Apprentice Outcomes

EEAP is designed to have a lasting, positive effect on the careers of educators. In addition to near-term goals of apprentice program participation and completion and demonstration of classroom best practices, success for EEAP means continued wage growth and educational/credentialing attainment after graduation. The specifics of career growth will vary based on each apprentice’s background and personal careers goals, but in all cases, continued growth is a central program goal.

Credentialing Growth

From September 2021 through August 2022, the initial cohort of apprentices resulted in twelve EEAP graduates. Eight of the apprentices earned a CDA through the program, in addition to four apprentices who entered already having the credential. Within the first year of the 2021 cohort, 12 apprentices graduated. An additional nine apprentices earned a CDA through the program in their first year, in addition to 12 who entered with the credential (Table 15).

Wage Growth

Apprentices who completed the program by August 2022 experienced a notable wage increase, with a larger increase within the 2020 cohort ($2.90) but higher overall wages at exit within the 2021 cohort ($15.42).45

GRADUATES’ POST-PROGRAM PATHWAYS

Five of the eight apprentices from the initial cohort who graduated are in the process of pursuing additional education through enrollment at an institution of higher education or currently pursuing enrollment. Ten of the 12 apprentices who have graduated so far from the 20212022 cohort have been referred to a local educational partner (Tarrant County College or Tarleton State University).

Apprentice Perspectives

Apprentices who graduated in August 2022 were invited to reflect on their experience and provide feedback. All 15 graduates who participated indicated that the program had large or major impact on their lives in terms of their ability as a teacher, ability as a family member or parent, confidence in their professional skill, and confidence in their personal abilities. Eighty percent indicated they had large or major growth in their ability to seek new opportunities thanks to the program. Further, all graduates indicated that they had taken or planned steps to register for college classes, achieve career growth, and achieve increased wages.

45 To ensure a comparable basis of comparison, wage changes were considered for apprentices who listed hourly compensation and had information on wages at both program entry and exit.

Discussion

In 2021-2022, the Camp Fire Early Childhood Apprenticeship Program concluded its initial two-year pilot and guided a new cohort of apprentices on pursuing increased education and professional development. At a time when educator stability within a role has been particularly tenuous, EEAP brought stability and opportunity to apprentice and host site participants alike. Initial apprentice outcome results are promising, with graduates showing wage growth, commitment to ongoing educational pursuits, and the stability associated with earning a nonexpiring professional credential. A key area for increasing focus and improvement is building and measuring the quality of teacher-child interactions in the classroom, which showed lower performance than anticipated overall and from beginning to end of year.