Reimagining pathways for educational equity in school-based partnerships: an early childhood case study Open Access

The persistent national shortage of teachers and childcare professionals constitutes one of the most pressing challenges in United States and global education today, necessitating urgent and equity-centered innovations in teacher preparation. Illinois statewide data for 2024–25 indicate a shortage of approximately 15,000 qualified teachers across community and school-based programs serving children from birth through grade 12. Nationally, the shortage is estimated at approximately 750,000 teachers, with global estimates suggesting an additional 44 million will be needed by 2030 (Comai, 2025; Castro et al., 2025; ISBE, 2025; NAEYC, 2024; Tan et al., 2024). These shortages disproportionately diminish instructional quality and restrict equitable learning opportunities for students in high-need fields such as early childhood education, special education and English learner education – fields that have historically relied on the underrecognized labor of paraeducators and women of color.

While shortages in some subject areas have begun to ease as policy responses take effect, demand in these critical fields continues to grow. In response, this project focuses intentionally on early childhood education, bilingual/EL endorsement paired with elementary education and special education. Despite the increasing policy and economic attention devoted to the teacher shortage crisis, relatively few studies have examined alternative program models that center equity and access for low-income and racially and linguistically diverse paraeducators – many of whom are women of color sustaining their local school systems and contributing to the social and economic vitality of their communities (Brandick, 2004; Flores, 1992; Genzuk et al., 1994; Valenciana et al., 2005; Villegas & Clewell, 1998). This study addresses that gap by examining asset-based, equity-driven strategies that enable diverse paraeducators to enter and persist in teacher education pathways across early childhood, bilingual and special education contexts in rural Illinois.

Grounding this inquiry in Dr Tara J. Yosso's (2005) Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework, this study conceptualizes paraeducators not as “nontraditional students” but as holders and producers of cultural wealth whose aspirational, navigational, social, linguistic, familial and resistant forms of capital enrich and transform the teaching profession. Through this lens, the Paraprofessional Teacher Education Option (PTEO) recognizes that rural paraeducators – many of whom are mothers, multilingual community members and experienced caregivers – bring deeply rooted knowledge and lived expertise that traditional teacher education pathways have historically undervalued or ignored. CCW thus provides a counter-narrative to deficit-based assumptions about rural, low-income and racially minoritized learners by positioning their experiences as central to innovation and educational equity.

Building on Ernst-Slavit et al. (2022), who highlight the effectiveness of asset-oriented recruitment and retention strategies for Latina paraeducators, and Morales et al. (2007), who emphasize the interplay of ethnicity, language and geography in access to teacher preparation, this study examines the PTEO as a site of resistance and transformation. The research questions guiding this study are as follows:

• RQ1. How can a four-year university effectively partner with a rural, racially and linguistically diverse school district and a partner childcare agency serving predominantly low-income families to create and sustain flexible teacher education pathways?

• RQ2. To what extent do nontraditional or alternative postsecondary pathways reduce systemic barriers for rural, low-income paraeducators?

• RQ3. In what ways does a cohort-based approach to teacher education influence paraeducators’ success in obtaining postsecondary credentials and state licensure?

These questions are situated within a broader sociopolitical climate in which anti-DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) initiatives and policies threaten to dismantle decades of progress in equitable access to education. As the PTEO team continued to recruit and mentor early childhood teacher candidates, the 2024 presidential election ushered in a period of uncertainty and retrenchment. Up until that point, the PTEO's work had aligned with state equity initiatives and funding streams.

In 2022, for example, the PTEO program joined the Illinois Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE), a pandemic-era scholarship and workforce development initiative that removed barriers to enrollment and completion for incumbent early childhood professionals (ECACE, 2024). The ECACE program, explicitly designed to advance racial equity under Illinois Public Act 102–0174, provided full scholarships and additional support for low-income and racially diverse early childhood workers, most of whom were women balancing employment and caregiving responsibilities. Similarly, the Minority Teacher of Illinois (MTI) scholarship, founded in 1992, aimed to diversify the teaching profession by supporting “academically talented minority students to pursue careers as teachers” and ensuring that students of color have access to teachers who share and affirm their identities (CFSA, 2021; Smiley, 2024).

These two programs were instrumental in supporting the PTEO's recruitment of paraeducators – individuals who, while often underpaid and undervalued, embody what Yosso (2005) terms resistant capital: the persistence to pursue professional advancement within systems that were not designed for their success. As early childhood paraeducators – predominantly low-income women earning as little as $14 to $16 per hour (Reeves, 2024; CSCCE, 2024) – navigated economic, familial and institutional barriers, the availability of ECACE and MTI scholarships represented not only financial relief but institutional recognition of their CCW.

However, since January 2025, Illinois's leadership in supporting the early childhood workforce has been jeopardized by the anti-DEI agenda advanced by the federal administration. The Trump administration's efforts to defund the Department of Education and shift financial responsibility to individual states have constrained equitable funding mechanisms, while litigation from anti-DEI organizations has targeted race-conscious scholarships such as the MTI (U.S. Department of Justice, 2025; Owens & Medill Illinois News Bureau, 2025). The expiration of ECACE's federal funding and the legal suspension of the MTI program represent significant setbacks for teacher diversity, undermining years of progress toward racial and linguistic equity in the educator pipeline.

