New Jersey Professional Development
Center for Early Care and Education


A Position Statement on Articulation:
Background, Barriers, and Objectives





Prepared by the Articulation Working Committee
October 2000

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Background and History........................................................................ 01

A Vision for Professional Development and Articulation in New Jersey ...02

A Scenario of Professional Development................................................ 04

Present Early Childhood Teacher Preparation In New Jersey .................05

The Impact of the Abbott Decision on
Early Childhood Professional Preparation.............................................. 14

Action Steps for Achieving an Articulated System.................................. 16

Overcoming Barriers to Articulation in Order to Expand 
the Pool of Qualified Early Childhood Teachers 

Action Steps for Forging Linkages in the Early Childhood Career Path

Increasing Our Knowledge of The Status of Early Childhood Professionals

Appendix I: Objectives of the 
Office of Professional Standards and Articulation.................................. 22
Appendix II: Alternate Steps to Certification......................................... 23
Glossary of Terms................................................................................ 24
Members of Articulation Working Committee....................................... 25

New Jersey Professional Development Center for Early Care and Education and the
Articulation Working Group
Background and History

The New Jersey Professional Development Center for Early Care and Education (NJPDCECE) grew out of "New Jersey Sows the Seeds for Growth", a statewide initiative which established steps for implementing a system to enhance the professional preparation and continuing education of early childhood and out-of-school-time program personnel. The New Jersey Department of Human Services (DHS) awarded a five-year grant to Kean University. Working with the New Jersey Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NJACCRRA) as a subcontractor, the NJPDCECE has been charged with the creation of a professional development system for the State of New Jersey.
The NJPDCECE staff works collaboratively with a Policy Advisory Board comprised of representatives from early childhood programs, out-of-school-time care, higher education, government, business, and social services. In addition to board members, the NJPDCECE works with more than 100 volunteers from the larger professional community, who meet regularly in four working committees: Professional Standards, Articulation, Clearinghouse, and Resource Development and Communications.
The Articulation Working Committee includes representatives of two- and four-year college early childhood education faculty, early childhood program administrators, providers of professional development opportunities, and others working in the field. The task of the committee has been to make recommendations on the design of a system to articulate the professional development experiences of early childhood professionals, from entry level to teacher certification and post-baccalaureate degrees.
Currently in phase two of the five-year plan of "New Jersey Sows the Seeds for Growth", NJPDCECE will coordinate and oversee necessary steps to initiate, facilitate, develop and expand coordination and cooperation between formal and informal providers of professional development. (See Appendix I.) This document represents the recommendations of the Articulation Working Committee for a statewide articulation system needed for the continued education and professional development of those in the field of early care and education and has been approved by the Center's Policy Advisory Board.

A Vision for Professional Development and Articulation in New Jersey


Articulation Defined

Articulation agreements create linkages among credit-granting institutions or between credit-granting and noncredit-granting organizations that create access to pathways which provide early childhood career mobility. Such pathways facilitate movement from one level of professional development to another.

Characteristics of an Articulated System

An articulated teacher preparation system is consistent across the state and includes the following components:

• cumulative experiences that avoid redundancy by recognizing accepted standards established for individual course content within the early childhood curriculum
• standards for determining levels of knowledge and competency required for students to advance to the next step in their professional development
• transfer relationships through reciprocal agreements
• agreements between and among college credit programs leading to credentials, as well as, between associate and bachelor degree programs
• bridges between noncredit and credit granting programs including assessment of prior professional experiences 
• established criteria for awarding credit for Child Development Associate certified students matriculating to college and university early childhood programs.

Requirements for an Articulated System

Creating a system of articulation for New Jersey requires identifying barriers, achieving consensus, and acknowledging accepted career paths with linkages between levels. It also requires gaining statewide recognition, acceptance, and implementation. The following steps should be considered:

• determine where decisions can be made which will effect change
• identify and engage key decision makers
• arrive at a consensus about what course content should be at each level
• establish universal titles, roles, and requirements for the various positions within the field of early care and education regardless of setting
• provide ways to evaluate and validate prior professional experience of individual students entering the system
• determine and access the appropriate starting placement for the student
• establish criteria for determining course equivalencies and levels
• set standards to evaluate and approve instructors of education experiences 
• engage two- and four-year college representatives in identifying overlapping coursework and developing course sequences that allow coursework at the two-year college level to count toward teacher certification requirements.

