rfa-19: qcc elc workforce development … · web viewresearch demonstrates that professionals...

California Department of Education

Request for ApplicationsFiscal Year 2019–20 through Fiscal Year 2023–24

Quality Counts California

Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant

Administered by the

Early Learning and Care Division

California Department of Education

1430 N Street, Suite 3410

Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/af/

March 2020

1

InquiriesDirect all Quality Counts California Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant Request for Application (RFA) inquiries and correspondence to:

Quality Counts California Early Learning and CareWorkforce Development Pathways Grant

Early Learning and Care DivisionCalifornia Department of Education

1430 N Street, Suite 3410Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

Submit all RFA questions via email to the Quality Counts California Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant email box at [email protected].

2

Table of Contents

Request for Applications..................................................................................................1Fiscal Year 2019–20 through Fiscal Year 2023–24.........................................................1Quality Counts California.................................................................................................1Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant................................1

I. Overview...............................................................................................................5A. Introduction......................................................................................................5B. Background......................................................................................................6C. Authority...........................................................................................................9

II. Program Description..........................................................................................9A. Grant Information.............................................................................................9B. Eligibility Requirements..................................................................................10C. Goals..............................................................................................................11D. Key Areas of Service......................................................................................11E. Allowable Activities and Costs.......................................................................15F. Non-Allowable Activities and Costs................................................................19G. Administrative Indirect Cost Rate...................................................................22

III. Accountability, Responsibilities, and Requirements........................................22A. State Responsibilities.....................................................................................22B. Local Consortia Lead Agency Requirements and Responsibilities................22

IV. Application Procedures and Processes...........................................................28A. Application Timeline.......................................................................................28B. Application Process.......................................................................................29C. Technical Assistance.....................................................................................30D. Application Review.........................................................................................30E. Grant Award Notification................................................................................32F. Assurances, Certifications, Terms, and Conditions........................................32

V. QCC Workforce Pathways Grant Application......................................................33A. Letter of Intent................................................................................................33B. Partner Signatures (Form A)..........................................................................33C. QCC Workforce Development Pathways Plan (Form B)................................35D. Budget and Budget Narrative (Form C).........................................................50

Appendices.................................................................................................................51

3

Appendix A: Authority.............................................................................................51Appendix B: Background........................................................................................54Appendix C: Scoring Rubric Guidance....................................................................58Appendix D: Key Terms..........................................................................................71Appendix E: CCDF CCDBG Health and Safety Training Requirements.................81Appendix F: Application Checklist...........................................................................83

4

I. Overview

The California Department of Education (CDE) invites local qualifying agencies to apply for Quality Counts California (QCC) Early Learning and Care (ELC) Workforce Development Pathways Grants (QCC Workforce Pathways Grant). This Request for Applications (RFA) reflects the latest evolution of the QCC system and is meant to be developed in parallel to QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grants.1

This QCC Workforce Pathways RFA, in combination with the unified QCC Local Consortia and Partnerships Grant RFA (QCC unified RFA), represents the first phase in building a more effective statewide Quality Improvement System (QIS) and Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS). As the state invests more in quality improvements, including workforce development, it will continue to align and build a stronger system.

A. Introduction

A child’s early years are the most critical for forming a strong foundation for their future development and learning. Research demonstrates that professionals working with children from birth through age eight (8) play a crucial role in helping young children develop physically, socially, and emotionally and their work should be grounded in shared knowledge, skills, and abilities.

The preeminent report on the ELC Workforce, Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council notes:

Children are already learning at birth, and they develop and learn at a rapid pace in their early years, when the environments, supports, and relationships they experience have profound effects. Their development is not only rapid but also cumulative. Children’s health, development, and early learning provide a foundation on which later learning—and lifelong progress—is constructed. Young children thrive when they have secure, positive relationships with adults who are knowledgeable about how to support their development and learning and responsive to their individual progress. Thus, the adults who provide for their care and education bear a great responsibility.2

The purpose of the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant is to support increased learning and healthy development of California’s young children by increasing the number of qualified ELC professionals and increasing the educational

1 QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grants unify funds from First 5 California (F5CA) IMPACT (Improve and Maximize Programs so All Children Thrive) 2020 funding, the CDE QCC Block Grant, California State Preschool Program (CSPP) QRIS Block Grant and Preschool Development Grant–Renewal Funds.

2 Institute of Medicine & National Research Council (2015).

5

credentials, knowledge, and competencies of existing ELC professionals across the state.

This grant will support local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships, consistent with the QCC local consortia, to expand the number of qualified ELC professionals and increase the educational credentials of existing ELC professionals across the state.

In applying to this RFA, local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships will develop an ELC Workforce Development Pathway Plan that aligns with the QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grants unified quality improvement approach and builds off and incorporates Local Child Care and Development Planning Council (LPC) and Assembly Bill 212 (AB 212).

B. Background

Background on Recent State Investments and Quality Improvement Efforts

In recent years, California has made significant investments in ELC programs, and state leaders have demonstrated a commitment to increasing access to high quality ELC for all children in California. Governor Newsom has committed to universal preschool as a long-term goal and the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care (MPELC) is charged with outlining actionable recommendations for making progress toward achieving that goal as well as overall quality improvement and increased access to ELC across the state. The MPELC is further tasked with developing an ELC system that is embedded in the broader system of early childhood support that is focused on children’s healthy development and family stability.

The Governor’s 2019–20 budget took monumental first steps toward achieving this vision, and the 2020–21 budget proposal continues this commitment. The 2019–20 budget agreement made all four-year-olds in neighborhoods where most children attending the local school are low-income, eligible for state-subsidized preschool, regardless of their own family’s income and allocated an additional 10,000 slots for the purpose of expanding subsidized child care. The 2020–21 budget proposal includes funding for an additional 10,000 slots. The Governor also recognizes that these slots must be high quality.

As defined by QCC, and revised by California’s recent Preschool Development Grant Needs Assessment, a quality ELC setting is one that provides a safe and healthy learning environment in which ELC professionals are supported in acquiring or increasing their knowledge and skills to promote positive relationships, interactions, and activities that enhance all children’s growth and development to prepare them for success in school and life.

6

Figure 1: Quality Counts California Structure

Research shows that the ELC workforce is an essential ingredient in quality learning experiences for children.3 Realizing the promised impacts of quality early learning opportunities for children requires a well-prepared, well-supported, and diverse early childhood workforce. Working through local quality improvement system plans, California seeks to create equitable pathways to preparation, career development, and career advancement for educators and caregivers across all ELC settings.

Background on the Early Learning and Care Workforce

Children’s potential is maximized when they have high quality ELC experiences. Research demonstrates one of the most critical elements of ELC quality is the quality of the early childhood workforce. High quality early educators have the knowledge and skills to provide engaging, culturally, and linguistically-responsive learning experiences for all children and are appropriately compensated for their expertise.

The availability of a high quality ELC workforce has been an ongoing challenge in California and nationwide. California has been implementing many new efforts to expand ELC programs throughout the state, however a critical shortage of highly skilled early educators and providers is an impediment to expanding ELC programs while maintaining or improving quality. In addition to the long history of limited

3 Center on the Developing Child (n.d.). The science of early brain development can inform investments in early childhood. Harvard University. Retrieved from: https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-science-of-early-childhood-development/

7

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-science-of-early-childhood-development/

https://developingchild.harvard.edu/resources/inbrief-the-science-of-early-childhood-development/

government investment in ELC, low wages pose a significant barrier to providers when entering the ELC field.

According to the Center on the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley, a child care worker made an average of $12.29 per hour in 2018—one-third (32 percent) of what an average kindergarten teacher made. A preschool teacher made $16.19 per hour (42 percent of a kindergarten teacher’s wage). Because of these low wages, nearly two-thirds (58 percent) of child care workers’ families participated in one or more public income support programs. These low-wages make the field unsustainable for current workers and unattractive to those who are considering it, creating volatile turnover, and difficulty in recruiting new, qualified educators.

Low wages also create challenges for ELC professionals in furthering their professional development and educational attainment. Existing wage rates make pursuing higher education unaffordable. In addition, considerable variation in educational and training requirements for the ELC workforce further complicates the path toward career advancement.

Nonetheless, one of greatest assets of California’s ELC system is the diversity of its workforce. In California, 56 percent of center-based teachers, 74 percent of licensed home-based/family child care providers, and 80 percent of license-exempted/Family Friend and Neighbor (FFN) caregivers identify as non-white.4 Furthermore, 63 percent of center-based assistant teachers and 47 percent of center-based lead teachers speak a language other than English.5 The demographics of the ELC workforce mean that young children are more likely to be cared for by educators who reflect the racial, cultural, and linguistic make-up of their communities–which research suggests enhances learning. However, in some cases, these same qualities, especially limited English proficiency, can make it difficult for members of the workforce to navigate state rules and training requirements, as well as the higher education system when those systems communicate primarily in English. For more background on the ELC workforce, including workforce challenges and needs, see Appendix B.

In recognition of these strengths and challenges, California has previously invested in improving educational opportunities, retention, and compensation for the ELC workforce. In 2000, AB 212 authorized funds available through the General Fund to support childcare development staff retention activities conducted by the LPCs throughout California. CDE took over funding the majority of AB 212 through the Child Care and Development Fund’s (CCDF) Quality Improvement (QI) fund in 2012–13. These funds aim to retain quality staff who have experience working

4 Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, California’s ECE Workforce: What We Know Now and the Data Deficit That Remains (2018). https://cscce.berkeley.edu/californias-ece-workforce/

5 Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California at Berkeley, Early Childhood Workforce Index (2018).

8

directly with children in state-subsidized, California Code of Regulations, Title 5 ELC programs. The funds were used to provide services such as: increased staff wages and benefits, tutoring and mentorship programs, financial aid, career counseling, and professional development.

With the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant, California seeks to bring greater coherence to ELC workforce preparation and education supports. To achieve this and address efficiencies, starting in Fiscal Year (FY) 2020–21, CDE is incorporating AB 212 goals into this new funding stream and will work with LPCs and other county partners through local QCC consortia to align AB 212 funding with the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant program described here.

C. Authority

The CDE and the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI) are authorized to administer the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant by California Education Code Section 8280.1(g). For the statutory language related to the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant, see Appendix A.

II. Program DescriptionCalifornia is committed to increasing the number of qualified ELC professionals across the state and improving their educational attainment. The Governor and Legislature have allocated $195 million for this purpose between FY 2019–20 and 2023–24 for ELC workforce professional development to improve the quality of care and provide accessible avenues for ELC professionals to move along the ELC professional continuum. The Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant is designed to align with the QCC professional development system and to focus on local workforce needs across all care setting types. The CDE anticipates incorporating an additional $10 million per year of CCDF Quality Funds from the former AB 212 allocation.

A. Grant Information

The QCC Workforce Pathways Grant was established for the purpose of expanding the number of qualified ELC professionals and increasing the educational credentials of existing ELC professionals. Grants will be competitively awarded based on the criteria described in the authorizing statute: (1) the need for ELC professionals by county/region, (2) the cost of living in the county/region, and (3) the number of children under 13 with families under 85 percent of State Median Income.

This application covers the grant period beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2024. A total of $233,050,000 will be distributed among local consortia and multi-county consortia that apply for funding by submitting an ELC Workforce

9

Development Plan.6 Applicants must demonstrate the ability to meet the requirements in this RFA.

B. Eligibility Requirements

The ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant will be administered to local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships, consistent with QCC. The lead applicants of the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant must either be a participating Lead Agency within QCC or another local consortia member that is best suited to implement the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant (e.g., Local Childcare Planning Councils, etc.). From henceforward— in this RFA—local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships shall be referred to as “the applicant partnership” or “the grantee”. Through their applications, the applicant partnerships will be required to provide evidence of the lead applicant’s existing capacity to carry out and implement the submitted ELC Workforce Development Plan.

● Only one application will be accepted per county or multi-county consortium.

● Counties are eligible to submit an application for the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant as a single county even if they submitted a QCC unified application within a consortia partnership (counties will need to provide rationale for this decision in the application).

● Counties are encouraged to submit a QCC Workforce Pathways Grant application as part of the same consortia partnership as the QCC unified application.

● The SSPI recognizes that local coordination and capacity is needed to meet the educational needs of ELC professionals and to administer funding for education expenses. Multi-county partnerships are encouraged, particularly among rural/smaller population counties. A single entity may serve as the Lead Agency for a group of counties.7 The consortium members must collaborate to submit one application. The multi-county consortium Lead Agency must:

○ Obtain all consortium partner signatures required in the Letter of Intent (LOI) and application from each participating county.

6 The Superintendent reserves one percent of the $195,000,000 of the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grant Program for technical assistance and support. The total here includes the remaining amount plus four years of AB 212 investments.

7 If utilizing a multi-county consortia, equity for workforce participation and supports across all the counties participating in the consortia must be demonstrated in the application and in subsequent annual data and performance reports.

10

● Multi-county Consortia Partnerships: For each county that joins with another county, the partnership will receive an additional 15 percent of the smaller county’s total allocation, up to an additional $50,000 per year.

