Resource Library

In 2017, the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation in the Administration for Children and Families funded Mathematica to conduct the Infant and Toddler Teacher and Caregiver Competencies (ITTCC) project. The project aims to examine existing efforts across states, institutions of higher education, professional organizations, and early care and education programs related to competencies for infant and toddler (I/T) teachers and caregivers who work in group settings and build a conceptual…

Discover a conceptual model, synthesizes key lessons, and identifies areas for future research regarding the implementation of competency frameworks to improve the knowledge, skills, and attributes of infant/toddler teachers and caregivers, as well as outcomes for programs and systems.

This profile provides an overview of the two competency frameworks Oregon is using—the state-developed Core Knowledge Categories and Standards and (2) the ZERO TO THREE Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators.

This profile provides an overview of the California Early Childhood Educator Competencies, a competency framework that California developed to improve the quality of early care and education in the state and support the professional development of anyone responsible for the care and education of children ages birth to 5 years old across setting types. 

How are competency frameworks being used to build the capacity of the infant and toddler care and education workforce and support quality improvement?

Share information about the implementation of competency frameworks for infant and toddler teachers and caregivers. We are seeking information about competency frameworks that are actively being used in states, institutes of higher education, and professional organizations as well as in early care and education programs...

This report provides a comprehensive picture of specific aspects of implementation of competency frameworks and discusses broad lessons based on the experiences of five states that represent a range of approaches to implementation.

This map provides information on state competency frameworks relevant to I/T teachers and caregivers.

This profile provides an overview of the Gateways Infant Toddler Credential, a competency framework that Illinois developed to support early care and education professionals interested in focusing their professional development activities on the care and education of infants and toddlers across setting types.

The first three years of a child’s life are a distinct developmental period, characterized by rapid brain development, reliance on relationships with adults, and extreme responsiveness to environmental variation. Yet little information is available about the specific knowledge, skills, and other attributes (that is, competencies) that are essential to the practice of teaching and caring for infants and toddlers (I/T) and are needed to support optimal development..

Discover a brief and volume of profiles describing characteristics of a selection of online, competency-based professional development systems for teachers and caregivers of infants and toddlers.