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Concept Paper: ARRA Proposal: $225,000 for Professional Development and Development of a Statewide
Strategy to Increase Access to Higher Education for Early Educators with Limited English Proficiency
Of the $23.9M available through the CCDF ARRA grant, $1.2M must be spent on quality improvements for
infant and toddlers; this proposal is to use up to $225,000 of those quality funds to provide professional
development opportunities and develop a statewide strategy to increase access to higher education for limited
English proficient early educators through a two part model:
I.
$150,000: to fund a vendor to deliver comprehensive career development and training services (e.g.
educational assessment, guidance, career planning, college courses, coaching and mentoring)
geared to the needs of the Spanish-speaking early education and care professionals to help them
determine appropriate pathways to competency development as evidenced by CDA certification,
certificate achievement, and/or the beginning pathway to degree attainment.
II.
$75,000: to support a vendor to work directly with the Readiness Center Network to further develop
a statewide system to support increased access to higher education for early educators with limited
English proficiency and improved outcomes for the children, birth to age 8, they work with; EEC
proposes to provide one vendor with up to $75,000 to fund a consultant to work.
 Background:
I.
The Provision of Comprehensive Career Development and Training Services for Educators with
Limited English Proficiency ($150,000)
Alignment with Current and On-Going Priorities

The Report of the Early Education and Care Advisory Committee (2004) highlighted the importance of a
diverse early education and care workforce and recommended that the new Massachusetts Department of
Early Education and Care (EEC) create a workforce development system that provides career counseling,
professional development in languages other than English, and other supports to non-traditional adult
learners.

EEC developed its first Workforce Development Plan in 2006 and has reported annually on the progress
made in building a workforce system that will help to ensure that all children have access to quality
programs.

The EEC Board’s current Strategic Five-Year Plan establishes the creation of a “workforce system that
maintains worker diversity and provides resources, supports, expectations, & core competencies that lead
to the outcomes we want for children” as one of five strategic directions. The Strategic Plan also identifies
implementation of a Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) as a key strategy to improve and
support quality statewide. QRIS defines levels of quality based in a framework of birth to age 8 and the
requirements that programs must meet to advance through each level of the system. Professional
development and training opportunities that align to these strategies are essential to supporting and
maintaining diversity in the early education and care workforce and to improving quality through QRIS.
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Alignment with Research Recommendations

The spring 2010 report released by Strategies for Children (Strategies for Improving the Early Education
and Care Workforce in Massachusetts) draws upon data from the US Census other sources to describe the
state’s workforce. US Census data indicate that individuals self identifying as Latino/Hispanic comprise the
largest racial/ethnic minority (8%) in Massachusetts. Information compiled by the Wellesley Centers for
Women at Wellesley College shows overrepresentation of Latinos/Hispanics in the early education and
care workforce, with 22% of Head Start teachers, 8% of center-based staff and 11% of family child care
providers identifying as Latino/Hispanic. While many of these individuals are proficient in English, other
data indicate that one-third of these individuals are foreign born and, potentially, non-native speakers.
The Strategies Report recommends continued efforts to address the unmet needs of non-native speakers
and identifies promising programs for Latino early educators that draw upon research that demonstrates
that adult learners develop greater English language proficiency when they receive instruction in their
native language.
EEC’s Efforts to Date
EEC has made numerous efforts to support the diversity of the early education and care workforce by including
the provision of professional development in other languages as part of existing grants and by translating
regulations and resources for educators and parents into other languages. In addition, EEC has designed its
Professional Development Calendar to identify offerings that are available in languages other than English.1
However, until now, EEC has not been able to focus resources solely on the provision of professional
development for educators whose primary language is not English.
 Purpose:
The purpose of the proposed RFP is to award funds to one or more vendors to deliver comprehensive career
development and training services geared to the needs of the Spanish-speaking early education and care
professionals with limited English proficiency, including family child care providers, center-based staff, family
child care home visitors, and family child care assistants that serve infants and toddlers. The intent is to
provide at least 500 of these educators with educational assessment, guidance, career planning, college
courses, as well as coaching and mentoring to help define appropriate pathways to competency development
as evidenced by CDA certification, certificate achievement, and/or the beginning pathway to degree
attainment. This professional development is intended to have the additional benefit of increasing the QRIS
levels of the providers (programs) that employ these educators.