C. Goals

The goals of the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant are to increase the qualifications and effectiveness of the ELC workforce by:

● Increasing the skills and competencies and can provide culturally and linguistic responsive high quality interactions with young children

● Increasing the number of license-exempt FFNs providers that complete health and safety and child development trainings (implement CCDF health and safety and child development training requirements)

● Increasing the number of licensed ELC professionals in childcare deserts

● Increasing the number of ELC professionals with degrees in the field of early childhood education

● Increasing the number of ELC professionals with Child Development Permits from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC)

● Increasing the number of license-exempt FFN providers that become licensed

● As part of a comprehensive Quality Improvement plan, identify strategies to:

○ Improve systems to increase the number, qualifications, and competencies of ELC professionals within a continuous improvement system.

○ Strengthen ELC workforce development partnerships between community agencies, ELC providers, and institutions of higher education, to increase the number, qualifications, and competencies of ELC professionals.

Consideration should be given to workforce supports that are effective, have an evidence-base, and can be scaled over time.

D. Key Areas of Service

The applicant partnership will advance these goals by creating and implementing a five-year ELC Workforce Development Plan that differentiates supports based on local ELC workforce needs in the following required and optional pathways:

Required Pathways

Workforce Advising (Required component for all Pathways)

11

Ensure all members of the workforce receiving support through the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant Program meet with a QCC Workforce Pathways Grant Advisor/Coordinator to develop a Professional Development (PD), Professional Growth, or Education Plan.8 The Advisor will ensure that members of the workforce participating in the Pathways Grant have an attainable plan to complete a course of study that effectively and efficiently meets their education goals. These advisory duties could be completed by existing advisors (e.g., at university or community college settings). Examples include:

● Providing frequent (e.g., monthly) and ongoing support that uses a case management approach and supports each educator throughout their educational trajectory and professional development and set clear professional learning and continuous quality improvement goals

● Advising that connects the workforce to all available financial supports to appropriate college personnel (e.g., Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), California College Promise Grant, formerly known as the Board of Governors (BOG) Fee Waiver, local funding, etc.)

● Implementing information sharing efforts to ensure advisors have access to information about the tools, supports, and resources that are available to the ELC workforce across settings

● Facilitating student transfers from Associate of Arts (AA) to Bachelor of Arts (BA) programs

● Assisting students to meet requirements to advance up the Child Development Permit Matrix

● Establishing liaisons between students and institutes of higher education to help faculty and staff understand and meet the needs of the Early Childhood Education (ECE) workforce

● Utilizing higher education advising on pathways and course sequencing in alignment with California Community Colleges Guided Pathways efforts. For more information regarding Guided Pathways efforts at California Community Colleges, please see the Guided Pathways website at https://cccgp.cccco.edu/

● Providing practice higher education advising on general education coursework that is best suited to the ELC workforce9

8 QCC Workforce Pathways PD plans must include a section to establish personal goals and objectives. If using a standard form that does not capture those components, an addendum will need to be added.

12

● Extending any of the above advising services to members of the workforce not receiving other Pathways Grant benefits (such as professional development pathways stipends, or higher education pathway tuition payments)

Professional Development Pathway (Required)

Support ELC professionals to complete professional development that allows them to move along the career lattice. Examples include:

● Supporting FFNs and FCCH staff to meet CCDF health and safety and child development training requirements

● Providing tuition, fee payments, or stipends for center-based and family childcare staff to complete ongoing professional development for the Child Development Permit

● Offering specific professional learning opportunities based on local needs and linked to the QCC unified quality improvement approach as appropriate (e.g., offering trainings on trauma-informed care in areas recently impacted by wildfire, offering training on supporting Dual Language Learners (DLLs) in communities where DLLs make up a large population, inclusion and implicit bias trainings)

● Aligning professional development to credit bearing coursework, including content for the Child Development Permit and/or to meet other local needs.

Higher Education Pathways (Required)

Support ELC professionals to complete unit-bearing coursework and advance along a degree pathway and build the capacity of higher education programs to support diverse ELC professionals. Examples include:

● Work with members of the ELC workforce to develop QCC Professional Development Plans. These plans should be aligned to QCC site improvement plans if the member of the workforce is employed at a QCC site

● Supporting members of the workforce to earn 24 units of Early Childhood Education/Child Development (ECE/CD) + 16 units of General Education and/or attain a Child Development Teacher or Master Teacher Permit

9 Proactive advising, sometimes called "intrusive" advising, is the idea that rather than waiting for students to come looking for advising, advisors have regular check-ins with students based on their levels of need. This can be differentiated in terms of frequency, type of check-in (e.g., email or meeting), and the topics in which a student receives advising.

13

● Providing tuition and/or scholarship support to members of the ELC workforce for completing an AA or BA degree

● Providing tuition and fees directly to institutions of higher education to delivery unit-bearing coursework to ELC professionals

● Facilitating a cohort of ELC professionals to complete unit-bearing coursework

● Offering credit-bearing coursework at alternative times and locations to meet the needs of working students

● Building connections between higher education and community-based programs (e.g., locating coursework in community-based programs, etc.) including alignment with current efforts for increased student success, such as the California Community Colleges Guided Pathways program

● Building knowledge and capacity of academic counselors, instructors, and student service professionals to effectively support students in the ELC workforce

● Implementing apprenticeship models

● Supporting development of and participation of professionals in applied general education courses (e.g., Math for elementary school teachers)

● Supporting student transfer from 2- to 4-year colleges

● Implementing innovative, technology-based practicum models in 2- and 4-year programs and adding practice-based components with faculty feedback and coaching to other courses

Optional Pathways

Pipeline Pathway (Optional)

Increase access to pathways into the ELC profession based on local ELC Needs. Examples include but are not limited to:

● Implementing pipeline preparation programs that begin in high school

● Implementing apprenticeship models

● Developing and implementing parent-to-teacher pipeline programs

● Supporting FFNs to become licensed

Leadership Development Pathway (Optional)

14

Increase the education and/or qualifications of ELC leaders and support professional development and/or unit-bearing activities that result in the development of new ELC leaders, particularly those who are linguistically, ethnically, and/or racially diverse. ELC leaders include teacher leaders, Family Child Care Homes (FCCH) director mentors, coaches, site administrators, program/quality improvement managers, and teacher educators. Examples of Leadership Development Pathway activities include:

● Leadership mentoring (embedded in classroom-practices)

● Cohorts for leadership coursework

● Development of tiered leadership model for on-site classroom workforce (e.g., Teacher Assistant moving into Mentor Teacher; which creates space for Associate Teacher position)

● Support for FCCH Owner Operator/Director/Site Supervisor roundtables and/or networks

● Support for specialized leadership coaching related to dual-language promising practices

● Support for leaders to implement communities of practice and/or coaching for their site staff

● Stipends for members of the workforce to earn a Master's or Doctoral Degree

E. Allowable Activities and Costs

The QCC Workforce Pathways Grant is made possible by a mix of funds from both the state and the federal government. Grant funds must be used to supplement, and not supplant, existing state or local workforce development resources.

All QCC Workforce Pathways applicant partnerships must comply with the Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards, found at Title 2, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 200 (the Uniform Guidance) in managing the grant.

In addition, the principles and standards specified in the most current California School Accounting Manual and in the CDE Audit Guide apply to this grant. The California School Accounting Manual is found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/ac/sa/documents/csam2019complete.pdf . The CDE Audit Guide is found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/au/pm/documents/auditguide2015.pdf.

Any cost items that are deemed non-allowable in whole or part (whether based on the cost item’s nature or amount), which may occur based on a review of applicant budgets, grantee expenditure reports, or through a grant audit, will be disallowed.

15

Generally, grant funds may only be used to meet the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant’s goals outlined in Section C above, and to further a successful applicant’s approved ELC workforce development plan. ELC workforce development plans may include: (1) direct financial workforce supports, (2) non-financial workforce supports and (3) infrastructure/system supports (which are described in more detail below). Direct financial workforce supports must account for at least 50 percent of the annual budget, non-financial workforce supports may account for no more than 30 percent, and infrastructure/systems supports may account for no more than 20 percent of the annual budget. See below for a description of allowable direct financial workforce supports, non-financial workforce supports, and Infrastructure/System supports.

Where appropriate, and if approved by CDE, grantees may enter into subcontracts with one or more County Offices of Education (COEs), local educational agencies (LEAs), institutions of higher education, not-for-profit educational service providers, QCC consortia members, or community-based organizations to aid in carrying out the grantee’s workforce development plan. However, the lead agency remains legally responsible for all program, administrative, evaluation, and fiscal requirements of the RFA. If a lead agency subcontracts with another agency, any communication regarding implementation of the RFA must occur through the lead agency.

Grantees must retain all records relating to workforce development supports (including, but not limited to, evaluation data, application, budget and reimbursement documents, Annual Performance Reports [APRs], etc.) and submit them to CDE upon request and as provided for herein.

Direct Financial Workforce Supports

Direct Financial Workforce Supports will include the following:

Direct stipends/compensation/incentives to ELC professionals and recruits for completing milestones within the required and/or optional workforce development pathways outlined in the request for applications. Direct financial workforce supports will account for at least 50 percent of the annual budget. These include costs for the following:

○ Moving up on the California ECE career lattice (degree attainment, acquisition of a child development permit, General Educational Development [GED] attainment, etc.)

○ Completion of coursework on a degree pathway

○ Becoming licensed

○ Costs associated with completing trainings or coursework (childcare costs, transportation, costs of textbooks, etc.)

16

○ Participation in/completion of apprenticeship programs or cohort models

○ Completing trainings/ECE coursework specific to local needs

● Financial aid, scholarships, and/or financial support for costs associated with unit-based classes (tuition, fees, books, etc.)

● Payment of costs/fees associated with registering for a Child Development Permit or California Department of Social Services (CDSS) Childcare License.

Non-Financial Workforce Supports

Non-financial workforce supports will account for up to 30 percent of the annual budget. These include costs for the following:

● Professional Growth or Academic Plan Advisors to support the workforce along a career development trajectory

● Supports that facilitate access to trainings and credit-baring classes that help participants acquire necessary skills to obtain a Child Development Permit, Degree, CDSS childcare license, or move along the career lattice according to their professional development plan, such as translators for bilingual classes and trainings, provision of childcare during trainings, etc.

● Funding professional development/training opportunities linked to required workforce pathways, and optional workforce pathways as applicable

● Program infrastructure related to cohort models, apprenticeships, pipeline programs, and/or leadership development programs infrastructure

● Costs associated with co-locating classes/trainings in convenient locations, holding classes/trainings in community-based settings, and/or convening classes/trainings at convenient times for working students (e.g., evenings and weekends)

● Substitutes

● Supports for English language learners, such as linked classes (English as a Second Language with Child Development), curriculum and texts in languages other than English, and other multilingual educational and career support including tutoring, homework assistance, translation, etc.

● Laptops or computers on loan to members of the workforce participating in cohorts or other specialized higher education activities

Infrastructure/System Supports

17

Infrastructure/system supports will account for up to 20 percent of the annual budget. These include costs for the following:

● Technical assistance, application assistance, and outreach/communications to early learning teachers and providers who are potential applicants

● Hiring/funding a local or regional ELC Workforce Development Plan Coordinator

● Building partnerships between community-based organizations, providers, and institutes of higher education to ensure that coursework and professional development meets the needs of current and aspiring educators working in state-subsidized direct contract and voucher programs

● Overhead and administration that supports implementation of the ELC Workforce Development Plan through coordination, training and technical assistance, advising, recruitment, and other day-to-day operations

Guidance for establishing Meaningful Direct Financial Workforce Supports

As noted by the Center for the Study of Childcare Employment, “Educational supports for low-paid early childhood teachers are essential, as they help to prevent or reduce the financial burden associated with continued education, such as tuition, books, or taking unpaid time off work in order to pursue professional development.”10 The SSPI recognizes that best meeting the educational needs of the ELC workforce requires coverage of a range of traditional and non-traditional educational expenses. This includes direct financial workforce supports that are “meaningful” to members of the workforce, in as much as they provide enough incentive to participate in professional development and higher education activities. Applicant partnerships are required to set a level of “meaningful direct financial workforce supports” associated with each pathway. The state offers the following guiding principles that local consortia or consortia partnerships can use to establish meaningful Direct Financial Workforce supports:

● “Access stipends” should cover costs associated with accessing higher education or professional development (i.e., the cost of transportation, parking, childcare, etc.)

● Higher education pathways should include “completion stipends” for completing a specific number of units within a designed timeframe to reward completing higher levels of education

10 Whitebook, Marcy, Caitlin McLean, Lea JE Austin, and Bethany Edwards. "Early Childhood Workforce Index 2018." Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California at Berkeley (2018). pp. 94.

18

● Tuition and Fee supports should be closely aligned to actual higher education costs in the county and/or region

● Members of the workforce should not be required to take on debt to achieve higher levels of education

● Multiple forms of direct financial workforce supports should be combined to offer appropriate incentives for attaining higher levels of education or professional development (e.g., Tuition and fees + access stipends + completion bonuses)

● The level of direct financial workforce supports should be associated with the amount of time/effort needed to complete the workforce development pathway (e.g., Direct financial workforce supports for completing an Associates of Arts (AA) or Bachelors of Arts (BA) degree should be considerably higher than direct financial workforce supports for completing a topic-specific training)

● The applicant partnership should use evidence when setting meaningful workforce support (e.g., cost of living information, fees at local colleges and universities, gas prices, etc.)

