Professional Development Programme for Leaders
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME FOR
LEADERS
PDP(Leaders) is a 3-year professional development programme with refreshed contents specially curated to support Early Childhood (EC) leaders in their career aspirations and professional development through:
- Broadening of perspectives
- Deepening of professional knowledge and skills
- Honing competencies in areas of professional interest
A strong tripartite partnership between operators, leaders and ECDA in supporting the professional development of leaders is key to the success of PDP(Leaders).
The PDP Journey
Key Features
- Choose how you want to learn through CPD activities
- Receive annual cash awards after completion of programme and service milestones
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Eligibility Criteria
- Singapore Citizen or Singapore Permanent Resident
- Employed under a Non-Anchor Operator Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) registered or licensed with ECDA
- ECDA-certified L2;
- At least 3 years of EC leadership experience (based on date of Principal appointment to date of PDP appointment in May) or
At least 5 years of EC teaching experience (based on date of DECCE-T attainment to date of PDP appointment in May); - Meet the relevant skills and competencies required as described in the Skills Framework for Early Childhood for Lead Early Years Educator, Lead Preschool Educator or Deputy Centre Leader
- Nominee should possess one of these Occupational Titles in ONE@ECDA at point of nomination: Lead Early Years Educator, Lead Preschool Educator, Deputy Centre Leader, Centre Leader, Senior Centre Leader, Curriculum/Pedagogy Specialist
Operators are encouraged to prioritise and support good performing leaders (e.g. top 10-20% based on appraised performance) for PDP.
Programme Structure
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About the Compulsory Modules
PDP(Leaders) participants need to complete two Skills-Based Modular Courses (SBMCs) from the revised Advanced Diploma in EC Centre Leadership (ADECL):
i. Leading Self (LEDS) (18 hours) – Conducted during working hours
ii. Leading in Curriculum and Pedagogy (LDCP) (45 hours) – Conducted after working hours (e.g. 3 evenings per week over 5 weeks)
Current revised ADECL participants (Apr 2023 intake onwards) who are taking these two modules as part of their revised ADECL programme can clock in the hours for these two modules to fulfil the compulsory module milestone.
Participants who have graduated from the revised ADECL programme prior to joining PDP are to complete other CPD activities in-lieu (63 hours).
About the Project
PDP(Leaders) participants need to complete one project by end of Year 3.
The project options available are:
- ECDA Fellows Inquiry-Based Action Plan (IBAP) workshops – Learn from ECDA Fellows by participating in their IBAP projects. Please submit the
IBAP Project Summary
via ONE@ECDA after project completion.
- Practitioner Inquiry (PI) Grant – Provides participants the opportunity to pursue a project using an inquiry-based approach to explore curriculum innovation and improve their teaching practices. Look out for more details in the later part of the year.
- Centre-Initiated Project (CIP) – Provides participants the opportunity to apply their knowledge and skills within the centre and classroom. Refer to the CIP factsheet for more information.
About the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Activities
PDP(Leaders) participants may complete other CPD activities to fulfill the remaining hours.
1. ECDA CPD Activities
ECDA CPD activities are courses or activities endorsed by ECDA and aimed at raising the quality and professional
experience of leaders. Some examples include Leadership Series, Early Childhood Learning Communities (ECLC) Communities of Practice (CoP), Community of EC Leaders events, etc.
Participants are encouraged to prioritise CPD courses tagged
to the Stage 1 Technical Skills and Competencies (TSCs) for the respective job role.
Please refer to the CPD Roadmap to identify the Stage 1 TSCs for each Occupational Title.
Please refer to the CPD Prospectus for CPD courses which are tagged to the Stage 1 TSCs for each Occupational Title.
2. Non-ECDA CPD Activities
Non-ECDA CPD activities are courses, activities or training programmes conducted by professional institutions (such as NIEC and SUSS) or external providers. Some examples include first aid course, local learning
journeys, learning communities, seminars and conferences etc.
Participants may refer to the respective institute’s website for more information.
3. In-house CPD Activities (capped at 20 hours)
In-house CPD
activities are training sessions organised by the participant’s centre or organisation that contributes to the professional development of educators in performing their professional role. Participants can clock up to 20 hours of in-house
CPD courses per PDP year.
Some examples include peer sharing, learning journeys, learning festivals, mentoring sessions and other staff trainings etc.
Nomination
PDP(Leaders) participants are nominated by their operators/supervisors through ONE@ECDA yearly. All operators/supervisors interested in nominating their leaders may refer to the following guides.
For organisations with HQ structure, HQ will have to review all nominations submitted by their centres.
For enquiries, please contact us at ecda_pp@ecda.gov.sg.
Nomination
Programme and Service Milestones
- Compulsory Modules are SBMCs currently offered under the revised ADECL which are conducted during or after working hours in Year 1. There will be approximately 2 classes available for each compulsory module for participants to choose from.
- Projects are carried out by participants at their centres, according to the approved project implementation timeline.
- Remaining CPD hours can be clocked by completing ECDA/non-ECDA/in-house activities anytime within the 3 years. More information on ECDA CPD activities can be found in the ECDA CPD Prospectus.