.

NAEYC Workforce Designs: A Policy Blueprint for State Early Childhood Professional Development Systems

This Blueprint is NAEYC's framework for policy development and implementation related to state professional development systems for early childhood educators working with children from birth through age 8. The Blueprint highlights four policy principles (system integration; quality assurance; workforce diversity, inclusion and access; and compensation parity) to be applied across six essential policy areas in order to build or sustain an integrated PD system that ensures quality in all settings in which early childhood professionals work and young children develop and learn.

These principles are aimed at the development and retention of a competent and stable early childhood workforce—a skilled cadre of effective, diverse and adequately compensated professionals. They support NAEYC's strategic goal of advancing an early childhood education profession that exemplifies excellence and is recognized as vital and performing a critical role in society.

Read or download your copy of the Blueprint

Put the Blueprint into action! View the Blueprint planning guide, recording tool, and see sample state plans and reports that bring the Blueprint to life

Professional Development Definitions

NAEYC worked with national partners to create consensus to on two glossaries that provide shared language for use across all forms for early childhood professional development: training, technical assistance and adult education. They include definitions of common terms used in the development, implementation and evaluation of professional development (PD) programs; in policy decisions and regulations; and in research and literature reviews. The glossaries are intended to support professional development activities and integrated PD systems.

Early Childhood Education Professional Development: Training and Technical Assistance Glossary

Early Childhood Education Professional Development: Adult Education Glossary

Slide Presentation for public use: What Do We Mean When We Talk About PD? Using the NAEYC Early Childhood Education Professional Development Glossary

Initiative Sponsors

NAEYC thanks the Alliance for Early Success, the McCormick Foundation, and Cornerstones for Kids for their generous support of the Early Childhood Workforce Systems Initiative.