Pathways for Educator Development

The Pathways project documents key aspects of ideal learning educator development models within the overall landscape of early childhood education, and provides recommendations to support a more diverse workforce. 

Context & Need

To date, no single resource provides a baseline of knowledge about ideal learning educator development pathways. This report includes snapshots of eleven ideal learning educator models including:  All Our Kin, AVANCE, Bank Street College of Education, Educare, EL Education, Friends Center for Children, HighScope, Montessori, Reggio Emilia-inspired, Tools of the Mind, and Waldorf.  The findings of the report identify distinctive features of ideal learning educator development models and show how they reach educators at various points in their careers, making clear that there are multiple entry points for early childhood educators with diverse experiences and backgrounds.  

Goals & Impact

The goal of the Pathways project is to capture key baseline data and aspects of early educator training pathways for eleven ideal learning approaches across the country.  This landscape review is in service to the larger goal of identifying scalable ideal learning teacher training pathways while promoting racial/ethnic equity across the profession, which we believe will translate into more equitable outcomes for children, families, and communities. The report offers specific suggestions for the field, decision-makers, funders, and researchers to diversify and expand the pipeline of early educators trained in these approaches. Findings from this project will be useful in informing future policy and funding decisions.