Background:
By July 1, 2020, child
care programs will be required to participate in Step Up To Quality (SUTQ) in order
to provide publicly funded child care services. This includes programs serving school-age
children as well as stand-alone school-age programs.
Due to the nature of
school-age programs, school-age professionals are often individuals who only work
part-time at the program when school-age children are present. As a result, a school-age
endorsement has been developed to support school-age professionals in obtaining
the targeted professional development and classroom experience needed to meet the
SUTQ education requirements and to best meet the needs of school-age children.
Teachers and administrators
in all programs regulated by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS)
and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE) can apply for the endorsement.
Overview
of the School-Age Professional Endorsement:
The School-Age Professional
Endorsement is designed for teachers and administrators working in centers and family
child care (FCC) programs in which school-age children are enrolled including school-age
only programs. There are three levels of endorsements: School-Age Assistant Teacher,
School-Age Lead Teacher, and School-Age Administrator. A professional cannot have
more than one endorsement at the same time.
Professionals who work
with school-age children can use the endorsement as an option to meet SUTQ education
requirements for all five star ratings. The endorsement requires experience in a
regulated ODJFS/ODE program and Ohio Approved prescribed coursework specific to
working with school-age children. Each school-age endorsement also requires a high
school diploma or an Ohio High School Equivalence Diploma (formally GED).
All requirements for
the endorsement will be incorporated under “Staff Education” in the appendices to
rule 5101:2-17-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) for lead and assistant teachers,
administrators, and FCC owners. Each school-age endorsement is an option for one-
to five-star rated programs. However, extra points cannot be attained by administrators
for four- to five-star ratings. The Administrators will also need to meet the licensing
administrator qualifications pursuant to rule 5101:2-12-07, 5101:2-13-07 or 3301-32-02
of OAC.
(Please see attached Table.)
Components
of the School-Age Professional Endorsement:
The Endorsement’s school-age
professional levels build on each other. The levels are calculated on hours not
points and include a combination of Ohio Approved prescribed courses, Ohio Approved
professional selected courses, and hours of experience.
|
COURSE TITLES
FOR OHIO APPROVED PRESCRIBED SCHOOL-AGE COURSEWORK
|
|
| Assistant Teacher | Lead Teacher |
Administrator
|
The Art of Programming
and Activity Planning (3 hours) |
X
|
X
|
X
|
Managing Behaviors
Using Knowledge of Child Development and Guidance and Discipline Strategies
in School-age Programs (2 hours) |
X
|
X
|
X
|
Managing Environmental
Influences on Behavior in School-age Programs (2 hours) |
X
|
X
|
X
|
Creating Meaningful
Child Interactions and Engaging Families in School-age Programs (3 hours) |
X
|
X
|
X
|
The Role of the
School-age Professional in Applying Social and Emotional Learning Strategies
in School-age Programs (2.5 hours) |
|
X
|
X
|
Managing Societal
Influences on Social Emotional Development in School-age Programs (2.5 Hours) |
|
X
|
X
|
Creating Leaders
and Managing Staff for School-Age Program Administrators (2 hours) |
|
|
X
|
Developing Productive
Relationships with Families, Schools, and Communities by School-Age Program
Administrators (3 hours) |
|
|
X
|
|
School-Age Endorsement Renewal Course (2 hours)
|
X
|
X
|
X
|
|
OHIO APPROVED
COURSES (SELECTED BY PROFESSIONAL)
|
|
Type of Endorsement
| Required Hours for Initial Endorsement | Required Hours for Endorsement Renewal |
|
School-Age
Assistant Teacher
|
None
|
3
|
|
School-Age
Lead Teacher
|
5
|
3
|
|
School-Age
Administrator
|
5
|
3
|
|
REQUIRED EXPERIENCE
IN REGULATED ODJFS/ODE PROGRAM
|
|
Type of Endorsement
| Required Hours for Initial Endorsement | Additional Hours for Endorsement Renewal |
|
School-Age
Assistant Teacher
|
200
|
200
|
|
School-Age
Lead Teacher
|
600
|
400
|
|
School-Age
Administrator
|
1400
|
800
|
Lead or Assistant Teachers
can use experience from any age group. However, 800 hours of Administrator’s experience
must be specifically in a program serving school-age children.
The school-age prescribed
coursework counts toward the Professional Development Certificate in the biennium
in which the courses are completed.
The endorsement is
valid for two years from the award date.
Implementation
Plan: The new School-Age
Endorsement will become effective on August 1, 2018. The Ohio Approved online training
modules to support the endorsements will be available to professionals after August
1, 2018. All new and current administrators and child care staff can use the endorsement
to meet the Staff Education requirements found in the appendices to rule 5101:2-17-01
of the OAC.
If you have any questions,
please contact the Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Association (OCCRRA) at
614-396-5959 or Toll Free 1-877-547-6978, option 1 or support@occrra.org.