The document discusses Delaware's CORE Awards program, which provides compensation to early childhood educators to improve retention, advance their education, and recognize commitment to quality. It outlines eligibility requirements for 2014-2015 education attainment, retention, and recruitment awards. Statistics on the 2013-2014 award recipients show the program distributed over $4 million total to improve compensation for early educators across Delaware.

1. Compensation, Retention, and Education Awards
CORE

2. Name one roadblock to retaining highly
qualified teachers?

3. Name one reason there is poor
compensation in the ECE field?

4. CORE Staff
Syreeta Clarke Ann-Janine Ward
CORE Coordinator Career Advisor
Tamira Holloway Evelyn Keating
CORE Administrative Delaware Office of Early Learning
Assistant Program Manager

5. Race to the Top
OIn 2012, Delaware received a $50 million federal
Early Learning Challenge Grant
ODelaware’s Strategic Goals
Goal 1: A Healthy Start for All Children
Goal 2 : High Quality Early Childhood Programs and Professionals
Goal 3: An Aligned and Effective Early Learning System, Birth
Through Third Grade
Goal 4: Sustained System Improvement

6. Delaware Stars for Early Success
O Administered and managed by the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early
Childhood (DIEEC)
(Department of Human Development and Family Studies in the College of Education and Human Development at the
University of Delaware)
O Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS)
A method used to assess, improve and communicate the level of quality in early care and education
and school-age settings
O Technical Assistance
O Financial Support
O Quality Improvement Efforts

7. Compensation, Retention, and Education (CORE)
Awards
ODelaware’s first financial incentive program for early
childhood professionals
OMotivation to early childhood professionals to advance
their formal education and credentials, stabilize their
positions with their current employers, and to educate and
care for children with high needs
OCompensation for the commitment to improving the
quality of Delaware’s early childhood system

8. 2014
Education Attainment Award
Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Large Family
& Family Child Care Providers
O Employed at Star 3, 4, or 5 program
O Provide a minimum of 30 hours or more per week
O Step 4.5 or higher on DE Early Childhood Career
Lattice
O Earn a wage of $15.00 or less per hour
O Must be employed a minimum of 3 months at the
same early childhood program
O Provide direct education and care for children birth
through five years
O If you previously received a 2013 CORE
Educational Attainment Award, you must move up
a Step on the DE Early Childhood Career Lattice
Administrators/Curriculum Coordinators
O Employed at Star 3, 4, or 5 program
O Provide a minimum of 30 hours or more per week
O Step 7.5 or higher on DE Early Childhood Career
Lattice
O Earn a wage of $20.00 or less per hour
O Must be employed a minimum of 3 months at the
same early childhood program
O If you previously received a 2013 CORE
Educational Attainment Award, you must move up
a Step on the DE Early Childhood Career Lattice
Application cycle: Monday, August 4 – Friday, October 3

9. 2015 Retention Award
Teachers, Assistant Teachers, Large Family
& Family Child Care Providers
O Employed at Star 3, 4, or 5 program
O Provide a minimum of 30 hours or more per
week
O Step 7 or higher on DE Early Childhood Career
Lattice
O Earn a wage of $15.00 or less per hour
O Must be employed for 12 months or entire
program year at the same early childhood
program
O Provide direct education and care for children
birth through five years
Administrators/Curriculum Coordinators
O Employed at Star 3, 4, or 5 program
O Provide a minimum of 30 hours or more per
week
O Step 8 or higher on DE Early Childhood Career
Lattice
O Earn a wage of $20.00 or less per hour
O Must be employed for 12 months or entire
program year at the same early childhood
program
Application cycle: Monday, January 12, 2015 – Friday, March 13, 2015

10. Recruitment Award
(Awarded to the Program and New Hire)
OMust be hired on or before July 31, 2014
OStep 7 or higher on DE Early Childhood Career Lattice
OEmployed at Star 3, 4, or 5 program
OWorking 30 or more hours weekly
OProviding direct education and care for children birth
through five years for 6 months
OApplication cycle: January 15, 2015-March 31, 2015

11. 2013/2014 CORE Awards
Snapshot by the Numbers
2013 CORE Educational Attainment Award Distribution
by Career Lattice Step
O Total: $3,809,000.00
O

12. 2013/2014 CORE Awards
Snapshot by the Numbers
2013-2014 CORE Recipient Profile
O Awarded $763,000 in CORE Retention Awards to 293 recipients
O Awarded $3,809,000 in CORE Educational Attainment Awards to 1,337
recipients
O Awarded $62,500 in CORE Recruitment Awards to individuals and programs
O 99% are female
O 35% are Head Start/Early Head Start Teachers
O 63% were employed with programs who participated in CACFP
O 79% were employed in programs who serve children through POC
O 70% serve military families
O 17% are T.E.A.C.H. Scholars
O The median hourly wage of a CORE recipient is $14.90

13. 2013/2014 CORE Awards
Snapshot by the Numbers

14. Step 1
Check your Career Lattice Step
• Ask the Program Administrator to check the Stars database
• Ask your TA for assistance
• Contact the DAEYC Career Advisor
**Make sure all documentation is submitted into the DE First Qualifications System**
**All information will be verified using the Delaware First Qualifications System **

15. Step 2
Complete the entire application with the proper signatures

16. Retention Application

17. Recruitment Application for Employees

18. Recruitment Application for Programs Only

19. Step 3
Complete Federal W-9 form
Download from: www.daeyc.org OR http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/fw9.pdf

20. Step 4
Mail or fax application,W-9, and Paystubs to:
CORE c/o DAEYC
2004 Foulk Road - Suite 6
Wilmington, Delaware 19810
Fax: (302) 475-7400

21. Getting the Word Out…
(Marketing CORE)
O Development of CORE brochure and other informational
materials
O Development of CORE Info tab on the Delaware AEYC
website
O Purchase of marketing materials with CORE logo
O Conducting Informational sessions throughout the state
O Program visits and staff meetings
O Collaborative team effort between DAEYC and EC
stakeholders

22. Lessons Learned…
O Engaging EC professionals
O Educating stakeholders
O “More than just babysitting”
O Collection of data
O Applications
O Survey
O Professionalizing the EC field
O Providing the link between better compensation and retention of
highly qualified teachers to better outcomes for children
O Marketing CORE
O Teamwork
O Opposition
O Needs of Delaware EC Professionals
O Career Advisement services
O T.E.A.C.H Early Childhood®

23. Road to Sustainability
O Engaging EC professionals
O Educating stakeholders
O Advocacy planning
O Data Collection
O Adjusting the CORE
requirements

24. Phyllis Felton-Green
Family Child Care Provider
O daeycpart1.wmv (Please click here to view)

25. Any
Questions
?

26. Thought for the Day
O“The quality of the
education system cannot
exceed the quality of the
teachers.”