Eric.ed.gov – Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3

Much attention during the past decade has been given to the need to develop a well-trained early childhood education workforce. In order to address this need, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) awarded Early Childhood Educator Preparation Program Innovation (EPPI) grants to institutions of higher learning. The IBHE funded partnerships, comprised of two- and four-year institutions, to further develop models for early childhood educator preparation and build capacity in key areas of need. Recipients used grant funds to develop a wide range of seamless pathways for degree and credential attainment through innovative articulation and alignment of curriculum initiatives, strategies for advising and supporting transfer students, and aligning assessments to demonstrate candidate progress toward or attainment of key competencies. Promising practices to improve quality field experience placements, early math learning, bilingual/English language learning, and infant/toddler development were also implemented. This report presents results from a qualitative implementation study of the initiatives undertaken by the EPPI grant recipients. The authors begin by describing the background of the project and the methods of the investigation. They then describe the primary catalysts that motivated and provided context for the work of the grantees. Next, they describe the major innovations being implemented with the grant and the core components and specific challenges associated with each innovation and lessons learned from grantees’ experiences. Then the authors discuss the primary barriers to implementation and grantees’ strategies for overcoming these obstacles. The report concludes with a discussion of major themes emerging from this research and implications for both policy and practice. The following are appended: (1) General Interview Protocol; (2) Supplemental Interview Protocols; and (3) Codebook. [For the executive summary, “Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3. Executive Summary,” see ED574329. For the research highlights, “Innovations for High Quality, Aligned Early Childhood Educator Preparation. IERC 2016-3. Research Highlights,” see ED574330.]