This memorandum summarizes five new policy initiatives that have implications for early childhood school-age career development efforts in the states. The initiatives are:

• the Head Start Act;
• the Higher Education Act;
• the Workforce Investment Act;
• a new appropriation for the Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program; and
• the 21st Century Community Learning Center Grants Program.

A summary of each initiative, which focuses on those provisions that are most relevant to early childhood/school-age career development, follows:

The Head Start Act Head Start received a small budget increase this year of $313 million, with most of the increase targeted to improving staff qualifications and compensation. (This year, 60% of the new funds must be used for quality and 40% for expansion, which alters a past policy of devoting 25% of budget increases to quality and 74% to expansion.) The Act also specifically directs the Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary to:

• Ensure, by the end of FY 2003, that the majority of all Head Start classrooms in a center-based program are assigned one teacher who has an associate's, baccalaureate, or an advanced degree in early childhood education or development. While compliance will be based on a national average of all programs (to help phase in compliance and reduce pressure on agencies), Head Start programs must demonstrate continuing progress each year in reaching the new teacher qualifications.
  
  
• Ensure that in the remaining balance of center-based classrooms there be assigned one teacher who has: 1) a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential that is appropriate to the age of the children being served; or 2) a state-awarded certificate for preschool teachers that meets or exceeds the requirements for a CDA credential; or 3) a degree in a field related to early childhood education with experience in teaching preschool children and a state awarded certificate to teach in a preschool program.

The Act also directs the Secretary to provide supplemental funding to "states that engage in other innovative collaborations, including plans for collaborative training and professional development initiatives for child care, early childhood education, aid Head Start service managers, providers, and staff" This provision will support the continuation of grants to Head Start-State Collaboration Off Offices to support state and local professional development partnership efforts.

Additionally, the Act includes a stronger focus on, and increased funding for, school readiness and literacy. New educational performance measures are included to ensure that children participating in the program: 1 ) develop phonemic, print, and numeracy awareness; 2) understand and use oral language to communicate for different purposes; 3) understand and use increasingly complex and varied vocabulary; 4) develop and demonstrate an appreciation of books; and 5), in the case of non-English background children, progress toward acquisition of the English language.

Implications for State Career Development Initiatives

The new Head Start staffing requirements can serve as an important catalyst for career development initiatives in the following ways:

• The new requirements can be used to make a stronger case for building systems that provide college credit for a Child Development Associate credential. Although some colleges are already offering credit, the new requirements provide added infrastructure and may strengthen the case.

• The new requirements can serve to strengthen collaborative efforts between all sectors of the community. State career development groups should ask themselves whether they have successfully involved all key aspects of the Head Start infrastructure in their initiative. At a minimum, this includes the state Head Start Association leadership; the Head Start-State Collaboration Office; individual grantees; representation from the regional HHS office; and the regional Quality Improvement Center (QIC) and Disability Quality Improvement Center (DISQIC) serving the state. If Head Start joins forces with all other early care and education practitioners in forging a coordinated career development strategy, success in building uniform, effective, and lasting systems will be enhanced. The group will, for example, have greater clout when negotiating or implementing articulation agreements with institutions of higher education or proposing that states incorporate stronger training requirements into their licensing regulations.

• The new requirements make it essential that practitioners have access to all potential scholarship and student loan opportunities. Head Start programs will have some resources to assist their own staffs in obtaining college degrees. If, however, these resources are used in tandem with other scholarship and loan programs (such as Pell and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Perkins and Stafford Loans, other state or local scholarship programs) the results will be far greater. Additionally, linking Head Start professional development efforts to state-based T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood© Project initiatives or Department of Labor (DOL) Apprenticeship programs will also be effective strategies. In short, Head Start programs should be encouraged to invest the professional development funds they currently have, as well as any additional funds that may become available, to strengthen the career development infrastructure This will ultimately help Head Start staff better meet the mandate.

• It is expected that Early Head Start programs will also be required to comply with the new staffing requirements at some point. It will be important, therefore, to think carefully about making sure that staff who work with infants and toddlers have access to relevant training. Many programs are reporting difficulty in recruiting qualified staff for Early Head Start and other infant/toddler programs.

Resources

State career development groups might find The Center's report Learning and Growing Together: Head Start and Child Care Professional Development Partnerships a helpful resource.

