Training, Tools, and Learning for Technical Assistance Specialists and Coaches
Training for Technical Assistant Specialists and Coaches
The McCormick Institute’s Center for Early Childhood Leadership works with individuals, organizations, and state agencies to develop informed and experienced trainers, coaches, and mentors who can support the Whole Leadership development of early childhood administrators.

Why Training is Beneficial
Training for technical assistants and coaches can be tailored based on the center-based or family child care administrators being coached, and may include content related to:
- Using the PAS and BAS as tools for coaching administrators
- Establishing rapport and aligning goals
- Tailoring support to administrators’ developmental career stages
- Adapting coaching strategies to meet the unique needs of family child care
- Using assessment data to help administrators create and implement quality improvement plans
- An overview of the PAS or BAS and an in-depth look at specific PAS or BAS items

"I would say that this might just be the best online training I have ever attended. The presenters are knowledgeable and relatable. It's apparent that they put a lot of thought into the presentation and its preparation."
PAS TTA Participant, Diane Farley, Coach/Mentor/Quality Specialist (e g , technical assistance role)
Different Training Options
Program Administration Scale (PAS) Overview Trainings
Program Administration Scale Reliability Training
PAS Reliability Training provides an in-depth analysis of the items and quality indicators in the Program Administration Scale (PAS). This training is designed for individuals who want to ensure that the PAS assessments are valid, reliable, and administered consistently across programs. The training concludes with a reliability test, and participants who are 85% or more reliable with the national anchors are eligible to apply for PAS Certification for an additional fee.
Getting Ready for the PAS Online Module—2ND EDITION
This self-paced, online module provides an overview of the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and includes similar content as Widening the Lens: Looking at Quality from an Administration Perspective. Directors will have the opportunity to reflect on each item as it relates to their programs and receive resources to help improve the quality of their programs. The module takes approximately 6 hours to complete.
PAS-3 Transformative TA Institute
Strong early childhood programs are built on strong leadership—and leaders thrive with intentional, research-informed support. This multi-session Transformative TA series is designed for those who coach, mentor, and provide technical assistance to center directors, offering practical tools grounded in the Program Administration Scale, 3rd Edition (PAS-3) and the science of effective coaching. Participants will receive an overview of the PAS-3, deepen their understanding of how leadership influences quality, explore strategies rooted in adult learning and behavior change, and learn to individualize support based on directors’ developmental stages.
Registration is now open for our virtual 6-part PAS-3 TTA Build your own Institute (2-6 days)
Build your own institute by choosing from the different session topics we offer. Your PAS Transformative TA Institute will include strategies and tools for supporting directors with the Program Administration Scale, 3rd Edition (PAS-3).
Supporting Directors as the Gatekeepers to Quality: The Technical Assistance Specialist’s Role
The Program Administration Scale (PAS) serves as a guide for program improvement and can be a great resource for those supporting directors of early care and education programs. Receive an overview of the PAS, learn how the PAS is scored, and take a deep dive into one or two of the items. Explore the developmental stages of directors and how to individualize support based on developmental stage. Learn strategies for providing technical assistance, coaching, and mentoring. Put all of this information together to learn how to support directors with data-based decision-making and action plan development, and implementation.
Widening The Lens: An Introduction to the Program Administrations Scale-3
Assessment of early childhood program quality is generally associated with indicators of the classroom learning environment. Little attention has been given to the quality of the overall administration of the program. The session will provide a rationale for viewing quality from a broader perspective. Participants will be introduced to the Program Administration Scale (PAS), 3rd edition, which measures the quality of management and leadership practices in a program. Participants will learn how to score the instrument as well as strategies for using the tool as a resource for improving administrative practices. Examples of how center directors can use the PAS to enhance program effectiveness will be presented. Participants will also learn how to incorporate the tool into action plans.
Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) Overview Trainings
BAS Reliability Training
BAS Reliability Training provides an in-depth analysis of the items and quality indicators in the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS). This training is designed for individuals who want to ensure that the BAS assessments are valid, reliable, and administered consistently across programs. The training concludes with a reliability test and participants who are 85% or more reliable with the national anchors are eligible to apply for BAS Certification for an additional fee.
