|
View statewide afterschool initiatives by category
Professional Development: School-Age Credential
Several states offer child care providers the opportunity to obtain a professional credential to develop knowledge and skills essential for sound school-age care.
Your search returned 6 results:
West Virginia -- Staff Training and Registry System (STARS)
Illinois -- School-Age and Youth Credential
Georgia -- School Age and Youth Care Technical Certificate of Credit
Wisconsin -- Wisconsin AfterSchool Association
South Dakota -- Move to Quality Initiative
South Dakota -- South Dakota Afterschool Training Initiatives
| STATE |
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION |
| |
| West Virginia | Staff Training and Registry System (STARS): West Virginia's professional development system, while targeted at early care providers, is also available for practitioners in school-age child care settings. The system established a set of Core Competencies reflecting best practices which are tied to the STARS Career Pathway. The Pathway provides an eight-level framework to encourage providers to obtain skills and credentials, and progress on the Career Pathway is tracked on the state's registry and credentialing system. An approval system ensures that training throughout the state aligns with the Core Competencies, and a coordinated training system offers continuing education credits to providers. Practitioners working at least 20 hours per week in an approved child care program can also participate in the STARS apprenticeship program. Apprentices complete four semesters of weekly instruction in child development, curriculum development, and health and safety. Upon completion, Apprentices receive a Child Development Associate credential, which counts for up to 33 credits toward an associate's degree at state community colleges and qualifies them for the fifth level on the 8-step Career Pathway. A scholarship program also helps Apprentices pay for college courses leading to an associate's degree in child development. While the program is primarily focused on providers serving children age 0 to 5, curricula are designed with school age care components. State Profile
| | Illinois | School-Age and Youth Credential: In partnership with the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies, the statewide afterschool network is convening stakeholders from around the state to aid in the development of a voluntary School Age and Youth credential. The Illinois School-Age and Youth committee (I-SAY) has identified the core values for school-age and youth development practitioners and is creating a draft of the core content areas. The credential development is focused on five elements of comprehensive provider supports. Those elements include Quality Assurance, Access and Outreach, Core Knowledge, Qualifications and Credentials, and Funding. This project is supported in part by the Illinois Department of Human Services, Bureau of Child Care and Development.
I-SAY has also completed its first year as part of a national group of select sites reviewing the development of career pathways for youth workers. Illinois was one of eight sites selected to participate in the Career Pathways Project through the National Collaboration for Youth and the National Institute on Out-of-School-Time.
For more information, see http://www.ianetwork.org/specialprojects.htm
State Profile
| | Georgia | School Age and Youth Care Technical Certificate of Credit: A School Age and Youth Care Technical Certificate of Credit is available as a credential specific to school age and youth care. Its purpose is to the provide knowledge and skills necessary to work effectively during the out-of-school hours with children between the ages of 6 and 14 years of age. A minimum of 21 academic credit hours is required and coursework is offered through various technical colleges in Georgia. The Georgia School Age Care Association (GSACA), in conjunction with the Department of Early Care and Learning, has developed four of the five required courses in a distance learning format. GSACA is in the process of identifying funding to complete the final course required for full on-line delivery. State Profile
| | Wisconsin | Wisconsin AfterSchool Association: An Affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association (NAA) The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association (WAA) is the professional membership association for all providers of out- of-school-time serving the diverse needs of Wisconsin’s children, youth and families. The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association promotes quality initiatives through the National Standards for after school care and the NAA Accreditation system. The Association hosts an annual state conference, administers the school-age credential, publishes a quarterly newsletter and supports public policy and advocacy on the state and national levels.
The Wisconsin AfterSchool Association is an active partner in the Wisconsin Afterschool Network playing an integral role on the State Leadership Team and on the Network’s Public Policy and Program Quality and Training Committees. State Profile
| | South Dakota | Move to Quality Initiative: South Dakota's Office of Child Care Services began an initiative in 2003 to encourage out-of-school time (OST) programs to strive for high quality, based on the National AfterSchool Association Standards. Efforts are targeted toward accreditation, an OST credential, training incentives and activities, lending library enhancements, and outreach State Profile
| | South Dakota | South Dakota Afterschool Training Initiatives: OST Credential Series: Developed by Child Care Services and disseminated through the regional ECSE training network, the purpose of this training program is to enhance the availability of school-age specific training and mentorship for individuals who work with children in afterschool and summer school-age care programs, child care centers, and other youth development programs. Completion of the full series of training leads to a state-administered OST Credential. All classes can be taken as stand-alone workshops as well.
The OST Credential curriculum provides formal school-age specific training and professional mentorship assisting each student in the process of meeting the requirements necessary to complete the SD’s OST assessment process, including:
- 120 clock hours of formal education
- Professional Resource File and other documentation of competence
- Formal observation completed by trained OST Credential advisors
The OST Credential classes are offered during hours convenient for people who work with children and youth during the day. Most training is available weekday evenings or on Saturdays. The Certificate and Credential series are also approved for Teacher Renewal Credit through the SD Department of Education.
Annual State SoDakSACA Conference: Sponsored by the SD School-Age Care Alliance, an affiliate of the National AfterSchool Association, this 2-day conference is held in the fall on an annual basis, and attracts up to 200 afterschool professionals from across the state. SoDakSACA also awards a person, organization or business the ‘SACCY’ award in recognition of their leadership and support in the field of school age care in South Dakota.
Annual State 21st CCLC Conference: Sponsored by the SD Dept. of Education, this state conference is held in summer and open to all 21st CCLC grantees, and other programs serving students K-12th grades in their out-of-school time. This conference provides an opportunity for directors, staff, school administrators, and others to receive high quality training around topics tying academic content to program activities, accountability standards, and opportunities for statewide networking.
SDSU Cooperative Extension Training Project: In 2008, South Dakota and North Dakota received a grant to train 500 after-school care providers. Approximately 30 Extension Educators from both states will work with local programs and Child Care Services to offer training essential to operating a quality program for children and youth.
Annual Statewide OST Directors Retreat: Sponsored by the Dept. of Social Services/Child Care Services, this conference is held annually for OST and child care directors from South Dakota. The conference is usually held in March or early April and provides an opportunity for directors to receive leadership and management training specific to their unique roles as directors of afterschool and summer school-age programs. While focusing on best practice and high quality programming is usual at this conference, SD also collaborated with the Afterschool Investments Project in 2008 to facilitate a discussion of the needs and issues surrounding sustainability, and to provide training on advocacy. State Profile
|
|
