Learn & Grow Framework

QUALITY STANDARD 2: Program utilizes a continuous improvement process, focused on supporting teachers to create positive outcomes for children; create individualized and culturally responsive learning environments; engage and partner with families; and cultivate leaders.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 2a: Program uses program assessment tool(s) and classroom data to develop a continuous quality improvement plan (CQIP).

QUALITY STANDARD 6: Early childhood and school-age educators are actively engaged in ongoing professional development to advance Alaska SEED career ladder placement.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 6a: All early childhood educators who work directly with children or supervise individuals who work with children are in the Alaska System for Early Education Development (SEED) Registry.

QUALITY STANDARD 7: Staff continue to advance knowledge and understanding of best practices and developmentally appropriate practices of children in care: social emotional development; impacts of adversity; use of environment to support learning; inclusion and diversity practices; how to support children and families to be resilient; and how to use child observation & assessment and curriculum to guide interactions.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 7a: 50% of all teaching staff, including administrators, complete Learn & Grow 101 Training.

QUALITY STANDARD 1:Program is guided by an early childhood philosophy statement.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 1a: Program has a written philosophy statement.

QUALITY STANDARD 2: Program utilizes a Continuous Quality Improvement process focused on supporting teachers to create positive outcomes for children, individualized and culturally responsive learning environments, engage and partner with families, and cultivate leaders.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 2d: Program establishes a Leadership Team.

QUALITY STANDARD 4: Program demonstrates time and tools to assure early childhood and school-age educators and administration have access to ongoing professional development and coaching supports to advance their skills and knowledge.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 4a: (Center Only) Center Program Administrator completes the Alaska Early Childhood Administrator Credential I (or equivalent based on personnel of program). See the Alaska Early Childhood Administrator Credential for additional information and application.

QUALITY STANDARD 6: Early childhood and school-age educators are actively engaged in ongoing professional development to advance Alaska SEED career ladder placement
QUALITY ACTIVITY 6: (b) Center Administrator is an Alaska SEED Level 7; and (c) Group Home and Home Administrator are Alaska SEED Level 5.

QUALITY STANDARD 7: Early childhood educators continue to advance knowledge and understanding of best practices and developmentally appropriate practices of children in care; social emotional development; impacts of adversity; use of environment to support learning; inclusion and diversity practices; how to support children and families to be resilient; and how to use child observation and assessment and curriculum to guide interactions.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 7: (b) 100% of teaching staff complete Learn & Grow 101 Training; and (c) Early Childhood (EC) Administrators and all lead EC educators complete all Level 2 trainings (approx. 12 hours):

• Alaska Early Childhood Core Knowledge & Competencies
• Alaska Early Learning Guidelines
• Introduction to the Pyramid Model
• Introduction to Strengthening Families
• ONLY for programs using CLASS: Introduction to the classroom assessment tool the program uses (i.e. CLASS Primer)

QUALITY STANDARD 9:Program uses a classroom assessment tool (environment and adult-child interaction) to advance the quality of the learning environment and relationships designed to support children’s growth and development (ERS, CLASS, or SA equivalent tool).
QUALITY ACTIVITY 9a: Complete Pre-Assessment at least annually with relationship Based Professional Development* (RBPD) specialist for each classroom and develop Classroom Action Plan (CAP).

NOTE: Level 2 CAP completed near submission of Level 2 verification. Level 3-5 CAP developed at beginning of program working on each level and reviewed and adapted at least quarterly.

*Relationships Based Professional Development is a term several states use to categorize a growing group of cross disciplinary professionals to support early childhood educators, programs, and children. RBPD professionals require specific skills, knowledge, and training above and beyond early childhood education or special education degrees, or content training. Several titles fall under the category of RBPD, including: Consultant, Mentor, Coach, Reflective Supervisor, Infant or Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant, Behavior Consultation, Technical Assistance Provider, or Professional Development Specialist.

QUALITY STANDARD 14: Program celebrates the cultural and linguistic diversity of all children and families enrolled in the program. Program values and intentionally plans for consistent communication and active family involvement in child’s early childhood and school-age experiences.
QUALITY ACTIVITY: See Level 2 training requirements: Strengthening Families.

