IERC and IBHE Publish Innovative Pathway Model to Help Prepare Early Childhood Educators
The Illinois Education Research Council (IERC) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) have published the policy brief, Advancing the Illinois Early Childhood Education Workforce: A Model College and Career Pathway.
The brief proposes and describes a pathway model to help the early childhood workforce ensure that young children thrive and reach their potential at each stage in their development. Reaching this goal will help build on the existing early childhood credentialing and postsecondary degree structure in Illinois to create a seamless system of vertically-aligned preparation for the early childhood workforce.
“This brief represents the kind of creative, solution-oriented work that happens when state agencies and institutions of higher education collaborate and bring the best of their strengths to solving problems,” said Stephanie Bernoteit, senior associate director for Academic Affairs at the IBHE and lead author of the policy brief.
The policy report also describes the rationale for its development and concludes with recommendations for Illinois policymakers and state agencies, as well as for higher education institutions to continue to develop and advance the early childhood workforce in Illinois.
“The policy report builds on past research of the IERC in early childhood educator preparation, including our recently released report (IERC 2016-3) describing innovations in early childhood educator preparation in Illinois,” said Janet Holt, co-author of the report and IERC executive director. “It also builds on the incredible work being done by early childhood faculty across Illinois, in partnership with IBHE and other state agencies and organizations, as is highlighted in the recently published monograph, Voices from the Field.”
The complete report is available at Advancing the Illinois Early Childhood Education Workforce: A Model College and Career Pathway. For more information, call the IERC at (618) 650-2840 or (866) 799-4372.
The Illinois Education Research Council is an independent research organization that conducts education policy research on issues of import to the state of Illinois. Since 2009, it has been the legislated research arm of the Illinois P-20 Council. Our policy research follows important educational trends in Illinois and is disseminated through our research reports, presentations to the Illinois P-20 Council and its subcommittees and through conference presentations.
