Early Childhood Professional Development
Introduction
In the field of early childhood education, continual professional development is critical. Research is always discovering new and effective strategies, and the needs of children and families are always changing.
Early Childhood Education – The Impact of Professional Development
Teachers are an essential ingredient in children's success -- in school and in life. When we invest in teachers' professional development (PD), not only do teachers benefit, children also benefit as a result. 
In this video, Virginia teachers receiving enhanced PD reflect on their professional growth and children’s outcomes, and they share words of encouragement to fellow teachers.
Preschool
Preschool Learning Modules
Preschool Learning Modules are one-hour, multi-media learning modules that provide effective best practices to improve early childhood equality, access and impact. Currently four modules are available:
- Teaching Math Through Games
- Supporting Social problem Solving (SPS)
- Promoting Friendship Skills
- Encouraging Children's Early Writing.
General Professional Development Resources
- Virginia Preschool Initiative Plus (VPI+)
– supports for teachers and families that foster children's learning and development; includes coaching for teachers and support and resources for families. - Guidelines for the Prevention of Suspension and Expulsion of Young Children: Supporting Children with Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood Settings (Word)
- Virginia’s Competencies of Early Childhood Professionals (PDF) – This document provides the core body of knowledge and skills professionals need in order to support optimal growth and learning of children from birth to kindergarten
- Virginia Cross-Sector Professional Development Team (VCPD) – The VCPD promotes planning, implementation and evaluation of professional development with the intent to ensure coordination of all early childhood professional development in Virginia
- Education Resources Information Center
- Elementary and Early Childhood Education
- What Works Clearinghouse
- National Center for Children in Poverty
Classroom Schedules
- Focus on Quality: Creating an Early Childhood Classroom Schedule (Word) – Guidelines for creating daily classroom schedules that a school division or locality may implement or adapt. The guidelines include requirements for schools or localities receiving funds through the Virginia Preschool Initiative, which serve at-risk four-year-olds.
Transportation - Child Safety Restraint Systems
Child Care
- Child Care VA – Find training opportunities for child care providers in both classroom-based and distance learning formats.
- ChildCare Aware of America – Child Care Resource
- ChildCare Aware of Virginia
Virginia Special Education Professional Development Links
- Leadership in Effective and Developmentally-Appropriate Services in Early Childhood Special Education (LEADS) – This website supports the Virginia ECSE leaders responsible for administrative oversight of local ECSE programs
- VDOE’s TTAC Online – Training and Technical Assistance Centers (TTAC) provides resources, events and online training to support the education of individuals with disabilities
- Virginia Commonwealth University Autism Center for Excellence (VCU-ACE) – The VCU-ACE improves services and supports for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by promoting the implementation of research-based practices in schools and the community through training, technical assistance, research and collaboration.
- Virginia Early Intervention Professional Development – This site provides information, resources and a broad range of professional development efforts specifically designed for early interventionists, students, families, faculty and all committed to learning of young children
Professional Standards
- Virginia’s Competencies of Early Childhood Professionals (PDF) – This document provides the core body of knowledge and skills professionals need in order to support optimal growth and learning of children from birth to kindergarten.
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Knowledge and Skill Sets – The CEC Knowledge and Skill Sets delineate the essential knowledge and skills that beginning special education professionals must possess to be ready to begin their practice in specific areas. There are Knowledge and Skill Sets on Early Childhood Special Education/Early Intervention.
- Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Division of Early Childhood (DEC) and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Personnel Standards Alignment – This website provide a crosswalk of these organizations’ standards for personnel serving infants, young children and their families.
Recommended Practices
- Division for Early Childhood, Enhancing Services for Young Children with Disabilities Recommended Practices – The Division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children provides guidance to practitioners and families about the most effective ways to improve the learning outcomes and to promote the development of young children, birth through age five, who have or are at-risk for developmental delays or disabilities. The practices, in addition to other beneficial resources to implement the practices are provided.
- National Professional Development Center in Autism Spectrum Disorder, Evidence-Based Practices – The NPDC in ASD provides a list of interventions researchers have shown to be effective for students of various ages with ASD. The page contains the list of practices, as well as research briefs that describe how to implement each practice.
Read more about: K-12 Special Education Technical Assistance and Professional Development >>