Access 4 Teachers Book 13

Act 13 of 2020, signed into law by Governor Tom Wolf on March 27, 2020, rev=
ises the Act 82 Educator Effectiveness (EE) process used to evaluate profes=
sional employees and temporary professional employees in PK-12 education ac=
ross the commonwealth. The revised rating system applies to classroom teach=
ers, nonteaching professionals, and principals as defined in Act 13.

access 4 teachers book 13
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The AAMC published new guidelines in May 2014 to provide expectations for b=
oth learners and teachers that include 13 Core Entrustable Professional Act=
ivities for Entering Residency (AAMC Core EPAs) that all medical students s=
hould be able to perform upon entering residency, regardless of their futur=
e career specialty. The guidelines were based on emerging literature docume=
nting a performance gap at the transition point between medical school and =
residency training. Entrustable Professional Activities (EPAs) were chosen =
as the framework for the guidelines because they offer a practical approach=
 to assessing competence in real-world settings and impact both learners an=
d patients.

This child care crisis has received increased attention in recent years, fr=
om policymakers, political candidates, and voters.3 However, there remains =
a critical need to better understand the components of high-quality program=
s to ensure policy solutions adequately support and promote access to quali=
ty for all families. To that end, this issue brief highlights three core in=
dicators of high-quality early childhood programs, and identifies six struc=
tural supports that are necessary to achieve and maintain high quality. The=
se indicators and supports provide a roadmap for policymakers as they devel=
op solutions to the current child care crisis and can also serve as a guide=
 for parents seeking to make the best and most informed choices for their c=
hild.

Moderate-income families are typically ineligible for these publicly funded=
 programs, but at the same time, such families struggle to afford the high =
cost of care in the private sector.19 This leaves parents facing a series o=
f difficult choices, including prioritizing child care expenses over other =
household necessities; settling for low-quality child care that fits their =
budget; patching together multiple informal care options; or leaving the wo=
rkforce altogether.20 To ensure that all children can realize the gains tha=
t come from attending high-quality early childhood programs, policy solutio=
ns need to focus on improving program supports and creating funding strateg=
ies that will increase access to high-quality programs for children from al=
l backgrounds.

Moreover, the key to a high-quality program is what happens inside the clas=
sroom or family child care home, namely the interactions that take place be=
tween the teacher and child. 23 In a high-quality program, teachers engage =
children with learning strategies that are tailored to the age of the child=
 and use an appropriate curriculum to structure the learning experience.24 =
A variety of supports are needed to facilitate these interactions so that h=
igh-quality teaching and learning can occur. As such, the quality of an ear=
ly childhood program is dependent on the following three key factors.

In addition to the indoor learning environment, children need access to out=
door space where they can move and engage with the natural world. Outdoor p=
lay has positive impacts on health and has been shown to combat childhood o=
besity and help develop stronger immune systems.30 Research also shows that=
 children who play outdoors regularly have more active imaginations, lower =
stress levels, and have greater respect for themselves and others.31



A high-functioning operating environment is an essential element of a quali=
ty early childhood program. This administrative operational support takes a=
 number of forms. First, programs need effective leaders who can provide in=
structional support to teachers as well as sound business management to the=
 overall program.32 These multiple leadership functions are complex and oft=
en need to be fulfilled by more than one person. Second, external to the im=
mediate program, programs need a series of structural supports, including a=
ccess to professional development, quality improvement resources, stable an=
d sufficient funding streams, and a pipeline of well-trained teachers. Thes=
e external supports recognize that early childhood programs do not operate =
in a vacuum and rely on the wider early childhood system.33

In addition, programs need to be staffed at a level that allows for teacher=
-child ratios that are appropriate for the age of the children and the size=
 of the group, such as those required for programs accredited by the Nation=
al Association for the Education of Young Children.44 Low teacher-child rat=
ios enable teachers to focus on the individual needs of the children and en=
gage them in meaningful interactions.45 This means having both an adequate =
number of teachers specifically assigned to a classroom, as well as providi=
ng sufficient substitutes or floaters to cover for breaks, planning time, a=
nd paid leave.