Although Illinois continues to invest in initiatives such as the Gateways Scholarship for Opportunity and the Grow Your Own Illinois consortium grant, affordability challenges persist, particularly for rural paraeducators balancing work, caregiving and study. Through the lens of Yosso's CCW framework, these educators' ongoing participation in teacher preparation despite structural and political barriers exemplifies aspirational capital – a steadfast commitment to educational attainment as a means of community uplift and generational transformation.

In this way, the PTEO not only addresses the teacher shortage crisis but also stands as a testament to the power of CCW in action: an equity-centered model that mobilizes the collective strengths of paraeducators, communities and universities to resist structural inequities and reimagine the future of teacher preparation.

The term teacher shortage has become a widely invoked descriptor of the escalating deficit of qualified educators across US schools (Sanderson, 2022). In early care and education, it is often framed as the US Childcare Crisis. Shortages of teacher assistants and lead teachers are especially acute in state-funded programs such as Preschool for All and Head Start. Projections indicate 160,000 assistant and lead teacher positions serving children from birth through kindergarten in non-school settings will be posted this year, while nearly half of early care and education centers anticipate staffing shortages significant enough to restrict operations. This has direct implications for educational equity and community well-being, with more than 60% of Illinois childcare providers reporting available classroom space but insufficient staff to open it (Illinois Association for School Administrators, 2024; NAEYC, 2024).

Linguistic diversity further intensifies the crisis and underscores the need for an equitable, culturally and linguistically responsive workforce. The number of English learners (ELs) grew from 3.8 million (8.1%) to nearly 5 million (10.3%) between 2000 and 2020. Representing a wide range of languages, cultures and ethnicities, their success is central to the nation's educational future. Research consistently shows bilingual instruction most effectively supports ELs' growth, yet expanding dual-language programs requires bilingual teachers. US Census data reveal the workforce remains disproportionately monolingual, highlighting systemic mismatches between student needs and educator preparation.

Illinois exemplifies these challenges, as bilingual educator shortages have reached critical levels across rural and urban districts. Evidence from the study cohort highlights the gap: in the local district, 22% of students are multilingual learners and 16% are Black, yet only three multilingual candidates and no Black candidates enrolled in the teacher preparation cohort. Despite tuition assistance and wraparound support, only two advanced to student teaching, and just one now serves as a full-time bilingual preschool teacher under a state provision allowing candidates who pass the language proficiency assessment to serve as the teacher of record while completing licensure. These outcomes raise broader questions for policy and equity-focused research, including strategies to recruit and sustain diverse paraeducators and to reduce barriers in “grow your own” programs.

At the local level, this case illustrates structural inequities – including licensure exams, limited access to preparation programs and the isolating effects of predominantly White teacher education environments – that disproportionately hinder ethnically and linguistically diverse educators. As a result, many pursue careers in urban schools, where they report stronger belonging, more supportive climates and higher pay. Similar trends are evident in special education, another high-need field, where diverse candidates often leave rural districts for urban ones (Blad, 2024; ISBE, 2024; Najarro, 2023; Pacciotto & Delany-Barmann, 2024). The preparation of even one new bilingual teacher in this study underscores both the progress achieved and the urgent need for sustained, equity-driven strategies to close this critical gap.

Finally, while teacher shortages have recently garnered national attention, they are not new and have worsened significantly since COVID-19. In Illinois, over 60% of childcare centers remain understaffed and under-enrolled, with children from historically marginalized groups – including those in poverty, with disabilities or qualifying for special education – most severely affected (NAEYC, 2024). The consequences for student outcomes are well documented. Since the 1990s, research has shown teacher quality is among the strongest determinants of student achievement (National Commission on Teaching, 1996; Darling-Hammond, 2000). Consistent, qualified teachers narrow opportunity gaps and improve literacy, math, graduation rates and long-term employability (Goldhaber, 2016). Conversely, shortages of high-quality teachers cause lasting academic harm, especially in early grades where later interventions may not fully compensate (Looney, 2011). From a supply-and-demand perspective, the shortage perpetuates inequities by limiting access to qualified educators for the students who need them most (Sinnema et al., 2025).

Many factors have contributed to teacher shortages over the past decade, presenting a complex and often localized issue. Key contributors include attrition, high student-to-teacher ratios, unattractive locations, inequitable pay, high-need school contexts, a shortage of qualified teachers for vulnerable populations, and, most recently, COVID-19. The profession's low societal prestige – often seen as disconnected from the market economy – has further constrained recruitment, especially when alternative job opportunities are plentiful (Wiggan et al., 2021).

Although the shortage is nationwide, its intensity varies by location and demographics, shaped by salaries, working conditions, benefits and levels of student trauma (National Education Association, 2022). While monetary compensation is not the only factor, it is among the top three drivers (Buttner, 2021). Starting salaries remain low compared to other fast-growing careers, yet most districts already allocate about 80% of budgets to salaries and benefits, leaving little flexibility (Allegretto & Mishel, 2019; Buttner, 2021).

District demographics, tied to inequitable funding formulas driven by property taxes, exacerbate shortages, particularly in racially, ethnically and socioeconomically segregated areas (Johnson & Howley, 2015). Rural districts, like urban ones, remain underfunded, often employing the highest percentages of under-credentialed teachers. These areas also face significant challenges in recruiting and retaining BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) and multilingual teachers, due to barriers in accessing teacher preparation programs, systemic obstacles and unsupportive school cultures (Carver-Thomas, 2018).

