By Elizabeth Kelleher, Ed. D., Initiatives Officer, The Early Childhood Innovation Center

This is a large need that requires childcare directors to engage in strategic outreach and diligence to ensure they have the educators they must employ in their centers.

The stress to fill positions in early childhood education (ECE) and other sectors is leading many influencers right now to reject the idea that a traditional associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree is helpful or necessary for employment.

Unfortunately, such a binary argument (degree versus no degree) misses a lot of nuance. We need to move beyond the diploma debate; for instance, there are alternative ways for ensuring early childhood educators can earn a degree in a timely, convenient way.

Partnering institutions of higher education in Delaware, including Delaware State University (DSU), Delaware Technical Community College (Delaware Tech), the University of Delaware, and Wilmington University, offer credit for prior learning for early childhood educators who’ve earned a Child Development Associate (CDA) credential, which is the most widely recognized credential in the sector.

The CDA is based on a core set of Competency Standards, which guide early care and learning professionals, outlining specific skills and knowledge for nurturing children’s development.

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The CDA Competency Standards are:

1. To establish and maintain a safe, healthy learning environment.
2. To advance physical and intellectual competence.
3. To support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance.
4. To establish positive and productive relationships with families.
5. To ensure a well-run, purposeful program that is responsive to participant needs.
6. To maintain a commitment to professionalism.

Successful completion of the CDA requires three assessments: the CDA Exam, a comprehensive portfolio with competency statements, content resource collections demonstrating application of those competencies, and a Verification Visit.

DSU notes that “Credit is not awarded for experience, but rather for college-level learning, which entails knowledge, skills, and competencies that students have obtained as a result of their prior learning.”

The Early Childhood Innovation Center, a scholarship program in the state of Delaware that focuses on professionalizing and developing early childhood education professionals, also serves as an advocate for the industry. Working with each institute of higher education in the state that offers ECE programs, the result is that students can receive up to 12 credit hours for the CDA. We’re seeing more students enrolling in classes, learning new skills, and becoming more effective early childhood educators. They’re also saving money by earning credit for what they’ve already mastered.

The option of credit for prior learning has opened doors for many early childhood educators, including Aerin Hastings. Aerin first enrolled at Delaware Tech while caring for her elderly grandmother, but had to step away from her studies. When she later applied to the University of Delaware, she was denied admission because of the poor grades she’d earned during that difficult time. Determined to continue her education, Aerin gained hands-on experience working in early childhood centers and, while raising her son with special needs as a single mother, earned her CDA. With the support of the CPL and the ECIC at Delaware State University, Aerin returned to Delaware Tech, where she’s now earned a 4.0 GPA for four consecutive semesters, and has been accepted to the University of Delaware for the upcoming spring semester. She plans to complete her associate’s degree and continue to earn her bachelor’s in education.

All partnering colleges and universities have seen an increase in enrollment. Higher education partners have seen an awareness of content knowledge in addition to a willingness to share their experiences with classmates, a marked change among college and university early education program faculty.

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