QUALITY STANDARD 1:Program is guided by an early childhood philosophy statement.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 1b: Program’s philosophy statement is shared with families and personnel.

QUALITY STANDARD 2: Program utilizes a continuous improvement process focused on supporting teachers to: create positive outcomes for children; create individualized and culturally responsive learning environments; engage and partner with families; and cultivate leaders.
QUALITY ACTIVITIES 2: (f) Program develops policies and procedures that address use of developmental screening, child assessment, curriculum, inclusionary practices, and expulsion/ suspension reduction practices; and (h) Completes an annual early childhood (EC) educator feedback survey.

QUALITY STANDARD 4: Programs demonstrate time and tools to assure early childhood and school age professionals and administration have access to ongoing professional development and coaching supports to advance their skills and knowledge.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 4b: Home & Group Home Administrators complete the Alaska Family Child Care Early Childhood Administrator Credential.

QUALITY STANDARD 5: Program leadership uses the Alaska Early Childhood Core Knowledge & Competencies (and admin CKC), or approved equivalent, to guide the development of annual professional development plans.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 5a: Program dedicates time annually to develop and review professional development plans with each early childhood educator.

QUALITY STANDARD 6: Early childhood and school-age professionals are actively engaged in ongoing professional development to advance Alaska SEED career ladder placement.
QUALITY ACTIVITIES 6:(c) A child care center, school district, or head start early childhood administrator is an Alaska SEED Level 8. (d) Home and Group Home administrators are an Alaska SEED Level 6. (e) Assistant Administrators are an Alaska SEED Level 6. (f) 50% of lead early childhood (EC) educators are an Alaska SEED Level 6. (g) Remaining lead EC educators are at least Alaska SEED Level 4. (h) 50% of assistant EC educators are an Alaska SEED Level 4. (i) Remaining assistant EC educators are at least at Alaska SEED Level 2.

QUALITY STANDARD 7: Early childhood educators continue to advance knowledge and understanding of best practices and developmentally appropriate practices of children in care; social-emotional development; impacts of adversity; use of environment to support learning; inclusion and diversity practices; how to support children and families to be resilient; and how to use child observation & assessment and curriculum to guide interactions..
QUALITY ACTIVITIES 7: (d) Early childhood administrators and all lead EC educators complete trainings to satisfy all the Level 3 specific training topics (Approx. 16 hours):

• Early childhood curriculum
• Early childhood observation/assessment
• Inclusion practices
• Cultural responsive practices
• Implicit bias and equity practices
• Introduction to coaching
• Reduction of exclusionary practices
• Designated staff receives training: Providing Supports to Classrooms and Children using the BIR and Pyramid Implementation Data System (PIDS)

(e) Assistant EC educator have completed Level 2 specific trainings; and (f) Program administrator, or designated staff, completes ASQ 3 or 4 training including how to communicate screening results to families.

QUALITY STANDARD 9: Program uses a classroom assessment tool (environment and adult-child interaction) to advance the quality of the learning environment and relationships designed to support children’s growth and development (ERS, CLASS, or YPQA).
QUALITY ACTIVITY 9b: TPOTS/ TPITOS average score of 60% across all key practices and no red flags in each classroom assessed. -OR- CLASS score of 3.0 in 2 of 3 subdomains in each classroom.

QUALITY STANDARD 10: Program provides families access to developmental and social emotional screening services designed to monitor child’s progress toward meeting developmental milestones.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 10: (a) Within 45 days of enrollment and as needed, program provides families an electronic link or copy of
Learn & Grow’s identified developmental screening tool(s) to complete and collect within 45 days of enrollment; (b) Program documents number of families that provided copy of or access to link to complete a developmental screening tool; and (c) Trained program administrator or designated staff communicate screening results within ten (10) business days of receiving completed screenings.

QUALITY STANDARD 11: Program utilizes community resources such as special education, mental health consultation services, and/or Child Care Resource & Referral, to assure all children (including those with identified special needs or who have experienced adversity) have access to resources and supports to successfully participate with their typical peers in every-day learning opportunities.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 11: (a) Program uses uses Learn & Grow’s identified reporting system
(PIDS) to record behavior incident reports (BIR), develop behavior support plans, report expulsion and suspensions, and monitor child outcomes; and (b) Program reports expulsion or suspensions to regulatory body.