Viewed through Yosso's (2005) CCW framework, these inequities reflect not a lack of ability or interest among educators from marginalized backgrounds, but a failure of educational systems to recognize and value the cultural, linguistic and social capital that these individuals bring to the profession. When teacher preparation pathways overlook the aspirational, navigational and resistant capital of rural and BIPOC/linguistically asseted educators, they perpetuate deficit narratives and weaken the pipeline of diverse, community-rooted teachers. Recognizing and building upon these forms of capital can transform recruitment and retention strategies – allowing schools and universities to see local educators not as scarce resources to be filled, but as community assets whose lived experiences and cultural wealth strengthen the teaching profession (Yosso, 2005).

In response to the escalating teacher shortage, federal and state policymakers have implemented a range of equity-focused solutions. During a 2022 congressional hearing, key strategies were identified, including expanding teacher preparation pipelines, removing licensure barriers and increasing teacher salaries (Burke et al., 2022). Among the most widely adopted approaches are alternative certification programs, Grow Your Own initiatives, and dual-enrollment partnerships connecting high schools and higher education institutions.

Among the most effective approaches for rural communities are Grow Your Own (GYO) teacher development programs, which continue to expand with added incentives and recruitment efforts. The term GYO is widely used in educational discourse to describe initiatives designed to strengthen and diversify the teacher workforce within local communities. Such programs are particularly prominent in low-income school districts, where they serve the dual purpose of addressing teacher shortages and expanding equitable access to the profession for individuals who have been historically underrepresented in education.

GYO initiatives often provide tuition assistance and comprehensive wraparound supports that enable participants to pursue licensure while reducing financial and structural barriers to entry. By preparing community members to become highly effective teachers in the very neighborhoods where they live, these programs foster both workforce stability and cultural responsiveness. Paraeducators, parent volunteers and other classified school staff represent especially promising recruitment pools for GYO teacher preparation pathways (Van Winkle, 2019).

States have increasingly turned to emergency certifications and residency programs to address immediate staffing gaps (Anderson, 2024). For instance, in California, the issuance of emergency-style teaching permits remained a significant strategy for addressing teacher shortages during the 2022–2023 school year, particularly in high-need areas like special education (San Francisco Chronicle, 2025). In Illinois, “in AY 2023–24, $76.4 million in ECACE Scholarship funds were distributed to nearly 4,700 members of the incumbent workforce” (ECACE Scholarship Brief, 2024, para. 2), while also mandating universities to streamline pathways through recognition of prior learning and credentials from two-year institutions.

In rural areas, innovative alternative licensure pathways are essential to educational equity and access, building on models dating back to the 1980s (Matsko et al., 2021). These pathways offer flexible schedules, faster completion and financial support such as tuition waivers, scholarships and stipends (Gibson, 2021). Programs like paraprofessional pathways, residencies, apprenticeships and high school pipelines are gaining momentum. In Illinois, scholarships target early childhood education, special education and minority teacher candidates (Gibson, 2021).

The case study presented here is part of a broader research study examining a four-year university's approach to creating equity-centered, non-traditional pathways to postsecondary education, aiming to reduce systemic barriers for rural, low-income and diverse paraeducators. The community where the partner district is located has long been a destination for immigrants, reflected in its schools, local businesses and participant demographics.

Centerville (a pseudonym) is a small rural town in Illinois, located in the Midwestern United States. The community has a population of 11,847, with 28.4% identifying as Hispanic or Latinx. In 2024, 22% of students in the school district were multilingual learners (MLs), 16% were identified as Black and 56% were identified as low-income.

This linguistically and ethnically diverse rural site was intentionally selected for its capacity to advance the study's aims. The researchers had established long-standing collaborative relationships with the district, which is situated within a comprehensive early childhood network encompassing school-based Preschool for All, center-based Head Start and regional Special Education Cooperative programs. The cross-program articulation among these entities presented a valuable opportunity to examine whether the university's wraparound support model could be effectively extended beyond a single district.

Additionally, the district's commitment to dual-language instruction and inclusive educational policies – including expectations that all new teachers pursue both Special Education and ESL/Bilingual endorsements – positioned it as an ideal setting for this equity-focused research. Ultimately, the presence of dynamic district leadership and shared goals for educational justice and workforce diversity created the conditions for a sustainable partnership, enabling the university to effectively recruit and support rural paraeducators pursuing alternative pathways to teacher licensure. This study also provides a comparative lens into Grow Your Own programs that serve historically marginalized workforce within a cohort model and outside of a cohort model.

This study employed a mixed-methods case study design (Merriam, 2009), grounded in sociocultural theories of education policies (Creswell & Creswell, 2022). These theories view local educational policies as complex cultural products negotiated among participants and stakeholders and shaped by local, state and federal policies. A multi-layered sociocultural approach, with a strong qualitative component, was essential to capture the complexity of educational contexts (Morales, Diaz de Sabatés, Fanning, & Murray, 2007). In addition to addressing the cultural complexities that educational research exhibits, this approach was also appropriate given the sociopolitical polarization present in our country at this time. Levinson, Winstead, and Sutton (2020) underscore the link of sociocultural theory to educational policy, stating, “Importantly, policy organizes social settings whose actors may have quite different levels of awareness or agreement about how they are being organized” (p. 364). They note that this notion is also critical when examining schools and teacher preparation. Finally, mixed-methods case studies offer an in-depth exploration of complex and unique settings by integrating diverse data sources over time, allowing for the triangulation of evidence to strengthen causal inference (Yin, 2009).