Establishing a Career Path

A recognized career path comprised of professional development steps and continuing education should guide students in identifying career choices and the appropriate resources for professional development. It should provide:

• career advisement programs for entry level early childhood teachers to help them identify career choices and appropriate resources for professional development
• support services to assist candidates in achieving basic skill competencies
• linkages between steps or levels of professional development
• linkages between noncredit providers and colleges in order to articulate noncredit coursework
• means to obtain credit for what are presently noncredit workshops and conferences offered by approved instructors and professional organization
• both credit and noncredit Child Development Associate and Certified Child Care Professional as steps in a career path
• portfolio records for individual providers
• courses for DYFS Group Teacher requirements as steps in a career path
• means for acceptance of course work for AA, AAS, and AS degrees by four-year institutions
• standardized positions in early childhood related to specific qualifications
• four-year degrees in Early Childhood Education leading to a P-3 teacher endorsement and linked to positions in the early childhood field
• advanced degrees in Early Childhood, Child Development, Early Childhood Supervision and Administration, and other related fields as part of a career path.
  

A Scenario of Professional Development

Mary has worked for 10 years as a teacher in a community child care program. When she began working at the child care center she had a high school diploma and had cared for neighborhood children in her home for six years. Mary has three grown children of her own. Mary has been an eager participant in training opportunities offered through her center and has gradually been given increasing responsibility. She works as a team member in a classroom with two other teachers, one of whom is her supervising group teacher.

Mary's director encouraged her to sign up for a Child Development Associate (CDA) training program offered through the local resource and referral agency. The course met one evening a week and on Saturday for 5 months. Mary successfully completed the training and passes all criteria, receiving a CDA credential. 

A year later Mary decided to pursue an associate's degree. She applied to the local community college and found that the CDA work could not be accepted for credit. Although she successfully matriculated, she viewed the courses she was required to take for the associate degree as a duplication of her CDA work. At the time she told her college advisor that her goal was is to complete the associate degree and return to the child care center. The advisor placed her on the track for an AAS degree. Working diligently, taking two courses each semester, Mary completed her AAS in four years.

Mary worked for another two years at the child care center after successfully completing her AAS. She wanted to obtain a bachelor's degree and teacher certification. She applied to the local state university in her area, which offers a program for certification in early childhood education. She hoped to complete her work in two years, since she had 12 college credits already in early childhood education. She was disappointed to learn that none of the courses she took at the community college would be accepted towards her major. Because she needed to work while attending school, she realized it would take four years to complete her degree. She was not sure how she would afford to complete the degree, since along the way she needed to take a leave of absence from her job to complete the required student teaching. When it came time to do the student teaching, Mary dropped out of the college program. She could not afford to pay her own medical benefits while not working.

Mary might have achieved her dream to become a certified teacher if

•  the CDA program had carried college credit
• the local community college accepted the CDA credit to substitute for degree coursework
• the courses taken in the community college were accepted at the local state university as professional preparation courses
• scholarship funds were available to defray living expenses
• teacher preparation courses were offered on weekends or at night.

Present Early Childhood Teacher Preparation 
in New Jersey

Introduction

Early childhood care and education programs in New Jersey serving children birth to age eight are found in a wide range of settings. The settings may be in child care centers, nursery schools, Head Start programs, family day care homes, or public schools. A significant number of children are cared for in family day care homes that are not required to be regulated in New Jersey. Either the Department of Human Services (DHS) or the Department of Education (DOE), depending on the setting, determines the requirements for professional qualifications of the teachers in these settings.

