Establishing Teacher Competencies in Early Care and Education

Establishing Teacher Competencies in Early Care and Education: A Review of Current Models and Options for California

In recent years, growing knowledge of the critical importance of early childhood development for lifelong learning and growth had led to increased calls for the professionalism of early educators, including higher standards for teacher training and education. As part of this renewed attention to professional development, more than a dozen states have established a set of teacher competencies for the early care and education (ECE) field, with the goal of assuring that all teachers of young children have the necessary knowledge and skills to meet children's developmental needs.

Flowing from an understanding of the "domains" or areas of early learning and development, competencies focus on what teachers need to know and do in order to demonstrate that they are well-rounded and well-prepared to educate and care for young children. While no single set of early childhood teacher competencies has been adopted universally in the United States, broad agreement is emerging. And in California, several policy proposals and legislative efforts have called in the past year for a comprehensive ECE workforce development plan that would include establishing teacher competencies. While the exact process through which this would occur has not yet been determined, it is clear that competencies are increasingly seen as a cornerstone of assuring professionalism and stability for California's ECE workforce.