As indicated earlier, this paper is based on data from a cohort of rural paraeducators and teacher assistants in a partnering rural, non-profit, community-based childcare who were part of a larger study of rural low-income paraeducators enrolled in the Paraeducator Teacher Education Option (PTEO) program at a four-year university. In the current study, ten students working as paraeducators in early childhood blended, dual-language and special education classrooms at Centerville School were selected as participants (see Table 1) through a purposive selection strategy (Tedlie & Yu, 2009).

The early childhood workforce in this rural collaborative included participants whose first language was Spanish, as well as single parents and individuals who were economically disadvantaged, reflecting the broader demographic realities of the early childhood education sector in rural Illinois.

Additional participants included program coordinators (n = 3), program advisors (n = 2), student mentors (n = 3), course professors/instructors (n = 10), university administrators (n = 2) and a school district principal and instructional coach (n = 2). More detailed information about the student participants will be presented in the findings section, as these data were collected through the program entry survey and are part of the study's results.

Data collection was designed to align with the SWOB analysis framework, focusing on strengths, weaknesses (self-awareness), opportunities (support system) and barriers (obstacles). Five sources of data were used.

1. Program entry survey and exit survey: All student participants completed surveys at the beginning and end of each semester. The entry survey collected demographic information, professional background and motivations for pursuing teacher licensure. The exit survey documented participants' reflections on course content, supports, barriers experienced and perceived successes. Descriptive statistics were used in the analysis of entry and exit surveys.

2. Student interviews: Participants took part in semi-structured interviews at multiple points across the first two years of the program, providing rich qualitative data that complemented and deepened insights from the survey findings.

3. University stakeholder interviews: Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with program coordinators, academic advisors, student mentors, course instructors and university and school administrators. A total of 18 stakeholders were interviewed. These interviews focused on program implementation, perceived strengths and weaknesses of the model and alignment with institutional and state teacher preparation policies.

4. University records: Administrative records provided data on program enrollment, persistence and completion. In this study, persistence was defined as continued enrollment from one semester to the next and progress toward program completion, including retention beyond the first year.

5. Policy and institutional documents: University and state-level policy documents related to teacher preparation were reviewed to contextualize program design and identify regulatory structures shaping implementation.

All research and data collection procedures were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) prior to study implementation.

Data analysis followed a multi-step process integrating both qualitative and quantitative sources. Using SWOB analysis, each candidate's data set was first organized to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and barriers. We then employed constant comparative analysis (Williams & Moser, 2019) and inductive category coding (Bingham & Witkowsky, 2022; Bowen, 2009) to refine the categories and develop overarching themes that captured the participants’ experiences. Transcripts from semi-structured interviews with students and university personnel (coordinators, advisors, mentors and faculty) were analyzed inductively, starting with SWOB categories and then moving to line-by-line coding (Gibbs, 2018; Hayes et al., 2019). To ensure reliability, four researchers independently coded transcripts, compared findings and reached consensus on emerging themes. Survey data were analyzed descriptively to capture student characteristics, anticipated challenges and perceived successes. University records were used to track enrollment, persistence and program completion. Analysis of university records on program completion provided evidence of the success of rural paraeducators in progressing toward state teacher licensure and credential attainment. Finally, document analysis (Bowen, 2009) was employed to review university and state policy documents, explaining how border regulations influenced the program and its outcomes.

Ten participants were included in the study, all of whom advanced to their second year. Their mean age was 33.9 years (range 20–46). Program records noted two additional Hispanic-identifying candidates not in this sample. Most participants identified as White, one as White and Hispanic, and several did not report ethnicity; all identified as female. The majority began in Fall 2022 (n = 7), with others in Summer 2022 (n = 2) and Spring 2024 (n = 1). Educational backgrounds varied: two held associate degrees in early childhood education, while others had accumulated 33–131 undergraduate credit hours without a degree. By the end of the study, 80% had earned bachelor's degrees, primarily in education (one in general studies). Participants attained either a Gateways ECE Credential Level 5 or a Professional Educator License (PEL) in Early Childhood Education, with three still in progress. Professional experience ranged from early-career to veteran: 60% reported 1–5 years, one reported 6–10 years, two reported 11–15 and 16–20 years and one (Participant 3) reported over 20 years. This mix shows most entered with limited to moderate experience, while a smaller group brought substantial expertise that enriched peer learning (González et al., 2005).

Exit survey data from the participants provided insights into program satisfaction and perceived preparedness. When asked about the relevance of course content to their teaching and the inclusion of research-based information, 80% of participants rated their satisfaction as 4 out of 5, while 20% rated it as 5. Participants praised the self-paced online structure and the 8-week course format, which allowed them to maintain full-time employment while completing their degree. Faculty teaching quality was also highly rated, with 50% of participants selecting a 5 (delighted) and the other 50% rating it a 4. Similarly, mentoring received generally positive feedback, with 60% rating it a 5, 20% rating it a 4 and the remaining 20% assigning scores of 3 and 2, respectively. Academic advising, however, was noted as an area in need of improvement. While 30% of participants rated advising as a 5 and 20% as a 4, 40% gave it a low rating of 2, suggesting concerns about the quality of communication and accessibility. Notably, participants who rated mentoring and advising lower were also those who reported feeling less prepared in several teaching areas. In terms of readiness to assume a lead teacher role, 70% of participants indicated they felt fully prepared (rating of 5), while the remaining 30% gave a rating of 4. When asked about preparedness to meet the needs of multilingual learners, 40% of participants rated their preparedness as 5, 20% as 4, another 20% as 3 and 20% as 2. For teaching children with disabilities, 60% of respondents rated themselves a 5, 20% a 4 and the remaining 20% split between ratings of 3 and 2 (see Figure 1).

