The Louisiana Department of Education's Early Childhood Care and Education Advisory Council meeting on July 18, 2025, highlighted a significant surge in enrollment for the eclearn platform, with newly enrolled participants jumping from around 700 in late 2024 to over 4,000 by June 2025. This impressive growth underscores the platform's effectiveness in meeting the educational needs of early childhood professionals.

During the meeting, officials discussed the introduction of new courses aimed at enhancing early childhood education, including topics on infant care, developmental screening, and building partnerships with families. The council is also transitioning teacher orientation modules to the eclearn platform to streamline access to essential training resources.

In response to feedback, the council is planning to develop additional modules focused on early language and literacy development, including a specific emphasis on the DIBELS screener, which is crucial for assessing kindergarten readiness. The council aims to incorporate stakeholder input into the development of these training resources, ensuring they align with the needs of educators.

Moreover, the meeting addressed ongoing support for young children with disabilities, with the distribution of the Hegarty curriculum and continued professional development opportunities. The council is committed to enhancing language and literacy resources, with plans for more training sessions and the publication of a language and literacy assessment crosswalk by August.

As the council moves forward, they are focused on increasing proficiency scores in language and literacy, with a commitment to developing more resources and training opportunities in the coming months. The next steps include finalizing new modules and preparing for the upcoming early childhood conference in September and October, which will feature numerous sessions dedicated to early language and literacy.