Technical Assistance

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.

KCCTO Training and Technical Assistance (T/TA) Specialists train KCCTO courses and provide assistance, resources, and consultation through phone calls, video calls, email, or online chat. T/TA Specialists work with you to address your unique needs and build on your strengths and help you discover how to best use your new knowledge in your daily work with young children.
Each T/TA Specialist’s additional interest areas are identified to help you connect with a T/TA Specialist that will best meet your needs. If you are interested in TA support or additional resources, Connect With Us to request that a T/TA Specialist contact you.

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
ITSN Specialists offer several different types of technical assistance, usually in-person rather than in a virtual setting:

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
One strategy utilized by KCCTO-KITS ITSN to address the needs of an individual or child care center is an individualized technical assistance (TA) plan. These plans are conceptualized to meet the needs of individuals or groups wishing to expand skills in their own work environment, rather than in a traditional or formal training situation. Any child care provider can request technical assistance from KCCTO-KITS.

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.