Welcome

The Ohio Professional Development Network provides a forum for input and involvement of childhood advocacy and professional organizations, and their public and private partners to examine childhood professional development initiatives. This collaborative partnership continues its efforts to strengthen and build a system that provides support for the continued growth, learning, and advancement of childhood professionals in Ohio.

Vision

A system for delivery of quality early childhood services that includes a comprehensive, coordinated, accessible, and flexible professional development system.

Key principles of Ohio's professional development system

• Clearly defined roles and responsibilities, coordinated across all setting, with levels for advancing within and across responsibilities and roles, with compensation increases to match increased education, experience, and responsibility.
• Coordinated cross-systems training, monitored for quality, with a tracking system that leads to role advancement.
• Articulation agreements across levels of training and institutions.

Outcomes

Through preparation of highly skilled and educated practitioners:

• Children will reach their full potential as learners, earners, citizens, and individuals.
• Families will have access to supports they need to achieve their goals.

Elements of Ohio's Professional Development System

Over 36 states have professional development systems for the early childhood field. Wheelock College describes these common elements of professional development systems:

1. A defined core body of knowledge and competencies.
2. A career lattice that defines levels of training and education for various roles, and that makes pathways visible.
3. Practitioner registries that verify qualifications.
4. Training delivery systems that support articulation, and that link community-based training with higher education.
5. Formal training and trainer approval process to ensure consistency and quality of training.
6. Centralized information systems to coordinate regional training notices.
7. Specialized credentials and certificates, such as Infant/Toddler, Director, and School Age Professional.
8. Leadership development and mentoring programs.
9. Compensation and benefits initiatives that are linked to education and training accomplishments.