Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA)
The purpose of the Tennessee Early Childhood Training
Alliance (TECTA) is to establish a statewide training and professional
recognition system to support and enhance the qualifications of early
childhood education personnel.
An estimated 2,550 licensed child care centers and 2,400 licensed or
registered family child care providers in Tennessee, with approximately
26,000 staff (4,800 directors and home providers and 21,000 teaching
personnel) provide early childhood education for over 165,725 children,
ages birth to five. In Tennessee, approximately 65% of preschool age
children are now in some form of routine non-parental care.
The TECTA statewide training system is based on the belief that all
early childhood education personnel need to acquire recognized
professional knowledge and skills to provide appropriate care and
education for young children.
The key to quality programs is the professional preparation of teaching
and administrative personnel with whom young children spend a
significant portion of their formative years. Early childhood
educational professionals also provide information and training to
parents and other family members to support them in their parenting
responsibilities.
The TECTA system is approved and sponsored by the Tennessee Board of
Regents and the Tennessee Department of Human Services. TECTA approved
courses and programs include important knowledge and skills adopted by
the TECTA state steering committee which includes child care providers,
higher education systems, professional associations, state agencies,
business representatives, and parents. TECTA is based on state and
national standards for the preparation of professional early childhood
education personnel.
Providing for the health and safety of young children in group care and
for their physical, social, and educational development requires
qualified caregivers/teachers and program administrators.
The TECTA statewide training system provides early childhood personnel
with access to affordable training.
Research has shown that quality early childhood education programs play
an important role in preparing children to enter school ready to learn
and in supporting productive participation of families in the community
and in the work force.
The first phase of the TECTA system began in 1993. Selected Institutions
(East Tennessee State University in partnership with Walters State
Community College and Chattanooga State Technical Community College in
partnership with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) piloted
TECTA designed programs to train early childhood education professionals
and to recognize them through formal credentials and degrees. These
TECTA program institutions are collaborating with local early childhood
providers, professional organizations, community agencies, business,
industry, and parents. During 1994 and 1995, the TECTA training system
expanded and now includes a consortia of higher education institutions
with local advisory committees which serve a majority of Tennessee
counties.
The Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance represents the first
statewide early childhood training and professional recognition system
in the nation to include orientation training through advanced degree
programs administered by the State's higher education system.
Tennessee State University provides management, training, and technical
assistance for the development of the TECTA statewide system and to
consortia of higher education institutions with TECTA approved programs.
Management services include support to DHS and the TECTA statewide
steering committee, subcommittees, a quality assurance process,
evaluation, and public information services. The TECTA system is funded
through Tennessee State University by the Tennessee Department of Human
Services using federal funds from the Child Care and Development Block
Grant. Improving access for Tennessee citizens to quality early
childhood education by providing center/school based and family child
care teachers and administrators with articulated, certificate and
degree preparation programs in the primary goal of TECTA.
The TECTA statewide training system promotes recognition and provides
articulation between post-secondary certificate and degree programs when
students meet the Tennessee Board of Regents and/or the University of
Tennessee admission requirement standards at participating TECTA program
institutions.
For more information contact:
The TECTA Management Office:
Barbara Nye, Ph.D.
TECTA Steering Committee Chair & Executive Director
Janice Carter, M.Ed.
TECTA State Project Coordinator
Barbara West Wall, M.Ed.
Child & Family Studies Director
Tennessee State University
Center of Excellence for Research and Policy in Basic Skills
330 Tenth Avenue North, Box 141
Nashville, TN 37203-3401
(615) 963-7224
TECTA Consortia Program Coordinators:
Debbie Simpson
Middle Tennessee State University
(615) 904-8318
Marilyn Buchanan
East Tennessee State University
(423) 929-4196
Jackie Hill, M.Ed.
Chattanooga State Technical Community College
(423) 697-4703
Christy Grant, M.S.
Dyersburg State Community College
(901) 855-1419
Janice Carter, M.Ed.
Tennessee State University
(615) 963-7224