Getting Ready for the PAS Online Module—2ND EDITION
This self-paced, online module provides an overview of the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) and includes similar content as More Than a Nurturing Heart: Looking at Quality from a Business Administration Perspective. Providers will have the opportunity to reflect on each item as it relates to their programs and receive resources to help improve the quality of their programs. The module takes approximately 6 hours to complete.
BAS Transformative TA: Supporting Excellence in Family Child Care
Build your own Institute (2-6 days)
Build your own institute by choosing from the different session topics we offer. Your BAS Transformative TA Institute will explore effective coaching practices, examine research on the career development stages of family child care providers, and provide strategies to individualize support based on where providers are in their professional journey.
All BAS Transformative TA Institutes include these first two sessions:
Session 1 | BAS Overview
Understanding how to conduct a formal BAS assessment and knowing how to use the BAS for technical assistance require different skill sets. This session will provide a brief overview of the BAS and will focus on key concepts for those in technical assistance roles. Strategies for addressing provider concerns, explaining indicators of quality and research design aspects, and supporting providers in decision making will be highlighted. This session will set the tone for providing a deep dive into individual BAS topic items.
Session 2 | Critical Components of Technical Assistance for Family Child Care
Knowing where to begin and what steps to follow when helping family child care providers improve their business and professional practices can be challenging, yet we know family child care programs cannot be sustained without these practices in place. This session will provide an introduction to technical assistance roles, examine the unique features of family child care, explain the importance of individualizing TA to meet the needs of providers, demonstrate how TA can support program sustainability and provider longevity, identify the components of transformational TA, and coaching through questions.
PAS and BAS item-specific trainings can be adapted to a train-the-trainer model to support TAs and coaches in their work with center and FCC administrators
Accidents Happen, Why Risk It? Improving Your Risk Management Plan (PAS item 8, BAS item 6)
Most centers have risk management plans. Unfortunately, those plans often sit on a shelf in the office, leaving staff confused about what to do in the event of an emergency. This session explores how to make a risk management plan a living document. Best practices in risk management, as outlined in the Program Administration Scale (PAS) and the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS), are addressed.
Authentic Engagement: Building True Partnerships with Families (PAS items 16 & 17, BAS items 7 & 8)
Children and families benefit the most when early care and education programs work with them to build and sustain authentic and engaging partnerships. To achieve authentic engagement, we must shift the focus from basic family involvement to building and nurturing rich and collaborative partnerships with families. This session will review recent research in family engagement, examine ways to implement family-centered principles in early care and education programs, and focus on how administrators and families can make the shift from involvement to engagement.
Orientation? How to Keep Orientation from Being a Real Snooze (PAS item 1)
New employee orientation is often one of the most neglected functions of organizations. Investing time and energy into providing a comprehensive orientation process will help to ensure that new employees feel welcomed and valued right from the start. This session provides practical tips and strategies for making the most of the first few months of employment, providing new staff members with the necessary information and support to be successful. Best practices of orientation, as outlined in the Program Administration Scale (PAS) will also be addressed.
Creating and Improving Family Handbooks (BAS item 7)
A number of the challenges ECE programs face can be mitigated or eliminated by having clear policies in writing. An effective family handbook can set expectations, clarify relationships, reduce frustration, and help bridge communication between providers and families, but writing and organizing effective policies for a handbook can be challenging. Using the BAS as a guide, this session will help professionals create a more efficient and effective family handbook.
Communication in the Workplace: Crafting Connections, Managing Meetings, and Resolving Rifts (PAS items 20 & 21)
Nothing is so simple it cannot be misunderstood. Despite living in a world in which we are in constant communication with one another, we often struggle to do so effectively and efficiently, especially at work. As a leader, it is critical that you master the art and science of communication yourself and guide staff in practices to improve their communication. This session focuses on three areas for improving workplace communication: understanding and adjusting communication styles, strategies for creating and delivering effective meetings that foster engagement and increase collaboration and productivity, and practical and concrete methods to transform conflict from a destructive force to a productive force.
Creating a Financial Roadmap: Knowing Where You Want To Be and How to Get There (BAS Items 4 & 5)
Running a successful family child care business takes more than a passion for working with children—it requires a clear vision and strong financial planning. Creating Your Financial Roadmap is a practical, hands-on training designed to help family child care professionals take control of their finances, set achievable goals, and build a sustainable future.
