Standards and Guidelines
Workforce Knowledge and Competencies
The Arizona Early Childhood Workforce Knowledge and Competencies is a uniform set of expectations that identify the basic knowledge, skills, and abilities needed for early childhood professionals across sectors of early childhood including: early care and education; early intervention; mental and physical health; and social services/child welfare professionals. The set of expectations ensure implementation of quality services for young children and their families.
Arizona Department of Education
- The Arizona Department of Education’s Early Learning Standards were designed to create a framework for the planning of quality educational experience for children ages three to five, covering a broad range of developmental skills and educational practices that can support their development.
- Arizona’s Infant and Toddler Developmental Guidelines – First Things First, the Arizona Early Childhood Development and Health Board, developed these guidelines to provide a framework for understanding and communicating a set of developmentally appropriate expectations for young children. This guide is designed to help parents, families, and other caregivers understand appropriate milestones, promote healthy growth and development for infants and toddlers, and to promote the development of support services that promote these developmental guidelines to benefit young children and their families.
- Program Guidelines for High-Quality Early Education: Birth Through Kindergarten – This resource provides recommended practices for programs striving to provide excellence in the care and education of young children throughout Arizona.
- Arizona Promising Practices Educating students with Disabilities – This website provides research-driven practice guidelines, strategies, and resources to support professionals and parents in improving results for students with disabilities.
- The Arizona Early Learning Standards (AZELS) and infant & Toddler Developmental Guidelines (ITDG) are now available in Spanish! Resources can be found here.
Instructor and TA Standards
The Professional Development Instructor and Technical Assistance Provider Standards define the credentials, knowledge and experience necessary to ensure high quality professional development experiences for our workforce from entry through advanced levels.