● The applicant partnership should look to effective models when setting meaningful workforce support (e.g., the Teacher Education and Compensation Helps (T.E.A.C.H.) program, WAGE$, former Comprehensive Approaches to Raising Educational Standards (CARES) Plus, etc.)

F. Non-Allowable Activities and Costs

All funding from the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant will be expended solely for programs, services and other direct expenses addressing the education and professional development of program participants through stipends, reimbursements, and education and professional development supports as described in this RFA.

Funds provided under this grant may not be used for the following purposes:

● Supplanting of existing funding and efforts

● Serving Transitional Kindergarten (TK) teachers or other credentialed teachers employed to teach in TK–12 classrooms

● Serving ELC settings or the ELC workforce in ELC settings that do not accept some form of California early learning subsidy (e.g., California state preschool contracts, vouchers, etc.)

● Hourly wage/salary increases

19

● Stipends that are not associated with the completion of pathway milestones

● Living expenses benefits such as affordable housing, housing stipends, or commuting benefits for transportation not associated with QCC Workforce Development Pathways Grant

● Program operating costs such as insurance, expenses such as substitutes for illness, paid release time, environmental and material improvements, field trips, participant attendance at conferences, paid internships that are not part of an apprenticeship model, etc.

● General ELC site-based coaching that is not affiliated with a course/training or apprenticeship model (site-based coaching is included as part of the QCC unified plan and funding through those funding structures)

● Public relations campaigns/media/communications around “professionalizing” and “elevating” the workforce and/or in the contractor’s interest

● Direct service of early learning and care (e.g., funding of slots)

● Acquisition of furniture (e.g., bookcases, chairs, desks, file cabinets, tables) unless an integral part of an equipment workstation or to provide reasonable accommodations to students with disabilities

● Consumables (e.g., food services, refreshments, alcoholic beverages, banquets, meals, diapers)

● Purchase of buildings

● Personal electronic devices (devices can be loaned to students but not given to students permanently)

● Purchase of promotional favors, items or memorabilia, such as bumper stickers, pencils, pens, T- shirts, gifts and souvenirs

● Bad debts, including losses (whether actual or estimated) arising from uncollectible accounts and other claims, related collection costs, and related legal costs

● Costs of advertising and public relations designed solely to promote the governmental unit, lead agency, or partners, promotional items or memorabilia including gifts and souvenirs

● Entertainment, including amusement, diversion, and social activities and any expenses directly associated with such costs

20

● Goods or services for personal use of the Lead Agency and partners employees regardless of whether the cost is reported as taxable income to the employees.

● Legal costs incurred in defense of any civil or criminal fraud proceeding; legal expenses for prosecution of claims against the State of California

● Lobbying costs, whether direct or indirect

● Political activities

● Organized fund-raising, including financial campaigns, solicitation of gifts and bequests, and similar expenses incurred to raise capital or obtain contributions

● Out-of-state travel without prior approval, all travel costs that exceed state rates, and travel to states included in AB 1887’s travel prohibition list found on the Department of Justice’s Prohibition On State-Funded And State-Sponsored Travel to States with Discriminatory Laws web page at https://oag.ca.gov/ab1887.

● Materials and supplies for participating sites not tied to site improvement plan

● Current year agreement funds to pay prior or future year obligations

● Capital assets such as equipment, land, buildings, vehicles, etc. Unallowable costs include all costs required to make the item serviceable (e.g., taxes, freight, installation costs, site preparation costs, etc.)

● Facilities renovation, improvements, and repairs

● Idle facilities or idle capacity except to the extent they are necessary to meet fluctuations in workload, or necessary when acquired and are now idle because of: (1) changes in program requirements, (2) efforts to achieve more economical operations, (3) reorganization, (4) termination, or (5) other causes that could not have been reasonably foreseen

Additionally, funds may not be used for the development of new trainings, courses, or professional development content or the purchase of new technology unless the expense is determined by the CDE to be a necessary and reasonable expense for the implementation of the local ELC Workforce Development Plan (i.e., altering existing content to make it credit bearing, or better meet the needs of the ELC community.) Pre-approval is required along with demonstrated need.

By accepting this grant, grantees are also bound by General Assurances and Certifications required for grants supported by state or federal funds in 2019–20. These are outlined on the CDE General Assurances 2019–20 web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/fm/generalassurances2019.asp.

21

G. Administrative Indirect Cost Rate

The lead agency must limit total administrative indirect costs to the rate approved by the CDE for the applicable fiscal year in which the funds are spent. For an approved listing of indirect cost rates (ICR) for local education agencies, visit the CDE Indirect Cost Rates web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/ac/ic/. If the lead agency does not have a previously approved ICR with the cognizant agency or CDE, then the agency must propose a rate of 10 percent or less of modified total direct costs, as supported by the agency’s approved ICR. Indirect costs can be applied to Infrastructure/System Supports and Non-Financial Workforce Supports.

III. Accountability, Responsibilities, and RequirementsA. State Responsibilities

The state will set aside no more than one percent of the total funding appropriated for the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant Program to provide technical assistance and support for grantees and potential grantees on developing proposals for and implementing ELC Workforce Development Plans. Technical assistance may include but is not limited to the following:

● Support local consortia or multi-county consortia (applicants) to develop their ELC Workforce Development Plans

● Provide lists of and resources to support best and promising practices

● Convene and facilitate regional meetings for shared learning across local consortia or multi-county consortia during the grant period

● Support local consortia or multi-county consortia to update ELC Workforce Development Plans and articulate local plans to the Master Plan for Early Learning and Care (in years two through four of the grant term)

● Provide technical assistance to existing ELC workforce advisors at higher education settings

● Support data and annual performance reports

B. Local Consortia Lead Agency Requirements and Responsibilities

Applicant partnerships must support local workforce development efforts that are targeted to local child development and workforce needs. Local ELC Workforce Development Plans must build upon and leverage local workforce development assets. Local consortia or multi-county consortia must ensure these funds supplement and do not supplant other local and state ELC workforce development resources and supports.

22

Required Consortium Participants

The applicant partnership can apply for the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant and submit an ELC Workforce Development Plan that is aligned with the QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grants unified approach.

The applicant partnership is responsible for developing or maintaining a consortium consisting of organizations with the same goals and objectives to improve the quality of early learning. See Form A: Partner Signatures.

Program Implementation Requirements

The applicant partnership must develop an ELC Workforce Development Plan that meets local needs and supports the ELC workforce across all settings. The plan must:

● Support equity for the ECE workforce by supporting ELC professionals across all settings (See Key Areas of Service)

● Build upon and advance the applicant’s QCC unified quality improvement approach and support partnerships and infrastructure (within a county or region) that focus on systems-level work to measurably improve early learning and care settings

● Use data to demonstrate a baseline understanding of the current level of preparation and professional development of ELC professionals in local communities and the workforce’s ability to meet the needs of children in their community (if data is not available, outline the plan for collecting this data)

● Use research and data to justify workforce support strategies (i.e., workforce supports are evidence-based, training content is based on needs and population characteristics)

Target Populations Served

The applicant partnership must submit a plan that provides evidence of the need for ELC professionals by county/region and identifies the barriers to workforce improvement, advancement, and/or retention. The plan should provide workforce data, as possible, and data on community needs for ELC. The following data sources could be considered:

● Local Planning Council (LPC) needs assessments including the Early Learning Needs Assessment Tool (ELNAT) (http://elneedsassessment.org/)

23

● California Early Learning Needs Assessment Reports (CELNAR) (https://reports.elneedsassessment.org/ReportsHome.aspx)

● Information from the Workforce Registry

● State or national studies on the ELC workforce (i.e., Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth through Age Eight, the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment Workforce Index)

● Preschool Development Grant (PDG) Needs Assessment

● Strong Start Index (https://strongstartindex.org/)

● Early Development Instrument (EDI) (https://edi.offordcentre.com/)

● Other locally identified tools or reports (e.g., local Head Start program Needs Assessment, other kindergarten readiness assessments)

The applicant partnership must develop a plan that will provide differentiated supports for the ELC workforce across all care settings. ELC settings include the following:

● Child Care Centers are ELC settings that are licensed by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and/or are license-exempt, that may receive public subsidies, hold CDE contracts, and/or receive funds directly through parent pay and/or voucher payments. Centers may provide child development services for children from birth through 12 years of age and older children with exceptional needs.

● Family Child Care Homes are homes licensed by CDSS to provide care to infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age children, organized into two categories: small family child care homes for up to eight children, including the early educator’s own children under age ten, and large family child care homes, serving up to 14 children, including the early educator’s own children under the age of ten. Large family child care homes must have two adults (the provider and an assistant) available to provide care.

● Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care refers to legally license-exempt child care in a home-based setting to which licensing standards do not apply. This includes providers who care only for their relatives and providers who only care for the children of one other family (other than the provider’s own children, if he or she has any children).

24

https://reports.elneedsassessment.org/ReportsHome.aspx

Fiscal Requirements

As previously stated in Section II.E., herein, grantees must comply with the Uniform Guidance and be guided by the California School Accounting Manual and CDE Audit Guide. Grantees will also utilize the QCC Fiscal Reporting Portal (Portal). The Portal will house all reporting templates, approved applications, grant awards, narratives and other reporting features, eliminating the need for and allowance of submittal through paper or electronic mail. Complete instructions for using the Portal will be provided by the State in spring 2020.

Lead Agencies will use the online reporting Portal for:

● Five-year budget for the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Pathways Grant – Submittal and approval of a single five-year QCC Workforce Development Pathways Grant budget is required. The five-year budget will include a narrative component for each budget category and line item within the budget template. This will be submitted in the budget template.

● Budget revisions will be required if any budget line item within a category (i.e., direct financial workforce supports) change exceeds five (5) percent or $2000, whichever is more.

● Quarterly invoices – Each quarter will be accompanied by a three-week reporting window. All expense invoices will be submitted through the Portal. All quarterly invoices will include a narrative component for each budget category and line item within the invoice template. Any invoices received outside of the reporting window without prior approval (extension request must be submitted at least 10 days in advance of the closure of the reporting window) will be required to wait until the subsequent reporting period. All consortia are required to submit an invoice for each fiscal year within three (3) months after a fiscal year unless otherwise indicated.

● Common data file and Annual Performance Report (APR) submission which should be completed by the local consortium annually.

Applicants will ensure these funds supplement existing funds and do not supplant other state and local funds.

To receive reimbursement for QCC Workforce Pathways expenditures, Lead Fiscal Agencies must:

● Ensure, and be prepared to document, that the expenditure is an allowable use of grant funds and pursuant to the approved plan and budget.

25

● Submit quarterly reimbursement invoice and narrative within the required timeline, via the Portal.

In addition, grantees must:

● Maintain accurate fiscal data, in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and standards for governmental entities, and report actual expenditures by category.

● Maintain documentation to substantiate that all costs are reasonable, necessary, allowable, and allocable to the grant (e.g., invoices, receipts, agreements).

● Maintain time and effort records to support all salaries, wages, and benefits charged to the grant in accordance with the California School Accounting Manual. If the employee works on more than one activity or cost objective, the Lead Agency must maintain time and effort records to support the distribution of the employee’s salary or wages among the activities or cost objectives.

● Retain all records related to this grant for at least five years or where an audit has been requested, until the date the audit is resolved, whichever is longer.

Once a signed grant award notification is received by the CDE from the Lead Agency, the CDE will issue an initial payment of 25 percent of the total grant award. The Lead Agency will submit quarterly invoices reflecting their expenditures via the Portal. Once the initial 25 percent payment has been exhausted, the CDE will reimburse the Lead Agency in arrears for allowable expenditures upon receipt and approval of Reimbursement Invoice via the Portal. Payment will be made in accordance with, and within the time specified in, Government Code, Part 3, and Chapter 4.5, commencing with Section 927.

Quality Improvement Requirements

The applicant partnership will be responsible for developing a plan to conduct outreach and recruitment of the ELC workforce across all ELC settings. In addition, local consortia and multi-county consortia will be responsible for ensuring participation in the following activities, at a minimum:

● Quality Improvement Plans: Workforce supports for members of the ELC workforce at QCC sites should be linked to the overall site Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) where possible.

26

● California Early Care and Education Workforce Registry (Registry):o Registry Profile Development and Maintenance: Grantees must ensure

that all members of the ELC workforce benefiting from the Workforce Development Pathways Grant Program create and maintain a complete Registry profile.

o Verification of Qualification Documentation in the Registry: Data from qualifications documents will be entered by Registry staff, except for Professional Development (PD) accessed through the Registry Training Calendar. Verification of professional development attendance will be documented in the Registry by participating PD providers.

o Considerations:

▪ Stipend Module in the California ECE Workforce Registry: The Registry Stipend Module is a semi-customizable application based on county of employment of applicants. The online tool enables administration of stipend programs in a single application in a county or region, and enables data entered by participants with a Registry Profile to auto populate the application. Activities can be tracked by type and funding stream.

