Page 15 - Gateways for Early Educators

Gateways for Early Educators
broader term under which other forms of quality improvement activities exist and that coaching is an activity provided by someone with specific expertise working with an early educator on implementing specific practices, compared with mentoring which is provided by someone in a more senior but same role, working over a period of time to guide the overall professional development of an early educator.vii
The outcomes of the previous pilot work by several of the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles (CCALA) R&R agencies reveal that to effectively deliver support services it is critical that staff dedicates their time to individual one-on-one coaching with a cohort of early childhood educators. Successful implementation requires a minimum of four FTE Coaches at each of the participating R&R agencies (seven FTEs at the two largest agencies). The Coach:
1. Conducted an intake process that ensured the building of a positive and trusting relationship, which was the key foundation to the success of the entire program.
2. Conducted assessments of current status in career and quality areas that could feed into the development of goals.
3. Assisted early childhood educators in designing and achieving personalized education/career paths through one-on-one coaching in order to advance in the child care field.
4. Offered one-on-one on-site coaching and technical assistance to early childhood educators, helping them to implement career/educational and/or quality improvement goals into the daily routine at their child care setting.
The methods for coaching recruitment were slightly different than the methods used for training recruitment. Given the priority grouping, with LACOCC QRIS having first priority into the program, the CCALA received a list of early childhood educators in the LACOCC QRIS program and they distributed lists of names and contact information to the relevant agencies (those that serve the area in which the participant lives). The individual was then contacted by staff at the relevant R&R agency to begin enrollment. Recruitment of early childhood educators who were active in other programs offered by the R&R agency (e.g., ASPIRE) or those who had expressed interest in improving the quality of their care in training sessions were recruited at the second priority level. The final group was recruited from programs that work with assisting those legally exempt from licensure (e.g., grandparents, aunts, uncles, neighbors who care for the children of only one family). When these individuals participated in training sessions or other programs and expressed an interest in improving the quality of care they provide, a meeting was established to explain the program and enroll the individual. Enrollment in the coaching component of Gateways occurred on an on-going, rolling basis. Gateways was not cohort program where individuals enroll as a group at a specified start time and exit at a predetermined time. As participants completed their goals (or discontinued without completing their goals) and exited the program new early childhood educators
2016
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