ARPA-Build a World Class Workforce and Strengthen Adult-Child Interaction
RECRUIT AND TRAIN NEW TEACHERS
Purpose
Recruit and Train New Teachers provides financial supports to assist with recruiting new early learning educators to work in programs in Palm Beach County
Who is Eligible?
Eligible Programs: Contracted School Readiness (SR)/Voluntary Prekindergarten (VPK) or non-contracted early learning programs.
Eligible Educators: Hired between 7/1/2022 and 6/30/2023.
What are the Requirements and Benefits?
Maintaining documentation of training completion is required and will need to be submitted to receive incentive.
Participating educators would be eligible for the following incentives:
Incentive One:
- $500 recruitment bonus, upon successful completion of background screening and at least 120 hours of employment.
- Providers must attest to the completion to receive incentive.
Incentive Two:
- $700 bonus, upon completion of Department of Children and Families (DCF) 45-hour health & safety training
- Certificate must be provided to receive incentive.
Incentive Three:
- $600 bonus upon completion of CLASS Virtual and/or Online Trainings between 7/1/2022- 6/30/2023:
- Preschool Teachers complete - 23.5 hours including
- CLASS Foundations
- My Teachstone Learn About Videos
- Infant/Toddler Teachers complete- 21 hours including
- Interactions of the Heart of Healing, Thinking and Thriving,
- My Teachstone Learn About Videos, A CLASS Primer for
- I/T Teachers, Introduction to Toddler Tool and My
- Teachstone Course for I/T.
- Preschool Teachers complete - 23.5 hours including
How to Apply:
The application will be available online through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County platform. We will share an application link in January 2023.
UPSKILL DIRECTORS
Purpose
Upskill Directors provides incentives for early learning directors to promote high quality adult-child interactions in their programs by completing CLASS approved trainings.
Who is Eligible?
Eligible Programs: Contracted School Readiness (SR)/Voluntary Recruit Prekindergarten (VPK) or non-contracted early learning programs.
Eligible Early Learning Directors who complete training between 7/1/2022- 6/30/23
What are the Requirements and Benefits?
Maintaining documentation of training completion is required and will need to be submitted to receive incentive.
Participating Early Learning Directors would be eligible for the following incentive:
$750.00 upon completion of 29 hours of CLASS foundational training by 6/30/2023. There are two different training packages:
- Package A- 29 hours of Virtual training including:
- A CLASS Primer for Leaders
- Instructional Support Essentials for Teachers
- Interactions of the Heart of Healing
- Instructional Support Essentials for Coaches
- Feedback Training for Coaches
- Package B- 29 hours of Virtual and Face to Face training including Interactions of the Heart of Healing and CLASS Group Coaching.
How to Apply:
The application will be available online through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County platform. We will share an application link in January 2023.
CHILD SUCCESS
Purpose
Child Success seeks to positively affect child outcomes by improving teacher-child interactions by offering CLASS approved training to early learning educators, staff, and administrators.
Who is Eligible?
Contracted School Readiness and/or Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) providers with a CLASS composite score below a 5.0, or without a CLASS score.
(SR Providers to find your CLASS score, please visit the QPS system. VPK-only providers, your CLASS score is found in the e-mail sent from the Coalition CLASS Assessment Team.)
What Are the Requirements and Benefits?
Directors must complete the training with educator staff to maximize the benefits to the whole program. Maintaining documentation of training completion is required and will need to be submitted to receive incentive. Full site participation is required.
Trainings consist of two 24-hour segments of Division of Early Learning (DEL) approved training on adult/child interaction. Both segments are not required. Training must be completed between 7/1/2022-6/30/2023
- Segment 1 (required) - Virtual trainings include Interactions of the Heart of Healing, Instructional Support for Coaches, Instructional Support for Teachers, CLASS Observation Support for Dual Language Learners and CLASS Observation Support for Children with Disabilities.
- Segment 2 (optional) – Face-to-face training includes CLASS Group Coaching.
Qualified individuals will receive the following incentives:
- Educators will receive a $500 completion bonus for the first segment and $600 for the second segment.
- Directors will receive a $700 completion bonus for the first segment and $800 for the second segment.
*Performance Bonus. Providers are eligible for a performance bonus if their program achieves a CLASS composite score of 5.0 or higher or the CLASS composite score improves by 0.5 or more. Eligible assessments must be a regularly scheduled and occur prior to 6/15/2023 to be eligible.
Performance Bonus for Educators: $500.00 Performance Bonus for Directors $600.00
How To Apply:
The application will be available online through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County platform. We will share an application link in January 2023.
OBSERVER DIRECTOR TRAINING
Purpose
CLASS Observer Director Training Grants incentivize Voluntary Pre-K (VPK), or School Readiness (SR) contracted directors with a CLASS composite score below a 5.0, to complete CLASS Pre-K and/or Infant/Toddler Observer Trainings.
Who Is Eligible?
Directors employed with a Voluntary Pre-K or School Readiness contracted providers with a CLASS composite score below a 5.0
(SR Providers to find your CLASS score, please visit the QPS system. VPK only providers, your CLASS score is found in the e-mail sent from the Coalition CLASS Assessment Team.)
What the Requirements and Benefits?
Required training is the CLASS Pre-K or Infant/Toddler Observer training which is two days in length. Training must be completed between 7/1/2022-6/30/2023. Maintaining documentation of training completion is required and will need to be submitted to receive incentive.
Qualified individuals will receive the following incentives:
Directors who complete one observer virtual training will receive a $1,200.00 bonus.
- 14-hour Observer Training for Preschoolers
- 14-hour Observer Training for Toddlers
How to Apply:
The application will be available online through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County platform. We will share an application link in January 2023.
CONTINUOUS QUALITY IMPROVEMENT
Purpose
Continuous Quality Improvement Grants are aimed at strengthening practices that support effective interactions, strengthen business and leadership practices, support child assessment and screening with reliability or other local priorities.
Who Is Eligible?
Contracted School Readiness and/or Voluntary Pre-K (VPK) providers with a CLASS composite score of 5.0 or higher.
(SR Providers to find your CLASS score, please visit the QPS system. VPK-only providers, your CLASS score is found in the e-mail sent from the Coalition CLASS Assessment Team.
What are the Requirements and Benefits?
Eligible programs must strengthen practices that support effective interactions, strengthen business and leadership practices, support child assessment and screening with reliability, or other local priorities.
Maintaining documentation of training completion is required and will need to be submitted to receive incentive. Full site participation is required.
A program must provide a minimum of 24 hours of training time including live coaching, live instruction, virtual instruction, individual and group instruction, and other competency-based skill development exercises. Trainings are specific to DEL identified trainings as well as trainings prescribed by your coach.
Providers must have their coach participate in the planning and coaching process.
The Director must participate in the training along with staff, so the entire program benefits from the grant efforts. Funds can cover any program costs, including compensating employees for their training time.
Qualified programs will receive the following incentive:
Total grant amount per program is up to $19,800.
How To Apply:
The application will be available online through the Early Learning Coalition of Palm Beach County platform. We will share an application link in January 2023.
