Welcome to Your New Position and to the Family of Early Childhood Administrators!
As any veteran early childhood administrator will tell you, there is a lot to know and do! Complex factors can make high-quality early childhood administration particularly challenging. For instance, the field of early childhood is changing rapidly. With research extolling the benefits of early childhood education has come increased visibility, political attention, and funding. As a result, increases in responsibilities and expectations have followed. Rapid growth can create additional complexities and misalignments (e.g. many early childhood funding streams, differing requirements, etc.).
Describing the early childhood administrator role as challenging is not meant to create anxiety, but rather to describe a reality of many administrators. Moreover, it sets the stage for some sound advice from others who are walking the same path:
- Bring your passion for education, young children and their families, but be patient. Prioritize!
- Empower others. Share leadership.
- Make connections with other administrators.
Resources - Further Tips for New Admins
5 Strategic Tips for First-Year Administrators, from Edutopia, by Ross Cooper, January 9, 2015.
For admins just starting out, it's helpful to establish relationships, visit classrooms, understand others, flatten the hierarchy, and become an active social media presence.
7 Tips For New and Aspiring Building Principals, from ASCD, May 23, 2017.
Twenty Valuable Tips for New Principals, from NAESP, by Jan Borelli, January/February, 2007.
Keep this in mind throughout your journey: There is a lot to know and do - and our roles vary!
"I am bored" are words never used by early childhood administrators - there is a lot to know and do!! Complex factors can make high-quality early childhood administration particularly challenging. For instance, the field of early childhood is changing rapidly. With research extolling the benefits of early childhood education came increased visibility, political attention, and funding. As a result, increases in responsibilities and expectations have followed. Rapid growth can create additional complexities and misalignments (e.g. many early childhood funding streams, differing requirements, etc.). At the same time, early childhood may look to emulate the K-12 system, which comes with positives and negatives. We need to makes sure we are constantly vigilant and intentional about the early childhood education system we are building (and reforming).
Of course, responsibilities of early childhood coordinators vary from district to district. In some districts, one may be responsible for ECFE, Early Childhood Screening and School Readiness, while others districts may have separate coordinators for each program. Voluntary Prekindergarten and School Readiness Plus may be completely separate. In smaller districts, one may also be responsible for other programs, like School Age Child Care (SACC). Keep in mind that there are approximately 330 school districts and 170 charter schools in Minnesota. One's responsibilities within programs/organizations may vary immensely, so it is especially important that you understand your roles and responsibilities.
First things First - Make Yourself Known
Now that you are a new early childhood administrator, you will want to make sure others know who you are and how to contact you.
1. Known to District and Community (within your organization and community)
Is the contact information on your district website correct? If parents wanted to contact your early childhood programs for information, how easy is it for them to find the information?
2. Known to Colleagues (within your area/region)
MDE and MNAFEE support the Early Childhood Regional Networking Groups. One of the most important things for early childhood coordinators is support. The regional networking groups provide collegial support. They are a great way to get connected with other coordinators in your area. Also, a great way to share information and learn from each other.
Homework: Find and join your EC Regional Networking Group.
One of the most important things for early childhood coordinators is support. The regional networking groups provide collegial support. They are a great way to get connected with other coordinators in your area. Also, a great way to share information and learn from each other.
Note: If there are other organizations (e.g. professional organizations) you belong to, also make sure your contact information is correct.
3. Known to MDE – MDE’s Directory for Schools and Organizations (to the state).
The Minnesota Department of Education-Organization Reference Glossary (MDE-ORG) is a searchable database. It includes a variety of Minnesota school, district and education-related organization directories. Start by searching for your school district. A list of organizations will populate. Find your district and early childhood programs (you may want to look at neighboring districts to see how they are listed). If information is out of date, or sites are not listed that should be, then you will need to contact your site verification coordinator.
- Contact your district's Site Verification Coordinator. Early childhood administrator information is included in MDE-ORG. The Minnesota Department of Education-Organization Reference Glossary (MDE-ORG) is a searchable database. It includes a variety of Minnesota school, district and education-related organization directories.
- Early Learning Services at MDE is the division that supports early childhood programs. You will want to bookmark this page. If you have program specific questions, you will want to contact the MDE staff member responsible for that program.
- Also, sign up for email alerts so you receive notifications when information has been posted/updated.
Module 2: Understanding Your Role and Responsibilities
Module 1 mainly focused on making sure others know who you are. Module 2 turns inward, focusing on who you are and what you do (this may be both what you are required to do and what you should/could do).
Defining Your Role and Responsibilities: What is your Role? What are your Responsibilities?
