Toolkit for Providing Resources to Support Program Quality

The Resources Toolkit materials can help early learning leaders:

• Use resources wisely to improve program quality
• Make the most of professional development so staff can grow their skills
• Offer peer learning opportunities so staff can learn from each other

Key questions for early learning leaders:

• How do you create the right environment for education staff and home visitors to do their best work?
• How do your program’s rules and systems show that you value and support education staff?

Activity 1: Resources to Promote Program Quality

This part of the toolkit helps early learning leaders improve their programs by learning from others. Using outside experts and fresh perspectives can lead to new ideas, better practices, and stronger results.

Objectives

1. Respond quickly and effectively when staff ask for help.
2. Offer different types of support to help staff grow through professional development.

Individualized Professional Development Plan Profile and Action Plan

To succeed in any job, people need to keep learning and building new skills. This doesn’t happen on its own — it starts with a clear plan and a strong vision. It also takes hard work, a commitment to lifelong learning, and being responsible for your growth. When early learning leaders help staff set career goals, they inspire and motivate them to take charge of their own professional journey. Individualized Professional Development Plan (IPDP) tools and resources available on HeadStart.gov help early learning leaders and staff identify and follow their career pathways. IPDPs can also support coaching.

The Head Start Program Performance Standards 1302.92(b)(1) require program leaders to use a clear and organized plan for staff training and professional development. This includes helping staff complete at least 15 hours of training each year. (45 CFR §1302.92(b)). Early learning leaders should work with education staff to create a professional development plan together and check on it regularly. At the same time, education staff are also responsible for their own growth. They should take part in the planning, talking about their goals, and staying active in their learning.

This HR Matters video discusses career development and the use of IPDPs. An IPDP helps programs create and track learning goals with staff. The guide, along with sample forms, is useful for programs that don’t already have a formal way to plan professional development — or for those exploring new options. The webpage includes examples of completed forms to show how these plans can support staff growth and learning. These examples help staff and leaders see what a strong plan looks like and how it can guide professional development.

Examples of plans for educational staff include:

• Child Development Specialist
• Coach
• Early Head Start Center-based Teacher
• Disability Services Coordinator
• Education Manager
• Family Child Care Provider
• Head Start Preschool Center-based Assistant Teacher
• Head Start Preschool Center-based Teacher
• Home Visitor

Who, What, and How of Resources

Use this handout to reflect and plan for staff growth.

Activity 2: Make the Most of Professional Development

This section of the toolkit helps early learning leaders gain skills for creating and delivering effective professional development.

Objectives

1. Use different ways to present information, like visuals, hands-on activities, and group discussions.
2. Get participants involved so they stay active and interested.
3. Build on what staff already know to make learning more meaningful.
4. Keep theories simple and turn them into fun, interactive learning experiences.

Training Design Tips

To maximize the impact of professional development, effective early learning leaders use these key practices.

1. Include peer learning opportunities into all professional development training experiences.

Peer learning focuses on real-world problems, making knowledge more useful and easier to apply. It creates a supportive space where staff can talk about challenges and celebrate successes together.

Tips for including peer learning in group professional development include:

• Give staff chances to think about and share what they know and have learned. Include small group discussions to encourage staff to share their expertise or raise questions.
• Use guided feedback sessions with staff to offer suggestions for improvement or new ideas to try (See Warm Seat Activity for an example).
• Encourage staff to lead training on topics of their choice or interest.
• Consider organizing Together Learning and Collaborating (TLC) with groups of staff.

2. Turn theory into practice through modeling, breaking elements of practice into small steps, and connecting it to program goals and outcomes.

Our brains naturally recognize and remember patterns. One useful pattern is the “Power of Three,” a storytelling principle that helps us remember and understand information more easily. Focusing on three key points can improve learning and memory.

Why the Power of Three Works

• Pattern Recognition. Our brains are wired to detect patterns. Presenting information in groups of three makes it easier to understand and remember it.
• Cognitive Load Management. Presenting information in threes  makes it easier to understand and complete tasks. When we balance the cognitive load, learning is more effective and efficient, making it easier to remember information.
• Chunking Information. The Power of Three works with the idea of chunking, which means breaking information into smaller pieces to help us remember it. These pieces can be learned separately and then put together to understand more complex ideas, skills, or tools. 