▪ Data Sharing Agreement: The CDE encourages the applicant to develop data collection procedures and execute a county Data Sharing Agreement (DSA) with the Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles, the operator of the Registry, covering all lead and funded partner agencies within the Consortium.

▪ Additional Information: For additional information regarding the benefits and functions of the California Early Care and Education Workforce Registry please visit the Resource Page (https://www.caregistry.org/index.cfm?module=participantResources) and the Registry County Integration Toolkit (https://www.caregistry.org/_participant_resources/Registry_County_Integration_Toolkit___Final_(with_May_date).docx).

Outreach and Communication Requirements

The applicant partnership will be required to ensure outreach and communication efforts are carried out either directly by the lead agency or by a partnering agency to notify members of the ELC workforce (based on ELC Workforce Development Plan targets) of QCC Workforce Pathways Grant opportunities.

27

https://www.caregistry.org/_participant_resources/Registry_County_Integration_Toolkit___Final_(with_May_date).docx

https://www.caregistry.org/_participant_resources/Registry_County_Integration_Toolkit___Final_(with_May_date).docx

https://www.caregistry.org/index.cfm?module=participantResources

https://www.caregistry.org/index.cfm?module=participantResources

Communications efforts should indicate that the QCC Workforce Pathways Grant is articulated to local consortia QCC plans.

Evaluation and Reporting Requirements

As required by EC 8280.1(h), grantees will commit to providing program data to CDE. Receipt of grant funds also constitutes a promise to provide any further program data later specified by the CDE. The grantee must provide a summary of activities in the APR identifying both individual and collective contributions to advancing the ELC Workforce Development Plan. The CDE will share additional information about the required information on and format of the APR in the future.

Data Reporting and Collection Requirements

As required by EC 8280.1(h), applicant partnerships shall commit to providing program data to the CDE, including but not limited to, recipient information, education progress, and employment status, and participate in overall program evaluation. The applicant partnership is responsible for collection and submission of accurate workforce data, including the following:

● A quarterly fiscal activity report, accompanied by a fiscal narrative

● An APR and data report

● Workforce Development Pathways participants will need to create a profile in the Workforce Registry.

IV. Application Procedures and Processes Applicants will submit an ELC Workforce Development Plan that is aligned with the QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grants unified approach. In completing the ELC Workforce Development Plan, applicants should address the prompts in each section below and refer to the evaluation rubric.

Through this RFA, the applicant partnership will submit a five (5)-year plan with budgets. As the landscape of ELC continues to evolve, grantees must review, update, and resubmit their plans and budgets annually for review and approval by CDE. Updated plans should account for any policy changes, and align with priorities outlined in the Governor's MPELC. These plan and budget updates must comply with the standards outlined in this RFA.

A. Application Timeline

Key Events Date

The RFA is available on the CDE Request for Applications web page.

March 13, 2020

28

Key Events Date

Informational Webinar will address grant questions and the application process.

March 18, 2020

Letter of Intent Submission The link to the Letter of Intent will be posted on the CDE Request for Applications web page when available.

April 2, 2020by 5:00 p.m.

Online Application Submission The link to the online survey for the application and the budget template will be sent to those applicants submitting a Letter of Intent.

May 6, 2020 by 5:00 p.m.

Intent to Award The CDE will post the grant awards in an Intent to Award announcement. This is an initial notification and is not the final list of grantees. The final funding list will be posted on the CDE website when all data is verified and appeals are decided. Applicants are advised not to obligate funds based on this list.

May 29, 2020

Appeals must be submitted to the ELCD within 10 calendar days of the Intent to Award announcement with original signatures from the Authorized Agent. No faxed or emailed appeals will be accepted.

May 29–June 7, 2020

The Final Funding List for award recipients will be posted on the CDE website.

June 8, 2020

B. Application Process

Only a single application may be submitted on behalf of a single or multi-county consortium. Each application must identify the lead agency for the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Grant. The online application will consist of three general types of information: (1) Lead Agency Contacts and Signatures, (2) ELC Workforce Development Plan, and (3) Budget and Budget Narrative.

29

The link to the online application will be provided to lead agencies that submit an LOI along with an estimated award total. The application with budget information must be submitted to via the online link by 5:00 p.m. on May 6, 2020.

The Application survey and Budget templates will be provided to lead applicants following submission of a LOI.

When submitting the application, note the following:

● The applicant will receive an email confirmation of the information submitted. If changes need to be made, applicants are asked to resubmit the entire application prior to the submission deadline above.

● The last submitted application will be the one considered for review.

● Incomplete or late applications will not be considered. Counties not submitting an application will be included via another consortia in order to ensure access to workforce development pathways and support across all of California.

In completing the application narrative that creates the ELC Workforce Development Pathways Plan, applicants should develop a plan that address the prompts in each section of the narrative description and refer to the evaluation rubric in Appendix C. Applicants will submit the detailed plan that must describe how:

1. The applicant partnership will allocate funds in order to increase the number, qualifications, and competencies of ELC professionals

2. The applicant partnership will engage local organizations in collaborative partnership to improve the educational attainment of ELC professionals in their county or region (including those working in centers, family childcare homes, and license-exempt settings including family, friend, and neighbor (FFN) care that serve a majority of children who either receive or are eligible to receive subsidized ELC services

3. The applicant partnership will use data to provide a rationale for using grant funding to ensure that the local workforce has the skills and knowledge to care for and teach the children of their community (e.g., DLLs, children experiencing trauma, etc.)

C. Technical Assistance

According to the statute, a portion of the total funds available for the QCC Workforce Development Pathways grant may be used to provide technical assistance (TA) to grantees to assist them in developing effective proposals and implementing their workforce development grants.

For this purpose, the CDE will contract with WestEd to be provide TA and support for grantees and potential grantees to apply for and implement local workforce

30

development grants, to develop reports, support additional data needs and help connect them to QCC.

In addition, the CDE will conduct one application information session in the form of a webinar on March 18, 2020 to provide an overview of the RFA and offer potential applicants an opportunity to ask clarifying questions as well as regional meetings to support consortia teams in their plan development.

D. Application Review

Applications will be screened to determine if they have been completed in accordance with the instructions and timelines. It is solely the applicant’s responsibility to carefully review the RFA information and requirements before submitting the application for funding. Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. on May 6, 2020.

● Applicants must have submitted an LOI prior to the deadline

● All required sections must be included

All applications passing the screening criteria and determined to meet RFA eligibility requirements will be read and scored by at least two trained readers. Applications will be randomly assigned to readers. Readers will base their scores on the degree to which an application provides evidence that it is responsive to the requirements identified in the RFA.

Readers will independently evaluate and score each section, using the scoring rubric as the basis for rating applications. Individual questions will be reviewed based on common criteria, such as:

● Completeness of responses

● Demonstrates capacity of Lead Agency to complete planned work

● Consortium reflects engagement by all local stakeholders and system partners

● Description of support for the full continuum of ELC settings

● Plan components show consistency with terms of funding

● Shared state and local objectives reflected in responses

● Budget and budget narrative reflect goals described in application

The readers will thereafter agree upon a final consensus score for each section.

Each application question will receive a pass – not pass score. For applications with item(s) not meeting criteria for approval, the state review team will follow up with

31

additional feedback or clarifications. Interviews with potential grantees may be conducted, as needed. All costs associated with participation in the interviews will be the responsibility of the applicant. It will be the responsibility of the applicant to work with the state review team to address any identified deficiencies in order to be funded. It is the goal of the state to support equity for the ELC workforce by ensuring that members of the workforce in each county or region have access to QCC Workforce Development Pathways Grant funds. As such, if potential grantees are unable to develop a passing application after working with the state to address deficiencies, the state may identify a regional solution for administering QCC Workforce Pathways Grant funding.

Application review will occur during the timeframe identified in Section IV-A. Application Timeline.

Appeals for All Applicants

Applicants who wish to appeal their application score must submit a Letter of Appeal, which must be received in the ELCD within 10 calendar days of the Intent to Award announcement. Appeals are limited to addressing how the CDE failed to correctly apply the standards for reviewing the application as specified in the RFA. Additional information will not be accepted. Missing or incomplete documentation of the required elements cannot be the basis for an appeal. Late appeals will not be considered. All appeals will be reviewed by a panel of CDE staff and the decision of the panel will be final.

Early Learning and Care DivisionCalifornia Department of Education

1430 N Street, Suite 3410Sacramento, CA 95814-5901

E. Grant Award Notification

Applicants selected for funding will receive a Grant Award Notification (CDE Form AO-400), the official CDE document that awards funds to local projects. The grantee must sign and return the notification to the CDE before project work may begin and disbursement of funds can be made.

F. Assurances, Certifications, Terms, and Conditions

By submitting its application in response to this RFA, each applicant-partnership, and each of its members, is committing to comply with all of the terms, conditions and assurances specified herein. In addition, by signing and submitting the Grant Award Notification (AO-400), each grantee-partnership, and each of its members, is agreeing to comply with all such terms, conditions and assurances in managing the grant. Grant awards will be processed upon receipt of the signed AO-400, which must be signed and returned to CDE within 10 working days of receipt.

32

All funds must be expended or legally obligated by the end of each fiscal year, beginning with FY 2019–20, and for not more than the maximum amount indicated on the AO-400. Encumbrances may be made at any time after the beginning date of the grant stated on the AO-400. No extensions of this grant will be allowed.

General Assurances and Certifications

In addition to all other terms, conditions and assurances specified herein, grantees must adhere to the most recent General Assurances and Certifications posted on CDE’s Funding Forms web page at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/fm/ff.asp. Applicants do not need to sign and return the General Assurances and Certifications with their application; however, in addition to reviewing and adhering to them, applicants must download them and keep them on file for reference and in the event of compliance reviews, complaint investigations or audits.

Grant Specific Assurances Certifications

In addition to all other terms, conditions and assurances specified herein, an authorized representative of each member of the applicant partnership must sign and submit to CDE, Form A: Partner Signatures, which constitutes each member’s certification that they have reviewed and will comply with all grant terms, conditions and assurances described herein.

V. QCC Workforce Development Pathways Grant ApplicationA. Letter of Intent

In order to submit an application for the QCC Workforce Development Pathways Grant, a Letter of Intent (LOI) must be submitted and received by the California Department of Education, Early Learning and Care Division no later than 5:00 p.m. on April 2, 2020.

The applicant will need to provide Lead Agency information including name, address, email address, and phone number and the counties that are represented on the LOI. Should the counties/consortium be different than those identified in the QCC Local Consortia and Partnership Grant application, the applicant must provide an explanation for why the county is filing a separate application.

B. Partner Signatures (Form A)

Provide the name, address, email address, and phone number of all required agencies. Provide a signature page with lead agency signatures and date. By signing the signature page, the applicant(s) certify that the information contained in the application is accurate and that all forms required to be submitted as part of the RFA are certified to be true and binding on the applicants.

33

Implementing this grant with fidelity requires agencies to work collaboratively through meaningful partnership and implement shared decision-making, communication, and funding strategies to achieve ELC Workforce Development Plan goals.

Electronic signatures will be accepted on the original. The consortium Lead Agency shall ensure that the application contains the required, and as applicable, optional signatures listed below. In addition, the applicant must indicate a Program Lead Contact Person and a Fiscal Lead Contact Person.

Local consortia shall include representatives from the organizations listed in the Required Consortium Participants section of the RFA and may include other local or regional entities with the same goal of improving the ELC workforce. Consortia or multi-county consortia partnerships must provide the name, address, email address, and phone number of each participant, their role/responsibilities in the consortia, and a signature page with participant signatures and date. If applying as a multi-county consortia partnership, the required participants for each county in the consortium must be included. Each county’s representatives should receive copies of Form B prior to submitting signatures, which must be added to your application. Signing this proposal means that representatives have read and concur with the application that is being submitted.

Required11:

● IMPACT (Improve and Maximize Programs so All Children Thrive) 2020 Lead Agency

● QCC – Preschool Development Grant – Renewal Lead Agency

● California State Preschool Program (CSPP) Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) Block Grant Lead Agency

● Alternative Payment Program

● First 5 county commission(s)

● Institution(s) of higher education

● Local Child Care Planning Council(s)

11 For the Tribal Child Care Consortia, the required signers are not the listed entities, but rather six participating tribes.

34

● Local Educational Agency(ies) (At least one (1) required: County Office of Education, School District/Charter School)

● Local Resource and Referral agency(ies)

● Tribal leadership (as applicable to local contexts)

Optional:

● County Department of Public Health

● Head Start Grantee

● Health and Human Services Agency

● Special Education Local Plan Area (SELPA)

● Others As Appropriate

Signing Form A also confirms that the consortium/applicant has read and agreed, to the extent applicable, to the general assurances found at the CDE Funding Forms web page found at https://www.cde.ca.gov/fg/fo/fm/ff.asp. Signatories are also confirming that the new funds supplement, and not supplant, existing investments.

