The Professional Development of Early Years Educators

Jane Waters, Jane Payler, Ken Jones, Jane Waters, Jane Payler, Ken Jones

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2019
• eBook ISBN: 9781351363235
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education General

This book provides a critical insight into comparative approaches to the professional learning and development of early years educators – taken to include all those working in a professional capacity with young children in educative settings, including home-based care and education. It also analyses leadership development for the early years workforce, and the evaluation of the success or otherwise of professional development initiatives involving early years educators. The book includes perspectives on relevant policy development at local and national levels and critical consideration of research literature on the effectiveness of professional development programmes for early years educators.

The book is essential reading for professionals working in early years settings, for those engaged with the professional learning of early years educators, and for academics researching professionalism in early years education. It provides international perspectives on the professional learning and development of those working in early years education.

This book was originally published as a special issue of the journal Professional Development in Education.

Professional development of the early childhood education teaching workforce in the United States: an overview

Rebecca E. Gomez, Sharon Lynn Kagan and Emily A. Fox

Resulting from a fragmented landscape of policies for and uneven investments in the early childhood education (ECE) field in the United States, the qualifications of the ECE teaching workforce are typically quite low. This article first reviews the history and status of the ECE teaching workforce in the United States, focusing on the evolution of the field, current demographic characteristics of the teaching workforce and the pathways to professional development and professional preparation of the teaching workforce. The authors then discuss the legacies of this history and policy landscape: a lack of quality, equity and sustainability. Offering a re-conceptualization of professional development within the context of systems thinking, the article concludes with a discussion of innovations and challenges with which the field contends relative to workforce development.

Introduction

This article reviews the professional development (PD) and workforce supports available for those who are a part of the early childhood education (ECE) teaching workforce in the United States. Although ECE is conventionally defined as embracing children from birth through age eight, this article focuses on the adults who work directly with children from birth to age five. Our reasons for doing so are multiple: in the United States, individuals teaching children ages six through eight fall within the purview of the country’s public education system; as such, the requirements for their PD are quite consistent and differ markedly from the requirements for individuals who work with children birth to age five. Moreover, our focus is grounded in the fact that the minimum qualifications for the birth to five segment of the ECE teaching workforce and requirements for PD are highly idiosyncratic, quite complex and tightly coupled with the evolution of the ECE field.

As is the case globally, contemporary ECE is contextually situated and is derived from a country’s ideas, values and governmental structures. Because context and history also shape ECE PD policies and programs, we begin our review with a brief history of the field and its teaching workforce in the United States. We then turn to an examination of the various professional preparation and PD pathways that are available to the ECE teaching workforce, the process of creating systemic approaches to PD, teaching workforce trends and challenges with which the field is contending presently. In so doing, we aim to provide an overview of the ECE teaching workforce past, present and future.

Professional preparation for ECE teachers in the United States: understanding the context

Early childhood education in the United States: a market-driven, mixed-delivery sector

Stemming from the values espoused by the founders of the United States, policy-makers have long sought to limit the reach of government intervention in the lives of young children, holding the primacy of the family in making decisions about a child’s health, education and care during the first five years of life in high regard. Given this ethos, government-funded programs have targeted children and families who demonstrate a need for assistance in accessing basic health, education and welfare services (Lombardi 2003). Despite this deeply embedded governmental stance, at times of national crises (e.g. World Wars I and II and the War on Poverty), the federal government funded massive efforts for young children, often with the purpose of enabling parents to work and/or to improve their economic situation (Lombardi 2003, Kagan 2009). These intermittent federal efforts, however successful, were abolished once these crises abated, and ECE provision was relegated to the private sector, individual states and/or to localities.

In the 1960s, as women surged into the workforce and the needs of at-risk children mounted, the importance of early childhood development and education began to be recognized, with enhanced commitments following (Kagan 1996, Lombardi 2003, Polakow 2004). Given the need for non-maternal care, public and private commitments to ECE grew. Simultaneously, parents from more affluent socioeconomic backgrounds wanted experiences that would enhance their children’s development and socialization, giving rise to a surge in private nursery schools, which provided a developmental orientation and educational enrichment (Lombardi 2003). Entwined, these multiple purposes created a wide array of services in the public and private sectors, with some programs focusing on the children (e.g. childcare, Head Start, pre-kindergarten, family childcare) and others focusing on parenting supports and education. Diverse as the programs are in intent, they also vary in how they are funded (e.g. vouchers, contracts, direct program funding), in how they are regulated and monitored, and in how they are held accountable. Complicating matters, given that education is a state responsibility in the United States, many states and some municipalities have invested heavily in ECE, creating even more funding streams. These varied state, local and federal programs and funding streams have resulted in a patchwork landscape of ECE programs and services among and within US states.

