Quality Matters

Teacher Qualifications

SJB Child Development Centers’ program staff are held to strict permit and educational standards. They are required to hold a current Child Development Permit certified through California Department of Education’s Commission on Teacher Credentialing. This commission authorizes a teacher to provide service in the care, development, and instruction of children in a child development program.
The program staff consists of Site Supervisors, Master Teachers, Teachers, Associate Teachers and Teacher Assistants. Each teacher level in this Child Development Matrix requires a specific number of college earned units in early childhood education, general education and previous experience in group child care. The matrix requires Site Supervisors to also have an additional 6 college units in administration and supervision. The majority of SJB Child Development Centers’ Site Supervisors hold at least a B.A. degree.
Across SJB’s network, these prepared and trained staff implement the curriculum that includes social-emotional, physical and academic development as well as facilitate evaluations and individualized plans.

Staff Trainings:
Ongoing professional development training is a priority to the agency. SJB educators and classroom staff are trained in the following:

PITC (Program for Infant/Toddler Care) developed collaboratively by WestED and the California Department of Education, is a comprehensive training system that promotes responsive, caring relationships for infants and toddlers.

CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System) is an observation tool that focuses on the effectiveness of classroom interactions among children and teachers.

CalSAC (California School-Age Consortium) its mission is to support and advance professionals and organizations in providing after school and school-age care programs. Its focus is on connecting professionals, enhancing competency, and building a community of leaders.
Inclusion Collaborative; efforts are to provide children with a quality learning environment. Its focus is the successful inclusion of children with special needs in child care, preschool programs and the community through education, advocacy and awareness.

Desired Results Developmental Profile (DRDP) the Desired Results Developmental Profile–School Readiness (DRDP-SR©) assessment instrument provides useful information to teachers and administrators in order to better address children’s learning and developmental needs over time. It ultimately is an essential strategy to close the readiness gap and ensure all children thrive in their earliest years. The California Department of Education (CDE), in collaboration with the WestEd Center for Child and Family Studies and UC Berkeley–BEAR Center, developed the Desired Results Developmental Profile–School Readiness (DRDP-SR) assessment instrument. The primary purpose of the DRDP-SR is to provide transitional and traditional kindergarten teachers with a valid, reliable measurement tool that will assist them to observe, document and reflect on the learning, development and progress of their students.
All of our classroom staff are also First Aid and CPR trained and certified

Program Quality

SJB is committed to creating future college graduates, professionals, and community leaders. Our focused approach to early education and child development is exemplified through an ongoing commitment to quality.

SJB educates and empowers children and their families through continuous assessments, thoughtful curricula, dedicated educators, professional development, and a deep commitment to family engagement. SJB employs the following assessments to ensure quality of care.

ERS (The Environment Rating Scale)
At SJB we believe the classroom environment to be the third teacher in a child’s life; as a result, we take great care to ensure a high quality learning environment. One tool we use to achieve this quality is the environmental rating scales. The Environment Rating Scales utilize observations of child interactions with peers, adults, and materials to assess the quality of the learning environment. SJB’s classroom environments are evaluated twice a year and the evaluations help to produce summary of findings aimed to further improve the learning environment.

DRDP (Desired Results Developmental Profile)
The DRDP is an assessment system that helps teachers to gauge the developmental progress of the children enrolled in our program. SJB staff conducts these assessments at least twice a year, so that each family has a record of progress for their child’s development. The tool also serves to engage families in their child’s educational process, and details how families can support their child’s development at home.

CLASS (Classroom Assessment Scoring System)
The CLASS tool is utilized to evaluate teacher child interactions in the classroom. Teachers are evaluated based on their ability to provide emotional support, instructional support, and an organized classroom environment. As a part of SJB’s commitment to continuous quality improvement we regularly evaluate our teacher’s interactions using this assessment tool.