Friendly Introduction to Budgeting (BAS Item 4)
Finances are an important part of business success; however, creating a budget can feel overwhelming or intimidating. Using an FCC-specific case study, learn the steps to building a budget. This session will use a hands-on approach to budgeting in a calm and easily digestible way, leaving participants feeling empowered and prepared!
Making Dollars and Sense (BAS items 4 & 5)
One of the most critical, but often disliked, parts of running a successful family child care program is having sound fiscal management practices in place. This session includes an overview of recordkeeping and money management. Using best practices from the BAS as a guide, Participants will learn how recordkeeping and money monitoring practices can significantly increase the sustainability of their business.
Marketing Matters (BAS item 9)
Smart marketing allows family child care professionals to effectively recruit families and maintain enrollment. But there is a science to effective marketing. This session will provide coaches with steps and strategies that assist FCC professionals in reflecting on the uniqueness of their program and how to utilize a variety of marketing techniques and tools to communicate their program’s benefits to prospective families.
Put it in Writing: What Belongs in an FCC Contract and Handbook (BAS items 2 & 7)
Contracts and handbooks are two of the most important documents a family child care provider can have; however, providers sometimes struggle when trying to create them. Using best practices from the Business Administration Scale for Family Child Care (BAS) as a guide, participants will learn the most important elements of contracts and handbooks and how to organize each document in a way that will protect their business and help bridge communication between them and the families they serve.
Recruitment and Hiring: Finding the Needle in the Haystack (PAS item 1, BAS item 10)
Recruiting, hiring, and retaining qualified staff is hard! In fact, trying to find a good teacher can feel a lot like searching for a needle in a haystack. During the session, participants will focus on creating a skills audit, crafting a job description, interviewing, and candidate selection. Together, these strategies will help equip leaders in recruiting and hiring passionate and committed staff.
The Future Starts Now: Business Plan Basics (BAS item 4)
Ready to transform your passion for child care into a successful business? The Future Starts Now: Business Plan Basics is designed for family child care professionals who are ready to lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability and growth. Whether you’re launching a new program or refining an existing one, this session will walk you through the core elements of an effective business plan—even if you don’t have a business degree.
Miscellaneous Trainings
Change is Good…You Go First!
Whether you're leading a classroom, a team, or an entire school, motivating yourself and others to embrace change is one of the toughest challenges in education—and often a major source of frustration. So, how do you take the first step and inspire others to follow? This session delves into the fascinating science behind how people change and offers practical, proven strategies to overcome common barriers and lead the way with confidence and purpose.
The Honeycomb and Beyond: Learning to see your program from a systems perspective, developing systems to sustain quality, and understanding how power influences operations
Similar to a honeycomb, early care and education programs are complex systems. Without an understanding of systems thinking, a director is at a disadvantage and less likely to develop and sustain quality practices over time. Through a simulated game, participants will gain an understanding of the interconnectedness of their organization to a larger system. Participants will learn that they can no longer focus on one aspect of a system, such as classroom quality, and expect the organization to make lasting, sustainable change. Instead, a systems approach that considers a variety of components beyond the classroom must be addressed. Power differentials within a child care program will be explored, giving participants the opportunity to identify with structures of power and explore how power is used and viewed among staff. Participants will embark on a journey evaluating the practices that currently exist in their programs and how they can develop and improve upon systems to create more efficiency and effectiveness.
FAQs or Process for Working With You
How do I get started?
Contact us! We will set up a meeting with you to learn more about your group’s needs and create a customized training program.
Are the trainings in-person or online?
We have live in-person training, live virtual training, and self-paced online learning options.
Is there a way to customize the training?
Absolutely! We work with you to customize the package that best suits your group’s needs.
Can your trainers travel to where my group is located?
Yes! Our staff frequently travels to different locations nationwide to deliver these professional learning sessions.
Is there any evidence of the impact of this work?
What other resources do you have?
We have a library of eResources which include articles about topics relevant to early childhood administrators.
History for Training Program
The McCormick Institute’s Center for Early Childhood Leadership has a rich history of developing leadership in early childhood administrators.