Preparing for Bright & Early
New to Bright & Early ND?
Child Care Aware® of North Dakota partners with Bright & Early ND, to provide coaching and support to child care programs and preschools working toward quality rating and school readiness. Child Care Aware® coaches work with early childhood teachers and care providers to implement strategies that improve and confirm the quality of their program to parents and communities.
Partner Benefits and Resources
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Grants & Scholarships
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Material and Equipment Grants are available to programs receiving coaching in pursuit of Step 2 of Bright & Early ND. There must be proof of a demonstrated need to receive a grant. Grant amounts requested may range from $400-$1600, dependent on license type and proof of demonstrated need.
GRANT REQUIRMENTS
- Complete Application
- Completed QIP, verified by a coach and submitted with application, that will be used to show demonstrated need.
- Be an active Bright & Early ND Step 2 cohort
- Working with a Child Care Aware of North Dakota coach -
Aim4Excellence is an online national director credential for early childhood administrators. This nine-module credential, earned while on-the-job, focuses on the essential knowledge and skills you need to deliver high-quality programming for children.
The credential retails at $1575. The scholarship has a value of $1181.25, which covers 75% of the cost for each module. The applicant is responsible for 25% of the cost of each module (or a total of$393.75 for all nine modules). Applicants must meet the following requirements:• Complete an ONLINE APPLICATION
• Be a North Dakota resident
• Work as a program administrator/director/assistant director in a child care center
• Be employed in a program actively participating in a Bright & Early Step 2, 3, 4, or Maintaining Quality cohort
• Be a Growing Futures member with a Career Pathways placement at Category A or higher
• Must commit to complete all nine modules in 12-18 months
• Agree to work with a CQI coach to discuss goals and implement program improvements -
> Reduced Rates for Professional Development
Participating programs will receive reduced registration for required Bright & Early ND Professional Development. Contact your Child Care Aware of North Dakota coach for more information.
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Step 2: Evaluate Your Program's Strengths
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Environment Rating Scales are a way for you to evaluate the strengths of your program and identify areas that need improvement. You can use these guides for self-evaluation or with assistance from a Child Care Aware® coach. Learn more about Environment Rating Scales at www.ersi.info
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Early Childhood Environment Rating Scale - Revised EditionDesigned to assess group programs for children of preschool through kindergarten age, 3 through 5.
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Infant/Toddler Environment Rating Scale, Revised EditionDesigned to assess group programs for children from birth to 3 years of age.
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Family Child Care Environment Rating Scale, Revised EditionDesigned to assess family child care programs conducted in a provider's home for children from infancy through school-age.
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Step 3: Evaluate Children's Outcomes
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Teaching Strategies GoldGrounded in 38 research-based objectives for development and learning, GOLD® supports effective teaching and assessment, while providing you with more time to spend with the children in your program. Accessed through MyTeachingStrategies™, GOLD® automatically links teaching and assessment, making it easier to connect the dots across the most important aspects of high-quality early childhood education.
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Step 4: Evaluate Interactions
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The interactions teachers have with children impact learning, development—even lifelong achievement. CLASS is the observation tool developed to assess these interactions: from infant care through 12th grade. To learn more connect with your Child Care Aware of North Dakota coach or visit http://teachstone.com/
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CLASS - InfantDesigned for classrooms where children range in age from birth through 18 months, the Infant CLASS measure is organized under one domain that captures the key interactions between caregivers and infants that predict children's learning and development: Responsive Caregiving.
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CLASS- ToddlerDesigned for classrooms where children range in age from 15 months through 36 months, the Toddler CLASS measure is organized under two domains that capture the key interactions between caregivers and toddlers that predict children's learning and development: Emotional and Behavioral Support and Engaged Support for Learning.
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CLASS-PreKDesigned for classrooms where children range in age from 3 to 5 years old, the Pre-K CLASS measure is organized under three domains that capture the key interactions between caregivers and preschool age children that predict children's learning and development: Emotional Support, Classroom Organization, and Instructional Support.
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Professional Development Standards
