Competency Frameworks for Infant and Toddler Teachers and Caregivers in Texas
Evidence | Publications

Competency Frameworks for Infant and Toddler Teachers and Caregivers in Texas

OPRE report #2022-319
Published: Dec 30, 2022
Publisher: Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Human Services Early Childhood Early Childhood Systems Professional Development Child Development Federal
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Associated Project

Infant and Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC)

Time frame: 2017-2023

Prepared for:

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation

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Key Findings
  • The CIRCLE Infant & Toddler Teacher Competencies framework was based on the CIRCLE Pre-K Competency Framework used in a statewide professional development program that provides supports and coaching to early childhood teachers and caregivers on setting goals, monitoring child development, and developing curricula.
  • Two sets of videos grounded in the competencies are available for free on a web-based professional development and assessment platform. One set of training videos demonstrates how the competencies can be used in interactions with children, and another set demonstrates activities and lessons based on the competencies. Infant and toddler specialists and coaches use the videos to guide discussions in Professional Learning Communities, and teachers and caregivers participating in a state quality improvement initiative view the videos as part of their individualized coaching plans.
  • Infant and toddler specialists and coaches use the Competency Observation Tool to observe teachers’ and caregivers’ competencies in a child care or early education setting and then work with them to set goals and create an action plan to prioritize the types of professional development and competency-based practice needed.
  • Institutions of higher education use the framework, but implementation is not tracked.
  • The framework is not tied to licensing requirements, but it is being incorporated into the state’s quality rating and improvement system. The competencies are also being incorporated into a micro-credentialing process through which teachers and caregivers can earn a “badge” for each competency demonstrated, and then receive a micro-credential when all badges in a certain area are earned.

To support the quality of care for infants and toddlers, many states have developed competency frameworks to outline specific competencies (that is, knowledge, skills, and attributes) that are essential to the practice of teaching and caring for infants and toddlers. The Infant and Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) project conducted in-depth case studies of five states to learn about the processes and practices that facilitate use of competency frameworks and how competencies in those frameworks are assessed.

This profile provides an overview of the CIRCLE Infant & Toddler Teacher Competencies, a competency framework developed in Texas to advance early childhood education by outlining the teacher and caregiver practices and behaviors that best promote infant and toddler development.

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