These findings suggest that, while overall satisfaction with course content and instructional delivery is strong, support systems, such as academic advising and mentoring, may require further development. This research notation is particularly relevant, as lower ratings in these areas correlate with reduced perceptions of preparedness, especially when working with diverse learners and students with disabilities. Enhancing communication structures and offering more targeted mentorship opportunities may increase participants’ confidence and competency in these critical domains.

The cohort model offered a unique opportunity to provide curated and targeted support, based on collaborative planning sessions between the university partner, the school principal and prospective participants. Two co-planning sessions were held prior to classes, during which the team identified strategies that would work best for them and determined mutual commitment. Additionally, the university partner provided individualized support with applications, FAFSA completion and scholarship processes, thereby helping to reduce barriers to enrollment. This cohort structure also reflected principles of Yosso's (2005) CCW framework by fostering social and familial capital – creating a supportive learning community where participants' shared experiences, relationships and collective problem-solving were recognized as valuable assets rather than deficits.

The participating students were also asked about the key factors supporting their persistence in what was, by all accounts, an intense program, particularly given that all participants were working full-time while raising families. More than half of the students in the Centerville cohort identified connected, wrap-around supports as critical to their success. These included access to university advisors, a dedicated university coordinator, onsite and virtual mentoring, summer study sessions with their principal and assistance with Teacher Education Program (TEP) requirements. Beyond institutional support, the cohort itself became an academic and emotional support network. Individual interviews and teacher focus group discussions revealed that the participants relied heavily on one another, forming friendships that extended into the workplace. One student described,

While candidates consistently mentioned financial assistance as crucial, it was not described as the primary motivator for degree completion. Instead, participants emphasized the personal fulfillment of completing a degree, transitioning to a licensed teacher role and serving as role models for their children. One student explained,

Monthly planning meetings with the university partner extended beyond coursework discussions to include moments of laughter, storytelling about classroom experiences and the sharing of new instructional strategies. The principal actively participated in these meetings, providing encouragement and affirmations when participants faced academic challenges. The former program coordinator noted how the principal set a tone of professionalism and a kids-first approach that extended into participants' coursework (Program coordinators, personal communication, December 2, 2021). As one student explained,

In summary, student interview data from the Centerville cohort indicated that the value of wrap-around “university-school” systemic supports, accessible online coursework, robust financial assistance, onsite and virtual mentoring (including Spanish Bilingual support) and the academic and emotional strength derived from the cohort community itself (Creswell & Creswell, 2022; Gay, 2018; Gibbs, 2018).

The University para program development team in two major phases, driven by the convergence of university enrollment needs, the state's teacher shortage and newly enacted policies aimed at strengthening the preparation of early childhood educators. The director of the university's school of education recalled that the creation of the para program “was certainly prompted by the teacher shortage and [the university's] history as a normal school” (Personal Communication). At the same time, the initiative provided an opportunity to design innovative programs that could increase enrollments, which had declined in recent years, while maintaining competitiveness with other state institutions. As the director stressed, “There was probably some competitive drive to have something in place” (Sheffield, 2023; Sinnema et al., 2025). The new state early childhood policies and funding aligned with those factors and made it possible that the early childhood paraprofessional program could be piloted on a smaller scale and then become one option of the teacher education programs.

In late spring 2020, the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) announced the Early Childhood Credential Completion Cohort Grant (EC4 grant) opportunity (IDEC, 2024). The initiative invited proposals from two- and four-year public and private institutions to expand professional development opportunities for the incumbent early childhood workforce. Participating institutions were required to be Gateways Credential–entitled and to propose models supporting incumbent workers through strategies such as online courses, credit for prior learning or work experience, mentoring, technology access and skill development, tuition waivers and credential application fee waivers. At the time, few institutions were authorized to offer the Gateways Infant Toddler Credential. Five aligned courses were prioritized, targeting incumbent workers in rural areas near the participating university, which was the only four-year public institution awarded the grant (Gibbs, 2018).

Through the EC4 grant, the university piloted the core features of the para track: online modules, proficiency credit for prior knowledge and work experience, financial support for tuition and fees, evening meetings and tutoring services. The grant spanned two and a half years, from July 2020 to December 2022. Building on this foundation, the Early Childhood Access Consortium for Equity (ECACE) was established in fall 2021 under legislative mandate and co-convened by IBHE and the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB). The Consortium – comprising 11 public universities, 41 community colleges, and 10 private nonprofit institutions – was created to “serve the needs of the incumbent early childhood workforce and the employers of early childhood education and to advance racial equity while meeting the needs of employers by streamlining, coordinating, and improving the accessibility of degree completion pathways for upskilling and the sustained expansion of educational pipelines at Illinois institutions of higher education” (Public Act 102–0174, 2021).

The ECACE grant represented a transformative equity investment in the early childhood workforce, intentionally designed to expand access for historically marginalized women who have long sustained the field through underpaid labor. Many of these women are multilingual, economically disadvantaged and single parents balancing caregiving with full-time employment. By funding tuition, mentoring and wraparound supports, ECACE created new, equitable pathways into higher education and affirmed the professional expertise of women whose contributions to early care and education have been systematically undervalued. These dollars did not simply remove financial barriers – they functioned as a restorative equity strategy, recognizing early childhood education as essential labor that sustains both local economies and intergenerational opportunity. This grant also brought legislation with it that nurtured the concept of the community and cultural wealth that the early childhood workforce brings into a school, especially paraeducators and assistant teachers that tend to live and raise children in the communities where they work.

