Work on the Core Competencies began almost as soon as EEC was established in July 2005 with research into accreditation standards from NAEYC, NAFCC, MSAC, EEC's regulations, Head Start standards, preschool standards and guidelines, and the competencies identified by other states. This work would not have been possible without two committed groups of stakeholders: the Core Competency Committee of the Massachusetts Early Education and Care and Out of School Time Workforce Development Task Force and the Professional Development Workgroup of the EEC Advisory.

From the beginning, those committed to this task understood that this work must also be informed by the actual use of the competencies by our field and that the competencies will continue to evolve as we gain this experience. EEC encourages educators and programs to use this first edition of Core Competencies to validate their education, skills, and experience and to plan the next steps in their professional growth. Educational institutions and professional development organizations are encouraged to use the competencies to organize and develop their offerings. Over the next year, EEC will use focus groups, surveys, and other means to gather feedback from the early education and out-of-school time field. This input will be used to review, revise, and update the Core Competencies.

Click here to access the Core Competencies. PDF DOC