C. QCC Workforce Development Pathways Plan (Form B)

The ELC Workforce Development Plan will be completed in a survey. The survey will include the following:

A. Assessing the Local Workforce Needs and Determining Goals.

A1. To the extent possible, provide a needs assessment of the local ELC workforce by describing the workforce gaps and greatest needs, and how these gaps/needs vary across communities/counties within your county/region. If information is not available or has gaps, describe the plan to collect this information (Reference local QCC unified plan A1. as appropriate).[Narrative Box - 5500 characters]

Include the following:

1. Number of providers by provider type in applicant county(ies)

Family, Friend, and Neighbor (FFN): [ ]Family Child Care (FCC): [ ]Center-based: [ ]School-based: [ ]

35

2. Total number of providers by provider type in QCC in applicant county(ies)

FFN: [ ]FCC: [ ]Center-based: [ ]School-based: [ ]

3. Describe the geographic distribution of providers in applicant county(ies): [Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

A2. Describe key professional development needs for the local ELC workforce based on children being served. (i.e., the percentage of children who are dual language learners; the percentage of children with exceptional needs or children with disabilities; the percentage of children who are served by Family, Friends, and Neighbors (FFNs); how specific characteristics impact workforce professional development needs?)

1. What professional development is needed to serve dual language learners?[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

2. What professional development is needed to serve children with disabilities? [Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

3. What professional development is needed to serve children experiencing trauma [homelessness, disaster, children with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACES)]?[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

4. Other information (not required)[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

A3. Describe the existing barriers that the ELC workforce faces in your region in regard to advancement along the career lattice/degree attainment (Identify differences in the barriers faced by FFN caregivers, FCC providers, and the Center-based and School-based workforce.)

FFN caregivers

Check the top three barriers that this subset of the workforce faces in regard to advancement along the Career Lattice/degree attainment:

❏ The workforce does not have enough time

❏ The workforce does not have enough money

36

❏ The workforce is not able to get into the academic courses and/or trainings they need

❏ The workforce finds the courses too difficult

❏ The workforce does not have reliable transportation

❏ The workforce cannot find trainings or college courses offered at convenient locations

❏ The workforce does not have access to a reliable computer or internet connection

❏ The workforce cannot find classes and/or trainings offered in languages other than English

❏ The workforce does not know which courses and/or trainings they need

❏ The workforce cannot find trainings and/or academic coursework that are tailored to their level of experience

37

❏ The workforce cannot find classes and/or trainings that are offered during times convenient for their schedule

❏ The workforce does not have reliable child care

❏ The workforce does not have support from employers and/or programs

❏ The workforce/employers cannot find or afford to pay for substitutes

❏ The workforce has limited access to professional growth opportunities from employers or programs

❏ Other (please specify) [text box]

Describe the existing barriers for this subset of the ELC workforce.[Narrative Box - 1500 characters]

FCC providers












38








Center-based or School-based workforce













39







A4. Based on your needs assessment, and answers to questions A2. and A3., what are your objectives for your workforce development pathways grant (Provide SMART Objectives- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely).

SMART Objectives[Up to 10 Text Boxes, 700 character limits each]

How do these objectives align with local QCC objectives and the goals of this funding opportunity (see RFA Section II.C)?[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

B. Governance - Convening and Strengthening Partnerships

B1. Describe the governance and decision making process for ensuring shared knowledge and agreement with the local consortia or multi-county consortia ELC Workforce Development Plan and budget. Describe how ELC providers will be engaged in planning and decision-making processes. (Reference local QCC unified plan B1, as appropriate)

Description of governance and decision-making process[Narrative Box - 1500 characters]

Please check all governance and decision-making attributes that apply:

❏ Voting process with equal vote for each consortia member❏ Voting process with weighted votes among consortia members❏ QCC lead agency is the decision maker❏ Local Child Care Planning Council is the decision-maker❏ Fiscal lead is the decision-maker❏ Other agency is the decision-maker [text box]

❏ Consensus process among all partners

40

❏ Other [text box]

Description of how will ELC providers be engaged[Narrative Box - 1500 characters]

Please check all ways that ELC providers will be engaged:❏ Providers sit on the LPC❏ Consortia has provider representatives as part of membership❏ Provider surveys❏ QCC or LPC lead conducts focus groups with providers ❏ Partnerships with provider membership organizations❏ Other ([text box]

B2. Describe specific activities to build and strengthen higher education partnerships, at both the associate and baccalaureate level, in a way that builds knowledge of, responsiveness to, and efficiency at serving the ELC workforce and meeting ELC workforce needs. [Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

B3. Describe the role of the workforce development coordinator for the ELC Workforce Development Pathways grant in your county/region, including how will he/she work with the lead administrator for the QCC QRIS to ensure funding sources work together to support site QCC QRIS and individual QCC ELC Workforce quality improvement?[Narrative Box - 2000 characters]

What activities will the workforce development coordinator be responsible for? (Check all that apply)

❏ Recruit workforce participants❏ Communicate with workforce participants❏ Coordinate with higher education partners❏ Coordinate with QCC administrator(s)❏ Develop reports / communicate with the state❏ Serve as a workforce advisor❏ Collect and analyze workforce data❏ Serve as the LPC coordinator❏ Administer stipends / incentives❏ Serve as CLASS coordinator ❏ Serve as a liaison with the workforce registry❏ Work with the local R&Rs❏ Work with local Alternative Payment Agencies

41

B4. Describe how the applicant partnership will transition its 2019–20 AB 212 plan into QCC Workforce Development Pathways as part of the transition to a unified QCC system.[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

C. Recruitment and Outreach

C1. Describe how the applicant partnership will engage and retain members of the workforce across each group and which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this. (Reference local QCC unified plan C1 and C2 as appropriate)

FFN caregivers

❏ Partner with Alternative Payment Programs

❏ Partner with local libraries

❏ Communicate through QCC lead and/or members

❏ Work with the LPC

❏ Partner with school districts

❏ Partner with the local R&R

❏ Communicate through partner list servs [text box to list partners]

❏ Use texting program to send reminders and regular communication

❏ Use regular phone communication to send reminders

❏ Communicate through higher education partners

❏ Use Workforce Pathways Advisors to conduct personal outreach and check-ins

❏ Work with membership organizations

❏ Work with center directors to help provide messaging and leadership

❏ Work with a Family Child Care Home Education Network


Identify any unique aspects of the proposed engagement and retention strategies for this subset of the workforce.

42

[Narrative Box - 1000 characters]

Describe which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for—and how the consortium will accomplish—engagement and retention of this subset of the workforce. [Narrative Box - 1000 characters]

Family Child Care providers

❏ Partner with Alternative Payment Programs

❏ Partner with local libraries

❏ Communicate through QCC lead and/or members

❏ Work with the LPC

❏ Partner with school districts

❏ Partner with the local R&R

❏ Communicate through partner list servs[text box to list partners]

❏ Use texting program to send reminders and regular communication

❏ Use regular phone communication to send reminders

❏ Communicate through higher education partners

❏ Use Workforce Pathways Advisors to conduct personal outreach and check-ins

❏ Work with membership organizations

❏ Work with center directors to help provide messaging and leadership

❏ Work with a Family Child Care Home Education Network


Identify any unique aspects of the proposed engagement and retention strategies for this subset of the workforce.[Narrative Box - 1000 characters]

43


Center-based and School-based workforce

❏ Partner with Alternative Payment Programs❏ Partner with local libraries❏ Communicate through QCC lead and/or members❏ Work with the LPC ❏ Partner with school districts❏ Partner with the local R&R❏ Communicate through partner list servs

[text box to list partners]❏ Use texting program to send reminders and regular communication❏ Use regular phone communication to send reminders❏ Communicate through higher education partners❏ Use Workforce Pathways Advisors to conduct personal outreach and

check-ins❏ Work with membership organizations❏ Work with center directors to help provide messaging and leadership ❏ Work with a Family Child Care Home Education Network❏ Other [text box]

Identify any unique aspects of the proposed engagement and retention strategies for this subset of the workforce.[Narrative Box - 1000 characters]


D. QCC Workforce Development Pathways: Strategies and Targets

Applicant partnerships are required to serve members of the ELC workforce across all care settings (FFNs, FCCs, and Center-based and School-based), however, not all settings must be served through each required pathway. Applicants may determine which pathways are most appropriate for which settings based on local needs and must set meaningful incentives for participation and support. All QCC workforce pathways participants need to see the QCC Coordinator/pathways advisor to develop a professional development plan except those only meeting CCDF training requirements.

D1. Briefly describe your local plan for addressing the three required pathways:

44

1. Professional Development Pathway (Required)

a. Describe general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals [Narrative Box - 7000 characters]

b. Describe which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway. [Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

c. How will this pathway address CCDF requirements?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

d. How will this pathway address high impact needs (e.g., trauma, DLL, children with disabilities)?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

e. How will this pathway address other locally identified needs? (optional)[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

f. What will be the eligibility requirements for participating in this pathway (e.g., employment requirements, income eligibility, age of children cared for, etc.)?

Check all that apply:❏ Employment requirement: Full time❏ Employment requirement: Part Time❏ Income eligibility❏ Age of children cared for❏ Accepts vouchers or works in a program that accepts

voucher❏ Works in a fully subsidized program❏ Other [text box]

g. How will you select members of the workforce to participate in this pathway while ensuring linguistic, racial, and/or ethnic diversity of participants?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

h. Approximately how many providers will be served through this pathway (break out this response by setting type served in this pathway)?

FFN: [ ]FCC: [ ]Center: [ ]

45

School-based: [ ]

i. Describe any ongoing participation requirements (beyond the required meetings with advisors and entry/use of Workforce Registry)?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

2. Higher Education Pathway (Required)

a. Describe general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals[Narrative Box - 7000 characters]

Describe which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway. [Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

b. How will this Pathway work to improve the accessibility of courses and practice to improve articulation and alignment between and across systems? [Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

c. How will this Pathway ensure that participants are applying acquired knowledge and skills into their practice and interactions with young children?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

d. How will courses reflect the current research and demographics and needs of California’s children (e.g., DLL, children with disabilities, trauma informed practice)? [Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

e. If included, describe efforts to increase the skills and knowledge of faculty and student services staff, including counselors, based on current understanding of effective practice for early childhood education (optional).[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

f. What will be the eligibility requirements for participating in this pathway (e.g., employment requirements, income eligibility, age of children cared for, etc.)?[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

Check all that apply:❏ Employment requirement: Full time

46

❏ Employment requirement: Part Time❏ Income eligibility❏ Age of children cared for❏ Accepts vouchers or works in a program that accepts

voucher❏ Works in a fully subsidized program❏ Enrolled as a full-time student❏ Enrolled as a part time student ❏ Other [text box]

g. How will you select members of the workforce to participate in this pathway while ensuring linguistic, racial, and/or ethnic diversity of participants?[Narrative Box - 3000 characters]

h. Approximately how many providers will be served through this pathway (break out this response by setting type served)?

FFN caregivers ❏ Child development Permit❏ AA❏ BA❏ Other [text box]

Center-based and School-based workforce❏ Child development Permit❏ AA❏ BA❏ Other [text box]

FCC providers ❏ Child development Permit❏ AA❏ BA❏ Other [text box]

i. Describe any ongoing participation requirements (beyond the required meetings with advisors and entry/use of Workforce Registry).[Narrative Box - 3000 characters]

3. QCC Workforce Pathways Advisors (Required)

a. Who will serve as advisors, including applicable qualifications/expertise requirements?

47

❏ Hire new advisory❏ Staff at a college [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications] ❏ Staff at the APP [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications] ❏ Staff at an R&R [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications] ❏ QCC staff [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications] ❏ New hires [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications] ❏ Staff at a local First 5 county commission [Text Box for

Applicable Qualifications] ❏ Staff at the County Office of Education [Text Box for Applicable

Qualifications] ❏ Staff at QCC Regional Hub [Text Box for Applicable

Qualifications] ❏ Staff at local libraries❏ LPC Coordinator❏ Higher Education Faculty [Text Box for Applicable

Qualifications] ❏ Other [Text Box] [Text Box for Applicable Qualifications]

b. To ensure these funds expand vs. supplant, how will the program utilize and integrate college counselors and community college Guided Pathways, and any other ongoing higher education investments?[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

c. Where will Advisors be located in the community and how will they be accessible to meet workforce needs?

Where will advisors be located?

❏ R&Rs❏ College Campuses❏ Alternative Payment Agencies❏ ECE sites❏ Local First 5❏ Local County Office of Education❏ Regional Hubs❏ Local libraries❏ Other [text]

How will they be accessible?

❏ Located at community-based settings❏ Open/accessible during non-traditional work hours❏ Bilingual/multilingual to serve the local workforce❏ Tele-conferencing / virtual access❏ Other [text]

48

d. How will the program ensure Advisors are helping participants complete a professional development plan and improve the effectiveness of their practice?[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

D2. Briefly describe your local plan for addressing optional pathways, including general pathway design, how members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway, approximately many individuals will be served, and which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway. This question is only required if the applicant is pursuing optional pathways

1. Pipeline Pathway (Optional)

a. General pathway design[Narrative Box - 7000 characters]

b. How members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

c. Approximately how many individuals will be served[Numerical Box]

d. Responsibilities of member agency(ies) and staff for this pathway[Narrative Box - 3000 characters]

2. Leadership Development Pathway (Optional)

a. General pathway design[Narrative Box - 7000 characters]

b. How members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

c. Approximately how many individuals will be served[Numerical Box]

d. Responsibilities of member agency(ies) and staff for this Pathway[Narrative Box - 2500 characters]

D3. Stipends and payments for increasing levels of preparation and professional development must be meaningful for the ELC workforce in order to incentivize the workforce to move up on the ECE Career Lattice. Provide your local definition of meaningful stipends (including payment of tuition, fees, scholarships, etc.)

