Skip to main content

Advertisement

Log in

Variation in State Early Childhood Lead Educator Qualifications: Pre-service Versus In-service Qualification, Professional Organization, and Geographical Proximity

  • Published:
Early Childhood Education Journal Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Early childhood (EC) educator qualifications shape the quality of education/care provided to children. Although past research demonstrates that EC educator qualifications are lower than recommended by research, little is known about how qualification attainment differs at the state level where policy change primarily occurs. Using restricted-access data from the National Survey of Early Care and Education, inclusive of all 50 states, the current study seeks to understand EC lead educator’s qualifications. We ran a cluster analysis to understand the variation between state workforces. We found that, at the state level, EC lead educator workforces cluster in four distinct groups, which we label: the Informally-Qualified Educator, the Non-EC Track Educator, the K-12 Aligned Educator, and the Pre-Service Trained Educator. We find the latter two clusters have the highest membership in unions and professional development associations. We also identify professional development, most likely to occur as in-service training, as the most common form of qualification. Finally, an emergent finding demonstrates evidence of geographical proximity across clusters. Findings contribute to a more adequate understanding of how the EC lead educator profession is qualified and, thus, permit informed policy decisions to support educators and improve the quality of EC care and education.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Data Availability

The data for this manuscript is restricted-use and can be accessed by applying to the National Survey of Early Care and Education.

Notes

  1. The remainder of the EC workforce includes other positions related to EC education, such as program directors, associate educators, etc.

  2. EC educators are distinguished in this paper as “in-service” educators currently employed in the EC profession, and “pre-service” educators currently working toward qualification while preparing to enter the EC profession (e.g., students in an EC degree program).

  3. Minimum standards for all center-based EC educators.

  4. While we refer to the entire EC educator population as the “EC profession,” we distinguish the state-level population of EC educators as a state’s “EC workforce” for both readability and to acknowledge the differences between the two populations (i.e., state-level workforces make up the EC profession).

  5. In this article, PD is defined as the training, both initial training prior to job entry (e.g., orientation) and ongoing training throughout career (e.g., annual training). NSECE measures PD as coaching, mentoring, consultation, meetings, workshops, and community college courses.

  6. The use of the NSECE secondary dataset provides two limitations: (1) measures and variables were constructed and defined to answer different research questions, and (2) educators may acquire qualifications not included in the survey, making workforces appear less qualified when they actually have different qualifications.

  7. Our reported results are indicative of how the group of educators in each cluster are qualified.

  8. The NSECE dataset moderates internal validity concerns. NSECE (2013b) surveys have a weighted completion rate of 71%. Data were collected to be representative of the workforce, sampling across regions and income levels.

  9. “Lead educator” is defined differently by state policies (i.e., lead, head, or teacher/educator). We include both educators and lead educators in our analysis. Lead educators were identified in the survey as “Teacher or instructor,” “Lead teacher,” “Direct or asst. director/Lead teacher,” or “Director or asst. director/teacher”.

  10. Experience is reported by NSECE (2012b) as the years of experience working with children for 1–10 years and then in 5-year increments after (i.e., 11–15 years).

  11. Education was measured by NSECE (2012b) as the highest degree and major. These variables were merged to determine highest degree and whether or not it was related to EC (e.g., relevant AA).

  12. Educators that did not report the state they worked in were removed from the analysis.

  13. Six was determined by the Elbow Method as the most appropriate cluster solution; however, this left a cluster with only 1 state and due to disclosure guidelines, this could not be reported. A 4-cluster solution made the most theoretical sense and did not provide theoretically different results compared to the 5- or 6-cluster solution. Thus, two clusters were combined.

  14. The NSECE Workforce dataset includes a sample of educators working with young children across center-based program types. All teaching positions refers to any educator working in the classroom with children (i.e., not in an administrative capacity), this includes any “lead teacher, teacher, assistant teacher, and aide” (NSECE, 2013b, p. 7).

  15. While many of NAEYC’s online resources are free, most are only available as part of membership, particularly opportunities for networking/connection.

  16. Our analysis does not permit us to understand causality. Further research needs to be undertaken to better examine the relationship between professional organization and qualification.

