This week, at the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development, the Council sponsored a session entitled “A Great Start Up the ECE Career Ladder: A New Look at the CDA Credential and Competency-based Professional Development”. Valora Washington, CEO, highlighted many of the exciting changes currently underway at the Council:
- The new cdacouncil.org website that includes the YourCDA online renewal system (coming soon: the online initial application submission system), the online bookstore, and the “How To Earn Your CDA” pages that explain the CDA process with easy-to-follow visuals and text
- The change in requirements that now allow high school students to apply for CDAs
- The upcoming revisions to the Home Visitors credentialing program
- The key partnerships the Council is developing with various states and agencies that support credentialing
- The work currently in progress to update all of the Council’s publications and related exams to ensure that the content is even more accessible and relevant to diverse candidates
The session also featured a panel of renowned national ECE experts: Sue Bredekamp, Gayle Cunningham and Sue Russell.
Bredekamp discussed the history, philosophy and lasting contributions of the CDA and the Council. “The creation of the CDA was a pioneering effort in the field,” Bredekamp said, “Research has shown that its fundamental framework was and still is sound. It’s a proud part of our shared history.”
Russell discussed the importance of the CDA in her state, North Carolina, and the key role it plays in the state’s early childhood credentialing system. “North Carolina has created a statewide system of 58 community colleges that provides aligned, transferable CDA curriculum. It has been a great collaboration with the Council,” Russell said.
Cunningham spoke of the CDA as “the fundamental credential of early childhood programs” in her state, Alabama, and specifically its role in the history of the Alabama Head Start program. “The CDA has meant so much to our teachers,” Cunningham said, “When a new teaching staff member starts, we get them into a CDA class as quickly as possible because we want them to have that basic core of early childhood knowledge.”
Washington closed the panel by explaining the Council’s four key commitments to ensure a vital and prosperous future for both the CDA credential and the greater CDA community. “First, we are committed to having the process of getting a CDA become easier and faster. Second, we are excited about building partnerships with states to support their credentialing needs. Third, we are incorporating technology to improve many aspects of the CDA experience and lastly, we intend to expand our communications efforts to help the early childhood field and the public better understand the critical role the CDA plays for entry-level early childhood professionals.”
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