49

across care settings and training opportunities. Provide evidence and justification for your definitions.[Narrative Box - 7000 characters]

D4. QCC Professional Development Plans

1. Describe the required components in the Professional Development Plans.[Narrative Box - 5000 characters] Select all items that will be included in Professional Development Plans

❏ Individual goals❏ ELC sites QIS or QRIS goals and tier rating❏ Identified education pathways/sequences❏ Identified professional development sequences❏ Timelines and milestones❏ Other [text box]

2. How will any existing Professional Development Plans be incorporated rather than duplicated, (e.g., a Head Start Plan, a QCC site Quality Improvement Plan and Professional Growth Plan, and/or a student’s educational plan developed at an institute of higher education)?[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

3. What is the annual update process for review and updating Professional Development Plans, including the process for meeting with the Advisor?[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

D5. Describe the ways that each pathway is designed to address equity for the ELC workforce (reference the barriers and needs identified in A3.)

1. Professional Development Pathway (Required)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

2. Higher Education Pathway (Required)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

3. QCC Workforce Pathways Advisors (Required)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

4. Pipeline Pathway (Optional)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

5. Leadership Development Pathway (Optional)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

50

D6. Describe how the proposed activities in this Workforce Development Pathways Grant Plan align with and build upon existing workforce initiatives while supplementing and not supplanting (e.g., PITC, CCIP, CSEFEL, IEEEP, Faculty Initiative project, etc.)? (Reference local QCC unified plan E3. as appropriate)[Narrative Box - 3500 characters]

E. Monitoring and Evaluation

E1. The CDE will outline a set of workforce data that must be collected as part of the evaluation of this work. What measurable outcomes need to be collected to assess the effectiveness of your QCC Workforce Development Pathways (reference SMART Objectives in Question A4.)?[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

E2. Describe how the applicant partnership will use data and feedback from each program type to inform continuous improvement in the implementation of workforce development supports by using a SMART objective format (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely). (Reference local QCC unified plan Section E2. as appropriate)[Narrative Box - 5000 characters]

D. Budget and Budget Narrative (Form C)

The applicant must provide a thorough and detailed justification for each identified cost associated with implementing the proposed goals and activities, including why the costs are reasonable and necessary to support the proposal’s goals and activities. A projected budget for the entire grant period 2019–24 is required for the application. A budget template will be sent after the LOIs have been received.

51

AppendicesAppendix A: Authority

California Education Code section 8280.1.

(a) The Superintendent shall administer the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grants Program to expand the number of qualified early learning and care professionals and increase the educational credentials of existing early learning and care professionals across the state, pursuant to this section.

(b)

(1) There is hereby appropriated one hundred fifty million dollars ($150,000,000) to the department from the General Fund for the competitive workforce development grants program established pursuant to this section to be released according to the following schedule:

(A) For the 2019–20 fiscal year, eighty-four million dollars ($84,000,000).

(B) For the 2020–21 fiscal year, twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000).

(C) For the 2021–22 fiscal year, twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000).

(D) For the 2022–23 fiscal year, twenty-two million dollars ($22,000,000).

(2) The Director of Finance may change the release of funds scheduled in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of paragraph (1), if deemed necessary. The director shall notify the Chairperson of the Joint Legislative Budget Committee, or the chairperson’s designee, of the director’s intent to notify the Controller of the necessity to change the release of funds scheduled in subparagraphs (A) to (D), inclusive, of paragraph (1). The total amount released shall not be greater or lesser than the amount appropriated in paragraph (1). The Controller shall make the funds available to the department not sooner than five days after receipt of this notification.

(3) Notwithstanding Section 16304 of the Government Code, of the amount appropriated for this program in this subdivision, the Superintendent shall allocate the funds available for the grants through the 2023–24 fiscal year, in approximately equal amounts each fiscal year.

(c) The Superintendent shall award and administer the workforce development grants to local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships, as defined by the Superintendent, consistent with the Quality Rating and Improvement System local consortia, as defined in Section 8203.1, representing all counties of the state. A local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnership may form a consortia with one or more regional partners. All local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships shall submit a plan to the department that describes how they will allocate funds and increase the number, qualifications, and competencies of early learning and care professionals in their county or region. The plan shall also describe how local partnerships will engage in collaborative partnerships with their

52

members, local governmental agencies, businesses, nonprofit organizations, or other interested partners to improve the educational attainment of early learning and care professionals in their county or region, including those working in centers, family childcare homes, and license-exempt settings that serve a majority of children who receive subsidized early learning and care services or are eligible to receive subsidized early learning and care services, pursuant to this chapter.

(d) Workforce development grant award amounts shall be determined based on the following criteria:

(1) Demonstrated need for early learning and care professionals in each county or region.

(2) The cost of living in each county or region.

(3) The number of children under 13 years of age in each county or region who are in a family whose income is up to 85 percent of the state median income.

(e) Workforce development grants may be used for costs associated with the educational expenses of current and future early learning and care professionals that move those professionals along the early learning and care career lattice and support their attainment of increased education or English language proficiency, as well as professional development in early childhood instruction or child development, including developing competencies in serving children with exceptional needs and dual language learners. Allowable uses of funds include:

(1) Tuition, supplies, and other related educational expenses.

(2) Transportation and childcare costs incurred as a result of attending classes.

(3) Substitute teacher pay for early learning and care professionals that are currently working in a subsidized early learning and care setting.

(4) Stipends and professional development expenses, aligned to the Quality Counts California professional development system in that area, as determined by the Superintendent.

(5) Career, course, and professional development coaching, counseling, and navigation services.

(6) Other educational expenses as determined by the Superintendent.

(f) Local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships awarded funding pursuant to this section may partner with local or online accredited higher education institutions, local agencies that provide high quality, credit-bearing trainings, or apprenticeship programs that integrate and embed higher education coursework with on-the-job training of professionals.

(g) The Superintendent may set aside no more than 1 percent of the total funding appropriated for the Early Learning and Care Workforce Development Grants Program

53

to provide technical assistance and support for grantees and potential grantees on developing proposals for and implementing workforce development grants.

(h) Local, regional, or local and regional quality improvement partnerships receiving grants shall commit to providing program data to the department, as specified by the Superintendent, including, but not limited to, recipient information, educational progress, and employment status, and participate in overall program evaluation.

(i) The Superintendent shall provide a report to the Governor as well as the appropriate policy and fiscal committees of the Legislature by October 1, 2020, and annually thereafter through the 2023–24 fiscal year, on the expenditure of funds as well as relevant outcome data in order to evaluate the impact of the program.

(j) The competitive workforce development grants program established pursuant to this section shall be funded from funds appropriated in this section.

(k) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Superintendent, with the concurrence of the executive director of the state board, shall recommend to the Department of Finance and the budget committees of the Legislature by January 1, 2021, any changes to the funding methodology in this section related to the recommendations and priorities provided pursuant to Section 8207.

54

Appendix B: Background

On California’s Youngest Children

California is home to almost three million children birth through age five (5). These children are from diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds.

2.9 MILLION CHILDREN BIRTH THROUGH AGE FIVE52.1 percent Latino25.6 percent White, non-Hispanic11.5 percent Asian, non-Hispanic5.3 percent Black, non-Hispanic9.1 percent Two or More Races18.1 percent Families with incomes below the federal poverty level (FPL)43.0 percent Low-income families (families below 300 percent FPL)

Information for 2017. Ages birth through five years. Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates; U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey.

On Children Served through Subsidized Child Care

The CDE provides subsidized child care through:

● ELCD contracted Centers, Local Education Agencies (LEAs), and Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHENs); block grants, and local funding.

● Vouchers via its Alternative Payment Program; and

● CalWORKs Stages 2 and 3 (CalWORKs Stage 1 is administered through the California Department of Social Services).

California has a diverse set of ELC programs. In the state, 61 percent of children live in households where all available parents are currently working, and 25 percent of all California children are part of low-income families.12 Information about these children is provided in the following tables.

All Birth through Age Five (5) Children in Subsidized Child Care(October 2018 and April 2019)

By Race/Ethnicity Number Percentage

Latino 186,276 61.67

White 48,383 16.02

12 Center for the Study of Childcare Employment. “Early Childhood Workforce Index, 2018: California.” https://cscce.berkeley.edu/files/2018/06/2018-Index-California.pdf

55

By Race/Ethnicity Number Percentage

Black 45,696 15.13

Asian 15,972 5.29

Two or more races 3,162 1.05

Pacific Islanders 1,423 .47

American Indian 1,122 .37

Race and Ethnicity among Children age 0-5, Oct. 2018, ELCD 801A, no duplication

By Type of Setting* Number Percentage

Licensed centers 186,919 79

Licensed family child care homes 37,837 15

License-exempt care (family, friend, or neighbor) 14,716 6

Source: CDD-801A Monthly Child Care Report, October 2018 and April 2019 (archived data).

By Funding Source† Number Percentage

CalWORKs 50,848 22

General child care program 20,335 9

Alternative payment program 19,696 7

California State Preschool Program 142,799 60

Migrant children, children with severe handicaps, and others

4,607 2

† Source: CDD-801A Monthly Child Care Report, October 2018 and April 2019 (archived data).

ELC Workforce Challenges and Needs

The availability of a high quality ELC workforce has been an ongoing issue in California. California is implementing many new efforts to expand Early Learning and

56

Care (ELC) programs throughout the state, but there is a critical shortage of highly skilled early educators and providers available to meet the growing need. While more than 119,760 members of the early childhood teaching workforce provide services to children in California, it is a challenge to ensure that all programs are staffed by providers who are skilled at nurturing children’s healthy development and curiosity and fostering their learning. Finding qualified substitutes can also pose a barrier and prevent new and longstanding programs from providing the professional development that their staff needs.

Low wages pose a significant barrier to providers when entering the ELC field. There is a public misconception that teaching young children requires less skill and knowledge than teaching older children, which in turn, creates large pay gaps between the K-12 system and the ELC field. According to the Center on the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley13, a child care worker made $12.29 per hour in 2018—one-third (32 percent) of what a kindergarten teacher made. A preschool teacher made $16.19 per hour (42 percent of a kindergarten teacher's salary). Because of these low wages, nearly two-thirds (58 percent) of child care worker’s families participated in one or more public income support programs. These low-wages make the field unsustainable for those in it and unattractive to those who are considering it.

The ELC workforce continues to face a number of barriers in regard to degree attainment and advancement along the California ECE Career Lattice. In March 2019, the CDE, Early Learning and Care Division (ELCD) and a constellation of partners sent a survey out to Early Learning teachers statewide to learn more about the barriers they face in advancing their careers and professional development. Almost 2,500 early learning teachers in all settings across the state responded to the survey, which was available in both English and Spanish. In analyzing results from survey respondents that worked directly with children, responses confirmed that the ELC workforce faces two major barriers to participating in professional development opportunities: not having enough money and not having enough time. Results also demonstrated that barriers to engaging in professional development vary by care setting. Center-based staff and family child care home owners/staff were more likely to report that finding trainings and courses during convenient times was a barrier than were members of the workforce in other settings. Family child care home owners/staff also more frequently indicated that getting into the courses or training they needed was a barrier. Those that completed the survey in Spanish stated that finding a training or course offered in languages other than English was a barrier.14

13 Data from CSCCE, California’s ECE Workforce: What We Know Now and the Data Deficit That Remains (2018). https://cscce.berkeley.edu/californias-ece-workforce/ and Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California at Berkeley (CSCCE), Early Childhood Workforce Index (2018).

14 The Early Learning and Care Workforce, Barriers to Career Advancement survey was developed by a constellation of partners as part of the Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth through Age Eight (TWB8) implementation effort in California. This work was funded through a grant that ELCD received from the Council of Chief State

57

One of California’s early learning system’s greatest assets is the diversity of its workforce. In California, 56 percent of center-based teachers, 74 percent of licensed home-based/family child care providers, and 80 percent of license-exempt/family friend and neighbor (FFN) caregivers identify as non-white. Furthermore, 63 percent of center-based assistant teachers and 47 percent of center-based teachers speak a language other than English. In some cases, limited English proficiency can make it difficult for the workforce to navigate the rules and training requirements of a state system when those rules are communicated primarily in English.

According to the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment’s 2018 study on California’s Early Childhood Educator Workforce, there are varying methods used to define and measure the size of the ELC workforce, including local workforce data sources from select counties, federal data collected by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and California specific data from local surveys. According to the National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), there are approximately 205,000 members of California’s paid ELC workforce, 49 percent of which identified as home-based, 46 percent who identified as staff in center-based programs and 5 percent as home-based providers.

Additionally, the Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) measures the ELC workforce by collecting samples from specific metropolitan areas, and they identified nearly 120,000 paid members of the ELC workforce, but this tally likely excludes those who are FFN providers or self-employed licensed family child care providers.

