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The Washington State Department of Children, Youth, and Families' (DCYF) new newsletter, Growing the Workforce, is a resource for all individuals who are in the business of delivering professional learning supports to the early learning workforce as well as the school-age workforce.
This quarterly newsletter takes place of the former Trainer Gazette.
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Would you like to continue providing in-service training? If so, it is time to complete your state-approved trainer renewal. The renewal process has several steps:
- Complete a survey before Dec. 31, 2020 (English version | Spanish version)
- Update all of your personal information in MERIT
- Review the Standards of Practice and Professionalism for State-Approved Training
DCYF will notify you if your survey submission was received; the confirmation email may be sent up to a week after your submission. Your trainer status will renew if you complete all of the action steps in this survey. If there are any issues with your renewal, we will notify you in the beginning of the next year when we input your data into MERIT.
Reminder: You do not need to complete the 15-hour in-service requirement for this renewal cycle. More information about changes coming to the renewal process after 2021 can be found in Part IV: State-Approved Trainer Renewal.
Did you know we have a webinar outlining the renewal process?
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We heard from nearly 130 respondents to the survey on the state-approved training program and webinar. The feedback that we received was invaluable. We are finalizing a detailed report on the findings, and using your ideas and stories to create a roadmap for the revision.
Learn more about the challenges that surfaced and our action steps for each of the focus areas:
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We have received many questions about training organizations in MERIT. Training organizations are listed in MERIT and employ or contract with state-approved trainers to provide professional learning opportunities. Detailed information about trainer organizations can be found in policy 403 in the Professional Development Manual on page 18.
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Here is additional about this function:
- Trainers may associate their training in MERIT with an organization when they enter the training information into the training template. This will make the training display for that organization.
- The trainer may mark a box that allows the organization’s administrator to add people to the attendance roster for that training. If this box is not marked, the organization’s administrator will see the training details but will not have roster-editing superpowers.
- Training organizations in MERIT must have a state-approved trainer on staff to provide training.
The Professional Development team can add an individual to become an organization administrator. The individual does not have to be a state-approved trainer but does need to have a MERIT account and STARS ID number. Please contact training@dcyf.wa.gov for more information.
Job transitions happen. Would you know what to do if your trainer announced they were leaving for another position?
If you’re not sure, you’re not alone. Use the steps below as a general guide:
- Ask your trainer to provide an end-date for all active trainer rosters that are associated with your organization.
- Communicate with all participants about the end-date of the course.
- In order to begin offering these opportunities again, you will need to recruit another state-approved trainer.
- Once you have another state-approved trainer, have them re-enter the training templates under their name.
- If you do not have an organization administrator for the trainings in MERIT, please contact training@dcyf.wa.gov.
- When you re-enter the training, have the trainer mark the box that allows the organization administrator to manage the rosters.
Please note: organizations should not be using the transitioning trainer’s account after that trainer has left the organization.
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COVID-19 has forced us to change many of our practices. Training evaluations is another area where we need to make some adjustments.
Previously, participants received a paper evaluation form. Now, we are encouraging all of you to create electronic survey forms that have similar questions (English | Somali | Spanish).
State-approved trainers are required to keep the evaluations for their records for a minimum of two years and must submit them to DCYF upon request.
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Many of you remember the trainer modules that were part of the state-approved trainer application. They were taken down because they were out-of-date. We are happy to announce that there is a plan for revision. DCYF is partnering with the University of Washington Cultivate Early Learning in the development of new modules that will address:
- Washington’s early learning system and state-approved trainer role
- Adult learning principles and presentation skills
- Anti-bias and anti-racist approach in professional learning
We are still exploring the project scope and how the modules will fit into the state-approved training system. For now, the trainer modules will remain down, but our hope is that we will have these available in the next calendar year.
The Standards of Practice and Professionalism for State-Approved Training lists several delivery methods: self-paced independent learning, blended approach using a cohort model, blended approach using a flipped model and live facilitation (page 12).
These methods do not match the options that are available in MERIT. Please use the table below for guidance on how to classify trainings in MERIT.
Delivery Method
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Recording in MERIT
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Self-Paced Independent Learning
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Self-Paced/Correspondence
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Blended Approach
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Hybrid
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Live Facilitation
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Online or In-Person
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You may have heard that DCYF adapted the Child Care Basics (CCB) curriculum to offer it online on the DCYF Training Portal. This expands access for providers to complete CCB with a no-cost option. There is availability now and availability will expand in January 2021.
All previous CCB options will continue to be available. For more information on how providers can complete CCB, visit Completing Child Care Basics.
Reminder: A hybrid version of the training will be available after the updated licensing guidebook is finalized.
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This newsletter is geared toward individuals who deliver professional learning supports to the early learning workforce.
If you would like to subscribe or unsubscribe to this newsletter, email Marlene White.
Want to see previous newsletters?
A complete list can be found on our Newsletters and Webinars webpage.
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We would like to make this a useful resource for you.
If you have any questions or ideas for improving the newsletter, reach out to the Professional Development Team.
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