 Priorities:
1. Professional development must address planning, coaching and mentoring and competency development.
2. Professional development must be evidenced-based and aligned with EEC’s 8 Core Competency Areas.
3. Professional development is a shared responsibility between educators and the providers that employ
them and/or systems who enter into an agreement with family child care educators; increasing the
competency of educators increases the level of quality of the programs in which they work and improves
the outcomes for the children and families they serve.
4. Professional development must meet the needs of the professionals working with children birth to 8 years
of age across the mixed delivery system.
1
From January 1 to December 31, 2009, 111 professional development opportunities in Spanish were posted on EEC’s
Professional Development Calendar. This is 15% of the 727 trainings that were listed.
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 Goals:
Ensure that culturally and linguistically diverse Latino/Hispanic early education and care educators are able to
access professional development services that contribute to their increased competency and that improve the
quality of early education and care programs with an emphasis on educators serving infants and toddlers in
family child care settings.
 Eligibility:
To be eligible to apply for professional development funding through this RFP, entities must apply as a
partnership and be able to demonstrate the following:
1. Experience implementing professional development that addresses infants and toddlers.
2. Experience collaborating and delivering services through a partnership.
3. Extensive experience designing, developing, and delivering early childhood educational services to
Spanish-speaking early educators.
4. Ability to secure the services of the bilingual and bicultural staff and consultants so that all services can be
provided in Spanish.
5. Extensive experience in the provision of educational and support services for non-traditional adult
students, especially for adults with limited English proficiency.
6. Ability to award academic currency such as college credits issued from an entity accredited by the New
England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc. (NEASC).
7. Proven ability, experience, and capacity to provide individual academic and career advising to help
educators move along a professional development pathway toward degree attainment or through a
competency based system.
8. Ability to ensure that the professional development offered addresses the needs of children birth to 8
years of age, including diverse learners, children with special needs and children who are at risk and/or
subject to stress.
9. Ability to prioritize the participation of providers who are serving EEC-subsidized children through a
voucher or a contract.
10. Ability to ensure educator and provider eligibility.
 Required Services:
1. Establish a partnership, including:
a. A letter of support from each partner describing each entity’s responsibilities for services and
resources it will provide; and
b. Identification of a partner who will serve as the administrative lead/fiscal agent for this grant.
2. Understand the specific population(s) the partnership is intending to serve by assessing the professional
development needs of the educators and providers in the geographic area for which the partnership is
bidding:
a. Demonstrate how proposed professional development services will meet the needs of educators
and providers in the selected region; and
b. Identify providers and educators who will be the target for proposed professional development
activities.
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3. Demonstrate how the proposed professional development being proposed accounts for elements such as
provider types and settings, degree of English proficiency, education levels, the needs of the children in
care, and the needs of the educators in their intended service area(s)2.
4. Ensure that professional development addresses children birth to 8 years of age with an emphasis on
infants and toddlers, diverse learners, children with special needs and children who are at risk and/or
subject to stress.
 Educator and Provider Planning Required Services:
Bidders must complete a needs assessment of the geographic area they are intending to serve prior to
submission. Bidders must develop and implement a plan for offering professional development that
responds to the needs assessment and that aligns with EEC’s strategic direction and priorities. In
developing and finalizing their plan, bidders will be required to include the information and perform the
tasks outlined below.
1. Implement professional development pathways for identified educators and providers.
a. Guide and support the professional growth and competency development of educators
including attaining a CDA credential or other certificate and/or enrollment in college courses
with an emphasis on meeting the qualifications for QRIS Level 2 or above and progress
towards the completion of a degree program in early childhood education or a related field.
b. Guide and support providers through a process that results in achieving higher levels of QRIS.
2. Provide a detailed listing of professional development opportunities for the duration of the grant and
include information such as course titles, credit type, course locations and date(s), core competency
area(s) addressed, number of educators to be served, course descriptions, and other relevant
information as required by EEC.
a. College courses may be provided through the cohort model whenever possible to maximize
and leverage resources.
b. Professional development offerings must be planned across the entire year and their
availability communicated to educators in a timely manner.
3. Provide a detailed listing of professional development services such as coaching and mentoring that
the partnership intends to deliver including who the services will be delivered to, when services will be
offered, and additional information as required by EEC.
4. Award academic “currency” such as college credits for the successful completion of professional
development offerings.