  17. Survey responses included: attained a state-level certification, attained a CDA certification, neither, or both. These responses are limiting. There is variation in state-level certifications and the available responses do not consider CDA type.

  18. Geographical proximity determined by comparing state regions as determined by the U.S. census. Retrieved from: https://www2.census.gov/geo/pdfs/maps-data/maps/reference/us_regdiv.pdf

  19. Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

  20. Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

  21. Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

  22. A forthcoming article by the authors analyzes the relationship between regulations in state childcare licensing polices governing EC educator qualification and the qualifications attained by lead educators.

References

  • Blundell, R., Dearden, L., Meghir, C., & Sianesi, B. (1999). Human capital investment: The returns from education and training to the individual, the firm, and the economy. Fiscal Studies, 20(1), 1–23.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burchinal, M., Cryer, D., Clifford, R. M., & Howes, C. (2002). Caregiver training and classroom quality in child care centers. Applied Developmental Science, 6(1), 2–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burchinal, M., Vandergrift, N., Pianta, R., & Mashburn, A. (2010). Threshold analysis of association between child care quality and child outcomes for low-income children in pre-kindergarten programs. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 25(2), 166–176.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Child Care Aware. (2013). We can do better: Child Care Aware of America’s ranking of state child care center regulations and oversight, 2013 update. https://www.childcareaware.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/wecandobetter_2013_final_april_11_0.pdf.

  • Connors, M. C., & Morris, P. A. (2015). Comparing state policy approaches to early care and education quality: A multidimensional assessment of quality rating improvement systems and child care licensing regulations. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 30, 266–279.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cowen, J. and Strunk, K. O. (2014). How do teachers’ unions influence education policy? What we know and what we need to learn. Education policy center. Michigan State University. https://education.msu.edu/EPC/library/documents/WP%2042%20How%20do%20teachers%20unions%20influence%20education%20policy.pdf.

  • Croninger, R. G., Rice, J. K., Rathbun, A., & Nishio, M. (2007). Teacher qualifications and early learning: Effects of certification, degree, and experience on first-grade student achievement. Economics of Education Review, 26(3), 312–324.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Early, D., Maxwell, K. L., Burchinal, M., Bender, R. H., Ebanks, C., & Zill, N. (2007). Teachers’ education, classroom quality, and young children’s academic skills: Results from seven studies of preschool programs. Child Development, 78(2), 558–580.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Early, D. M., Bryant, D. M., Pianta, R. C., Clifford, R. M., Burchinal, M. R., Ritchie, S., Howes, C., & Barbarin, O. (2006). Are teachers’ education, major, and credentials related to classroom quality and children’s academic gains in pre-kindergarten? Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 21, 174–195.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egert, F., Fukkink, R. G., & Eckhardt, A. G. (2018). The impact of in-service professional development programs for early childhood teachers on quality ratings and child outcomes: A meta-analysis. Review of Educational Research, 88(3), 401–433. https://doi.org/10.31102/0034654317751918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hong, S. L. S., Sabol, T. J., Burchinal, M. R., Tarullo, L., Zaslow, M., & Peisner-Feinberg, E. S. (2019). ECE quality indicators and child outcomes: Analyses of six large child care studies. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 49, 202–217.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Institute of Medicine and National Research Council (IOM NRC). (2015). Transforming the workforce for children birth through age 8: A unifying foundation. The National Academic Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kassambara, A. (2017). Practical guide to cluster analysis in R: Unsupervised machine learning. STHDA.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin, Y. C., & Magnuson, K. A. (2018). Classroom quality and children’s academic skills in child care centers: Understanding the role of teacher qualifications. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 42, 215–227.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madill, R., Blasberg, A., Halle, T., Zaslow, M., & Epstein, D. (2016). Describing the preparation and ongoing professional development of the infant/toddler workforce: An analysis of the National Survey for Early Care and Education data. OPRE Report #2016-16. OPRE, ACF, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • Maxwell, K. L., Field, C., & Clifford, R. M. (2005). Defining and measuring professional development in early childhood research. In M. Zaslow & I. Martinez-Beck (Eds.), Critical issues in early childhood professional development (pp. 21–48). Brookes Publishing.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mevawalla, Z., & Hadley, F. (2012). The advocacy of educators: Perspectives from early childhood. Australasian Journal of Early Childhood, 37(1), 74–80.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Morgan, K. J. (2005). The “production” of child care: How labor markets shape social policy and vice versa (pp. 243–263). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/sp/jxi013

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • National Center for Education Statistics. (2015). Digest of education statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/2015menu_tables.asp.

