What is “Technical Assistance” in early childhood?
Technical Assistance, or TA, is “the provision of targeted and customized supports by a professional(s) with the subject matter and adult learning knowledge and skills to develop or strengthen processes, knowledge application, or implementation of services by recipients.” NAEYC & NACCRRA)
Training is one part of providing quality care and education to children and families. TA “supports the reflective processes that professionals need to translate the theories and information learned through education and/or training into best practices.”
Providers in Kansas can receive TA from both KCCTO Training and Technical Assistance Specialists and KCCTO-KITS ITSN Specialists. See below for more information about the TA offered by each project.
All KCCTO T/TA Specialists are knowledgeable in general early childhood education and development, as well as in the following areas:
• Behavior and Guidance
• Center-Based Care
• Curriculum
• Health and Safety
• Indoor and Outdoor Learning Environments
• Observation and Assessment
• Preschool
• Professional Development
• Relationships & Working with Families
Amy Palmer
Interest Areas
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
Berni Howe
Interest Areas:
• CDA
• Diversity
• Inclusion
• Individualized Professional Development Plans (IPDPs)
• Leadership and Managing Staff
Bray Jermark
Interest Areas:
• Family Child Care
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
• School Age
Chelsea Schulte
Interest Areas:
• Family Child Care
• Inclusion
• Infants and Toddlers
Jamie Jellison
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Family Child Care
• Inclusion
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
Linda Logan
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
• School Age
Ruddy Benavides
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Dual Language Learners
• Inclusion
• School Age
Sherron Field
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Dual Language Learners
• Family Child Care
• Individualized Professional Development Plans (IPDPs)
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
Star Robinson
Interest Areas:
• Family Child Care
• Individualized Professional Development Plans (IPDPs)
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
• School Age
Tara Glanton
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Individualized Professional Development Plans (IPDPs)
• Infants and Toddlers
• Leadership and Managing Staff
• School Age
Vicki Sutton
Interest Areas:
• Diversity
• Dual Language Learners
• Family Child Care
• Individualized Professional Development Plans (IPDPs)
• Infants and Toddlers
• School Age
Intensive technical assistance plans: individualized, intensive technical assistance is provided by request or referral with priority given to providers and programs serving infants and toddlers and whose families receive subsidies
On-site visits: include coaching, professional development advising and support using quality improvement plans
Short- or long-term consultation: scheduled or unscheduled contact with any ITSN staff where a request for information or assistance takes more than an hour of staff time, requires consultation with others (ITSN staff or other professional partners), or requires more than a single follow-up contact
The design for focused assistance through development of an individualized TA plan is consistent with current research suggesting that “professional development is more likely to be effective when it is long term, focuses on changes at multiple levels (individuals, programs, organizations), and is aligned with policies, standards, and expected child and family outcomes” (Winton, McCollum, & Catlett, 2011, p. 263).
The KCCTO-KITS TA plan combines training (knowledge acquisition) with assessment of implementation (knowledge utilization), two components predictive of effective change (Fixen, Naoom, Blasé, Friedman, & Wallace, 2005).
This link opens the Example of a KCCTO-KITS ITSN Technical Assistance Plan in PDF format.
ITSN TA References
Fixen, D.L., Naoom, S.F., Blasé, K.A., Friedman, R.M., & Wallace, F. (2005) Implementation research: A synthesis of the literature. Tampa: University of South Florida, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute.
Winton, P.J., McCollum, J.A., & Catlett, C. (2011) A framework and recommendations for a cross-agency professional development system. In Winton, McCollum, & Catlett (eds) (2011) Practical approaches to early childhood professional development, Washington, DC: Zero To Three National Center for Infants, Toddlers, and Families, pp. 263-272.