CCR Minimum Standards require programs to have personnel records for every employee, caregiver, substitute, and volunteer. Records must be available for review during business hours at either the center or a central administrative location. At the initial assessment and at each annual visit, a Texas Rising Star assessor will review all staff files and score them as applicable.
Required documentation includes:
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- Dates of the first and last day on the job
- Statement verifying the employee is free from active tuberculosis
- Notarized Licensing Affidavit for Applicants for Employment form
- Record of training hours
- Signed and dated statement of receipt of the operational and personnel policies
- Proof of request for background checks
- Copy of photo identification
- Copy of current driver’s license if transporting children
- Signed and dated statement of training that includes an overview of the policy on the prevention, recognition, and reporting of child maltreatment
Stop and Reflect
How does your program store its personnel files? How long do you keep them?
What support do you need from your Texas Rising Star mentor to improve your program’s procedures related to recordkeeping?
Define
Texas Rising Star has many measures related to staff records. Click the links to learn more about these measures.
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- S-DQT-03: Director has an individualized plan in the director’s file that provides for a minimum of 24 clock hours of training on an annual basis, to include a minimum of six hours in program administration, management, and supervision. (school-age programs)
- S-DQT-04: Director has an individualized plan in the director’s file that provides for a minimum of 36 clock hours of training on an annual basis, to include a minimum of six hours in program administration, management, and supervision. (center-based programs)
- P-DEQT-01: Center-based director formal education
- P-DEQT-02: LCCH and RCCH director formal education
- P-DEQT-03: Director formal education (school-age programs)
- P-DEQT-04: Director experience (all other programs)
- P-DEQT-05: Director experience (school-age programs)
- S-COTQ-01: Before beginning child care duties, all teaching staff members (to include volunteers substitutes, if applicable) receive documented in-person interactive orientation with the director/administrator to improve knowledge of the childcare operation, specific job responsibilities, and children’s needs. (all facility types except RCCH or LCCH that do not have additional staff)
- S-COTQ-03: An individualized plan provides for a minimum of 30 clock hours of child care-related training specific to the age of children in their care. All child care staff participates in training according to the approved plan. The training certificates align with the individualized written training plan. (center-based programs)
- S-COTQ-04: An individualized written training plan that contains 20 clock hours of training on an annual basis is in the teacher’s staff file. Of the 20 hours, a minimum of 12 hours needs to be in school-age development and curriculum. (school-age programs)
- S-COTQ-05: An individualized written training plan that contains 15 clock hours of training on an annual basis is in the teacher’s staff file. Of the 15 hours, a minimum of 10 hours needs to be in school-age development and curriculum. (school-age programs)
- S-COTQ-07: Primary staff has 36 hours of documented training, with a minimum of 12 clock hours of instructor-led training. (home-based programs)
- S-COTQ-08: If applicable, all staff members have 30 hours of documented training with a minimum of 12 clock hours of instructor-led training (not including director-led training). (home-based programs)
- P-CQT-01: Not counting the center director, full-time teacher staff must meet certain criteria. (center-based programs)
- P-CQT-02: Not counting the center director, full-time teacher staff must meet certain criteria. (school-age programs)
Learn
Director documentation of experience (résumé, curriculum vitae, date of hire) must be observed during program assessment. The resume sample shows how proof of years of experience in early childhood education can be provided by the director.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
Teacher documentation of experience (résumé, curriculum vitae, date of hire) must be observed during program assessment. The resume sample shows how proof of years of experience in early childhood education can be provided by program staff.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
This sample plan shows a practitioner’s professional development goals and the trainings she has completed and plans to complete. Notice how there is alignment between her professional development goals and the trainings she completes.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
This website offers a range of digital and print materials and resources related to child care training, including a number of online courses for child care professionals seeking to fulfill state-mandated training requirements. These resources will help early childhood professionals find and complete training hours needed as related to their role.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, PreschoolResource Type: Toolkit
This training was designed for use by early childhood administrators. These competencies represent the range of knowledge and observable skills needed to effectively manage early childhood programs. They are intended to serve as a guide to those interested in acquiring a better understanding of the scope of responsibilities associated with early childhood program administration.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, PreschoolResource Type: Online Course
The career pathway relates a professional’s training hours, education, work experience, and other factors to a position on the career pathway, from entry-level to expertise in the early childhood field. The Texas ECE Career Pathways support those who identify as Practitioners, Administrators, Trainers, and Coaches.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, PreschoolResource Type: Guide
Practice and Improve
Use of this reflective document will support staff in identifying which future training topics (aligned with the Texas Core Competencies) would be beneficial to their professional development. This document should be used in tandem with the staff’s Annual Professional Development/Training Plan.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Guide
This is an example of a Professional Development Profile Report for Administrators and Practitioners from TECPDS. This report can be used to analyze staff education, experience, and training to ensure staff are meeting requirements for training hours and topics. The report can also help inform staff training plans if some training topics have less coverage than others.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
The Professional Development Profile Report for Practitioners from TECPDS can be used to assist in analyzing education, experience, and training. The assessor will use the Individual Professional Development Profile Report to help score the director’s education, experience, and training measures. Program staff files should be used to verify these documents if the report is incomplete or unavailable.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
Early childhood practitioners complete many hours of professional development each year to support their professional growth in child skill development and instructional practices, and to meet state guidelines. When selecting your next professional development opportunity, look for conferences and sessions aligned to the professional development plan to meet your goals!
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Assessment
Before beginning child care duties, all teaching staff members receive documented in-person interactive orientation with the director/administrator to improve knowledge of the childcare operation, specific job responsibilities, and children’s needs. Here is a sample document that provides evidence that this onboarding has taken place. This documentation should remain in the teacher’s staff file.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Example Document
Here is a performance evaluation template for directors or administrators to document annual staff performance evaluations. Program leaders can use a staff’s performance evaluation to provide monetary compensation and to recognize an employee’s performance in the 12 months. The document will download automatically.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Template
This template is an effortless way to document staff members’ professional development goals and training opportunities. Training opportunities should help the practitioner meet their goals while also meeting minimum requirements for clock hours and training topics.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Template
T.E.A.C.H. (Teacher Education and Compensation Helps) Early Childhood® Texas Scholarship Program is an educational scholarship opportunity for early childhood educators who work in the licensed childcare setting across Texas. These comprehensive scholarships enable early childhood educators to take coursework leading to credentials and degrees at local community colleges and universities in Texas.
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, PreschoolResource Type: Toolkit
Create and update your professional development profile, review staff profile reports, and plan professional development for your center/facility. Anyone who works with children birth to age 8 can register for a TECPDS account, regardless of their role or the sector in which they work. If you work with young children and would like a personal account where you can keep track of your professional development, create an account today!
Age group(s): Infant, Toddler, Preschool, School-ageResource Type: Guide
View more resources by clicking the link for each measure in the Define section.