The official Early Childhood PTEO program was launched in summer 2022 with ECACE support, building upon the structures established through the EC4 grant. One of the program's most labor-intensive practices involved evaluating and transferring the wide range of academic credits, professional credentials and prior experiences presented by candidates. This process demanded creativity, flexibility and sustained collaboration across the university. The licensure officer, a central figure in this effort, explained in her words her tasks in the project, and the words themselves speak to the equity lift of the para pathways, as they were both internal and external. She noted,

The licensure officer stressed that hours of transcript review were necessary, often conducted by faculty coordinators. The current early childhood program coordinator described her involvement in this process,

By creating flexible, equity-centered pathways and recognizing prior learning, the university acknowledged paraeducators’ professional expertise and community knowledge as forms of capital rather than deficits. In alignment with Yosso's (2005) CCW framework, the program's recognition of prior learning (PLA), Child Development Associate (CDA) credentials and transferred credits honors the aspirational, navigational and resistant capital that paraeducators bring to the classroom. These women have persisted in the profession despite economic hardship, linguistic marginalization and institutional barriers; their accumulated expertise represents CCW that enriches teacher education. By institutionalizing these credit-granting mechanisms, the university validated lived and professional experience as legitimate academic capital – transforming PLA and CDA recognition from a bureaucratic process into an act of equity, justice and respect for experiential knowledge (González et al., 2005).

By leveraging its Gateways Credential status, the university positioned the PTEO as a competitive and inclusive option within the state. However, the implementation of such an initiative required substantial institutional effort. Administrators and faculty were tasked with addressing licensure requirements, developing new course schedules, adapting financial aid structures, expanding advising and mentoring services, and securing faculty engagement in support of this alternative pathway. Faculty also provided evening and weekend tutoring assistance, including on-site and virtual tutoring alongside grant-funded mentors. According to the former program coordinator,

Through these efforts, the program was able to offer course credits for work experience, prior knowledge and professional credentials such as Gateways* and Child Development Associate (CDA). In addition to adopting a proficiency credit process, the program granted Advanced Placement credit in compliance with Illinois state legislation, which requires four-year public universities to accept coursework from completed AAS degrees without imposing excess credit hours beyond those required of traditional early childhood candidates. These structures not only streamlined completion but also enacted an asset-based model of teacher preparation, acknowledging that community and professional experience are integral to educational excellence.

The PTEO program was created and delivered entirely online to support early childhood professionals with professional experience but barriers to upskilling through higher education credit. It expanded accessibility online while fostering small group work, interactive discussions and virtual evening and weekend meetings. Both 4-week and 8-week accelerated formats were initially offered alongside traditional 16-week courses. However, the 4-week option was discontinued after candidates and instructors found it too compressed for meaningful engagement. The 8-week format was retained for its balanced pace, which supported deeper learning and sustained feedback, reflecting the program's commitment to instructional quality and continuous improvement.

Online delivery was essential for incumbent workers, though persuading faculty to transition courses posed challenges. As the licensure officer observed:

Beyond coursework, ECACE funds supported online and in-person mentoring and tutoring that were especially critical for women balancing family and employment responsibilities. Beyond coursework, ECACE funds supported online and in-person mentoring and tutoring that were especially critical for women balancing family and employment responsibilities. To complement online support, mentors were strategically placed in areas of high student participation to provide in-person assistance. In this study's cohort, the mentor was a dual-language kindergarten teacher on site, and he hosted lunch and after-school work sessions that significantly boosted persistence and success, as reported by the candidates. This localized, place-based approach exemplifies a best practice for strengthening rural teacher preparation pathways.

Purposeful hiring of mentors who share or deeply understand the cultural, linguistic and community contexts of local schools and childcare centers directly aligns with Yosso's (2005) CCW framework. Such mentors draw upon and reinforce familial, social and linguistic capital, helping candidates navigate academic systems while honoring the knowledge embedded in their own communities. By situating mentorship within local cultural realities, the program leveraged community relationships as a form of institutional support – turning mentorship into both an educational and an equity practice.

Mentors also offered flexible evening hours to accommodate candidates' family responsibilities, as one explained:

Financial aid was equally critical, with candidates frequently noting they “wouldn't be able to do it without the funding” (Mentor 2, 2024). The program also incorporated flexible preclinical and clinical experiences, allowing candidates to complete student teaching in either 8 or 16 weeks, depending on employment obligations. Challenges arose when paraeducators needed to remain employed in their current roles, but their supervising teachers lacked the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) qualifications to serve as cooperating teachers, creating tensions between licensure requirements and employment realities.

Mentors also offered flexible evening hours to accommodate candidates' family responsibilities, as one explained:

Financial aid was equally critical, with candidates frequently noting they “wouldn't be able to do it without the funding” (Mentor 2, 2024). The program also incorporated flexible preclinical and clinical experiences, allowing candidates to complete student teaching in either 8 or 16 weeks, depending on employment obligations. Challenges arose when paraeducators needed to remain employed in their current roles, but their supervising teachers lacked the ISBE qualifications to serve as cooperating teachers, creating tensions between licensure requirements and employment realities.