Examples of the Power of Three

• In storytelling: “The Three Little Pigs,” “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” Greek mythology’s three Fates, and The Three Musketeers
• CLASS® Domains: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support
• Practice-based Coaching Steps: Shared Goals and Action Planning, Focused Observation, and Reflection and Feedback

Examples of Using the Power of Three in Training with Staff

• Share the top three things that staff need to know about the training:
  • Why is this training important?
    • What do I need to know?
    • What do I do with the information provided?
• Organize training around three key concepts or ideas.
  Example: “During today’s training, we are going to talk about ways to individualize children’s learning using the teach, assess, adjust cycle.
• Break down new or complex tasks into three manageable steps. 
  Example: “Our new online system for collecting ongoing child assessment data has three important steps. Let’s review and practice the first step.”
• Encourage staff to share three ways they will use new information or skills. Example: “In your small group, share your three take-aways from today’s training. One thing, idea, or strategy you plan to try. One way you will share what you learned with someone else. And one idea or strategy you want to learn more about.”
  Example: “How could this approach support our outcomes for children, families, and our team?”

3. Provide professional development that uses different ways of presenting information, encourages active participation, and builds on what has already been learned. 

Multimodal training uses different ways to engage our senses and thinking — seeing, hearing, and doing. By using different images, sounds, and hands-on activities, learners make more brain connections, helping them understand and remember better.

Presenting information in different ways helps learners understand and organize content better. This approach breaks down complex ideas into smaller parts, making it easier to learn without feeling overwhelmed.

Support varying learning preferences. Learners have different preferences — some learn best with visual aids, others with sounds, and some through hands-on activities. Multimodal training meets these needs, making learning more supportive and effective for everyone .By using discussions, simulations, and physical activities, multimodal training keeps learners engaged. This approach helps them understand better, keeps their interest, and creates a more dynamic learning experience.

Promote real-world application. Include activities that are like real-life situations. This helps staff apply skills and concepts in work or daily life.

• Use of visual aids, hands-on activities, and discussions helps staff link new information with past knowledge and experiences, strengthening their understanding.
• Offer chances to engage with content in different ways. This supports creative thinking, problem-solving, and working together to handle challenges.

Try it out!

The 5Rs Training Planning Form helps early learning leaders create training by breaking content into manageable chunks and offering different ways to learn. Use it to plan your next group training with your staff!

Activity 3: Helping Staff Use Each Other as Resources

Give staff chances to share ideas and experiences. This helps everyone speak the same language, understand each other better, and work together more smoothly. Peer sharing builds teamwork and keeps practices consistent across the program.

Objectives

1. Include peer learning in training so staff can share ideas and grow together.
2. Break content into smaller parts to help staff understand and remember it better.
3. Use practical strategies to give staff the time, tools, and support they need every day — this helps them do their best work and feel supported.

Group Coaching and Communities of Practice Comparison

Effective early learning leaders use resources like funding, materials, and staff time to help education staff grow in their work. They offer training, tools and learning opportunities, and they create a supportive space where teamwork is encouraged. Leaders can include learning activities and discussions in team meetings and group training. This helps staff use what they learn right away in their daily work. Peer learning groups, like group coaching and communities of practice, help staff keep learning after formal training ends. These groups recognize the skills staff already have and encourage them to support each another and help with program planning. In these groups, staff value each other’s knowledge, which builds a stronger sense of professionalism.

The benefits of group coaching and communities of practice include:

• Learning from Different Perspectives: Helps staff think more deeply and understand new ideas.
• Sharing Knowledge and Experiences: Makes learning more meaningful.
• Increasing Motivation and Responsibility: Encourages staff to stay committed to their  goals.
• Encouraging Creative Problem-solving: Helps teams come up with new ideas and solutions.
• Providing Emotional Support: Builds confidence and makes it easier to try new things.

Early learning leaders can use the following the comparison to determine which type of peer group best works their program’s needs and resources.

Head Start Coaching Companion for Peer Learning Groups

The Head Start Coaching Companion is an online and mobile tool that helps early childhood staff and coaches share videos and give feedback. It allows people to work together even when they aren’t in the same place.

Coaches and staff can use this tool to track progress in three key parts of Practice-based Coaching (PBC): Shared Goals and Action Planning, Focused Observation, and Reflection and Feedback. Even though PBC was made for Head Start programs, other coaching models can also use the Coaching Companion. It helps staff stay connected and continue learning, even outside of regular meetings. 

Here are some ways early learning leaders can use Coaching Companion with groups:

• Group leaders use it to send messages, plan meetings, and share resources.
• Educators watch videos of strong teaching practices and share them with others.
• Coaches build a collection of helpful materials like articles or lesson plans.
• Staff ask questions and give each other feedback.
• Educators review each other’s videos and suggest ways to improve learning environment setup or adult–child interactions.

Learn more about the Head Start Coaching Companion, including how to sign up for a free account.