The first thing you will want to do is define your role and responsibilities. Before starting, you may want to create a folder (digital and paper) that will contain documents related to your growth and development as an early childhood administrator.
A. Looking within your Organization
1. Job Description: A good place to start is your job description (your district is legally required to have a job description). Since it is likely that your job description will not contain adequate detail, and that it may not encompass all that you actually will do, it is important that you add information. You can also use job descriptions from other districts for comparison (these can be found on district websites or there are some examples on the Human Resources page of this website).
It can also be helpful to literally define your role. Early childhood administrators have many titles (e.g., coordinators, directors, managers, supervisors). What is your title and what does it mean? Defining your role goes beyond applying a title. What exactly is your role (How do others see it? How do you see it? What roles would best serve your program?).
2. Other EC Staff: Of course, early childhood staff can also be a great resource, especially if your predecessor is still available (and willing to talk to you about your position). In some cases, districts decide to keep the departing administrator on board to help with the transition to a new administrator. If he/she is not available, you hopefully have access to files that will help you see what he/she worked on. Another valuable resource is your administrative assistant(s). As any administrator knows, a veteran administrative assistant knows a significant amount about program operations (and often district policies and procedures).
3. Other Administrators: You will want to know who else administers your early childhood programs. In many cases, it is the Community Education director (he/she probably hired you). The relationship between the EC administrator and the CE director will vary from district to district. You will want to make sure you have discussed your roles and responsibilities with your supervisor.
* Ensure you know the expectations of your supervisor. What are his/her goals for the programs? Expectations? How will you be evaluated? How often do you meet? Are there certain responsibilities that the supervisor or Community Education director handles (e.g. 0-4 Census submission, budgets, STAR reports, etc.).
* Since many of the roles and responsibilities are similar to principals, they can be a great source of knowledge and support. Likewise, if you have specific questions about a task/responsibility, you will want to connect with the appropriate administrator (e.g., Business manager, food service director, HR director, special education director, transportation director, etc.).
At this point, you will likely have questions. Remember, you should always be able to clarify with your supervisor or HR department.
B. Looking at EC Administrators from other Districts
1. For Information: Just as we said with the Regional Networking Group, early childhood administrators from other districts will be a great resource for you. What are their roles and responsibilities? What do they prioritize and where do they spend most of their time? What is their advice? What do their programs look like? How do they manage data? Do calendars? Determine programming and services? Etc.
2. For Information and Support: In some regions, early childhood administrators are willing to serve as mentors. Recommendation: Connect with your networking group and find a mentor.
C. Looking at State and National Information and Resources
1. Quick Guide: Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Programs
2. Knowledge and Competency Framework (KCF) for Early Childhood Administrators
3. Learning for New Leaders from the Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC)
Explore the updated, research-based collection of Head Start A to Z, 2.0 sessions. They are designed to address the unique needs of new Head Start and Early Head Start leaders. New directors, managers, and other leaders may use these materials for individual professional development.
Task: Read the Quick Guide: Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Programs
First, note this sentence on the first page, “the school district determines the roles and responsibilities of staff involved in the supervision and administration of early childhood programs and services.” Next, go to Table 3, which lists examples of supervision responsibilities. Which ones are you responsible for? Have a discussion with your supervisor to determine who is responsible for other items. Note that responsibilities may be shared.
Task: Explore the Knowledge and Competency Framework (KCF) for Early Childhood Administrators
Now that you have a better understanding of what you will be responsible for, click on the link above or go to the Leadership & Administration page to find the framework. This resource contains more information than you need at this point, but it will give you a good idea of the potential scope of your responsibilities. Taking into consideration what you learned from your supervisor and job description, use the framework to explore competencies.
Minnesota’s Knowledge and Competency Framework for Early Childhood Administrators describes what administrators need to know and do in order to effectively lead and administer programs and services for young children, parents, and families. It is intended to help administrators understand their roles and responsibilities, while also providing a resource to help administrators assess their work and plan areas of growth and improvement.
The framework is based on the core leadership competencies for Minnesota administrative licenses, which is part of Minnesota Rule 3512.0510. Also included in the framework are standards from the publication, Professional Standards for Educational Leaders 2015 (National Policy Board for Educational Administration).
Task: Practice using the Knowledge and Competency Framework (KCF) for Early Childhood Administrators
On page 34 of the KCF are competencies for Early Childhood and Family Programs leadership. In the “Explores” column of item 6.C.1 is “Learning about program finance, including sources of revenue; expenditure classifications; generally acceptable accounting principles; and local, state, and federal finance calculations.”