Contact: Townley H. Ritz, in the National Head Start Association Legislative Affairs office, provided background information for this memo. Townley can be reached at 703-739-0875. The National Head Start Association web site (www.nhsa.org) may also have helpful information.

Tom Schultz, at the Head Start Bureau, is also a helpful resource. Tom can be reached at 202- 205-8323. The Head Start Bureau web site can be found at www.acf.dhhs.gov/programs/hsb/. This site has lists of the regional Quality Improvement Centers and the Disability Quality Improvement Centers.

A full version of the Act (S2206, PL105-285) can be downloaded from (http://thomas.loc.gov./)

The Higher Education Act

This new law extends the authorization of programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965 for five more years. Key features of the legislation include, among others: new teacher quality, recruitment, and preparation initiatives; lower student loan rates; increased Pell Grants; and funding for campus-based child care programs.

Funds for competitive Teacher Quality Enhancement Grants to states and/or local partnerships were authorized by the Act, and $75 million was appropriated for these grants in federal fiscal year 1998-99. This initiative includes three grant programs: state grants for promoting reform activities, partnership grants for improving teacher education, and teacher recruitment grants for high-need school districts. (Applicants for partnership grants must include a school of arts and sciences, a school or program-of education, a local educational agency;-and -a K-12 school.)

The primary goals of the teacher quality enhancement initiative are: 1) to improve the licensing and certification standards that states use to credential and certify their teachers; 2) to improve teacher education/training programs in institutions of higher education; and 3) to recruit teachers to teach in high poverty schools. The initiative focuses on strengthening teachers in high poverty public school settings and is largely aimed at improving the way that teacher preparation occurs within colleges of education. Although the legislation uses the phrase K-12 education, applications may also include pre-kindergarten programs.

The federal Department of Education plans to make applications for the three teacher quality grant programs available in late January. It is anticipated that applications will be due in mid April and that awards will be made in late July. Detailed information on the grant programs is available at http://www.ed.gov/inits/FY99/q-teach.html.

In addition to the teacher quality initiatives, the Higher Education Act authorizes funds to raise Federal Pell Grant awards. Based on the FY9B allocation, awards will be raised from $3,000 to $3,125. Additionally, the cap on child care expenditures (used when determining eligibility) was eliminated. Employed students will be allowed to keep more of their income without losing eligibility for a Pell Grant.

A student loan forgiveness program for borrowers who complete a degree in early childhood education and become full-time child care providers in a child care facility was also established under the Act. Unfortunately, no funds were allocated in this year's budget to support the program.

Finally, a new initiative, the Learning Anytime Anywhere Partnerships program, was established to make matching grants to eligible partnerships to "enhance the delivery, quality, and accountability of post-secondary education and career-oriented lifelong learning through technology and related innovations." Given the small appropriation for this initiative, funds are likely to be limited to efforts that build new models and/or infrastructure. Grants could, however, potentially support innovative distance learning strategies in early care and education.

Implications for State Career Development Initiatives

Getting involved in the new teacher quality initiatives could be an effective way to help representatives from the K-12 system learn more about and become involved in your state's early childhood career development efforts. Issues to remember include the following:

• Get involved. Higher education institutions that prepare early childhood educators can be members of the group that applies for a partnership grant. It may, however, take some initiative on the part of these early childhood institutions to get into the partnerships. Remember that some early childhood education programs are not within colleges of education which will prohibit them from being the primary grant recipients, although they can be partners.

• Be realistic. The teacher quality initiative is focused-on putting highly qualified teachers in public school classrooms in low-income communities. Effective proposals must target this goal. The initiative is not, per se, a vehicle for training family child care providers or individuals working in early childhood programs outside of public school settings or jurisdictions. Where early childhood educators can make a difference, is in helping states and higher education institutions to shape the early childhood focus of the certification and preparation of teachers who will be working with Pre-kindergarten, kindergarten and primary grade children.

• Offer creative ideas. The Department of Education does not anticipate writing rules (other than following the intent of the legislative language and some guidance) to prescribe the way initiatives should look in the first year of the program. Therefore, there is room and innovation in grant application design.

• Take a broad view, and stay open to any opportunities. While the Learning Anytime here Partnership program is funded at a very low level (and thus grants will be very competitive) it, too, might be a helpful way to begin to dialogue with state education representatives about the role that distance learning can play in early childhood training.

