Professional preparation and ongoing professional development (PD) for the early childhood education workforce is essential to providing high-quality services to children and families. Consistent terminology and definitions related to PD methods, roles, knowledge, and capabilities have emerged as a critical issue for the early education field. Recently, states have experienced new early childhood education system challenges and needs related to training and technical assistance (TA). The urgency of these issues grows, particularly as states increase their focus and work on quality improvement activities, including quality rating and improvement systems (QRIS).
For example, many states are working to define what training and TA is needed to support successful participation in QRIS, and how it integrates with PD activities and systems; how to determine who can provide training and TA—and how; and how to track and count TA as part of an individual’s professional development.