For purposes of this discussion the term "teacher" refers to an individual who has responsibility for supervising and planning for a group of children in an early childhood setting. Other related positions include support teachers and classroom aides. Teachers in early childhood care and education programs vary in background, experience, preparation, and competency. Group teachers in a child care center classroom may have qualifications ranging from a high school diploma to a Master Degree in Education. They may have license to teach granted by the Department of Education. Supporting teachers and aides may also have a wide range of preparation. Only in public school early childhood classrooms are all teachers required to be licensed by the Department of Education.

Early childhood professionals in New Jersey have a wide range of qualifications, but many are working in the field without adequate educational preparation. At the present time there are several ways teachers are prepared to work with young children. Teacher preparation in early care and education is sometimes referred to as a "lattice" with several entry points as opposed to a "pathway" that starts at a recognized beginning point and leads to an end. For teachers who do not follow the traditional path of pre-service education leading to a baccalaureate degree, there is little coordination within the educational system to support the candidate's progress from one level to the next. The goal of an articulated teacher preparation system is to increase coordination so that teaching candidates may progress toward enhanced professional preparation and ultimately become licensed teachers.

Encouraging early childhood teachers to improve their professional qualifications is important for two reasons. First, a consistent body of research indicates that higher quality early childhood programs tend to have licensed teachers who have a degree. Recent research on brain development during the early years has also emphasized the importance of well-qualified teachers who are familiar with appropriate instructional strategies for very young children.

Second, the existing pool of qualified early childhood teachers is shrinking while demand is increasing. Retirements among "baby boom" era teachers are creating vacancies in public school programs. The number of community child care programs has grown tremendously in the past decade as two-worker families have sought daytime care for their children. Welfare-to-work initiatives and the development of mandated pre-K and kindergarten programs in New Jersey's Abbott ("special needs") school districts have placed additional demands on the teacher pool. Early childhood programs involved in quality improvement initiatives have recognized the importance of small class sizes, further extending the demand for qualified teachers. In New Jersey both child care center directors and public school administrators report difficulty in attracting teachers and substitutes with appropriate qualifications. Further, community programs have difficulty retaining qualified staff because they cannot offer the salaries paid by public school early education programs.

In building the pool of qualified teachers, the successful recruitment of a diverse teaching force is of particular concern. Nationally less than 10% of teachers entering the profession are members of minority groups. African-Americans comprises 6.9% of the teaching force, while Hispanics and other minorities comprise another 3.5% of the profession (Woods and Williams, 1987). On the other hand, minority students K-12 continue to increase rapidly, representing nearly 30% of the school-age population (OREI, 1987). 

Recent research into New Jersey enrollment statistics in Abbott Districts indicates 119,066 African American (45%), 98,098 Latinos (37%), 39,355 Whites (15%), 7,551 Native Americans and Asian/Pacific Islanders (3%). This means that more than 85% of students in Abbott Districts ("special needs") are ethnic minorities. Their teachers, in contrast, represent a reverse statistic: 15% are estimated to be of ethnic minority origin, 85% are whites.

Early care and education teachers have varying levels of literacy skills and English language proficiency. Some teachers in early childhood classrooms in community settings cannot pass the entrance level literacy and math tests given at the community colleges. The literacy level of these teachers keeps them from even attempting to enter college classes. Early childhood teachers who lack literacy skills are also unable to access scholarship funds provided through NJPDCECE since they are unable to pass the required literacy test. 

Requirements for Early Childhood Teachers

Several agencies regulate and monitor early childhood programs in New Jersey, each having different requirements for teacher qualifications. Table 1 compares requirements for teachers responsible for leading a group in a licensed child care center, Head Start program, and public school preschool class.

TABLE 1

Requirements for Early Childhood Teachers with Responsibility for a Group Under Various Auspices

Most programs for children under the age of six and school-age child care programs for children up to 13 years of age, other than those operated by public schools, are licensed by the Bureau of Licensing under the Division of Youth and Family Services (DYFS). 

