11.5 Chapter Conclusion
Brenda Boyd Brown, Ph.D.
Summary
The current field of early childhood education has a long history of striving for recognition as a profession. Your involvement in that ongoing effort requires you to understand what is necessary to meet the definition of a profession and what that label means for your practice. Recognize that recent efforts involve some of the most assertive and comprehensive steps ever taken to claim the title of profession for the field of ECE. You can be a part of this effort that, when realized, will provide a bright future for the profession of early childhood education. This future offers new and exciting opportunities to change how the world understands the importance of early childhood and those that support the development and learning of all young children. We sincerely hope you want to be a part of that future.
Review Questions
- Describe what it means for an occupation to be defined as a profession. Use widely accepted criteria to define the term profession.
- Discuss why early childhood education does not entirely fit the definition of a profession, relying on the widely accepted criteria used to define a profession.
- Describe the initiative called “Power to the Profession.” Who called this group together? What was the goal of the Power to the Profession Task Force?
- What is the name of the final report presented by the Power to the Profession Task Force? When was it published?
- What did the Power to the Profession Task Force decide to call the profession of those engaged in early learning?
- What did the Power to the Profession Task Force decide to call the professional engaged in early learning?
- According to the Power to the Profession Task Force, what is the difference between the field of early childhood education and the early childhood education profession? Who is in the field and who is in the profession?
- Describe the three levels of early childhood educators identified in the Unifying Framework. How are they similar and different?
- What professional standards did the Power to the Profession Task Force choose to provide standards of practice and guide early childhood educators’ professional preparation?
- What additional requirements would this Unifying Framework put on higher education institutions?
- How does the Unifying Framework address the need to improve the compensation of early childhood educators? How does the framework suggest employers can afford this increased cost?
- What is the goal of the Unifying Framework?
- What is WAC, and how does it relate to the operation of licensed child care?
- Which Washington state agency writes and enforces the WAC related to childcare?
- How is the WAC different from the NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies?
- What are the Washington State Stackable Certificates? How do they relate to the WAC?
- What are the Washington State Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals? How are they different from the WAC related to childcare?
- What are the NAEYC Professional Standards and Competencies? How are they different from the WAC related to childcare?
- What is the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct? How is it meant to be used by ECE professionals?
- What are ethical ideals and principles in the Code of Ethical Conduct?
- To whom does an early childhood educator have ethical responsibility?
- Define ethical responsibility.
- What is an ethical dilemma?
- What is advocacy? For whom is an early childhood educator likely to advocate?
- How are public and personal advocacy different?
- What are some ways that an early childhood educator can engage in advocacy?
The title of the profession chosen by the Power to the Profession Task Force. Includes those that care for, teach and support the development of children from birth to age 8.
An occupation that serves the public welfare and that requires specialized educational training in some branch of learning or science.
