01.03.04 - Personnel Management-Staff Development

Policy Number and Last Update (01.03.04 / 02/2025)

Positions are determined by the grant application submitted by IDHS MSHS staff and approved by Office of Head Start Migrant and Seasonal Program, and are based on funds available to IDHS. Position descriptions generated by IDHS MSHS are distributed to staff at the time of hiring and include the title, responsibilities, required qualifications and major duties.

STAFF DEVELOPMENT PROCEDURES

  1. Delegate staff attend, as required, the annual state-wide pre-service trainings conducted by DHS MSHS staff.
  2. Delegate programs carry out one week of pre-service training, before their scheduled opening date, at their sites.
  3. Teachers and assistant teachers participate in at least one monthly in-service training session. Directors pay over-time if these are conducted in the evenings after a regular workday.
  4. Employees hired after pre-service training will be trained before they begin work. Mandated Reporter, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) are required to be completed within 30 days of hiring.
  5. Employees, with their supervisors, assess their individual training needs, and agree upon the best strategies for improving their skills.
  6. Delegate directors create a professional development plan with each employee, based on evaluations of the employee's and the supervisor's evaluations.
  7. As part of the professional development plan, supervisors will develop an Individual Coaching Plan, if necessary, for the teaching staff.
    1. Use practice or set of practices identified during the planning meeting;
    2. Data from Curriculum Implementation Fidelity observations;
    3. Teacher-Child interaction (CLASS) observations;
    4. and/or, Self-reflection's data to identify priorities for coaching and develop action plan.
  8. Records of employees' training activities are kept in personnel files, and continuously updated.
  9. Delegate directors complete the T/TA plan for their program, by date specified in funding letter, setting priorities according to the availability of funds, and submit the plan to IDHS MSHS staff for approval.
  10. Staff of IDHS MSHS revise plans as needed, return the revised plans to delegate directors and include them in the federal funding application.

Topics for annual state-wide training

(annual topics might vary change depending on need or previous season's data)

For all staff:

  • Related MSHS Policies and Procedures
  • Implementation of HSPPS
  • Family engagement and school readiness
  • Active Child Supervision & Incident Reporting

For Family Service Workers:

  • ERSEA
  • Interviewing for the Family Assessment
  • Setting and continuing goals with parents
  • Strategies for involving fathers in the program
  • Facilitating the parent curriculum
  • Home visits
  • Basic child development & nutrition for children
  • Initiatives of OHS
  • Domestic violence

For Education Coordinators:

  • Education Service Plan
  • Monitoring and coaching curriculum fidelity
  • Transition services
  • Family engagement and school readiness
  • Education and classroom-related policies and procedures
  • CLASS Certifications (Infant, Toddler, & Preschool) -may  be taken individually

For Health Coordinators:

  • Special dietary needs of children with disabilities
  • Child-specific health care needs and food allergies
  • Use of Growing Healthy training kit for parents
  • Disaster and emergency preparedness plan
  • Cultural competency in health services

For Disabilities Coordinators:

  • IDEA & ADA
  • Individual Service Plans (IEP) and Individual Family Service Plans (IFSP)
  • Child inclusion (with education staff)

Topics for Delegate Pre-service or mid-season training

For all staff, consultants and volunteers:

  • Active Supervision & Incident Reporting
  • Mandated reporting of child abuse and neglect--required annually (available on line from IDCFS)
  • SIDS & Shaken Baby Syndrome (available on line from IDCFS)
  • Disaster preparedness - medical and dental emergencies and fire, weather, toxins or community emergencies
  • Philosophy and goals of Head Start
  • Component policies and procedures, as appropriate

For all Teachers and Assistant Teachers:

  • Curriculum implementation and fidelity
  • Child observation and assessment
  • Classroom management and child guidance. Positive strategies to understand and support children's social and emotional development (Required Annually)
  • Mental health in early childhood (also for Mental Health Coordinators)
  • School readiness
  • Practice-based coaching
  • CLASS Observations in the classroom (Infant, Toddler, & Preschool)
  • Planned language approach
  • Dual language learners
  • Family engagement and school readiness
  • Playground, pedestrian and transportation safety
  • How to conduct developmental and socio-emotional screenings
  • Classroom-related policies and procedures
  • Infant/toddler-related Policies and procedures

For Education Coordinators:

  • Adult Learning Theory and Presentation Skills
  • Designing Effective Training or similar 

For Family Service Workers:

(Available from OHS ECLKC website)

  • PFCE webinar series, "Strengthening Connections," and "Father Engagement is Everyone's Business"
  • Video series, "Best Practice in Family and Community Engagement"
  • Video, "Journeys of Hope and Courage: Using storytelling…"
  • Webcast, "Children's Learning and Development and Family Engagement"
  • Head Start Program Performance Standards
  • Webinar series, "Measuring What Matters"
  • Webinar series, "Building Foundations of Economic Mobility"
  • "Facilitating Change; Conversations That Help"
  • "Building relationships with adult education and training programs"

For Health Coordinators:

  • Monitoring food service
  • Health-related policies and procedures
  • Safety practices: emergency procedures, 1st Aid, CPR, workplace emergency plan
  • OHSA hygiene practices

For Disabilities Coordinators:

  • IDEA & ADA (if not provided, or attended, during state-wide training)
  • IEP/IFSP
  • Inclusion and modification plan

For Mental Health Coordinators:

  • Mental Health Service Plan
  • Role of mental health consultant
  • Mental health in early childhood (with education staff)
  • Red flags for recognizing Depression, or similar
  • Topics related to family and child wellness