Using your School Readiness program as an example, work on the following questions:
- What are the sources of revenue that contribute to the overall revenue of your School Readiness program?
- How stable/predictable is each source of revenue?
- How do you find out your state aid for School Readiness? Do you know how it is calculated?
- What is your district’s financial management system/software? Do you have access? Do you know how to use it?
- Districts submit financial accounting data to MDE through Uniform Financial Accounting and Reporting Standards (UFARS). Find the Finance and Program code for School Readiness.
- Review the Object Dimension of the UFARS manual. The Object Dimension identifies the services or commodities obtained as the result of expenditures. This is the most detailed level of expenditure reporting. What code would you use to code your salary?
Resources
Quick Guide: Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood Programs
Module 3: Learning about Program Requirements – Working to Achieve High-Quality
Learn Program Requirements in Minnesota Statutes/Law
It is essential that you familiarize yourself with the laws that govern your program. Minimally, as an administrator, you must ensure that your programs meet the requirements set forth in Minnesota statutes. If you are responsible for any programs that receive federal funding, you will want to make sure you are knowledgeable about those requirements too. In short, you must know the requirements of the funding sources you receive, whether it is a grant from a local foundation or a federally funded program.
While programs for which you have responsibility may be listed in your job description, specific or general tasks related to those responsibilities may not be listed/described. For example, ECFE requires a community needs assessment to be conducted each year. While this may be in your job description, it is likely that details on how it is conducted will not be included.
Task: Using the approach from Module 2 (i.e. local, regional, state), how would you learn about how your district conducts (or should conduct) its ECFE community needs assessment?
- Looking within your organization (other staff who may have worked on it, files and other records, etc.).
- Looking at early childhood administrators from other districts (ask a colleague in your Regional Networking Group).
- Looking at state and national information/resources (ECFE is a state funded program, so guidance will come from MDE).
Check the Early Childhood Admin website (there is an ECFE Needs Assessment page). Contact your ECFE program person at MDE.
It is also important to note that Minnesota and federal laws/rules not listed in program laws may apply to your program operations. For example, ECFE statutes do not list UFARS, but this is required for all district programs/services. Another example is fire code requirements for schools, or your space. While not listed in ECFE statutes, your program still needs to abide by these requirements.
The Minnesota Laws page of this website contains numerous Minnesota statutes related to early childhood. Certainly, you will want to prioritize, learning about programs like Early Childhood Screening, Early Learning Scholarships, ECFE, and School Readiness. If you receive Voluntary PreK (VPK) or School Readiness Plus funding, you will want to learn about those requirements.
- For most early childhood administrators, it is likely that reading through Minnesota Statutes is infrequent. With this in mind, it is recommended that you are aware of statutes and know how to access them. Before asking for help, it is good practice to first try to find an answer yourself. MDE has some documents to assist (e.g. Quick Guide: Early Childhood Family Education Program Requirements) and some questions are easier than others (e.g., Does School Readiness require a parent advisory council versus what are staffing requirements in ECFE?).
- When you are stuck on a program requirement/policy, you will want to know who to contact. If it is something that also applies to K-12 (e.g., food service, special education, transportation), it is likely that another administrator in your district will know.
When you are ready, you will want to learn about additional statutes, like Community Education Teachers, Employment;Contracts; Tenure; Termination, and Teacher Licensure.
Understanding Policies and Procedures
Since your early childhood programs are school district programs, you need to be familiar with school district policies and procedures. These can be written (e.g., employee handbook, technology policy, etc.) and unwritten (e.g., budget revision process, data collection procedures, space requests, etc.) and can have critical implications for your job and the success of your programs.
Ultimately, your goal is to achieve alignment and coherence with school district policies and procedures, while at the same time implementing new policies and procedures that are unique to your programs, or are tailored to the needs of your programs/participants.
Recommendation: Collect and organize district policies and procedures. Handbooks and posted policies will be the easiest to obtain. Others can be obtained through correspondence. For example, the budget revision process may be emailed to you by your business manager. Keep these organized and available so that you know where to find them when needed.
Recommendation: Make sure that your staff and program participants have handbooks, as these are tools for conveying your organization's rules, culture, goals, etc.
Go to the Handbooks page for more information.
Learning about your program
Whether you are new to the role or new to the district, you will want to prioritize learning about your program(s).
Data Practices & Requirements
Data Submissions to the Minnesota Department of Education
Click Here or on the Data Submissions to MDE link on the left toolbar.
One of the most common questions from new coordinators is what reports/data they have to submit. This page helps you learn the reports and data that must be submitted.
