Head Start Teaching Centers
Fourteen Head Start Teaching Centers have been established to demonstrate an innovative approach for training Head Start staffs. Teaching Centers provide on-site training in an exemplary Head Start program. The training addresses all component areas; is based on observation, practice, and feedback; stems from a careful training needs assessment -- both with the trainee and the grantee as a whole; and emphasizes "learning by doing." In some cases the Teaching Center will provide on-site follow up. This training approach provides opportunities to tailor the learning experience to the specific needs of individual participants and grantees, respecting the uniqueness of each program.
Most Teaching Centers have installed two-way windows next to classrooms and have developed learning centers which combine teaching, practice, and observation opportunities. The Migrant and Indian program have a special focus on bilingual and cultural strategies related to the populations they serve. The Teaching Centers spent their first year planning and piloting their programs and began full operation in September 1993.
Each Teaching Center has a service area of grantees from which it draws trainees. Participants are identified by their grantees which must pay the travel and per diem costs of the training. Most Teaching Centers have developed low cost living arrangements and make every effort to create a supportive living and learning environment.
The Teaching Centers represent a variety of Head Start settings, including programs operated from public schools, single-purpose agencies, Community Action Agencies, universities, and Indian Tribes. A Migrant grantee and a home-based grantee are also included.
To find our about participating in the training of a Head Start Teaching Center,call the Center nearest you. If you are a Migrant or Indian program, contact the Teaching Centers which serve these program. The Teaching Center staff can tell you whether you are in their service area, the schedule and focus of training sessions, and the costs of lodging in the area.
Resources For Early Childhood Training:
An Annotated Bibliography
This resource guide contains an extensive index of resources for the Child Development Associate (CDA) candidate, organized into the 13 CDA Functional Areas; models of college-based CDA training demonstration projects; summary reports on these projects; and a section on the Council's own nationwide one-year training program, the CDA Professional Preparation Program (CDA P3).
National Directory of Early Childhood Teacher Preparation Institutions
This directory lists 610 formal education programs in early childhood/childhood development in 49 States, the District of Columbia, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands.
Also listed are institutions that have indicated interest in offering seminar instruction during Phase II of the CDA Professional Preparation Program (CDA P3).
For a copy of either of these publications, or for more information on the Council or on CDA requirements, contact:
The Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition
1341 G Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005-3105
202/265-9090; 800/424-4310