Teachers determine the quality of children’s experience and the long-term effects of early childhood education (ECE) more than any other factor. To be effective, teachers of young children need a range of knowledge and skills to support children’s social-emotional, academic, and physical development. They need to be able to establish safe, caring, and positive relationships with all children, including dual language learners and those with special needs, and help children develop foundational skills in language, literacy, and math. Teachers also need to develop positive relationships with young children’s families and develop an understanding of the culture and needs of individual children.
Teacher preparation programs are designed to create the foundation for effective teaching. But no preparation program can fully prepare new teachers to be an expert in all of the demands of their job. On-the-job resources, leadership support, and professional learning opportunities are also important. Accordingly, this section examines both pre-service and ongoing support for teachers of young children.
The section begins with a summary of the major policy changes that California has made in the last decade related to the preparation of ECE teachers, including changes proposed for the child development permit matrix, the new PK-3 Early Childhood Education Specialist Instruction Credential, and the accompanying Teaching Professional Expectations and Teaching Performance Assessments. The final section focuses on efforts to develop teachers’ skills after they enter the field of ECE.
In brief, this section addresses the following questions:
- What are the current preparation requirements for ECE teachers and how have they changed in the last few years? How do California requirements compare to other states?
- What recent initiatives have been created to guide and support high-quality ECE teacher preparation?
- What assessments are required for an ECE Teaching Permit or Credential?
- What policies and supports are available in the state to support teachers and school leaders after they have completed their preparation?
For each of these questions, this section makes recommendations for the future and provides examples of programs in both California and other states that might be implemented or expanded to support high quality ECE teaching.
