ENHANCEMENT & EXPANSION OF THE VIRTUAL LAB SCHOOL PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM FOR MILITARY CHILD CARE

The VLS has become a state-of-the-art professional development system that is not only the focal point of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) Child Care Training System but has been recognized as a respected, comprehensive resource both internationally by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and domestically by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and a number of states. Given this, the overall objective of this proposal, as outlined in the original request for application, is to continue the work of the Virtual Lab School in providing innovative and cost-effective virtual professional development for child development program staff.To ensure successful completion of this project, we look forward to continuing our partnership with DoD and the VLS military advisory group. As has been our practice, the following objectives will be accomplished through active communication and careful planning with DoD leadership.1. Provide all maintenance and support necessary to maintain the Virtual Lab School web presence.2. Continue the development of competencies for providers, trainers, and managers within the child, youth, and family childcare environments.3. Continue technical assistance for the deployment of competencies on military installations as they are developed.4. Provide training to installation level personnel.5. Collect ongoing feedback from users to enhance content and incorporate system improvements.6. Conduct filming of high-quality early childhood environments to highlight experiences and best practices. Filming includes the operation of the classroom/learning environment and related areas, interviews highlighting areas of expertise, and special projects happening in the classroom/learning environment.7. Development of a professional development track that provides foundational and specialized training for personnel working with youth.8. Design evidence-based assessment criteria for the deployment of the Family Childcare Home Visit Monitoring System.