The early childhood education workforce should also reflect the growing div=
ersity of the child population, ensuring that children have teachers they c=
an relate to and role models that reflect their own backgrounds.46

Early childhood program administrators are responsible for a broad range of=
 tasks, requiring many different competencies.47 First, programs need instr=
uctional leaders with a solid understanding of child development and teachi=
ng and learning strategies. Instructional leaders support teachers with les=
son planning and curriculum implementation, behavior management strategies,=
 and professional development.

Finally, program administrators must be skilled in organizational managemen=
t and relationship building. In addition to fostering relationships with fa=
milies and the community, leaders play a key role in creating a positive at=
mosphere inside the program, which can minimize teacher turnover, increase =
program efficiency, and allow teachers to focus on the children.50

All early childhood programs should adopt a research-based curriculum that =
is developmentally, culturally, and linguistically relevant for all childre=
n.52 Curricula can provide a guiding philosophy for program activities, inc=
luding teacher interactions and the design of the physical indoor and outdo=
or environment. Curricula also help teachers effectively structure and sequ=
ence classroom activities, target particular activities to build skills or =
meet development milestones, and build on prior learning and experiences. C=
urricula provide varying levels of flexibility to individual teachers; some=
 provide highly structured models for teachers to implement, while others o=
ffer guiding principles and expect teachers to determine the best way to im=
plement.53

There are a large number of curricula available for programs to choose from=
, with some of the best known models being the Creative Curriculum, HighSco=
pe Curriculum, and Tools of the Mind.54 Research has found a positive impac=
t on early achievement scores and socioemotional behavior when programs int=
entionally apply a curriculum that is supported by professional development=
, coaching, and sufficient resources.55 Programs should adopt a curriculum =
that best fits their program philosophy and ensure teachers receive profess=
ional development and ongoing support to adequately incorporate the curricu=
lum into their practice. It is also important that a curriculum is adopted =
for all age groups, not just preschoolers. Infants and toddlers need a curr=
iculum that focuses on their need to explore and discover the world around =
them, guided by supportive and responsive caregivers.56

In order to support the highly qualified workforce, the safe and engaging p=
hysical and learning environment, and the stable business infrastructure ne=
cessary to achieve and maintain high quality, programs need to be able to a=
ccess funding that supports the actual cost of operation.66 Many public fun=
ding streams are insufficient to support the costs of high quality, and low=
- and middle-income families struggle to afford the cost of tuition at high=
-quality programs. In order to ensure high-quality programs are available t=
o all children, public funding needs to be sufficient to cover the costs of=
 quality and provide families with help to afford the cost of private tuiti=
on.

Neither the demographic background of a child and family nor the type of fa=
cility in which the child is enrolled should be a barrier to accessing high=
-quality programs. However, programs need support to achieve and maintain q=
uality. The six elements outlined above offer a roadmap to policymakers and=
 stakeholders that allows them to focus on the key structures necessary to =
support high quality.

The need for high-quality early childhood education has never been greater,=
 but programs are increasingly out of reach for a majority of Americans. As=
 policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels develop strategies to=
 address the child care crisis, they must simultaneously focus on the impor=
tance of quality. To achieve the goal of increasing access to high-quality =
programs for all children, it is vital that families and policymakers fully=
 understand what quality looks like and what structures are needed to suppo=
rt it. The quality indicators identified in this issue brief can serve as a=
 roadmap for policymakers to ensure the key supports are in place to help p=
rograms achieve and maintain quality and to help families access those high=
-quality programs.

As part of its commitment to enhancing public safety, NFPA makes its codes =
and standards available online to the public for free. Online access to NFP=
A's consensus documents conveniently places important safety information on=
 the desktops of traditional users as well as others who have a keen intere=
st. NFPA is committed to serving the public's increasing interest in techni=
cal information, and online access to these key codes is a valuable resourc=
e.

But online access also comes with risks, like inappropriate content, cyberb=
ullying, and online predators. Using social media apps and websites where k=
ids interact, predators may pose as a child or teen looking to make a new f=
riend. They might prod the child to exchange personal information, such as =
address and phone number, or encourage kids to call them, seeing their phon=
e number via caller ID.
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