California Commission on Teacher Credentialing Provides Update on Child Development Permit
At the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) meeting on February 12, an update was provided on the work related to the Child Development Permit including information on the CTC’s activities under the Preschool Development Grant-Renewal (PDG-R) and the state’s new Master Plan for Early Learning and Care (MPELC). The informational item (3F) reported on activities conducted since June 2020. These activities are working to shift from reliance on seat time and course titles serving as the basis for issuing a Child Development Permit (CDP) towards a Commission-adopted permit licensure system based on demonstrated candidate competencies and preparation program quality standards as the guiding principles for preparation and permitting in this field. This shift in focus for the CDP is consistent with changes made by the CTC in other credential areas and is in alignment with the MPELC recommendations.
The update on this informational item included an overview presentation of the MPELC, which had been released since the last Commission meeting. Kris Perry, Deputy Secretary and Senior Advisor to the Governor at California Health and Human Services Agency, Lupita Alcalá, Director, Education Policy and Outcomes at WestEd, and Co-Director of the MPELC, and Jannelle Kubinec, Chief Administrative Officer at WestEd, presented on the key components of the MPELC and described its alignment to the work of the Commission, focusing on the workforce vision outlined in the plan. Specifically, the presentation highlighted how the workforce competency, career pathway, and program standards goals in the MPELC directly correlate with the Commission’s transition to a competency based system and the PDG-R.
Public Comment
Much of the discussion from the Commission members and public focused on the vision for the future of preschool and TK teacher preparation, and potential implications for what that could mean for the current workforce and Early Care and Education (ECE) workforce pipeline. Questions were raised about the CDP and the potential for an ECE or 0-3 Credential. Several questions arose about how the role of 2- and 4-year institutions will differ in preparing the ECE workforce. There were also many points mentioned for the Commission’s consideration, such as addressing equity and access of teacher preparation pathways, ECE Pilot implementation, and dissemination of information to the ECE field and institutions of higher education.
In our own public comment, Early Edge California commended the Commission for its work to move towards a competency-based approach and develop Teacher Performance Assessments (TPAs) that support dual language programs and instruction. We also shared that we would like to learn more about how TPAs will address the needs of Dual Language Learners, infants, and toddlers, what lessons learned will be gained from the Pilots, and how this information will be disseminated to institutions of higher education. Early Edge looks forward to future updates on this work.