Finally, the California ECE Registry, a web-based registry for ELC professionals currently has over 63,000 members of the ELC workforce and is operating across all counties in California. It is the primary source of verified data about California’s ELC workforce, its professional preparation and professional development and is a critical component of the data infrastructure for California.

School Officers (CCSSO) and the National Governors Association (NGA). The survey received 2,489 responses (2,296 in English and 193 in Spanish). Of these responses, 1,504 respondents (1,373 English and 131 Spanish) indicated that they worked directly with children. The survey was an online and opt-in survey, resulting in a respondent group that is not necessarily representative of the entire ECE workforce in California (convenience sample). When comparing English and Spanish responses to questions about the types of professional development respondents have completed in the past 12 months, barriers to engaging in professional development, and the types of supports that would be most useful, the analysis found significant differences between the language groups (p<.01, paired t-test). When analyzing these responses by role, the analysis also found survey responses were significantly different based on role (p<.01, two-way ANOVA test).

58

Appendix C: Scoring Rubric Guidance

This rubric outlines the components of a passing score for each application question. Questions that do not include the components listed in the right-hand column will not receive a score of “Pass”. For applications with item(s) not meeting criteria for approval, the state review team will follow up with additional feedback or clarifications. Interviews with potential grantees may be conducted, as needed. All costs associated with participation in the interviews will be the responsibility of the applicant. It will be the responsibility of the applicant to work with the state review team to address the deficiencies in order to be funded. See IV. Application Procedures and Process, Section D Application Review, for more information.

A. Assessing the Local Workforce Needs and Determining Goals.

Application Question Components required for a Passing Score

A1. To the extent possible, provide a needs assessment of the local ELC workforce by describing the workforce gaps and greatest needs, and how these gaps/needs vary across communities/counties within your county/region. If information is not available or has gaps, describe the plan to collect this information (Reference local QCC unified plan A1. as appropriate).

A1.1. Number of providers by provider type (Family, Friend, and Neighbor [FFN] caregivers; Family Child Care [FCC] providers, Center-based workforce, School-based workforce) in applicant county(ies)

A1.2. Total number of providers by provider type in QCC in applicant county(ies)

A1.3. Describe the geographic distribution (urban, rural) of providers in applicant county(ies)

● Inclusive of workforce in in all settings

● Demonstrates consideration of local community variation in workforce needs

● Explanation of existing workforce data gaps

● If gaps exist, provides a plan to address gap

● References unified QCC plan

● Addresses all prompts by providing data or discussing what data is missing and a plan for collecting additional data

59

A2. Describe key professional development needs for the local ELC workforce based on children being served. (i.e., the percentage of children who are dual language learners; the percentage of children with exceptional needs or children with disabilities; the percentage of children who are served by Family, Friends, and Neighbors; how specific characteristics impact workforce professional development needs?)

A2.1. What professional development is needed to serve dual language learners?

A2.2. What professional development is needed to serve children with disabilities?

A2.3. What professional development is needed to serve children experiencing trauma (homelessness, disaster, children with ACES)?

A2.4. Other information (not required)

● Describes how child characteristics are related to workforce needs

● Provides information on the demographics and characteristics of children in the community

● Addresses workforce needs to serve DLLs, children with disabilities, children experiencing trauma

A3. Describe the existing barriers that the ELC workforce faces in regards to advancement along the career lattice / degree attainment. (Identify differences in the barriers faced by FFN caregivers, FCC providers, and the Center-based and School-based workforce.)

● Provides an explanation of specific barriers

● Uses data where possible

● Addresses differences across settings

● Addresses different levels of the career lattice

● Includes completion of check-boxes

A4. Based on your needs assessment, and answers to questions A2. and A3., what are your objectives for your workforce development pathways grant (Provide SMART Objectives- Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely). How do these objectives align with local QCC objectives and the goals of this funding opportunity (see RFA Section II.C)?

● Objectives are SMART

● References workforce data/needs assessment

● Provides a clear link to the QCC plan

● References goals outlined in

60

B. Governance - Convening and Strengthening Partnerships


B1. Describe the governance and decision-making process for ensuring shared knowledge and agreement with the local consortia or multi-county consortia workforce development pathways plan and budget. Describe how ELC providers will be engaged in planning and decision-making processes. (Reference local QCC unified plan B1. as appropriate)

● How will information be shared/knowledge be built

● Describes a governance process

● Addresses decision-making across all consortia entities

● Describes how workforce voice will be included/engaged in planning and decision-making

● Describes process for reaching agreement on budget


61

B2. Describe specific activities to build and strengthen higher education partnerships, at both the associate and baccalaureate level, in a way that builds knowledge of, responsiveness to, and efficiency at serving the ELC workforce and meeting ELC workforce needs.

● Address partnerships with local community colleges

● Addresses partnerships with local 4-year higher education partners

● Addresses how knowledge will be built among higher education partners related to ELC workforce needs

● Addresses how higher education partnerships will support increased effectiveness of preparation

B3. Describe the role of the workforce development coordinator for the ELC Workforce Development Pathways grant in your county/region, including how will he/she work with the lead administrator for the QCC QRIS to ensure funding sources work together to support site (QCC QRIS) and individual (QCC ELC Workforce) quality improvement?

● Explains how the workforce development coordinator works with the QCC lead administrator

● Describes the workforce development coordinator’s role at the QCC site-level

● Describes the workforce development coordinator’s role supporting individual professional development/quality improvement


B4. Describe how the applicant partnership will transition its 2019–20 AB 212 plan into QCC workforce Development Pathways as part of the transition to a unified QCC system.

● How will the local LPC be included in the development of the ELC Workforce Development Plan

● Reference the LPC needs assessment

● Explains how goals of the local AB 212 plan will be addressed through the workforce development pathways plan

62

C. Recruitment and Outreach


C1. Describe how the applicant partnership will engage and retain members of the workforce across each group and which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this. Identify any unique aspects of the proposed engagement and retention strategies for caregivers in each setting.

(Reference local QCC unified plan C1. and C2 as appropriate)

C1.1. FFN caregivers

C1.2. FCC providers

C1.3. Center-based and School-based workforce

● Addresses recruitment efforts for the workforce across each setting

● Addresses retention efforts for the workforce across each setting

● Provide a rationale for the use of different strategies across each setting

● References local QCC unified plan as appropriate

● Describes the roles and responsibilities for member agency(ies) and staff

● Identifies how the consortium will accomplish engagement and retention activities


D. ELC Workforce Development Strategies, Maximizing Investments and Supports

Applicant partnerships are required to serve members of the ELC workforce across all care settings (FFNs, FCCs, and Center-based), however, not all settings must be served through each required pathway. Applicants may determine which pathways are most appropriate for which settings based on local needs and must set meaningful incentives for participation and support. All QCC workforce pathways participants need to see the QCC Coordinator/pathways advisor to develop a professional development plan except those meeting CCDF training requirements.

D1. Briefly describe your local plan for addressing the required pathways:

63


D1.1. Professional Development Pathway (Required)

a. Describe general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals

b. Describe which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway

c. How will this Pathway address CCDF requirements (required)?

d. How will this Pathway address high impact needs (e.g., trauma, DLL)?

e. How will this pathway address other locally identified needs? (optional)

f. What will be the eligibility requirements for participating in this pathway (e.g., employment requirements, income eligibility, age of children cared for, etc.)?

g. How will you select members of the workforce to participate in this pathway while ensuring linguistic, racial, and/or ethnic diversity of participants?

h. Approximately how many providers will be served through this pathway (break out this response by setting type served in this pathway)?

i. Describe any ongoing participation requirements (beyond the required meetings with advisors and entry/use of Workforce Registry)?

● Describes general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals for each required pathway

● Addresses each sub-section for the required pathways


D1.2. Higher Education Pathway ● Describes general pathway

64


(Required)

a. Describe general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals

b. Describe which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway

c. How will this Pathway work to improve the accessibility of courses and practice to improve articulation and alignment between and across systems?

d. How will this Pathway ensure that participants are applying acquired knowledge and skills into their practice and interactions with young children?

e. How will courses reflect the current research and demographics and needs of California’s children (e.g., DLL, children with disabilities, trauma informed practice)?

f. If included, describe efforts to increase the skills and knowledge of faculty and student services staff, including counselors, based on current understanding of effective practice for early childhood education (optional)

g. What will be the eligibility requirements for participating in this pathway (e.g., employment

design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals for each required pathway



65


requirements, income eligibility, age of children cared for, etc.)?

h. How will you select members of the workforce to participate in this pathway while ensuring linguistic, racial, and/or ethnic diversity of participants?

i. Approximately how many providers will be served through this pathway (break out this response by setting type served in this pathway)?

j. Describe any ongoing participation requirements (beyond the required meetings with advisors and entry/use of Workforce Registry)?

D2. Briefly describe your local plan for addressing optional pathways, including general pathway design, how members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway, approximately many individuals will be served, and which member agency(ies) and staff are responsible for this Pathway. This question is only required if the applicant is pursuing optional pathways.


D2.1. Pipeline Pathway (Optional) ● Describes general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals for each optional pathway that will be included

● Addresses how members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway

● Includes how many individuals will be served

● Describes partner roles and responsibilities

66


D2.2. Leadership Development Pathway (Optional)

● Describes general pathway design (including incentive/stipend structure if applicable), participant supports provided to ensure success, and pathway goals for each optional pathway that will be included

● Addresses how members of the workforce will be selected to participate in the pathway

● Includes how many individuals will be served

● Describes partner roles and responsibilities

D3. Stipends and payments for increasing levels of preparation and professional development must be meaningful for the ELC workforce in order to incentivize the workforce to move up on the ECE Career Lattice. Provide your local definition of meaningful stipends (including payment of tuition, fees, scholarships, etc.) across care settings and training opportunities. Provide evidence and justification for your definitions.

● Describes how meaningful direct financial workforce supports will be set

● Provides evidence and justification for how meaningful direct financial workforce supports were set

● Addresses components outlined in the guiding principles for meaningful direct financial workforce supports in Section II.E of this RFA

67


D4. Briefly describe the required use of QCC Workforce Pathways’ Advisors, including the following:

D4.1. Who will serve as advisors, including applicable qualifications/expertise requirements?

D4.2. How will the program utilize and integrate college counselors and community college Guided Pathways and any other ongoing higher education investments?

D4.3. Where will Advisors be located in the community and how will they be accessible to meet workforce needs?

D4.4. How will the program ensure Advisors are helping participants complete a professional development plan and improve the effectiveness of their practice?

● Describes how Advisors will meet the needs of the workforce benefiting from this funding opportunity

● Describes variation in Advisors’ approaches based on the unique needs of the workforce across settings



68


D5. QCC Professional Development Plans. Provide descriptions of the following:

D5.1. Describe the required components in the Professional Development Plans.

D5.2. How any existing Professional Development Plans be incorporated rather than duplicated, (e.g., a Head Start Plan, a QCC site Quality Improvement Plan and Professional Development Plan, and/or a student’s educational plan developed at an institute of higher education)

D5.3. What is the annual update process for review and updating Professional Development Plans, including the process for meeting with the Advisor?

● Articulates the connection between professional development plans established as part of this funding program, and existing plans established through QCC and other mechanisms

● Clearly links back to the role of Advisors, discussed in question D4.



D6. Describe the ways that each pathway is designed to address equity for the ELC workforce (reference the barriers and needs identified in A3.)15

D6.1. Professional Development Pathway (Required)

D6.2. Higher Education Pathway (Required)

D6.3. Pipeline Pathway (Optional)

D6.4. Leadership Development Pathway (Optional)

● Addresses the unique needs of the workforce across settings

● Addresses how each pathway is designed to meet the unique needs of the workforce across each setting

● Uses workforce data where possible

● Links strategies back to workforce barriers in A3.

15 Equity for the ELC workforce means each member of the workforce, regardless of race, gender, culture, primary language, geographic location, and setting in which one works, has access to professional learning opportunities that meets one’s needs; receives fair compensation and benefits based on one’s qualifications; and has authentic, unbiased, and straightforward pathways to career advancement.

69


D7. Describe how the proposed activities in this Workforce Development Pathways Grant Plan align with and build upon existing workforce initiatives while supplementing not supplanting (e.g., PITC, CCIP, CSEFEL, Faculty Initiative project, etc.)? (Reference local QCC unified plan E3. as appropriate)

● Describes existing local initiatives

● Links strategies to existing initiatives

● Clearly explains how funds will supplement and not supplant

● References QCC plan

E. Monitoring and Evaluation


E1. The CDE will outline a set of workforce data that must be collected as part of the evaluation of this work. What measurable outcomes need to be collected to assess the effectiveness of your QCC Workforce Development Pathways (reference SMART Objectives in Question A4.)?

● Describes measurable outcomes

● Links outcomes to SMART objectives from A4.