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2012a). National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE), [United States], 2012 (ICPSR 35519). https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR35519.v14.

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2012b). Codebook for workforce restricted-use data file. [Codebook].

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2013a). Number and characteristics of early care and education (ECE) teachers and caregivers: Initial findings from the national survey of early care and education (NSECE). OPRE Report #2013-38. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2013b). National survey of early care and education: Summary data collection and sampling methodology. OPRE Report #2013-46. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/opre.

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2015). Measuring predictors of quality in early care and education settings in the National Survey of Early Care and Education. OPRE Report #2015-93. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

  • National Survey of Early Care and Education Project Team (NSECE). (2019). Preliminary 2019 Workforce Data File. https://www.norc.org/Research/Projects/Pages/national-survey-of-early-care-and-education.aspx.

  • NICHD Early Child Care Research Network (NICHD). (2002). Child-care structure -> process -> outcome: Direct and indirect effects of child-care quality on young children’s development. American Psychological Society, 13(3), 199–206.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ott, L. (1988). An introduction to data analysis (3rd ed.). PWS Ken Publishing Company.

    Google Scholar 

  • Phillipsen, L. C., Burchinal, M. R., Howes, C., & Cryer, D. (1997). The prediction of process quality from structural features of child care. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 12, 281–303.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rucker, L., & Zajicek, A. (2020). Constructing early childhood teachers through state child care licensing policy: Toward a policy typology. Unpublished manuscript.

  • Son, S. H. C., Kwon, K. A., Jeon, H. J., & Hong, S. Y. (2013). Head Start classrooms and children’s school readiness benefit from teachers’ qualifications and ongoing training. Child & Youth Care Forum, 42, 525–553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10566-013-9213-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thornton, D., Stockhausen, M., Murphy, D., Fraga, L., Washington, V., Kemp, P., Melmed, M. (2020). Unifying framework for the early childhood education profession. http://powertotheprofession.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Power-to-Profession-Framework-03312020-web.pdf.

  • Torquati, J. C., Raikes, H., & Huddleston-Casas, C. A. (2007). Teacher education, motivation, compensation, workplace support, and links to quality of center-based child care and teachers’ intention to stay in the early childhood profession. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 22, 261–275.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vu, J. A., Jeon, H. J., & Howes, C. (2008). Formal education, credential or both: Early childhood program classroom practices. Early Education and Development, 19(3), 479–504. https://doi.org/10.1080/1040928080206306703

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitebook, M. (2003). Early education quality: Higher teacher qualifications for better learning environments: A review of the literature. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitebook, M. (2014). Building a skilled teacher workforce: Shared and divergent challenges in early care and education and in grades k-12. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitebook, M., Gomby, D., Bellm, D., Sakai, L., & Kipnis, F. (2009). Preparing teachers of young children: The Current state of knowledge, and a blueprint for the future (parts 1 and 2). Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitebook, M., King, E., Phillip, G., & Sakai, L. (2016). Teacher’s voices: Work environment conditions that impact teacher practice and program quality. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Whitebook, M., McLean, C., Austin, L. J. E., & Edwards, B. (2018). The Workforce Index 2018. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, University of California.

    Google Scholar 

  • Zaslow, M., Anderson, R., Redd, Z., Wessel, J., Tarullo, L., & Burchinal, M. (2010). Quality dosage, thresholds, and features in early childhood settings: A review of the literature, OPRE 2011–5. Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Larra Rucker.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Rucker, L., Zajicek, A. & Kerr, B. Variation in State Early Childhood Lead Educator Qualifications: Pre-service Versus In-service Qualification, Professional Organization, and Geographical Proximity. Early Childhood Educ J 51, 67–77 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01277-z

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-021-01277-z

Keywords

Navigation