• Work in collaboration with education groups to secure funds for teacher preparation. In the future it will be important to lobby for an appropriation from the FY99 federal budget for the student loan forgiveness program. In the meantime, the fact that the program exists at federal level (albeit unfunded) might help to lay the groundwork for similar, state-funded programs.

Resources

Suzanne Dey, staff person in Senator Dodd's office, provided background information for preparation of this memorandum. She can be reached at 202-224-5630.

Louis Venuto (202-708-8847) and Viki Payne (202-260-3291) in the Office of Higher Education Programs, can provide more information on the teacher quality improvement initiative. They can also be reached via e-mail at teacherquality@ed.gov. Additional f on the teacher quality grant programs is available at http://www.ed.gov/inits/FY99/q-teach.html.

Todd Boresoff (212-346-8260, Tboresso@aol.com) is a helpful contact on the Campus Child Care portions of the law.

A full version of the Higher Education Act (HR6 PL105-244) can be downloaded from http://thomas.loc.gov/.

The Workforce Investment Act of 1998

This law creates a new structure for adult and dislocated worker employment and training activities, and it provides opportunities for states and localities to better coordinate services create a more accessible and effective job training system. Four funding streams authorized under the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) are replaced with three funding streams for youth, adults, and dislocated workers. Additionally, the Act:

• Requires the Governor to establish a State Workforce Investment Board to develop a unified state plan for workforce investments, designate local workforce investment areas, and establish minimum performance standards for training providers.

• Mandates that every locality create a one-stop delivery system for local entities operating federally-funded workforce investment programs. This system need not be in one physical place, but must provide access to a wide range of services including: outreach, intake, assessment, development of individual employment plans, job search, career counseling, training and education, support services, access to individual training accounts and needs related payments, follow-up, and others.

• Requires that the chief elected official in each local workforce investment area designated by the state establish a Local Workforce Investment Board to develop a local plan, select an entity (or entities) to operate a one-stop system, and identify eligible service providers.

Perhaps the most significant shift in policy is the Act's requirement that training services generally be provided through the use of Individual Training Accounts, which will operate like a voucher system. The current JTPA system has relied primarily on contracts with training providers, and individuals in need of training are typically referred to a provider with whom the local service delivery area has a contract. The new system is intended to give individuals a wider range of training programs and providers from which to choose. Local Boards will still be permitted to provide training services via contract, however, if they can demonstrate that contracts are necessary to ensure meaningful consumer choice or to target a specific population.

Another significant provision of the Act is the requirement that each state establish a performance-based certification system to determine which training providers will be allowed to receive reimbursement. Federally-mandated performance measures include: completion rates for individuals participating in the program; percentage of participants who obtain unsubsidized employment; and the wages at placement in employment. States may add additional requirements.

The Act also allows states and localities to limit training to individuals who are unemployed and need training to become employed or who are employed but need additional training in order to achieve self sufficiency. Local Boards appear to have significant discretion in determining eligibility for training funded under the Act, and the law creates an important new opportunity to increase the availability of training for "incumbent" workers (i.e., those already employed). Nevertheless, there appears to be a clear bias toward conserving resources throughout the system by moving individuals into employment as quickly as possible.

Implications for State Career Development Initiatives

It is important for earl childhood career development initiatives to think carefully and strategically about the role they play vis-a-vis the state's overall job training "system." Initiatives that are able to secure a place at this table and link themselves to a larger and more stable system may be more likely to garner the kind of long-term support that is needed to survive and grow. Linking early childhood career development to the larger training system becomes even more important when considering ways to secure ongoing support for the career development "infrastructure" such as training and trainer registries, career lattices that are linked regulation, practitioner registries, teacher certification, and funding, etc. To this end, becoming involved in implementation of the Workforce Development Act is an essential task.

Important first steps include the following:

• Find out who will be on the state and local Workforce Development Boards. Is it possible to get a member of the early childhood career development initiative appointed? If not, could someone serve as a liaison to this group?

• Offer input into developing performance standards for training providers. If you are currently working on standards for trainers, perhaps you can share drafts with the Workforce Development Board. Be prepared to make arguments regarding low wages in early childhood programs (this will be the biggest barrier in becoming involved in training efforts). Remember that most of the practitioners with whom you work are "incumbent workers" (a new target group) and that while entry-level wages may be low, one of the goals of your initiative is to increase wages as qualifications increase. Demonstrating links to the Department of Labor Apprenticeship program or T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood© Project might also be helpful ways to make your case.

