Resources

AECA is a non-profit organization comprised of early childhood professionals and parents who share a common concern about the well-being of young children and their families.

https://arkansasearlychildhood.org/

The Arkansas New Staff Orientation course is intended for all new employees and fulfills the Minimum Licensing Requirements for Child Care Centers, Child Care Family Homes, and Out-of-School Time Facilities.

To access the course, please visit https://arkansas.learningterritory.com, fill out the New Account form, and click on the course title to get started. For any questions or assistance, kindly send an email to ARNSO@AState.edu.

In partnership with the Arkansas Department of Education, the Office of Early Childhood has selected organizations to serve all 75 counties across the state. These local leads are responsible for developing localized, comprehensive plans to ensure that children and families have access to high-quality early childhood education in their communities. To contact your area's Local Lead, visit this site: https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Offices/office-of-early-childhood/local-leads

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/Files/AR_ECE_Workforce_Knowledge_and_Competencies_2018-1_20230505103821.pdf

https://dese.ade.arkansas.gov/offices/office-of-early-childhood

The OQA measures organization-level policies & procedures, including the following domains:

• Youth Centered Policies & Practices-(This domain is about how well the staff practices & policies support youth.  It assesses whether or not staff has qualifications/experience in positive youth development & if health & safety is promoted.  It is about youth choice & governance, and assesses whether you have decision-making power, including having a role on youth boards or youth councils.)

• High Expectations for Youth & Staff (This domain focuses on the administrative expectation for youth and staff.  It also focuses on staff development and management in the program, including if there is a business plan, job performance/satisfaction, monitoring and continuous improvement.)

• Access for Youth & Families (This domain focuses on access for youth and families and is about the relationships that staff can have with youth (through limited turnover) and the relationships they have with families, including barriers to participation.  It focuses on the general partnerships that the program has with all other entities in youths’ lives, including family, school & community.)

For additional information contact:

Woodie Sue Herlein WHerlein@astate.edu

 Through the PDR, individuals can register for professional development opportunities and obtain resources to enhance their knowledge and skills. To learn more about the PDR, please visit our About Us page.

Why join the PDR?

The PDR promotes the early childhood care and education field as a profession and you as a professional. Together, we can create a better educated workforce to serve our children!

The PDR offers you a way to:

• Organize your training and college coursework

• Efficiently track your ongoing professional development

• Create a pathway for future professional development

• Connect with others who care about children and families

• Find training on a statewide basis

The PDR is designed to serve: Teachers, trainers, directors, mentors, superintendents, principals, consultants, collaborative partners, family members and anyone else who wants to learn how to support young children

https://pdr.ade.arkansas.gov/

Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) David P. Weikart, Center for Youth Program Quality/the Forum for Youth Investment. The Youth Program Quality Improvement (YPQI) is an experimentally validated quality improvement model using the 4 part Continuous Quality Improvement Process, (Prepare, Assess, Plan, Improve)  for Out of School Time/School Age programs serving children and adolescent youth (grades K-12).  The YPQI model is based on the standardized assessment of staff performance using either of the four following Assessment Instruments.

• School Age Program Quality Assessment (SAPQA) (K-6)

• Youth Program Quality Assessment (YPQA (4th-12th)

(If there is overlap with different ages/grades of children/youth served, the most appropriate assessment is based on the majority of ages/grades)

Professional Development that supports the YPQI process:

Prepare

   * Introduction to the YPQI & OQA

   * PQA BASICS

   * Scores Reporter

Assess

• Self Assessment

• External Assessment

• Organizational Quality Assessment

• Scores Reporter Accounts

Plan

• Planning with Data

• Quality Coaching

Improve

• Youth Work Methods

Introduction to the Active Participatory Approach

Teen Advisory Council

Structure & Clear Limits

Active Learning

Ask, Listen, & Encourage

Reframing Conflict

Building Community

Cooperative Learning

Homework Help

Youth Voice

Planning & Reflection

• Social Emotional Learning Methods

Essentials of an SEL Framework

Foundations & Self Awareness of Social Development

Promoting Responsibility & Leadership

Fostering Teamwork

Problem Solving

Engaging Youth In Supported Struggle

Foundation & Self Awareness of Emotional Development

Cultivating Empathy

Emotion Coaching