1. Making the Case for the Professional Development of Early Childhood Trainers
Zoe Brown
Northcentral University

2. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 1
Abstract
Professional development (PD) in early childhood recently has been a hot topic for
several reasons. Teachers trained in specialized early childhood education have
been linked to the achievement of child outcomes, and quality of care.
Accountability and standards based education have become a norm. The field is
constantly evolving with new research, best practices, and exemplary programming.
Practitioners in the field need to stay abreast of everything that is going on, but what
about practitioners who serve as trainers, instructors, facilitators or instructional
designers? What considerations are being made to make sure that they stay
abreast of both sides of the coin – early childhood and adult development? This
paper examines the preparation and PD of early childhood trainers. It also suggests
recommendations to support advancement of their competencies as trainers.

3. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 2
Over the past decade, there has been a tremendous effort focused on the
professional development (PD) of practitioners in the field of early childhood.
Because of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001, PD took center stage as
accountability for achieving child outcomes and improving teacher qualifications
increased (United States Department of Education, 2001). Crowds of practitioners
flocked to national conferences offered by renowned professional organizations like
the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) every year.
States formulated policies to integrate cross sector PD systems and key elements of
PD like funding, core knowledge, qualifications, credentials and pathways, access
and outreach, and quality assurance (National Child Care Information and Technical
Assistance Center, 2010). The federally funded preschool program, Head Start,
mandated teacher degree requirements. Two and four year institutions faced
rigorous accreditation standards to enhance their role in the preparation of
competent practitioners. Relationship-based PD – mentoring, coaching, consultation
and technical assistance – moved into the spotlight as a viable and effective PD
intervention strategy.
These efforts are commendable, despite the concerns about fragmentation of PD
systems, an ambiguous definition of PD, lack of empirical research, and the ongoing
debate about compensation for higher qualified teachers. PD in early childhood is
huge and the early childhood community should be applauded for its desire and
passion to advance the field and its practitioners.
What’s missing from this picture is a stronger discourse about the preparation
and PD of early childhood educators, or those who function in the role of trainers,

4. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 3
facilitators, and/or instructional designers. While there is little to no research
examining the relationship between early childhood trainer’s preparation and
effectiveness in the design and delivery of PD experiences offered by this group,
there are fragmented efforts to address their competencies at national, state and
local levels of early childhood PD systems.
The conversation about the preparation and PD of early childhood trainers must
begin with a look at the lack of a common definition of PD. A review of early
childhood research by Maxwell, Field, and Clifford (2006), points out that no
common definition of PD exists. The National Professional Development Center on
Inclusion (NPDCI) agrees with this sentiment, and adds that a shared understanding
of PD is needed across the “medley of different professional development providers”
who offer a range of professional development opportunities and who vary “…widely
with respect to philosophy, content, and format of learning experience” (2008, p. 2).
NPDCI proposes a definition that breaks down who, what, and how of PD. Maxwell
et al., on the other hand, identifies and defines three components of PD: education,
training and credential. Training, which is the focus of this paper, is “…defined as
the professional development experiences that take place outside the formal
education system” (p. 29).
Of the three components of PD, Maxwell et al. found training to be the most
problematic for several reasons. It is used to describe all types of professional
development from college education in early childhood, PD inside and outside of
formal education systems, and more informal in-service activities. There is also a
lack of research about the effects of training content, quality, and quantity.

5. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 4
The problematic nature of training is compounded by its wide usage throughout
the early childhood community. Because of this, questions emerge about the
professionals who design and deliver this training. How were they placed in their
role? What preparation did they receive in order to perform in their role? What
efforts have been taken to develop their competencies, and keep them abreast of
changes in the fields of early childhood and adult development?
The first two questions require further investigation because there is no research
available to answer these questions. The writer suspects that many early childhood
trainers stumbled upon their career path or were forced into their roles due to
necessity within their organizations. In regards to preparation, data from a 2006
survey administered by Maxwell, Lim, and Early indicate “about 40% of Bachelor’s
and Master’s degree also did not require coursework focused on adult learning and
development” (p. 13). The irony is that these are the practitioners who more than
likely serve as PD leaders (Winton & McCollum, 2008). The latter question can be
partly answered by considering PD efforts for trainers that currently exist.
There are several efforts that can be considered PD because they are intended
to contribute to the development of early childhood trainer competencies. State
professional development systems that (a) define trainer competencies and
designations, (b) offer training/trainer approval systems mandating trainers and their
trainings to meet certain requirements, (c) provide guidance documents on training
design and delivery; preschool curricula training of trainer certification; and a
national professional development institute offered by NAEYC are the efforts
focused on in this examination.

6. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 5
State PD networks have been dutifully writing core knowledge and competencies
for early childhood practitioners, specifically the adults who work directly with
children for a number of years. The National Child Care Information and Technical
Assistance Center (NCCIC, 2010) tracks state professional development systems
including which states have defined core competencies. What they found was that
several states – Georgia, Arkansas, Florida, New York, and Ohio – went beyond the
practitioner core knowledge, but created core knowledge and competencies for early
childhood trainers and/or guidance documents to (a) encourage individual
professional growth, (b) drive PD efforts for trainers, and (c) aid them in the design
and development of training.
In addition to early childhood trainer competencies, 29 states have training and
trainer approval systems that promote standards based training linked to core
knowledge, career lattices, and adult learning principles (NCCIC, 2010). Having
trainers meet certain requirements and possess certain qualifications adds a layer of
accountability and responsibility on the part of early childhood trainers to be better
prepared for their roles.
Preschool curricula trainer certifications and guidance documents are another
effort to boost the competencies of trainers. The preschool curriculum HighScope
certifies trainers through a training of trainers program. These individuals have to
complete several professional development activities including: (a) a curriculum
course, (b) 35 days of study, (c) mentoring, training and practicing using the
curriculum, (d) observing and providing feedback to teachers, and (e) maintaining a
journal of their experiences (HighScope, 2011). There is also a recertification

7. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 6
process that they have to undergo every three years. The Creative Curriculum,
another popular curriculum, addresses the professional development of
professionals who coach and mentor teachers by offering them The Coach’s Guide
to the Creative Curriculum for Preschool: A Step by Step Resource for
Individualizing Professional Development (Teaching Strategies, 2011). They
consider the guide a training of sorts that will help coaches provide “direction,
encouragement, and guidance as they learn to implement the Creative Curriculum”
(p.3).
Lastly, it is important to note another PD effort. NAEYC has conducted the
National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development for a number of
years. It is brings together a variety of practitioners who provide PD and preparation
of practitioners in the field to focus on issues relevant for the early childhood
workforce. “The goal of the institute is to deepen participants’ understanding of the
expanding early childhood knowledge base, develop skills that improve professional
preparation and practice, and sharpen their ability to use effective, active learning
approaches for adults” (NAEYC, 2011, p. 2).
The initial effort that the early childhood community has made toward the
preparation and professional development of early childhood trainers is, again,
commendable; however, it needs to advance a level. There is a need for more
research not just about the effect of PD on practitioners, but the effect of PD on early
childhood trainers. Early childhood trainers would benefit from a standard
certification that balances early childhood content knowledge with adult learning
principles and sound training design and delivery practices. Formal preparation of

8. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 7
early childhood practitioners, particularly in bachelor and master degree programs
should include courses on adult learners. Early childhood trainers must become
motivated to take responsibility for developing their competencies by developing
individual PD plans, and seeking resources perhaps outside the field that contribute
to developing trainer competencies.

9. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 8
References
HighScope. (2011). Trainer certification requirements. Retrieved from
http://www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=36
Maxwell, K.L., Field, C.C., & Clifford, R.M. (2005). Defining and measuring professional
development in early childhood research. In M. Zaslow & I. Martinez-Beck
(Eds.), Critical issues in early childhood professional development (pp. 21-44).
Baltimore, MD: Brookes.
Maxwell, K.L., Lim, C-I., & Early, D.M. (2006). Early childhood teacher preparation
programs in the United States: National report. Chapel Hill, NC: The University of
North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute. Retrieved from
http://nakaliconsulting.net/Documents/national_report%20ECE%20teacher%20pr
ep.pdf
National Association for the Education of Young Children. (2011). National institute for
early childhood professional development. Retrieved from
http://www.naeyc.org/institute/
National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. (2010). Elements of a
professional development system for early care and education: A simplified
framework and definitions. Retrieved from
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pd_section2b.html

10. Zoe Brown, EDU5000, Assignment 11, 3/23/11 Making the Case 9
National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. (2010). Professional
development system trainer and/or training approval systems. Retrieved from
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/pd_section2b.html
National Child Care Information and Technical Assistance Center. (2010). State core
knowledge and/or competencies. Retrieved from
http://nccic.acf.hhs.gov/pubs/goodstart/corekc.html
National Professional Development Center on Inclusion. (2008). What do we mean by
professional development in the early childhood field? Chapel Hill, NC: The
University of North Carolina, FPG Child Development Institute. Retrieved from
http://community.fpg.unc.edu/resources/articles/files/NPDCI-
ProfessionalDevelopment-03-04-08.pdf
Teaching Strategies. (2011). The coach’s guide to the creative curriculum for preschool.
Retrieved from http://www.teachingstrategies.com/page/coachsguide.cfm
United States Department of Education. (2001). No child left behind act of 2001. (Public
Law 101-107). Retrieved from
http://www2.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/index.html
Winton, P.J., & McCollum, J.A., (2008). Preparing and supporting high quality early
childhood practitioners: Issues and evidence. In P.J. Winton, J.A. McCollum, & C.
Catlett (Eds.), Practical approaches to early childhood professional development:
Evidence, strategies, and resources (pp. 1-12). Washington, DC: Zero to Three.