The ECE teaching workforce in the United States

Just as the landscape of ECE service provision is complicated, the nature of the US ECE teaching workforce is complicated, as are the approaches to teachers’ professional preparation and PD. One thing that does not vary, however, is the clear relationship between the importance of high-quality teaching and the outcomes realized by young children. Many studies, both experimental and quasi-experimental, have found ‘teachers to be at the fulcrum of both ECE quality and children’s lifelong development’ (Schweinhart et al. 1993 cited in Kagan et al. 2008, p. 5). Teachers’ education and training play a huge role in the quality of children’s ECE experiences (Shonkoff and Phillips 2000, Ackerman and Barnett 2006, National Academy of Sciences 2012). For example, ECE programs that achieve the largest long-term economic gains and impacts on children’s development/outcomes largely employ teachers that have specialized training in early childhood (Early et al. 2005, Neuman and Kamil 2010, Connors-Tadros and Horwitz 2014, Ginsburg et al. 2014, Zaslow 2014). Despite this agreement, the research is somewhat mixed regarding the specific nature and dosage of the specialized training that is needed to become a ‘high-quality’ teacher (indeed, the definition of ‘high-quality teaching’ is still up for debate) – whether it should consist of a college degree (either an associate or bachelor’s degree) in ECE, a credential, field/clinical experiences or a combination of these modalities (Fukkink and Lont 2007, Kagan and Gomez 2011, 2014).

Complicating matters, there is tremendous variation in attitudes about and attributes of the ECE teaching workforce. In some cases, this workforce is unfortunately and inappropriately regarded as ‘babysitters’ (Kagan et al. 2008). Moreover, the ECE teaching workforce suffers from high rates of employee turnover, low compensation, low and inconsistent entry requirements, and uncertain opportunities for PD. Combined, these factors make recruiting new teachers and sustaining a quality teaching workforce very challenging.

Having noted these challenges, we turn now to a discussion of the demographics and characteristics of the ECE teaching workforce. Resulting from the mixed delivery system, the diversity of state commitments and program diversity, the ECE teaching workforce is composed of diverse types of professionals with varying levels of education and experience. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), for example, divides the ECE workforce into ‘child care workers’ and ‘preschool teachers.’ Childcare workers, according to the US BLS (2014), are those individuals typically working in privately owned childcare programs who care for children ages birth to five years when their family is not available. Preschool teachers are defined as those individuals who both care for and educate children prior to their entry to kindergarten (US BLS 2014) – this term refers to individuals working with children ages three to five in either publicly funded pre-kindergarten programs or privately owned programs. This paper regards both categories as a part of the ‘ECE teaching workforce.’

In some ways, the US ECE teaching workforce is quite homogeneous. First, it is composed of mostly women; as of 2013, according to the US BLS, 94.8% of childcare workers and 97.8% of preschool/kindergarten teachers were women. Second, the majority of the ECE teaching workforce is Caucasian (70.5% of preschool/kindergarten teachers and 61% of childcare workers). Hispanics make up the next largest portion of the childcare workforce at 22.4%, followed by black/African American workers (13.2%) and Asian workers (3.4%) (US BLS 2014). As for preschool/kindergarten teachers, 12.9% are Hispanic, 12.1% are black/African American and 4.5% are Asian (US BLS 2014).

Despite the uniformity in the ECE teaching workforce’s gender and race, their levels of experience and education vary significantly. Maroto and Brandon (2012) estimate that about 7–12% of teachers classified as childcare workers have their associate (AA) degree, 11–17% their bachelor’s (BA) degree and 2–4% have an advanced degree (master’s/professional). Preschool teachers demonstrate higher levels of education, with 28–73% having at least a bachelor’s degree (Maroto and Brandon 2012). Entry requirements for ECE teachers differ within and among US states. Forty-five states require lead teachers working in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs to have some type of ‘specialized early education training’ (Barnett et al. 2013, p. 7); within these 45 states, 30 states require ECE teachers to have a BA degree in ECE, and 16 require teachers to attain state certification/licensure (Gilliam and Marchesseault 2005, Barnett et al. 2013). Fifteen states require assistant teachers working in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs to obtain a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, and 42 states require all teachers to participate in ongoing (in-service) professional development each year. Requirements for teachers working in other ECE settings are lower: more than 30 states have no requirements for entry-level teachers working in privately owned childcare programs (Whitebook et al. 2012). Only two states require teachers to have some type of ECE credential; four states require an ECE credential and experience; two states require that teachers complete a vocational childcare program; and, finally, four states require some combination of education, training and experience (LeMoine and Azer 2006 cited in Kagan et al. 2008).