● Describes data that will be used to assess outcomes

E2. Describe how the applicant partnership will use data and feedback from each program type to inform continuous improvement in the implementation of workforce development supports by using a SMART objective format (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely). (Reference local QCC unified plan E2. as appropriate)

● Describes data that will be used to inform QI

● Explains how feedback will be collected for each program type to inform QI

● Describes how data and feedback will continue to a QI process

● Uses a SMART goal format

● References QCC plan as appropriate

70

Appendix D: Key Terms

Term/Acronym Explanation

“Local, regional or local and regional quality improvement partnerships”

Quality Counts California (QCC)

Advisor A professional with specialized skills in providing academic and professional guidance to help ELC students successfully navigate the higher education system

Allocation/Allotment The term is used primarily in situations in which funding is distributed to lead agencies based on a statutory formula. This term also may refer to discretionary grant or matching funds programs.

Applicant Local consortium or multi-county partnership, applying as an applicant partnership

Apprenticeship programs An apprenticeship is a program that trains a worker to become skilled in a particular trade. Apprenticeships combine hands-on work with classroom learning to train the apprentice. Apprenticeships are considered full-time employment. As the apprentice is learning, they are also applying the lessons through working.

As defined by the California Department of Industrial Relations

(c) An “Apprenticeable Occupation” is one that requires independent judgment and the application of manual, mechanical, technical, or professional skills and is best learned through an organized system of on-the-job training together with related and supplemental instruction.

71


Apprenticeship programs (e) “Apprenticeship Program” means a comprehensive plan containing, among other things, apprenticeship program standards, committee rules and regulations, related and supplemental instruction course outlines and policy statements for the effective administration of that apprenticeable occupation.

(f) “Apprenticeship Program Standards” means that written document containing among other things all the terms and conditions for the qualification, recruitment, selection, employment and training, working conditions, wages, employee benefits, and other compensation for apprentices and all other provisions and statements including attachments as required by the Labor Code and this Chapter which, when approved by the Chief DAS, shall constitute registration of such, and authority to conduct that program of apprenticeship in the State of California.

(g) “Apprenticeship Program Sponsor” means a joint apprenticeship committee, a unilateral labor or management committee, or an individual employer program.

California State Preschool Programs (CSPP)

A direct service contracted program per the California Education Code (EC) commencing with Article 7, Chapter 2 (sections 8235-8239) and includes, for the purposes of this grant, Family Child Care Homes Education Networks providing CSPP services. This includes full-day, full-year and part-day, school year programs in local education agencies and county’s community-based organizations.

CCL California Department of Social Services, Community Care Licensing

72


CDE California Department of Education

CDSS California Department of Social Services

Childcare Deserts A child care desert is defined as a ZIP code with at least 30 children under the age of 5 and either no child care centers or so few centers that there are more than three times as many children under age 5 as there are spaces in centers. [Center for American Progress, AIR Needs Assessment]

Children with High Needs and Children with Exceptional Needs

Children with High Needs or Exceptional Needs means children birth until kindergarten entry who are from low-income families or otherwise in need of special assistance and support, including children who have disabilities or developmental delays, who are dual language learners, who reside on “Indian Lands” as that term is defined by Section 8013(6) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965, who are migrant, homeless, or in foster care; and other children as identified by the State.

Coaching A relationship-based process led by an expert with specialized and adult learning knowledge and skills, who often serves in a different professional role than the recipient(s).

Consortium Local consortium refers to a local entity, administered by a Lead Agency, and convenes a planning body that designs and implements a QRIS. A Regional or multi-county Consortium is a group of counties within a geographic region of the state that collaborate, design, and implement a common local QCC model across the region. Whether a local consortium or a multi-county consortium, there will be a lead agency.

73


Collaborative partnerships A cooperative association of individuals or groups that work together to accomplish common goals and objectives. Most collaboration requires leadership, although the form of leadership can be informal within a decentralized and egalitarian group. In particular, teams that work collaboratively can obtain greater resources, recognition, and reward when facing competition for finite resources.

Competencies QCC uses: https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/ececomps.asp & http://ececompsat.org/index.html

Cost of living The cost of living is the amount of money needed to sustain a certain standard of living by affording basic expenses such as housing, food, taxes, and healthcare.

Direct service costs Direct service costs generally include, but are not limited to:1. Salaries and wages, including vacations, holidays, sick leave, and other excused absences of employees working specifically on the objective of a grant (i.e., direct labor costs)2. Other employee fringe benefits allocable on direct labor employees3. Consultant services contracted to accomplish specific grant objectives4. Travel of “direct labor” employees5. Materials, supplies, and equipment purchased directly for use on a specific grant or contract6. Communication costs, such as long-distance telephone calls identifiable with a specific aware or activity

74

http://ececompsat.org/index.html

https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/cd/re/ececomps.asp


Direct financial workforce supports (meaningful)

Local consortia or consortia partnerships are required to set a level of “meaningful” direct financial workforce supports in the form of direct stipends/compensation/incentives to ELC professionals and recruits for completing milestones within the required and/or optional workforce development pathways.

Direct financial workforce supports may include:● Financial aid, scholarships, and/or financial

support for costs associated with unit-based classes (tuition, fees, books, etc.)

● Payment of costs / fees associated with registering for a Child Development Permit or CDSS Childcare License

● Access stipends covering the costs associated with moving up on the California ECE career lattice (degree attainment, acquisition of a child development permit, etc.)

● Completion bonuses for completing a specific number of units within a designed timeframe to reward completing coursework on a degree pathway

● Becoming licensed

● Costs associated with completing trainings or coursework (childcare costs, transportation, etc.)

● Participation in/completion of apprenticeship programs or cohort models

● Completing trainings and/or ECE coursework specific to local needs

75


Direct financial workforce supports (meaningful)

“Meaningful” direct financial workforce supports may look like:

● Tuition and Fee supports should be closely aligned to actual higher education costs in the county and/or region

● Members of the workforce should not be required to take on debt to achieve higher levels of education

● Multiple forms of direct financial workforce supports should be combined to offer appropriate incentives for attaining higher levels of education or professional development (e.g., tuition and fees + access stipends + completion bonuses)

● The level of direct financial workforce supports should be associated with the amount of time/effort needed to complete the workforce development pathway (e.g., direct financial workforce supports for completing a BA degree should be considerably higher than direct financial workforce supports for completing a topic-specific training)

● Local consortia or consortia partnerships should use evidence when setting meaningful workforce support (e.g., cost of living information, fees at local colleges and universities, gas prices, etc.

● Local consortia or consortia partnerships should look to effective models when setting meaningful workforce support (e.g., the T.E.A.C.H. program, WAGE$, etc.)

76


Dual language learners The Office of Head State defines dual language learners as children who “acquire two or more languages simultaneously, and learn a second language while continuing to develop their first language. The term “dual language learners” encompasses other terms frequently used, as Limited English Proficient (LEP), bilingual, English language learners (ELL), English learners, and children who speak a Language Other Than English (LOTE).”

Early learning and care professionals

Early learning and care teachers only.

English language proficiency for early learning and care professionals

California Education Code (EC) Section 60811 requires the State Board of Education to approve standards for English language development (ELD) for pupils whose primary language is a language other than English. These standards shall be comparable in rigor and specificity to the standards for English language arts, mathematics, and science. From CLASP: Federal leadership and funding could also help postsecondary institutions to tailor their occupational programs to the needs of LEP adults through other titles of HEA that support program improvement, especially at Hispanic-serving institutions. Modifications that could help LEP students to succeed include providing bridge programs for LEP students who are new to academic work; creating well-articulated transition programs that link adult education programs or non-credit college classes to credit-bearing courses; deemphasizing lectures and offering more “hands-on” learning; and allowing students to demonstrate what they’ve learned in applied situations rather than relying primarily on pencil-and-paper tests.

77


Evidence-based trainings Training created using current, scientifically sound research or evidence. The training is specially informed by this research and includes practices that can be replicated throughout the field to produce positive, desired outcomes.

Main characteristics include:- Basis in current and sound research- Ability to be replicated- Implementation of resources- Relationship to positive outcome

Family Child Care Homes (FCC)

Residential homes licensed by the California Department of Social Services to provide care to infants, toddlers, preschool, and school-age children through the alternative payment voucher system.

Family Child Care Home Education Networks (FCCHEN)

The networks established pursuant to the EC Section 8245 that provide direct CSPP contract services (i.e., using CSPP funds to pay for services provided to preschool-aged children and who are reported electronically on the CDD-801 to the CDE).

Family, Friend, and Neighbor Care (FFN)

Legally license-exempt child care in a home-based setting to which licensing standards do not apply. This includes providers who care for their relatives and providers who only care for the children of one other family (other than the provider’s own children, if they have any children), and is funded through the alternative payment voucher system.

High quality A quality early learning and care setting is one that provides a safe and healthy learning environment in which ELC professionals are supported in acquiring or increasing their knowledge and skills to promote positive relationships, interactions, and activities that enhance all children’s growth and development to prepare them for success in school and life.

78


Infrastructure/system supports

Supports that facilitate access to training and credit-baring classes that help participants acquire necessary skills to obtain a Child Development Permit, Degree, CDSS childcare license, or move along the career lattice according to their professional development. This may include, but is not limited to:

● Professional Growth or Academic Plan Advisors

● Translators for bilingual classes and trainings

● Provision of childcare during training

● Funding professional development/training opportunities

● Program infrastructure related to cohort models, apprenticeships, pipeline programs, and/or leadership development programs infrastructure

● Costs associated with co-locating classes/training in convenient locations

● Substitutes

● Supports for English language learners

● Laptops or computers on loan to members of the workforce participating in cohorts or other specialized higher education activities

79


Non-financial workforce supports

May include, but is not limited to:

● Technical assistance

● Application assistance

● Hiring/funding a local or regional ELC Workforce Development Plan Coordinator

● Building partnerships between community-based organizations, providers, and institutes of higher education to ensure coursework and professional development meets the needs of current and aspiring educators working in state-subsidized direct contract and voucher programs

Qualifications Permit and/or degree.

Related educational expenses

Tutoring, homework assistance, books, transportation.

Stipends and Professional Development expenses, QRIS defined

Allowances provided to program participants for their participation in program activities (i.e., staff development or training) or attainment of education milestones, often in the form of class credits, certificates, and/or degrees. QRIS, types of quality initiatives: Training, Professional Development Plan (ERS, health and safety, orientation to QRIS, business practices, child development, special needs training, membership in a professional organization, other)

80

Appendix E: CCDF CCDBG Health and Safety Training Requirements

Requirement Training met by CDSS or CDE

Prevention and control of infectious diseases (including immunization)

● Required under HSC 1596.866(a)(2)(C) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the Emergency Medical Services Authority (EMSA) pursuant to 22 CCR Section 100000.30(b)(1)

Prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and use of safe sleeping practices

● Required under HSC 1596.866(d)(1) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(2)(C)

● Training augmented to include Safe Sleep Practices to be implemented by CDSS January 1, 2018

Administration of medication, consistent with standards for parental consent

● Required under 1596.866(a)(2)(C)(i) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(1)(E)

Prevention of and response to emergencies due to food and allergic reactions

● Required under 1596.866(a)(2)(A) for response and (a)(2)(C)(ii) for prevention as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(1)(E) and (a)(3)

Building and physical premises safety, including identification of and protection from hazards that can cause bodily injury such as electrical hazards, and bodies of water, and vehicular traffic

● Required under 1596.866(d)(1) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(2)(B) and (E)

81

Prevention of shaken baby syndrome and abusive head trauma

● Required under 1596.866(a)(2)(C)(i) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(2)(C)

● Additional training augmented to include dangers of shaking a child will be implemented by CDSS January 1, 2018

Emergency preparedness and response planning for emergencies resulting from a natural disaster, or man-caused event (such as violence at a child care facility), within the meaning of hose terms under section 602(a)(1) of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (42 U.S.C. 5195a(a)(1)

● Required under 1596.866(a)(3) as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(a)(5) and (a)(8)-(9)

Handling and storage of hazardous materials and the appropriate disposal of bio contaminants


● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(1)(A)—(B), (b)(2)(B), and (b)(2)(E)

Precautions in transporting children (if applicable)


● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(b)(2)(F)

First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) certification

● Required under 1596.866(a)(2)(A as part of the preservice Health and Safety Practices Training and required every two years

● Required course content is outlined and approved by the EMSA pursuant to 22 CCR Section 1000000.30(a)

82

Appendix F: Application Checklist

This checklist has been created to assist applicants in ensuring that the submitted QCC Workforce Pathways application is both accurate and complete. A signed copy of this checklist must be included as part of the application package and uploaded within SurveyMonkey.

Except for the components and forms described below, applications should not include any additional attachments or appendices. All budget amounts on all forms must agree. An application with incomplete or conflicting amounts in the Budget Forms will be considered incomplete.

Applications must include the following components in their online submission:

❏ Appendix F: Application Checklist (completed, signed, uploaded)❏ Form A: Partner Signatures (uploaded)❏ Form B: QCC Workforce Development Plan (answers completed in survey)❏ Form C: Budget Narrative and Form (in budget template, uploaded)

Certification: I certify that I have reviewed and confirmed that the application for the QCC Workforce Pathways grant included herein is presented in the order and format described in this checklist and that the program narrative contains all the required components.

___________________________________________

Reviewer Signature (electronic signature is allowed)

___________________________________________

Date

___________________________________________

Print or Type Name and Title of the Reviewer

83

rfa-19: qcc elc workforce development … · web viewresearch demonstrates that professionals...

Documents