MountainHeart staff members have received some questions regarding terms used in professional development training sessions. Answers to those questions have come from the West Virginia STARS State Training and Registry Systemís booklet.
What is Core Knowledge?
Core Knowledge identifies what individuals providing early care and education experiences need to know in order to facilitate child learning and development.
What are Core Competencies?
Core Competencies identify the observable skills that individuals providing early care and education experiences need to facilitate child learning and development.
What are the Core Knowledge areas?
Core knowledge areas provide an overview of essential knowledge that all early care and education professionals should know and understand. The eight core knowledge areas are as follows:
What are tier levels?
The core competency areas are organized into three tiers that establish a pathway of learning from entry level skills to an advanced level of academic preparation and varied experience. Each tier encompasses the knowledge base and competencies of the previous level. Individuals progress from one tier to another through a combination of formal study and experience. Tier 1 competencies are intentionally written in clear, specific language to support beginning levels.
What is the WV State Training and Registry System (STARS) Career Pathway?
WV STARS is a comprehensive system of professional development, credentialing, and career mobility in early care and education. The Career Pathway encourages higher levels of skills, as illustrated in the three tiers of the core competency areas. Core knowledge and core competencies are the foundation for a professional development system. They provide a blueprint for individual professional growth and also serve as guidelines for training and education programs that will meet the needs of professionals in the field.
What are the WV Early Learning Standards Framework (WV ELSF)?
The WV Early Learning Standards Framework (early learning standards for children ages three through five, birth to three under development), provides a guideline for what children should know, understand, and be able to do. The WV ELSF in turn provides a basis for what individuals providing early care and education experiences should know and be able to do. This critical alignment can support practitioners in attaining education that supports their abilities to plan and to implement quality early care and education environments and experiences.
Additional information about WV STARS is available at www.wvearlychildhood.org or from any
MountainHeart Training Team member.
Earl D. Smith,
Executive Director
Willetta Bolinger,
Regional Program Director