Collaborations & Standards
The Collaborations and Standards
Subcommittee is committed to improving collaboration among the
various early childhood sectors and programs in Texas. The
goal of the Subcommittee is to develop comprehensive early learning
cross-sector guidelines and improve collaboration and coordination
across early care and education programs. The Subcommittee
will complete four projects over the course of the Council's
three-year grant to improve collaboration and early learning
guidelines in all early childhood sectors.
Each of the Council's Subcommittees will complete projects that
fulfill requirements from the Council's authorizing
legislation. For more information on the Improving Head
Start for School Readiness Act of 2007, click
here. The Collaborations and Standards Subcommittee will
fulfill two of these mandates:
- Identify opportunities for, and barriers to, collaboration and
coordination among Federally-funded and State-funded child
development, child care, and early childhood education programs and
services, including collaboration and coordination among Texas
State agencies responsible for administering such programs
- Make recommendations for improvements in State early learning
standards and undertake efforts to develop high-quality
comprehensive early learning standards, as appropriate
Initiatives
Early Childhood Program Standards
Comparison Tool
The Council is developing an early childhood program standards
and accreditations comparison tool to aid parents, providers, and
policymakers in decision-making about programs and care. The
comparison tool, currently in development, will be web-based.
The comparison tool will be ready to pilot in early Spring 2012,
and ready for the public in late Spring 2012. To learn more
about the comparison tool, and to view a list of program
accreditations and certifications that will be included in the new
tool, click here.
Infant and Toddler
Early Learning Guidelines
The Subcommittee is developing new voluntary Infant and Toddler
Early Learning Guidelines (ITELG) for Texas. These ITELG will
support children's early development and clearly define what
infants and toddlers should developmentally know and be able
to do. The ITELG will be aligned to the Texas
Pre-Kindergarten Guidelines, supporting development and school
readiness from birth. The Council formed an ITELG Steering
Committee to guide the development of the ITELG and will produce
critical outreach materials after the ITELG are finalized.
Professional
Mentoring and Coaching Toolkit
The Subcommittee will also work to create a toolkit of
professional mentoring and coaching strategies for programs.
The toolkit will include successful strategies on mentoring and
coaching early childhood professionals, and have steps for
providers to create a mentoring program in their centers, homes, or
programs. The Council will release a Request for Proposals
(RFP) to contract with a consultant to create the toolkit in fall
2012. The Council will release the toolkit to the public
during the third year of our grant, 2012-2013. Stay tuned for
more information on this exciting project!
Beginning Education:
Early Childcare at Home (BEECH)
The Council partnered with the Children's Learning Institute (CLI) to conduct a
professional development and mentoring research study in home-based
child care. In 2011, the Council worked with CLI to develop
the study and contracted with Texas PBS to develop the online
professional development resources. Over the course of two
years, 180 home-based child care providers in Harris County will
utilize the BEECH program to study the effectiveness of the
intervention and school readiness outcomes for the children in
these programs. This pilot program commenced in Fall
2011.
Subcommittee Members
Subcommittee Chair:
LaShonda Y. Brown, Texas Head Start State
Collaboration Office
Deborah Cody, Mount Pleasant Independent School
District
Ana De Hoyos O'Connor, San Antonio College
Blanca Enriquez, Education Service Center -
Region 19
John W. Gasko, Children's Learning
Institute
Jonel Huggins, Texas Education Agency
Reagan Miller, Texas Workforce Commission