QUALITY STANDARD 12: Program uses, to fidelity, research based developmentally appropriate whole child curriculum(s) (social emotional, math, language, music, art, movement and technology), aligned to the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines or equivalent for licensed school-age programs, to inform weekly planning.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 12a: Program has completed a curriculum review and selection process and identified the curriculum tool(s) they will use..

QUALITY STANDARD 13: The early childhood education program uses, to fidelity, a research based whole child observation & assessment, aligned to the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines to plan developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and monitor child outcomes.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 13a: Program has reviewed and signed the Teaching Strategies Gold Child Assessment Assurance form.

QUALITY STANDARD 15: Program values and intentionally plans for consistent communication and active family involvement in child’s early childhood and school age experiences.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 15: (a) At enrollment program provides families opportunities to tell the program about their family and their children (ethnicity, culture, language, abilities, preferences, etc.); and (b) Program conducts an annual family survey.

QUALITY STANDARD 16: Program provides access to supports and community resources to assist families in: meeting their child’s needs; increasing their knowledge of child development; making social connection; and helping successfully transition their child to school.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 16: (a) In partnership with families, a program develops a transition plan for child any time they move to a different classroom or experience a change in teachers or schedule; and (b) Program provides community resources or makes referrals to address family’s needs.

QUALITY STANDARD 2: Program utilizes a continuous process focused on supporting teachers to: create positive outcomes for children; create individualized and culturally responsive learning environments; engage and partner with families; and cultivate leaders.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 2: (d) Has policies and procedures in place for how they will support Dual Language Learners, family engagement practices, and teacher supports.

QUALITY STANDARD 6: Early childhood and school age professionals are actively engaged in ongoing professional development to advance Alaska SEED career ladder placement.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 6: (k) A child care center, school district, or Early Head Start or Head Start Administrator is an Alaska SEED Level 9; (l) Home and Group Home Administrator is an Alaska SEED level 7; (m) Assistant Administrators are an Alaska SEED Level 7; (n) 50% of lead EC educators are an Alaska SEED Level 7; (o) Remaining lead EC educators are at least an Alaska SEED Level 5; (p) 50% of assistant EC educators are an Alaska SEED Level 5; and (q) Remaining assistant EC educators are at least an Alaska SEED Level 3.

QUALITY STANDARD 7: Early Childhood Educators continue to advance knowledge and understanding of best practices and developmentally appropriate practices of children in care: social emotional development; impacts of adversity; use of environment to support learning; inclusion and diversity practices; how to support children and families to be resilient; and how to use child observation & assessment and curriculum to guide interactions.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 7: (g) Early Childhood Administrators and all lead EC educators complete trainings to satisfy all the Level 4 specific training topics (training time varies): 

• Complete ASQ 3 or 4
• Intro/Overview of ACES
• Early childhood trauma informed care or related training (ACES could be part of).
• Complete Teaching Strategies Gold inter-rater reliability training (TSG training needed if individual does not pass IRR).

and (h) Assistant EC educators complete trainings to satisfy all the Level 3 specific training content areas.

QUALITY STANDARD 9: Program uses a classroom assessment tool (environment and adult-child interaction) to advance the quality of the learning environment and relationships designed to support children’s growth and development (ERS, CLASS, or YPQA).
QUALITY ACTIVITY 9c: TPOTS/ TPITOS average score of 70% across all key practices and no red flags in each classroom assessed. -OR- CLASS score of 4.0 in 2 of 3 subdomains in each classroom.

QUALITY STANDARD 10: Program provides families access to developmental and social emotional screening services designed to monitor child’s progress toward meeting developmental milestones.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 10d: All lead EC educators communicate screening results with families.

QUALITY STANDARD 11: Program utilizes community resources such as special education, mental health consultation services, and/or Child Care Resource & Referral, to assure all children (including those with identified special needs or who have experienced adversity) have access to resources and supports to successfully participate with their typical peers in every-day learning opportunities.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 11c: Program has identified local or regional resource agencies and/or Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant to support early childhood professionals and families to develop a plan to meet the individual needs of all children but particularly children with identified special needs (social emotional, cognitive, physical, etc.).

