Diane Richter followed the policies and practices of her child care center employer, but she wasn't always sure why what she did was considered quality child care. Richter has worked as a preschool teacher for 2-year-olds at a two-star child care center for more than 12 years. The center's director encouraged Richter to apply for the Scholars for Excellence program. Richter will soon have her certificate of mastery from Oklahoma City Community College.
"I've always worked in child care and have had no formal training," said Richter. "I've found all my coursework so interesting and eye-opening. I've learned the how's and why's to do things."
Diedre Carpenter has worked at the Oklahoma City Community College Child Development Center Lab School, a three-star facility and model site, as the Scholars coordinator for a year.
"I help child care providers with the college admission process, I help them apply for the scholarships, as well as the Pell Grant," said Carpenter, who previously worked as assistant director for Head Start. "Many child care providers are intimidated by college. I offer them support and information."
Aryanna Hooshinarnejad, 5, appreciated the extra efforts.
Well-trained teachers help determine child care quality. In early 2000, the Reaching for the Stars program received national attention for its potential to significantly improve the quality of child care in Oklahoma. One of the few disappointments, however, was the slow participation rates of child care providers in moving up the Stars levels. Child care providers identified higher educational levels as a major barrier. Providers admitted reluctance, fear and low literacy levels kept them from taking college courses. The child care industry reflected low pay and a turnover rate of 44 percent. A program was needed to improve the quality of care in licensed child care facilities, reduce staff turnover in the field of child care, improve child care staff educational opportunities and increase teacher compensation.
Child care partners identified two-year colleges as an avenue. Given their geographic locations, their ability to quickly respond to community-based, economic development workforce needs and evidence of early childhood programs already in place, child care partners recommended that the two-year college system could aggressively respond to Oklahoma's child care dilemma.
Scholars for Excellence in Child Care, a partnership with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, as well as child care providers, emerged. Seventeen scholar coordinators located at two-year colleges (including branch campuses) recruit, mentor and encourage teachers and directors working in licensed child care facilities to pursue a Child Development Associate credential, certificate of mastery or associate's degree in early childhood education or child development.
The colleges provide early childhood courses at a time, in a specific sequence and at a location convenient and readily available for child care teachers and directors to timely complete their programs.
The two-year colleges provide any necessary support services needed to enhance the child care teachers' success.
Oklahoma State Regents administers a scholarship program that pays 80 percent of the tuition and fee costs, 100 percent of the textbooks associated with the coursework and offers a CDA assessment scholarship. An educational stipend is paid for coursework completed.
Approximately 2,500 child care teachers and directors participated in the Scholars program since its inception in September 2000. More than 200 child care teachers and directors obtained a CDA credential. Another 1,528 teachers and directors earned a certificate of mastery and 282 teachers and directors obtained an associate's degree.
- 1,905 child care facilities received two star recognition in fiscal year 2005
- 170 facilities received three star recognition in fiscal year 2005