Technical Assistant

Early Childhood Instructors & Technical Assistants - Technical Assistant

 

Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood

Technical Assistants

 

Individualized Professional Development

 

Technical Assistants are defined as those who facilitate positive change through relationship-based professional development for individuals and/or small groups.  This professional development may include one or more strategy to facilitate continuous growth.  Throughout the relationship, technical assistants may facilitate or link individuals or groups to formalized group professional development and/or create Communities of Learning around specific topics or content areas.

The strategies utilized are:

  • Mentoring: Facilitating formal one-on-one growth-based personal relationships; individual focused; goal focused and reflective; fostering continuous growth in knowledge, skills, competencies and practice
  • Coaching: Facilitating performance-based outcomes; content specific; connected to specific knowledge & skill; topic focused; model demonstration
  • Providing Technical Assistance:  Supporting Individuals and Organizations in systemic improvement to reach specific regulations, funding, standards or best practice
  • Assessing: Providing accurate, complete and reliable data, using a specific instrument or tool, collects data on teacher, classroom or program
  • Consulting:  Providing technical assistance, mentoring, coaching and/or assessments in speciality area(s) outside of early childhood, i.e. health, mental health, nutrition, safety, social work, business and/or law; program focused or child focused (Early Interventionist: OT, PT, SLP, Part C, Part B 619)

Education Requirements:  Minimum BA/BS in EC, EE or related field with 15 EC/EE credits or equivalent professional development

Experience with Children/Youth:  Minimum 3 years

Experience Supporting Adult Learners:  Minimum 60 contact hours

Professional Development Requirements:  15 hrs. basic adult learner training, 5 hrs. reflective practice training & 5 hrs. evaluating outcomes training

Approval Period:  5 years

Renewal:  Actively participating in the formalized system; complete 15 clock hrs./CEUs in EC, EE or related topic; submit two letters of support; participate in bi-annual Institute meeting; satisfactory quality assurance results

Quality Assurance:  Institute data collection & reporting; evaluation rating; observation assessment; professional growth activity report; reflective summary report.

 

Technical Assistant Competencies

Professionalism and Ethics (PE)

Measurement Competency
S, O  .1  Respects diverse cultures, experiences and contexts
S, O  .2  Responds to diverse cultures, experiences and context
S, R  .3  Establishes and maintains professional boundaries, especially when serving in more than one role
S, R  .4  Maintains confidentiality
S, R  .5  Recognizes own limits of knowledge and experience in providing services, not accepting assignments outside those limits
P  .6  Seeks growth in areas of limited knowledge
P  .7  Sets and carries out own professional development goals
P  .8  Participates in professional activities to enhance own growth
P, NA  .9 Keeps current with changes in the Delaware early childhood system and standards
R .10  Reflects regularly on own practice
D .11 Adheres to DIEEC business practice policies and procedures
D .12  Reports complete and accurate information in a timely manner

 

Content Knowledge (CK)

Measurement Competency
P, R, D  .1  Documents broad base of knowledge, skill and experience in topic areas for which they are responsible
S, R  .2  Adapts content to context, based on early childhood setting
S, R  .3  Demonstrates knowledge of Delaware standards  and regulations, incorporating into content
P  .4  Updates knowledge of current theory and practice regularly
P, R  .5  Uses resources that are current and relevant

 

Goal-setting, Planning and Evaluation (GS)

Measurement Competency
S, R  .1  Sets goals and develops action plans collaboratively with clients
S, R  .2  Assists clients in gathering data to document progress toward goals
S, R  .3  Engages clients in reflective evaluation of data in order to determine progress toward goals, revised action plans and timelines
S, R  .4  Uses data to revise action plans and timelines
R  .5  Provides own objective assessment of progress toward goals
R  .6  Uses reflection on clients' progress to evaluate and improve on own work

 

Facilitation of Growth  (FG)

Measurement Competency
S, R  .1  Recognizes and builds on client's current knowledge, skills and practices
S, R  .2  Listens actively and asks clarifying questions to ensure understanding
S, R  .3  Communicates clearly and respectfully in speech and writing
S, R  .4  Uses questions to determine client's goals, questions, and current knowledge
S, R  .5  Engages in dialogue using examination of current practices in relation to best practice standards
S, R  .6  Uses open-ended questions to support reflection and engage in problem-solving
S, R  .7  Observes objectively to provide specific data about current pratices
S, R  .8  Uses modeling when appropriate to demonstrate best practices and how to reflect on those practices
S, R  .9  Communicates in way that match client's current needs, strengths and preferred ways of learning
S, R .10  Differentiates supports to match client's current needs, strengths and preferred ways of learning
S, R .11  Maintains appropriate balance between providing explicit direction and collaborative problem-solving with clients
S, R .12  Manages conflict effectively within role/responsibility
S, R .13  Supports client through all stages of change process
S, R .14  Prepares client to maintain continuous growth at the end of the relationship

Measurement Key

  • S    Client Survey
  • O    Direct Observation
  • P    Professional Growth Activity Report
  • R    Reflective Summary Report
  • D    DIEEC Registry and Evaluation Data
  • NA  Not Applicable