I support this recommendation to align ratio and group size with Head Start and TK. I think increasing teacher requirements in CSPP to hold an Associate Degree is smart, but we will need to help programs and teachers grandfather their way into this requirement.
Currently, Head Start has a 1:10 ratio and a class size of 20 for all of preschool (3 and 4-year-olds). I think we should follow and align the ratio and class size recommendation for all for preschool.
I agree with Kate that having consistent teacher qualifications across programs, in addition to ratios, is the ideal. I know that is not in the purview of CDE, but hope that is something the Child Development permit working group will take up. Separately, we may want to consider ratios that are lower than 1:10 for 3 year olds and children with special needs, as others have suggested.
Kai Ming has a Substitute Teacher Empowerment and Placement (STEP) program that hires and prepares sub teacher pool for the Bay area. People can sign up via a mobile app. We bring in people with various backgrounds and availability to start a role in ECE at the same time getting income while working and received paid training and coaching in ECE and be supported with education pathways. with the severe staffing shortage right now, concept and program like this is essentially helpful to resolve the issue and bring more workforce to the field
Yes, and what is the pathway for FCCs both part of and not part of a FCCHEN to make our professional pathways whole.
No higher than one adult to eight children for majority 3-year-old classrooms with an educator who does not hold these qualifications, with a class size of 24 children.
Having different ratios for classes with 4 and 3 year olds will add more complexity, particularly in situations when the class composition can change throughout the year with mixed groups of 3 and 4 year olds.
As an LEA, I appreciate the class size limit of 20 to align with TK. I also appreciate the 1:8 ratio as it supports building a team in each classroom that can support students with special needs in inclusive settings. I feel like it should be applied across the board to all settings in UPK that serve students ages 3-5. (CASPP, TK, district run programs, etc.). I feel like a clear standard across settings would reduce complexity and confusion and provide the supports that children and educators need. I support classrooms of no more than 20 students, with 3 adults for all of our 3-5 year olds. And yes, we would have to build the workforce. We may need to look at FCC differently if this harms their businesses. I don’t think this should be tied to educator education levels.
I agree we need this when considering enrollment priorities for children with disabilities in CSPP. We need to maintain quality and consider the teacher-child ratio, class size, and the ratio of children with an active IEP/IFSP and typically developing children in the classroom to maintain inclusive quality experiences.
We are now discussing Recommendation #41. Within the existing CSPP QRIS Block Grant, explore how to develop a professional learning infrastructure inclusive of a variety of professional development and educational opportunities, including ongoing, job-embedded professional development (such as coaching) that are aligned to the required competencies and support anti-racist / anti-biased environments that promote diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging.Explore how to phase in the following topics over time:
(a) The science of learning and development
(b) Effective pedagogy for early literacy and numeracy
(c) Inclusion of children with disabilities and supporting development of Individualized Education Plans
(d) Supporting home language and English language development for multilingual learners
(e) Addressing implicit bias and supporting anti-racist classroom environments
(f) Classroom management and supporting children who engage in behaviors that challenge adults
(g) Curricula implementation (specific to curricula used in the program) and curriculum fidelity
(h) Using Preschool / TK Learning Foundation and using DRDP to inform instruction
(i) Effective communication and family engagement strategies
I also would still like to see a recommendation that no more than 49% of the students in any classroom have an IEP so that we are in alignment with what IDEA defines as a regular education vs a special education classroom.
I believe that Head Start requires a maximum of 17 students for classes that are majority 3-year-olds, so that would support a lower ratio (1:8) for younger children.
I support this recommendation and again ask that TK educators and instructional assistants be included in QRIS Block Grants and that CSPP is not siloed out in the UPK system. If it is a UPK system, we need aligned support for all early education professionals to create a comprehensive quality UPK system.
We also need support for Principals to support early learning in their Preschool and TK classrooms
Thank you for this clarification 
I agree with Carolyne. We can’t promote diversity, equity, and inclusion without culturally and affirming practices.
@ Jennifer there is the California Early Early Childhood Mentor Program to support coaching and mentoring and has existed since 1988 once funded by CDE and now funded by the California Department of Social Services.
It would be great to expand this work and bring in support for credentialed teachers in TK into the mentor teacher program as part of the early educator workforce pipeline
Funding, Coaching and resources for ALL Early Educators related to inclusion practices.
adding the direct link: https://cecmp.org/
Yes, and supporting our ECESE teachers in the support for professional development as part of the early learning workforce pipeline
In thinking about our focus on the whole child, we cannot forget the importance of play based learning and not just embed within other recommendations …this is a change for K-12 systems and does not align with developmentally appropriate practice and is an equity issue given the access that exists for Black children and other children of color.