By creating flexible pathways, recognizing prior learning and leveraging its Gateways Credential status, the university positioned the PTEO as a competitive and attractive option within the state. However, the implementation of such an initiative required substantial institutional effort. Administrators and faculty were tasked with addressing licensure requirements, developing new course schedules, adapting financial aid structures, expanding advising and mentoring services and securing faculty engagement in support of this alternative pathway. Faculty also provides evening and weekend tutoring assistance, including on-site and virtual tutoring alongside grant-funded mentors. According to the former program coordinator,

Through these efforts, the program was able to offer course credits for work experience, prior knowledge and professional credentials such as Gateways*^[1] and Child Development Associate (CDA). In addition to adopting a proficiency credit process, the program granted Advanced Placement credit in compliance with Illinois state legislation, which requires four-year public universities to accept coursework from completed AAS degrees without imposing excess credit hours beyond those required of traditional early childhood candidates. This policy not only streamlined completion times for candidates but also improved the cost-effectiveness beyond the expected life of the grant dollars. Eligibility criteria for admission include at least one year of work experience in the early childhood education field and current employment with children from birth through grade 2.

The PTEO program was created and delivered entirely online to support early childhood professionals with professional experience but barriers to upskilling through higher education credit. It expanded accessibility online while fostering small group work, interactive discussions, and virtual evening and weekend meetings. Both 4-week and 8-week accelerated formats were initially offered alongside traditional 16-week courses. However, the 4-week option was discontinued after candidates and instructors found it too compressed for meaningful engagement. The 8-week format was retained for its balanced pace, which supported deeper learning and sustained feedback, reflecting the program's commitment to instructional quality and continuous improvement.

Online delivery was essential for incumbent workers, though persuading faculty to transition courses posed challenges. As the licensure officer observed:

Beyond coursework, ECACE funds supported online and in-person mentoring and tutoring, as noted in the introduction. To complement online support, mentors were strategically placed in areas of high student participation to provide in-person assistance. In this study's cohort, the mentor was a dual-language kindergarten teacher on site, and he hosted lunch and after-school work sessions that significantly boosted persistence and success, as reported by the candidates. This localized, place-based approach exemplifies a best practice for strengthening rural teacher preparation pathways. Mentors also offered flexible evening hours to accommodate candidates’ family responsibilities, as one explained:

Financial aid was equally critical, with candidates frequently noting they “wouldn't be able to do it without the funding” (Mentor 2, 2024). The program also incorporated flexible preclinical and clinical experiences, allowing candidates to complete student teaching in either 8 or 16 weeks, depending on employment obligations. Challenges arose when paraeducators needed to remain employed in their current roles, but their supervising teachers lacked the ISBE qualifications to serve as cooperating teachers, creating tensions between licensure requirements and employment realities.

The collaboration between the university and Centerville Early Childhood Center emerged from an initial conversation between the university program coordinator and the principal regarding ways the university could support her school following professional development. After relationship-building and professional development, a cohort was launched that closely aligned with the principal's vision of elevating paraeducators' credentials and professionalism while creating a sustainable hiring pipeline. Working with her administrative and instructional coaching team, the principal partnered with the university to build a strong community of practice that supported paraeducators pursuing higher education. The partnership addressed the needs of candidates (consistent instructional support from teachers and paraeducators), teachers (increased classroom support) and administration/school/district (a cost-effective strategy to fill positions).

To sustain the cohort, the university hired a part-time place-based Spanish bilingual mentor, referred to above, who provided hands-on support, served as a liaison between the candidates and the university, and reinforced a culture of collective success. The university facilitator also maintained regular contact through classroom visits and at least one meeting per quarter, gradually reducing involvement as the cohort became more confident.

The Centerville principal brought a unique perspective to early childhood leadership. Formerly a secondary math teacher and high school assistant principal, she shifted to early childhood education after recognizing that strong foundation skills in the early years are critical to later academic success. She leveraged state requirements mandating two adults in early childhood classrooms to ensure that each classroom included a licensed teacher and a paraprofessional, while also maximizing paraprofessional staffing and investing in professional development for both teachers and paraeducators. Unlike many schools where paraeducators are treated as peripheral aides (Sinnema et al., 2025), Centerville paraeducators were included as equal members of instructional teams, given the same professional development as teachers, and respected in ways that built their confidence and professional identity. The principal explained,

Her vision encompassed ensuring that future teachers were highly qualified to meet the diverse needs of learners. She encouraged all candidates to work toward endorsements in Special Education and English as a Second Language (or Bilingual Education, for bilingual teachers), not only to better support inclusive classrooms but also to strengthen their job opportunities. When the university introduced the PTEO, the principal readily embraced it, organizing a cohort of nine paraeducators (later expanding to 12) to reduce teacher shortages and strengthen the district's instructional workforce. She was clear and strategic in her goals, which included creating highly prepared paraeducators while also expanding the pool of future licensed teachers. At the same time, she recognized that paraeducators' lives were complex, often shaped by heavy family responsibilities and financial constraints, and paraeducators could not have pursued licensure without state and federal scholarships targeted to early childhood teacher preparation. She also recognized financial incentives as a key motivator, noting that paraeducators were already doing much of the work that teachers do, yet they received significantly lower pay. This awareness drove her to pursue the most effective partnerships, making the collaboration with the university a true “win-win” for the district, the university and the paraeducators themselves.