5. Adapt delivery of professional development to the schedules and needs of educators and providers in
the field by offering professional development:
a. Through non-traditional means, including using convenient community locations, approved
distance and on-line learning, intensive courses, and
b. During non-traditional hours, including nights and weekends.
6. Assure that professional development initiatives that support a section of the professional
development pathway (continuum) are linked to supports and resources that precede and follow that
section. If the partnership proposes to support multiple sections of the career pathway, linkages may
be provided as part of the grant or linkages can be met through collaboration with grant partners and
other regional and local entities that provide a specific pathway component.
2
Bidders who intend to serve educators/providers in more than one region must submit a separate proposal for each
EEC region.
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7. Provide early education and care providers with information, supports, and resources that help
providers attain higher levels in the QRIS system.
 Counseling, Advising, Coaching and Mentoring Required Services:
Bidders must detail how they will empower educators and providers to make informed and appropriate
educational choices that advance professional growth by delivering professional development services that
include but are not limited to the following.
1. Academic and career counseling based on individualized professional development/career plans,
through partnerships with qualified career counselors, academic advisors, mentors, and coaches.
2. Ensuring the educators at all levels and in all settings have access to counseling, advising, coaching and
mentoring services to support the attainment of educational goals by:
a. Providing career counselors and academic advisors to guide educators by:
i. Assessing the educational needs of educators and preparing an individual professional
development plan for each educator;
ii. Identifying career paths and goals in early education and care (e.g., CDA; college courses,
certificate and/or degree);
iii. Identifying professional development that leads to educational attainment required for
their professional growth;
b. Providing mentoring and coaching services to:
i. Encourage and support educators in their efforts to implement a professional
development plan to attain educational and career goals;
ii. Connect theory with practice through the use of reflection to help educators apply their
new skills and knowledge in the workplace.
c. Ensuring individuals providing advising, counseling, mentoring, and coaching have the required
skills, knowledge, and ability to work effectively with educators. Qualifications are specified
below under “Components of the Service Model”;
3. Encouraging providers to support the professional development of their staff through Memoranda of
Understanding (MOUs) that advance the professional growth of educators (including the opportunity to
learn and apply new skills, knowledge, and abilities that they have gained), help programs retain staff,
and provide stability and continuity to the children in care.
 Competency Development Related Required Services:
Bidders must detail how they will ensure that educators gain the skills and knowledge needed to increase
competency by delivering professional development services that include but are not limited to the
following:
1. Offering professional development that addresses theory, specific implementation strategies, and the
use of reflection to increase competency and support effective implementation;
2. Implementing professional development pathways for educators that begin by addressing basic
academic needs and guide and support educators through attaining the CDA credential or other
certificate to degree completion;
3. Supporting adult learners by creating individual professional development plans that address the
process and timeline to achieve the next level of professional growth and competency;
4. Using Child Development Associate (CDA) attainment as a vehicle to support and provide foundational
child development content , increased English proficiency, and/or initial college credits;
5. Partnering with a 2 year and/or a 4 year institution(s) of higher education to ensure linkages to credit
bearing bi-lingual (Spanish/English) or Spanish courses;
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6. Providing specific professional development, certificate programs, and other learning opportunities for
educators of infants, toddlers, preschool and initial school age children that address the following
topics related to EEC’s Core Competencies:
a. Child growth and development, birth to age 8
b. Literacy-rich learning environments
c. Social emotional development
d. The effect of interactions on children’s learning
e. Progress reports, assessment, and curriculum development
f. Physical activity and nutrition
g. Family engagement
h. Other topics as determined by EEC
7. Addressing the professional development needs of educators who serve children with disabilities or
with diverse learning needs:
a. Provide professional development on inclusion, differentiated instruction, autism, and related
topics; and
b. Ensure that all early education and care includes content on young children with disabilities
and children who are English language learners;
8. Providing information, supports, and resources that help providers advance on the QRIS scale
including but not limited to:
a. Providing and/or connecting educators to professional development in core competency areas
that support the five QRIS categories.
b. Providing and/or connecting programs to consultation and training such as use of
environmental rating scales (ITERS, ECERS, FCCERS, and SACERS).
