EEAP Results

Participant Retention And Success

The first and pilot EEAP cohort ran from 2020-2022, enrolling 23 and graduating 12 apprentices. A second cohort began in 2021 and graduated 12 apprentices of 29 in the first year. Across both cohorts, nearly 75% of apprentices either graduated within 12 months or successfully completed the first year and began the second. Across the first and completed cohort, 52% of apprentices completed the program; Camp Fire expects higher completion rates among future, non-pilot

Knowledge And Skill Development

Apprentices were expected to improve the teaching, child interaction, and classroom management skills associated with high-quality early childhood classrooms. In the 2021-2022 school year, 22 of the 24 classrooms with apprentices showed improvement in teaching best practices over the course of the school year, and classrooms generally showed strong growth in classroom best practices. Apprentice classrooms met the quality threshold for classroom organization, with additional growth desired for emotional and instructional support. Apprentices perceived the program as having a major effect on their professional (ability as a teacher, confidence in their professional skill) and personal (ability as a family member or parent, confidence in their personal abilities) lives and as impacting their ability to seek professional opportunities. All graduates have indicated the intention to pursue additional steps to build their educational and career attainment.

Credential And Wage Increases

Since its beginning in 2020, EEAP has aided 17 early childhood educators in obtaining a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential and graduated 24 apprentices. Apprentices who completed the program by August 2022 experienced notable wage growth of up to an average of $2.90/hour, with average wages of up to $15.42. As EEAP matures, the program increasingly connects apprentices with higher education institution; 10 of the 12 graduates from the 2021-2022 cohort have been referred to either Tarrant County College or Tarleton State University for further education, supported by scholarship funds.

Overall, both the CFSRP and EEAP have achieved notable steps in strengthening the early childhood system and supports available in North Texas, in spite of persistent challenges. Continued investment in efforts to support young children and the educators who help them thrive can build on the accomplishments and innovations of Camp Fire