This brief presents analyses of the 2019 National Survey of Early Care and Education (NSECE) data describing factors that shape center-based ECE workforce participation in professional learning.

Why This Matters

For children ages 5 and younger, participation in high-quality ECE can lead to lifelong positive outcomes. Yet a portion of the ECE workforce lack the education and professional development to optimally support children’s growth and development. More evidence is needed on how educator and program characteristics shape workforce participation in professional learning, particularly within workplace contexts.

We examined whether education levels, funding sources, and workplace supports influence educators’ engagement in professional learning. Additionally, we explored whether the factors that predict greater participation in professional learning function differently for infant and toddler educators compared with preschool educators. Policymakers, administrators, and practitioners can use this evidence to inform ECE professional learning policies and practices.

What We Found

• The majority (86 percent) of the ECE educators participated in at least one form of professional development during the year before the 2019 survey, and almost 70 percent received some support from their center to participate in professional learning.
• ECE educators with higher levels of education were consistently more likely to participate in professional learning activities than those with lower levels of education.
• ECE educators in centers supported by greater number of public funding sources were more likely to participate in professional learning, with each additional funding stream associated with increments in participation.
• Assistance with direct costs, paid release time, and supervisory support for professional development planning were all strongly associated with greater engagement across multiple types of professional learning activities.
• Educational attainment was more strongly associated with participation in professional learning among preschool educators than among infant and toddler educators, whereas for infant and toddler educators, the number of funding sources accessed by the center was associated with higher levels of participation in professional learning activities and college coursework.

How We Did It

We analyzed nationally representative data from the 2019 NSECE center-based workforce files. Our sample represents nearly 1.4 million center-based early childhood teachers and assistant teachers. We estimated a series of logistic regression models to assess the educator and workplace characteristics associated with participation in professional learning. All analyses accounted for the complex survey design of the NSECE and applied survey weights to produce nationally representative estimates of the center-based ECE workforce.