QUALITY STANDARD 12: Program uses, to fidelity, research based developmentally appropriate whole child curriculum(s) (social emotional, math, language, music, art, movement and technology), aligned to the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines or equivalent for licensed school-age programs, to inform weekly planning.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 12b: Program uses a developmentally appropriate evidence-based early childhood curricula, including additional curricular enhancements, as appropriate, that: 1) are based on evidence and standardized training, 2) align with all five domains of the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines, and 3) have developmental scope and sequence.

QUALITY STANDARD 13: The early childhood education program uses, to fidelity, a research based whole child observation & assessment, aligned to the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines to plan developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and monitor child outcomes.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 13: (b) EC educators contribute to the child assessment portfolio 2 times a year (fall & spring) to collect observational information and monitor all children’s progress toward meeting ALL developmental outcomes; and (c) Program shares child assessment results with families at least 1 time a year at a parent teacher conference.

QUALITY STANDARD 15: Program values and intentionally plans for consistent communication and active family involvement in child’s early childhood and school age experiences.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 15c: Families are invited at least 2 times a year to provide information and/or participate in the development of program activities to provide opportunities for family’s culture to be infused in the program.

QUALITY STANDARD 16: Program provides access to supports and community resources to assist families in: meeting their child’s needs; increasing their knowledge of child development; making social connection; and helping successfully transition their child to school.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 16: (c) In partnership with families, a program develops a transition plan for a child any time they move to a different program or school; and (d) Program prepares 4 year old children and their families for the transition to kindergarten.

QUALITY STANDARD 4: Programs demonstrate time and tools to assure early childhood and school age professionals and administration have access to ongoing professional development and coaching supports to advance their skills and knowledge.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 4: (d) Program has direct access to an infant/early childhood mental health consultant for teachers and families; and (e) Program has access (at minimum) to an Alaska certified Relationship Based Professional Development (RPBD) III A specialist to support classroom coaching (contract or staff position for Centers).

QUALITY STANDARD 6: Early childhood and school age professionals are actively engaged in ongoing professional development to advance Alaska SEED career ladder placement.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 6: (r) A child care center, school district, Early Head Start or Head Start Administrator is an Alaska SEED Level 10; (s) Home and Group Home Administrator is an Alaska SEED level 9; (t) Assistant Administrators are an Alaska SEED Level 9; (u) 50% of lead EC educators are an Alaska SEED Level 9; (v) Remaining lead EC educators are at least an Alaska SEED Level 6; (w) 50% of assistant EC educators are an Alaska SEED Level 6; and (x) Remaining assistant EC educators are at least an Alaska SEED Level 4. 

NOTE: Pre-elementary teachers and administrators must meet the requirements for teacher certification and must include a minimum of 6 early childhood education credits.

QUALITY STANDARD 7: Early Childhood Educators continue to advance knowledge and understanding of best practices and developmentally appropriate practices of children in care: social emotional development; impacts of adversity; use of environment to support learning; inclusion and diversity practices; how to support children and families to be resilient; and how to use child observation & assessment and curriculum to guide interactions.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 7: (i) Assistant EC educators complete training to satisfy all the Level 4 specific training content areas.

QUALITY STANDARD 9: Program uses a classroom assessment tool (environment and adult-child interaction) to advance the quality of the learning environment and relationships designed to support children’s growth and development (ERS, CLASS, or YPQA).
QUALITY ACTIVITY 9d: TPOTS/ TPITOS average score of 80% across all key practices and no red flags in each classroom assessed. -OR- CLASS score of 5.0 in 2 of 3 subdomains in each classroom.

QUALITY STANDARD 13: The early childhood education program uses, to fidelity, a research based whole child observation & assessment, aligned to the Alaska Early Learning Guidelines to plan developmentally appropriate instructional strategies and monitor child outcomes.
QUALITY ACTIVITY 13: (d) EC educators contribute to a child assessment portfolio three times a year (fall, winter, spring) to collect observational information and monitor child’s progress toward meeting developmental outcomes; and (e) Program shares child assessment results with families at least two times year at a parent teacher conference.

None for this level.