 Funding: up to $150,000 through August 2011
 Grant funds may be used to pay for the following:
a. Career counselors and academic advisors
b. Coaches and mentors
c. College courses
d. Training and support materials
e. In-state travel
f. Printing
g. Outreach
h. Translation services
i. Instructional materials
j. Other related expenditures as approved by EEC
 Professional Development Fees to Participants:
All student fees and related expenses for college courses and text books may be paid for by this grant. The
successful bidder(s) may implement a co-payment structure for participants, not to exceed the following EEC
fee schedule, unless EEC has granted a waiver. EEC anticipates the fee schedule for FY2011 as:



No more than $5.00 per training hour for educators in programs that have at least 50% enrollment of
EEC subsidized children.
No more than $10.00 per training hour for all other educators.
EEC may issue a waiver for professional development that does not meet this fee schedule on an
individual basis.
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
These fees do not apply to credit bearing college courses offered by a regionally accredited institution
of higher education. However, partnerships buying a college course with these funds must
demonstrate how grant funds have reduced the cost of the courses to educators.
 Qualifications of Professional Delivering Services Through This Grant
 For Early Childhood Career Counselors:
1. Hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in early
childhood education or a related field;
2. Hold a specialty degree outside the field of Early Childhood Education that is directly related to
career counseling;
3. In addition to the above the following qualifications are required:
a. Minimum of 3 years experience in teaching and advising adult learners and/or
administration of an early care/education program;
b. Minimum of 2 years experience providing career counseling to adults working in early
education and care.
c. Demonstrated knowledge of resources available within a variety of pathways to
certificates or degrees that meet the professional development needs of educators with a
wide range of needs and abilities;
d. Demonstrated ability to implement adult learning strategies especially educators whose
primary language in not English.
 For Early Childhood Consultants, Trainers, and Mentors:
1. Hold a minimum of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in early
childhood education or a related field; or
2. Hold a minimum of an associate’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education in
early childhood education or a related field and:
a. Additional credit hours or CEUs in early childhood education;
b. Credit hours in leadership, management, or child care administration.
3. Hold a specialty degree outside the field of Early Childhood Education that is directly related to the
subject matter being addressed; and
a. Demonstrated ability to implement adult learning strategies.
4. In addition to the above the following qualifications are required:
a. Minimum of 3 years experience in teaching and/or administration of an early
care/education program;
b. Minimum of 2 years experience related to the professional development area being
addressed;
c. Demonstrated knowledge of curriculum development across all domains of development,
within a variety of curricular systems, to meet the needs of children with a wide range of
needs and abilities;
d. Demonstrated ability to implement adult learning strategies.
5. Hold a specialty degree outside the field of Early Childhood Education that is directly related to the
subject matter being addressed; and
a. Demonstrated ability to implement adult learning strategies.
6. Such alternatives to the above with the approval of EEC.
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II. Further Development of a Statewide System ($75,000)
In early education and care there are both a large number of children and families with either limited
proficiency in English or that are dual language learners and a workforce which includes many early educators
who also limited English proficiency. The diversity these educators bring to the early education and care
workforce is essential both to the professionalism of our field and to the children and families who rely on the
services they provide.
EEC is committed to supporting these educators by addressing their unique professional development needs
and by identifying and imbedding best practices that emerge from related initiatives into a coherent statewide
strategy. The Readiness Centers established by the MA Executive Office of Education (EOE) share a similar goal
in that a core function and priority of their work is addressing the learning needs of diverse student
populations including English language learners and dual language learners by improving the quality of
instruction and providing more differentiated instruction and individualized support.
EEC proposes to fund one consultant, up to $75,000, to work directly with the Readiness Center Network to
support increased access to higher education for early educators with limited English proficiency and improved
outcomes for the children, birth to age 8, they work with. The primary tasks for this position include
implementing and coordinating the following activities through the statewide Readiness Centers:
1. Assessing the professional development needs of English language learners working in early education and
care across the state;
2. Evaluating initiatives such as EEC’s pilot for Latino/Hispanic early educators serving infants and toddlers in
family child care to document best practices and challenges;
3. Disseminating and imbedding best practices and strategies as groundwork toward a statewide system to
address the professional development needs of English language learners in early education and care;
4. Identifying and developing career paths and resources that advance the professional growth of early
childhood educators who are English language learners;
5. Identifying, developing, and marketing opportunities for English language learners in the field of early
education and care;
6. Developing methods and reinforcing curriculum in higher education for all early educators across the state
which addresses the issues faced by children, birth to 8, who are English language learners and their
families;
7. Gathering and analyzing data and developing reports to inform future professional development efforts by
EEC and the Readiness Center Network.
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