Challenges also emerged, particularly with required coursework. There was a prominent “math class crisis,” leading the principal and assistant principal to provide additional encouragement and resilience-building support. While the program's hybrid format (synchronous online sessions combined with asynchronous coursework) allowed paraeducators to balance work and study, administrators and student participants emphasized the need for more in-person seminars to reduce isolation, build professional flexibility and adaptability, and enhance collaboration and mutual learning within the program. The university facilitator noted that while support was available online and through quarterly visits, content-based professional development outside of conferences remained limited, particularly after initial grant funding declined.

Despite these challenges, the first graduates are now employed as lead teachers, long-term substitutes or advanced paraeducators, with 75% working in Centerville Early Childhood Center or within the local early childhood collaborative. Some transitioned from paraprofessional to teaching roles, while others leveraged their bilingual skills to fill dual-language teaching positions. One student participant (participant 3), though unable to complete licensure due to some barriers and difficulties that she experienced during student teaching, earned her bachelor's degree, received a pay increase, and now serves both as a paraprofessional and substitute teacher-a role she described as fulfilling her lifelong educational goal while allowing her to balance family responsibilities.

This collaboration exemplifies how intentional university-district partnerships, grounded in strong school leadership and shared goals, can elevate the professional status of paraeducators, expand the teacher pipeline and directly address workforce shortages in rural communities.

While the school principal was highly supportive, collaborative and served as a strong advocate and cheerleader for the workforce members participating in the program, a persistent equity question remains regarding representation within the cohort. Despite the presence of a linguistically and ethnically diverse early childhood workforce in the district, the curated candidate pool did not reflect this diversity to the extent anticipated. This discrepancy highlights an important area for continued inquiry. It will be critical for future research to examine both internal factors (such as institutional recruitment practices, admission processes and communication strategies) and external factors (including financial, familial and systemic barriers) that may influence workforce members' decisions to enroll in degree- or credential-bearing opportunities. Understanding these dynamics can help ensure that equity-focused initiatives such as the PTEO not only expand access but also fully engage the linguistic, cultural and experiential wealth present within the early childhood workforce – a principle at the heart of Yosso's (2005) CCW framework.

Our work examining the teacher shortage in a rural Midwestern context, along with one university's efforts to create an equitable pathway to teaching for paraeducators, highlights the importance of institutional innovation and intentional collaboration with local school districts and community-based early care and education partners in addressing the needs of rural and historically marginalized communities. While the creation of the PTEO was a critical first step, it also underscored that building a sustainable teacher pipeline requires a long-term, multi-stakeholder commitment to equity, access and community partnership.

Findings from this study suggest that universities, school districts, early childhood collaboratives – including center-based early care and education programs as well as home providers – should partner to expand teacher preparation models that reflect the lived realities of paraeducators and elevate the assets they bring into the profession. These assets include their extensive classroom experience, their cultural and linguistic strengths and their deep knowledge of their communities.

This collaborative approach aligns with Yosso's (2005) CCW framework, which emphasizes the value of aspirational, familial, social, linguistic, navigational and resistant capital within communities that have been historically marginalized. Through authentic partnerships, universities and school communities can intentionally draw upon these forms of capital – recognizing that paraeducators and early childhood practitioners possess critical expertise shaped by their families, languages and lived experiences. When higher education institutions design programs in partnership with schools and childcare centers that honor and build on community knowledge, they transform teacher preparation into an equity-driven and culturally sustaining endeavor (Yosso, 2005).

Flexible online and hybrid courses that accommodate full-time work schedules, bilingual tutoring for multilingual candidates and structured mentoring that validates paraeducators' professional knowledge can make these programs more accessible and relevant. Equally important is support from employers: school leaders and district administrators should consider providing release time, financial incentives and workplace mentoring as tangible ways to recognize paraeducators as critical contributors to the teaching workforce.

Further study is needed to understand the long-term outcomes of para-to-teacher pathways, including retention rates, career advancement and their impact on student learning and feelings about their school experiences. Comparative research across rural, urban and suburban contexts could illuminate how local conditions shape success. In addition, closer attention to the experiences and assets of multilingual paraeducators and those from historically marginalized communities will be essential to advancing equity in workforce recruitment and development, including a better understanding of their sense of belonging and perceived value within the schools and early education settings where they are employed. Given the newly disseminated grant landscape for grants such as the ECACE grant noted in this study and the Minority Teacher Scholarship, also noted in this study, it will be important to study the impact the reduction of available upskilling dollars has had and continues to have on historically marginalized educators, including a deep look into the impact to their economic, social and professional mobility.

Addressing teacher shortages in rural areas requires us to think differently about teacher preparation and education. By reimagining public postsecondary institutions as partners in unlocking the talents of diverse rural communities and acknowledging and elevating the cultural and community wealth that comes in with candidates, we can create sustainable, culturally responsive pathways that not only alleviate shortages but also strengthen schools and the larger learning communities, including home and center-based childcare and early childhood education.

This study has several limitations. First, the findings are based on a small number of participants from a single case study site, which limits the generalizability of the results to other contexts or populations. As a case study, the purpose was to explore the experiences of a specific cohort in depth rather than to draw broad conclusions applicable to all paraprofessional-to-teacher pathways. Additionally, the researchers were directly involved in the design and implementation of the program, serving as course instructors and program coordinators for the participants. This dual role may have influenced participants' responses during interviews and focus groups, as some participants may have felt reluctant to share critical feedback or may have shaped their responses in ways they believed were expected. While the researchers made efforts to promote open dialogue and minimize researcher bias, these factors may have impacted the data collection and interpretation processes.