Designing a Career Development and Management System for Head Start

By Marcia A. Manter

Head Start has enjoyed a long and active role in career planning for parents and staff. These efforts have produced outstanding outcomes, such as parents who have become teacher/mentors, Head Start directors, and community leaders; employees who have become Head Start fellows in Washington, D.C., staff specialists in the Administration for Children and Families, and college faculty; and Head Start directors who have become leaders at the Head Start Bureau and in state government agencies.

With the current emphasis on professional development, more attention is being paid to formal career development systems for Head Start. This paper discusses some of the essential elements of career development systems that have been successful in businesses and large non-profit organizations and gives suggestions for child development settings.

Career Ladders and Lattices
A career ladder or lattice can be a useful tool for employees to see the possible career options available to them within Head Start. The first step is to develop and graphically portray all of the positions employees might seek in career advancement. This portrayal should include clear, brief descriptions of the roles, major job functions, and realistic qualifications. The information can be taken from existing job descriptions and it should be condensed to fit on 3 x 5 index cards.

Employees find it helpful when positions are shown in ladders up and down the organizational lines. For example, the ladder can depict career moves a Head Start employee can make from a teacher assistant’s job to classroom teacher to lead teacher in a center to teacher/mentor. These levels and career moves are most often based on the experience and knowledge needed to be successful. Employees also gain an understanding of the career opportunities open to them in a lateral direction, across specialty lines. For example, an employee can see what skills and knowledge are needed to move from a beginning job as a nutrition aide to a job as a teacher aide in a classroom to a job as a family advocate.

Policies and Procedures
Policies and procedures help all aspects of an organization work smoothly and fairly, and career management is no different. Here are some items to cover when developing career management policies–

Once policy statements have been developed, career management procedures flow from them. Here are examples of procedures to cover–

• Where can an employee find career information within the organization?
  
• Who (staff title or department) oversees the career management system?
  
• What is the process for an employee to express interest in an internal career move?
  
• How is confidentiality handled?
  
• What forms, if any, need to be completed?
  

Employees are usually excited about a formal and open program to advance their careers. At the same time, it is good to remember the hesitant feelings some employees will have; they may be unsure about confidentiality or reactions of supervisors who want to retain quality staff for their centers. An effective communication and promotion plan will meet these challenges by–

• Explaining the program clearly
  
• Creating enthusiasm in people for whom it was designed
  
• Reducing the anxiety of supervisors and staff
  

Community Partners
Most Head Start programs have organizations in their communities that offer some type of career guidance (schools, colleges, private organizations, or non-profit job development agencies). In fact, many programs already work with these groups to provide services to parents and employees. It makes sense first to search out these organizations to determine what services they offer.

Marcia A. Manter is the Professional Development Specialist for the Community Development Institute, Region VII Head Start Quality Improvement Center. She can be reached at T: 816-356-5373; E: mmanter@cdi7.com.