Educator and Provider Support Continuation Grant FY 2013

1. Educator and Provider SupportContinuation Grant FY 2013 1

2. Educator and Provider Support (EPS) Background: • In FY 2011, EEC combined three disparate initiatives that funded professional development of the ECE and OST workforce into a single Educator and Provider Support Grant. • The RFP funded 6 EPS Partnerships, one in each EEC region. • EPS Partnerships typically include: Regional Readiness Centers, IHEs, Non-Profits, CCR&Rs, Head Start, Public Schools, FCC Systems. • In FY 2011 the 6 grants totaled $3.2M. • In FY 2012 funding was reduced slightly to $3.17M • 25% of grant funds for coaching and mentoring • 33% of grant funds for competency development 2

3. Educator and Provider Support (EPS) Investment FY 2011- CAYL Institute supported grantees in building partnerships and transitioning to a new delivery system FY 2012 – CAYL worked with each grantee on an Acceleration Plan to advance individual goals and address challenges Region 1/Western: governance that engages the field and develops educators’ ownership of workforce goals. Region 2/Central: a professional development pathway for 78 bilingual educators. Region 3/Northeast: a framework for coaching and mentoring that defines and aligns services. Region 4/Metro: increase visibility, relationships in the region, and outreach to specific populations. Region 5/Southeast: strengthen, expand communication. Region 6/Metro Boston: enhance regional capacity to serve ELL educators. 3

4. Educator and Provider Support (EPS) A Unique Research Opportunity FY 2011- UMass Boston studied the new delivery system for professional development from its inception. Study’s recommendations help shape system development: Governance: Continue to invest in building a sustainable regional infrastructure and to define regional authority and responsibility related to innovation. Communication: Assure timely, accurate, reciprocal information flow between EEC and EPS partnerships. Assess outreach to priority, dual language, and FCC educators. Professional Development Services and Alignment: Engage partnerships in initiatives on incentives and MOUs. Advance understanding of strategies for aligning professional development with QRIS. Use of Data to Inform Regional Practice: Continue providing data to grantees. Increase evidence-based professional development and support regions in evaluating the effectiveness of services. Complete study is available on EEC’s website. 4

5. Educator and Provider Support (EPS) • Purpose: To provide professional development that: • advances the professional growth (including degrees) of educators • enables providers (programs) to achieve accreditation and higher QRIS levels. • Leaders: Adapt statewide initiatives to meet regional and local needs. • 3 Service Areas: • educator and provider planning • coaching and mentoring • competency development • Method of Delivery: Individual Professional Development Plans (IPDPs), coaching and consultation, and coursework (CEU or college credit).

6. Educator and Provider Support (EPS)Data Summary 6

7. EPS Grants and RTTT/ELC • From the MA Application for the ELC Grant: • “Our six regional Educator Provider Support (EPS) grantees and the Readiness Centersserve as hubs for professional development and are the main access points through which early learning educators receive information about the whole education system and specifically the standards.” • “Our established regional structures, the Readiness Centers and Educator Provider Support (EPS) grantees are the lead entitiesresponsible for providing technical assistance and training …” • The ELC Grant application maps next steps in building a comprehensive workforce development system in MA. • These next steps will be reflected in the FY 2013 continuation grant RFP to prepare a framework for future expansion. 7

9. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant: Overall Grant Requirements: Initiatives and activities are clearly linked to QRIS. Activities are labeled asBrain Building In Progress. Intentional collaboration with regional Readiness Centers (academic advising and career counseling). Clarify grantees’ role as “boundary spanners” who implementing state-wide initiatives at the regional and local levels. 9

10. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant: Overall Grant Requirement: • Prioritize services for educators in programs serving “high needs” childrenand programs in QRIS. • Improve teacher quality by leveraging joint professional development across the mixed delivery system with other EEC grantees, school districts, ESE, EI, Readiness Centers, and others. • Continue work on regional acceleration plans. • Satisfaction survey of educators and providers. 10

11. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant Educator and Provider Planning: • Broader consultation on local professional development needs and sharing opportunities with public schools, HS, EI, and others, in addition to CFCEs. • Incentivesfor educators to participate in coursework using MOUs and EEC’s career ladder. • EEC’s on-line courses offered on a regular and frequent basis: • Core Competencies-8 modules (also in Spanish) • Preschool Learning Guidelines-7 modules (also in Spanish) • Infant and Toddler Guidelines-6 modules • EEC Language and Literacy- 13 modules • NEW! QRIS course– 6 modules (will be in other languages)

12. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant Educator and Provider Planning: • Publicize and facilitate access to opportunities beyond the grant like: • WGBH’s media platform • Children’s museums • Library resources • Promote anti-bias curricula and culturally and linguistically appropriate practices to • maintain and expand workforce diversity • increase competency in these areas.

13. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant: Coaching and Mentoring • Support evidenced-based coaching and mentoring practice. Define qualifications, content, and duration of services. • Continue building incentives with MOUs: • Between educators and the programs that employ them on the mutual benefit of professional development • Train-the-trainer agreements to disseminate core knowledge and to imbed it in programs • Recognition of educators who are “peer leaders” by training staff in programs who are able to influence practice

14. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant: Coaching and Mentoring • Intentional collaboration with new DHE Early Education and OST College Completion Specialist including degree completion for ELL educators. • Intentional collaboration with Regional Readiness Centers on academic advising and career counseling.

15. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant Competency Development • social-emotional development, • English language development, • formative assessment and data use, • family engagement, • children with high needs, • STEM and • standards alignment:

16. Proposed Changes to FY13 EPS Grant Competency Development: Examples • Online courses linked to professional learning communities (PLCs) though EPS grantees. • Promote anti-bias curricula, culturally and linguistically appropriate practices to maintain and expand workforce diversity and increase competency in these areas. • Promote English Language Development (ELD) Standards to be developed in FY 2013. • Provide formative assessment tools and training for QRIS (will be grant requirement for FY 2014; initial steps in the FY 2013 grant) • Increase the number of educators trained in family engagement (Strengthening Families) with CFCEs. • Offer online course on standards alignment(Infant/Toddler Guidelines, Preschool Guidelines, and MA Frameworks).

17. Educator and Provider Support (EPS)“Boundary Spanners” for EEC Investments 17

18. Educator and Provider Support (EPS) Anticipated RFP Timeline: • November 29, 2011: Presented to Planning and Evaluation Committee • December 13, 2011: Presented to EEC Board for discussion • January 10, 2012: Anticipated vote by EEC Board • February 2012:RFP issued • April – May 2012: Grants awarded • July 1, 2012: Grants go into effect