• Think carefully and strategically about how Individual Training Account funds might be used in the career development system you envision. At the same time, recognize that many current training providers will be threatened by a shift from training contracts to a more "portable" funding approach, and that this approach may limit training opportunities in some areas.

• Remember to share information about the various "steps" you have developed to assist practitioners in moving along the career lattice. Few fields have a sequential system of training that allows practitioners to move along a continuum and transfer small units of noncredit training into college credit. You may have something to offer that is truly unique and could serve as a model for other fields.

Resources

Contact: Steven Savner, Staff Attorney at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) provided background information for this memo. Steve can be reached at 202-328-5140, extension 8 (ssavner@clasp.org). A detailed summary of the WDA is also available from CLASP.

Additionally, the Department of Labor has established a web site (www.usworkforce.org) that provides information on the Workforce Development Act. Full copies of the act can be downloaded from this site.

The Department of Labor Apprenticeship Program

The United States Department of Labor (DOL) has registered apprenticeship programs and apprentices in over 23 states, including a program for early childhood practitioners. The apprenticeship program, which may vary from state to state, is a combination of on-the job training and related instruction in which workers learn the practical and theoretical aspects of becoming an early childhood practitioner. It offers a planned, sustained, cohesive training program and is often based on the CDA credential. Additionally, the participating early childhood program must agree to increase the apprentice's compensation in accordance with their skill level.

West Virginia established an Apprenticeship for Child Development Specialist (ACDS) program in 1989, and requires that apprentices complete four semesters of CDA approved instruction and 4,000 hours of on-the job training. Apprentices who complete the program may apply for 28 to 33 college credits toward an associate's degree at a number of colleges in the state.

New York recently established a program in which each apprentice is assigned a mentor (or journeyworker in DOL terminology). Additionally, the apprentice must demonstrate competence in specific training areas, including completion of 3,500 hours of related work involvement and a yearly minimum of 144 clock hours of related instruction.

The apprenticeship program is operating in some form in several other states, including Arkansas, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Ohio, South Dakota, and Utah.

The 1998-99 federal budget included an appropriation of $4 million to assist states in using the DOL apprenticeship program to provide structure and support for a statewide system. of early childhood practitioner training. The Department is currently in the process of determining how these funds will be spent. It is anticipated, however, that funds will be distributed in a competitive grants process to a minimum of ten states. A Request for Proposals can be anticipated in late January, and funds will be available for distribution on July 1,1999.

Implications for State Career Development Initiatives

The DOL apprenticeship program offers states another opportunity to secure recognition and a clear structure for their early childhood practitioner training efforts as well as to link training, compensation, and college credit. Although there are a number of apprenticeship programs in states, most of the programs are quite small and may not be linked to the larger, statewide career development initiative. Making these linkages, and using the apprenticeship program as another vehicle for supporting sequential, credit-bearing training is important.

If you do not already have an apprenticeship program in your state or wish to expand an existing program, it would be wise to reach out to staff in the Department of Labor in your state for information and/or technical assistance, and to consider applying for the new federal incentive funds.

Resources

Contact: Dana Daugherty, from the U.S. Department of Labor, provided background information for this memo. He can be reach at (202) 219-5912.

The 21 Century Community Learning Center 'Program

The 21s Century Community Learning Center Program provides grants to inner-city and rural public schools or districts, working in close collaboration with community organizations and other educational and youth development agencies, to provide expanded learning opportunities outside of regular school hours for children. Grant applicants must be a public elementary or secondary school, local educational agency (LEA), or consortium of schools. Applications must also represent an inner-city or rural school and work in collaboration with other community organizations and service providers. Last year the typical grant was for $375,000 per year and supported three after-school centers.

Implications for State Career Development Initiatives

Career development efforts, such as collaborative training and education for school and out-of school time personnel, is an allowable expense under the grant. Community-based organizations can be a sub-contractor for 21 st Century Community Learning Centers and should work with their local school districts.

Resources

Contact: Detailed information on the grants program is available on the web at http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/2lstCCLC/21qa98.html or by calling 1-800-USA-LEARN. The 1999 application package is also available on the web at

http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/21stCCLC/, by sending an email to 21 stCCLC@ed.gov, or by faxing 202-219-2198. Applications are due March l,1999. The Department of Education hopes to make the new grants by the end of May.

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