Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/trends-in-professional-development/5021024/
Four years ago in my Exchange article, “Four Innovations that Give Me Hope,” (September/October 2009), I identified these promising initiatives:• Quality rating systems
• Shared services systems
• Community development financial institutions
• Comprehensive neighborhood centers.
Today I would like to add a fifth promising innovation:
• Early childhood workforce registries!
State registries promote improving the quality in early childhood care and education by coordinating and documenting a well-trained, educated, and adequately compensated early childhood and school-age workforce. State registries strengthen early childhood systems by maintaining:
• practitioner registries that track and verify the ongoing professional development activities of administrators and teachers in early childhood centers and school-age programs.
• trainer registries that track and verify the qualifications of early childhood trainers.
• training registries that track and verify training opportunities (classes, workshops, courses) for early childhood professionals.
History of Registries in the United States
The first registry, named appropriately Delaware First, was organized in 1990. State after state soon followed in establishing registries.
In 2003, at the end of an informal gathering of registry representatives in Wisconsin, Wisconsin Registry founder Jere Walden asked, “Do you think we need to form a national alliance?” The answer was an enthusiastic yes! Thus was born The National Registry Alliance.
The registry ...