In an effort to provide quality
professional development for the training needs of
Head Start and the early childhood community, a collaboration
was formed among Tennessee's key stakeholders to develop
a plan for a statewide training network beginning in
the 2002-2003 school year. HeadsUp! Reading through
the HeadsUp! Network was a crucial ingredient in the
plan, coupled with a strong emphasis on coursework
in literacy development. The plan was designed
to provide several pathways of educational training
for early childhood professionals and paraprofessionals. One
path is offered by the 13 local community colleges
in coursework for academic credit. A second path
is administered by Tennessee State University and implemented
by the statewide Child Care Resource and Referral Centers
for required inservice hours. A third path is
embedded into an established staff development program
in Head Start programs and schools offering early childhood
programs. Funding for this comprehensive statewide
training network is underwritten by the Head Start
State Collaboration Office, Tennessee Department of
Education, Tennessee Department of Human Services and
Tennessee State University - Center of Excellence for
Research and Policy on Basic Skills. The initiative
is in the beginning stages.
