Skip to content

Coach Qualifications

Interested in becoming a Step Up to Quality coach?

Coaching is an interactive process based on a collaborative relationship. It is intentionally designed to promote sustainable growth in attitudes, skills, and knowledge to effectively implement best practices for the optimal development of young children and their families. Through observation, discussion, and reflection, the coach promotes the other person’s ability to grow toward identified goals. Early childhood coaches collaborate with administrators, staff, family members, and caregivers who work directly with children in group care, early education, and/or home settings.

Guiding Principles

The Step Up to Quality coach will have an understanding and ability to put into practice and advocate for the following guiding principles:

  • Maintain confidentiality
  • Model culturally-responsive interactions
  • Natural learning environment
  • Learner focused approach
  • Implement meaningful activities/supports
  • Encourage collaborative goal setting
  • Keep a positive awareness and understanding that change and program improvement occurs over time

Job Functions

  • Partner, guide, and be a resource to support programs in quality improvement.
  • Recognize the unique abilities of individuals and assist others in valuing everyone’s contributions.
  • Encourage, support, motivate, and work interactively with early childhood professionals to develop and implement quality action plans.
  • Support early childhood professionals in the use of appropriate practices to promote child development and learning by utilizing the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines.
  • Assist early childhood professionals to structure developmentally appropriate environments, routines, and interactions that contribute to positive outcomes for children and families.
  • Focus on specific high quality indicators, making program improvements as identified by the Environment Rating Scales and/or Cl.ASS observation tools.

Job Responsibilities

Effective coaches must be able to build relationships with staff based on mutual respect, demonstrate effective communication skills, practice conflict resolution, maintain an on-going commitment to learning, possess good observation skills, and model best practices for working with young children. Additional responsibilities include:

  • Attend regularly scheduled Step Up to Quality coach meetings.
  • Attend required trainings as assigned by Nebraska Department of Education (NDE).
  • Assist early childhood professionals to create, monitor and sustain quality action plans to improve environments, teaching practices and overall program quality.
  • Offer resources, strategies and support in accordance with the Step Up to Quality standards.
  • Provide regularly scheduled communication and coach visits with early childhood professionals to offer support and guidance.
  • Collaborate and communicate with other early childhood initiatives involved with the program.
  • Willing to travel throughout a region of Nebraska.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

  • Complete the Nebraska Early Childhood Coach Training.
  • Associate’s Degree or higher in early childhood education or related field.
  • Ability to use technology, knowledge, and expertise regarding developmentally appropriate practices.
  • Have experience working in early childhood or related field for three or more years.
  • Have knowledge of Nebraska child care licensing regulations, Head Start performance standards, Rule 11, and Step Up to Quality standards.
  • Successfully pass required background checks.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Complete the Nebraska Step Up to Quality Coach Training.
  • Trained in both CLASS and ERS observation tools.
  • Trained in the Nebraska coaching model.
  • Have experience working in early childhood or related field for five or more years.
  • Knowledge and expertise in the Nebraska Early Learning Guidelines to support growth and development for all in participating programs.
  • Attend Intro to CLASS, Intro to Environment Rating Scales, Practice Using Environment Rating Scales, and Environment Rating Scales Closer Look training.
  • Trained/experience in Reflective Practice.

Please note: The cost to attend training prior to a contract with the NDE is the responsibility of the individual. Training opportunities can be found on the Nebraska Early Childhood Training Calendar.

How to apply

Applicants must submit a Nebraska Early Childhood Coach application.

Contact

For additional information, please contact Lynne Cook:
lynne.cook@nebraska.gov or 531-207-2218