Supporting Professional Development
AEII provides instructional resources and ongoing support to help early childhood leaders offer high-quality professional development (PD).
Once leaders have an opportunity to review classroom observation data and identify potential PD needs, a key next step is finding resources and opportunities that give teachers opportunities to gain useful skills, as well as practice applying those skills in the classroom. AEII supports the implementation of teacher professional development (PD) that promotes children’s learning and development of key school readiness skills.
One of the goals of AEII is to support leadership to provide professional development opportunities that are best suited for their teachers and aligned with elements of effective PD. Preschool programs in Virginia are responsible for selecting and delivering professional development for their early childhood educators that meet the following criteria:
- Data-driven
- Specific articulated objectives
- Practice-focused
- Feedback and analysis loops
- Coherence
- Access for all
See how AEII uses these criteria to measure quality PD experiences.
SUPPORTING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
How Does AEII Support Effective PD
Understanding Needs and Barriers
Educational consultants at the Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) and the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) work together to better understand the PD needs of early childhood programs, as well as barriers that may stand in the way of implementation.
Ongoing Consultation and Training
Support comes in the form of regional trainings for leaders, focused webinars, small group consultation opportunities, and individualized consultation sessions.
Reliable and Rich Resources
AEII provides instructional resources that focus on a range of key classroom topics, from supporting children’s social and emotional skills to fostering their critical thinking. These resources have been carefully vetted and organized by educational experts at CASTL.
Instructional Resources
These resources are freely available for use and have been carefully vetted and organized by educational experts at CASTL and VDOE.
