Feasibility Study
Working together on potential National Certification for ECE Lead Teachers.
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Council for Professional Recognition
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Washington, DC 20005
(800) 424-4310
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Lead Teacher Certification
The Council for Professional Recognition (CFPR) and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) are working together to conduct a feasibility study to assess support for the development of a national competency-based lead teacher certification for early childhood educators. The certification would give each U.S. state a consistent, foundational requirement for ECE lead teachers. The Feasibility Study will explore how a national certification system could improve the odds of producing a diverse workforce of highly qualified teachers for young children from birth through age eight.
A national certification for ECE lead teachers would help ensure that every child has access to high-quality ECE programs led by educators who are well prepared, supported and compensated. It has been scientifically demonstrated that high-quality ECE is a fundamental factor in enhancing children’s cognitive, psychosocial, and motor development, making them more “school-ready” for K-12 education and yielding long-term economic and social benefits for individuals and society. National standards and assessments that measure practitioners against those standards would help ensure consistent quality and sustain workforce diversity.
The Council and the NBPTS are conducting the study jointly, using a grant from the Early Educator Investment Collaborative, a 501(c)(4) public charity. The study is underway, and we are investigating various perspectives using surveys and interviews. A wide range of stakeholders will be engaged, and practitioners’ voices will play a vital role in assessing the feasibility of the credential. Specific attention will be given to diversity, including the geographic, linguistic, racial and professional level of participants. Lessons learned and the impact and unintended consequences resulting from the implementation of other national programs are being researched and explored as well. We’ll review and recommend Lead Teacher competencies, then engage stakeholders in professionally acceptable methodologies to further refine the competencies.
Want to get involved? Please complete our brief contact survey to be added to the list of interested participants. We look forward to working with you!