Continuing Professional Development

Individual, Self-Guided Activities

Head Start staff can use the following activities during the year to complement and build upon the sills they developed in this guide.

• Develop a personal action plan to improve your management skills. Using the information from this training, list four objectives for developing personal competencies in the managemen^t area and outline strategies and timelines for achieving the objectives. Personal competencies may include planning a change, organizing the work of a new project, influencing others to develop new quality strategies and evaluating a particular work process. Select a partner from the training to help evaluate your efforts throughout the process.
  
  
• Conduct individual research on several organizations that provide quality awards and the process each organization uses to measure quality achievement. Compare your program with an organization that received one of the awards. What are the similarities? What are the differences? Examples of two awards are described below.
  
  National Head Start Association-The Quality Initiative. Adopted in 1994 by the National Head Start Board of Directors, this award recognizes and supports those Head Start programs whose operations exceed Head Start Program Performance Standards. The Quality Initiative is based on the following criteria: participation is voluntary, the goal is to promote and recognize practices of high quality in Head Start, and all programs can attain the levels of achievement and excellence.
  
  For more information, write to:
  
  NHSA Quality Initiative
  1651 Prince Street
  Alexandria, VA 22314
  
  Attention: NHSA Consultant for Quality Initiative and Other Special Projects
  
  
  Malcolm Baidrige National Quality Award. Named after the former Secretary of Commerce, The Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award was established by former President Ronald Reagan on August 20, 1987. The award was developed to enhance quality awareness among American firms and recognize companies for business excellence and quality achievement.
  

  Examiners rate applicants on a 1,000-point scale in the following categories:
  
  

  --Leadership

  --Strategic Planning

  --Customer Focus

  --Process Management

  --Information and Analysis

  --Human Resource Development and Management

  --Business Results

  
  For more information on the award, write to:
  
  National Quality Program
  U.S. Department of Commerce
  National Institute of Standards and Technology
  Gaithersburg, MD 20899
  
  
• Arrange a meeting with staff from other Head Start programs or an early childhood service agency. Share management concerns and strategies that promote team spirit or collegial partnerships. Arrange to minimize the costs associated with staff development by sharing the cost of management training sessions and conducting the sessions in one location.
  
  
• Help a co-worker develop his management skills. To test your level of competency, become a coach to a peer in your program. As part of your coaching responsibility observe your co-worker, discuss your reactions and observations, give positive feedback, and suggest alter native approaches. Activities to observe and coach can include team meetings, family meetings, and training activities.
  
  
• Compile resources for a peer to use to help expand her professional development. Resources may include readings, audiotapes, and videotapes.

• Join professional organizations that specialize in management and Early Childhood Education (ECE) so you can keep abreast of current strategies and trends in each area. Some management and ECE organizations include:
  

Management

The Academy of Management. The academy holds a prominent position in management education and research in the national and inter national management communities. Founded in 1936, today it has more than 10,000 members representing more than 60 nations. The Academy of Management's objective is to foster the understanding of management knowledge, improve management practice, and provide members with opportunities for professional growth through research information, education, and interaction with other members. For more information, contact:

The Academy of Management
P.O. Box 3020
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510-8020
Attention: Director of Membership

American Management Association. This 70-year-old management association maintains the same goal it had when it was founded in 1926—to be the best and most complete resource for training and development needs. AMA provides valuable tools that allow members to. deal with continual changes and challenges in the workplace. AMA members receive several management newsletters and journals, two business books per year, free use of their information resource center, and discounts on all AMA publications. For more information, contact:

American Management Association
1601 Broadway
Twelfth Floor
New York, NY 10019-7606

Early Childhood

National Association of Child Care Professionals. NACCP's mission is to strengthen the professional skill level of child care directors, owners, and administrators throughout the country. Strong management skills is the key to superior child care. For more information, contact:

National Association of Child Care Professionals
304-A Roanoke Street
Christiansburg, VA 24073
E-mail: admin@naccp.org

Continuing Education
Attend outside management training seminars offered through organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Girl Scouts of America, or a Rotary Club. Register for continuing education classes or enroll in courses at your local community college in the areas of management, quality service, and corporate missions.