Overall, compensation for the ECE workforce is very low in comparison with that of the US workforce as a whole and in comparison with teachers working in elementary and secondary schools (US BLS 2014). Within this context, compensation is highly idiosyncratic, with much of it predicated on the individual’s education and the setting in which she/he works. Compensation for the ECE teaching workforce varies from state to state, with some states paying teachers less than $18,000 per year and others paying as much as $44,000 per year, depending on education, experience and ECE program type (US BLS 2014). It also varies by classification. As of 2013, individuals classified as childcare workers earned a mean annual wage of $21,490. Preschool teachers fared somewhat better, making an average of $31,420 (US BLS 2014). Preschool teachers earn the most when working in state-funded pre-kindergarten programs ($44,760) and the least in privately owned programs ($27,070) (US BLS 2014). Compensation is generally higher for those with more education. For instance, the median hourly wage of childcare center teachers with a BA or graduate degree is $11.90 versus $9.00/hour for those who have only an AA degree (National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team 2013). Similar to wages, benefits available to ECE teachers are generally low and vary considerably; one study estimates that only one-third of childcare workers receive paid benefits/sick leave (Whitebook et al. 2010 cited in Institute of Medicine and National Research Council 2012). The combination of minimal compensation and benefits contribute to the high rates of teacher turnover: both preschool teachers and childcare workers leave their jobs at high rates (15% and 29% turnover, respectively); and among the childcare workers who leave their jobs, 21% leave the ECE field completely (Whitebook et al. 2001, Whitebook et al. 2010 cited in Institute of Medicine and National Research Council 2012).

Defining and distinguishing professional preparation and professional development activities for the ECE workforce

Despite these unfavorable working conditions and compensation limitations, many elect to enter the ECE field and experience two broad types, or temporal categories, of education and training activities: pre-service and in-service. Pre-service training refers to the range of activities in which individuals engage prior to entering the workforce; it is truly preparation. In-service training, or ongoing PD, refers to the range of learning activities and supports that take place once an individual is working in an early childhood setting. In the United States, some individuals enter the ECE teaching workforce with no or very limited pre-service training, making the focus on in-service PD critical.

Professional preparation: ‘pre-service’

Activities that occur before an individual enters the ECE workforce are an important component of professional preparation. Education and training subsumed under the auspices of professional preparation can also be called pre-service PD. Within the pre-service category, PD may take place in a higher education institution or via the completion of a certification process for teachers who have completed a degree but who have not yet entered the workforce.

Professional development: ‘in-service’

The second type of PD, in-service PD, is intended for early childhood practitioners who are already employed in an early childhood program, with the precise goal of enhancing their knowledge and expertise in working with young children and their families. In-service PD can include working to achieve a credential or certification, personalized PD plans or workshops that bolster an individual’s understand...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• Citation Information
• Notes on Contributors
• Foreword
• Introduction: The professional development of early years educators – achieving systematic, sustainable and transformative change
• 1. Professional development of the early childhood education teaching workforce in the United States: an overview
• 2. Contemporary practice in professional learning and development of early childhood educators in Australia: reflections on what works and why
• 3. Implementing curriculum reform: insights into how Australian early childhood directors view professional development and learning
• 4. The role of motive objects in early childhood teacher development concerning children’s digital play and play-based learning in early childhood curricula
• 5. Preschool teachers’ informal online professional development in relation to educational use of tablets in Swedish preschools
• 6. Reflecting on reflection: improving teachers’ readiness to facilitate participatory learning with young children
• 7. Do reflections on personal autobiography as captured in narrated life-stories illuminate leadership development in the field of early childhood?
• 8. Preschool teachers’ insights about web-based self-coaching versus on-site expert coaching
• 9. The nature of professional learning communities in New Zealand early childhood education: an exploratory study
• 10. ‘Accept the change and enjoy the range’: applications of the Circles of Change methodology with professionals who support early childhood educators
• 11. Head Start classroom teachers’ and assistant teachers’ perceptions of professional development using a LEARN framework
• 12. Educators’ expectations and aspirations around young children’s mathematical knowledge
• 13. ‘The exchange of ideas was mutual, I have to say’: negotiating researcher and teacher ‘roles’ in an early years educators’ professional development programme on inquiry-based mathematics and science learning
• 14. The professional identity of early years educators in England: implications for a transformative approach to continuing professional development
• 15. Evaluative decision-making for high-quality professional development: cultivating an evaluative stance
• Index