Professional Development Committee

Ready to Learn Providence’s Professional Development Committee, formed in 2004, works to strengthen the school readiness of Providence children by creating professional development opportunities for the city’s early-care and education providers. It also seeks to heighten awareness of Rhode Island’s Early Learning Standards and the early childhood curricula that support them.

Members of this committee include school department personnel, child-care providers and other professionals invested in the future of Providence children. Since its formation, the committee has undertaken several ambitious tasks, including:

• The alignment of Rhode Island Early Learning Standards with the Providence Public School Department’s Scope and Sequence.
• The administration of a curriculum survey at all licensed preschools, approved nursery schools and Head Start programs in Providence to determine the current use of curricula and literacy activities in their daily programming. The purpose of the survey was to determine if providers were using a core curriculum and to identify the current needs and preferences of providers.
• A national scan of high-quality early childhood curricula
• Conversations with national leaders in the field to define high-quality play and literacy experiences for early childhood programs.

From the committee’s research came the impetus for the first community-wide professional development opportunity, the R2LP Play and Literacy Forum. The forum, which featured two highly regarded scholars and authors – Diane Trister Dodge and Candy Jones – was held November 20, 2004, at the University of Rhode Island/Feinstein Campus.

In April 2005 the Professional Development Committee sent a survey on assessment tools to all early-care providers in Providence. Every program that responded to the survey indicated that they use assessments in their program and find them useful.  The most widely used assessment resource is The Creative Curriculum Developmental Continuum Assessment Toolkit for Ages 3 to 5 and respondents indicated that they would like to see ongoing investments in Creative Curriculum training by R2LP. Read more about the survey and final report.

Call or email Stephanie Enos at 401-490-9960 or stephanie.enos@provplan.org for more information.