The Department of Human Services regulations require each program to have a head teacher, consulting head teacher, or group teacher. Under the Department of Human Services regulations, a head teacher may have a degree in Early Childhood, Child Development, Psychology, Health Care, Nursing or any field related to child growth and development, or a teaching license from the Department of Education. In addition to the degree, the head teacher must have six credits in Early Childhood and two years experience. Although child care centers are required to have a head teacher, centers are not required to place a head teacher, group teacher, or licensed DOE teacher in each classroom. 

Centers are required to have a specified number of group teachers based on the licensed capacity of the center. The Bureau of Licensing issues a group teacher credential requiring fifteen hours of Early Childhood credit. The Bureau of Licensing recognizes a Child Development Associate credential or a Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) credential as equivalent to a group teacher credential. The Bureau of Licensing approves New Jersey school-age program supervisors. Based on the licensed capacity of the program, approval can range from high school diploma with training hours and work experience to a bachelor's degree with training hours and work experience.

Head Start programs, following federal guidelines, have more stringent personnel standards than those imposed by DHS licensing regulations. No later that September 30, 2003, at least 50 percent of all Head Start teachers nationwide in center-based programs must have an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree in early childhood education; or an associate, baccalaureate, or advanced degree in a field related to early childhood education, with experience in teaching preschool children.

The New Jersey Board of Education recently created a new endorsement in Early Childhood Education, which is mandated for teachers in preschool classrooms in the 30 "special needs" school districts in New Jersey, both in public schools and in community preschool programs that contract with the districts to provide services. 

The Early Childhood endorsement may be obtained in the following ways:

1) enter an approved baccalaureate program offering the P-3 endorsement; or
2) take coursework leading to an additional endorsement in Early Childhood for teachers currently holding the N-8 certification; or
3) enter an alternate route program and obtain certification with the P-3 endorsement for individuals holding a baccalaureate degree in liberal arts or sciences.

The timelines imposed by the Abbott court decisions have created the impetus to produce teachers with the early childhood specialization within a short time frame. Teachers currently working in community child care centers that have contracted to provide services in the "special needs" districts face potential job loss if they are not able to obtain licensure within the specified time lines.

Under DHS regulations, there are currently no differences in the specific requirements for content specialization for teachers working with children under three years of age, with preschoolers, or with school-age children. While the recent focus within the state of New Jersey has been on preparation of teachers to work with preschool children to ensure school readiness, additional specialization in preparation to work with infants and toddlers, and school-age children also deserve consideration in order to improve the quality of these programs.

Opportunities for Instruction and Education

Teachers in early care and education programs may enter a professional development pathway by starting work in an early childhood setting and attending in-service workshops offered in their early childhood workplace; by entering a Child Development Associate (CDA) or a Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) certificate program; or by directly enrolling in a two- or four-year college or university. A listing of agencies and institutions providing professional development opportunities is available on-line through the New Jersey Professional Development Center's Clearinghouse at njpdc.org.

The following sections describe current professional development opportunities.

In-service Workshops and Information Sharing

In-service workshops are offered in the work place by child care agencies, public schools, or Head Start. They are not usually offered for college credit and participants often do not receive a certificate or other proof of participation. In-service programs vary in formality and content. Workshops may be led by directors of the program, outside instructors, or peers who share information they received from outside sources. Typically, in-service programs do not fit into a framework for progressive development of professional competency or core knowledge. In child care centers, some teachers have attended workshops like these for many years without moving toward a credential or even having certificates to show for their participation.

Workshops and Courses Not for Credit

The Unified Child Care Agency (UCCA) for each county offers class schedules consisting of individual workshops to help teachers meet DHS ongoing training requirements. The State of New Jersey contracts with the Educational Information Resource Center (EIRC) in Sewell, New Jersey to provide classes throughout the state for child care staff. Head Start requires staff to attend annual and periodic training sessions. School districts provide early childhood workshops, conferences, and ongoing, in-service training for their teachers. Various professional organizations such as the New Jersey Association for the Education of Young Children (NJAEYC) and its local affiliates, the Coalition of Infant/Toddler Educators (CITE), Statewide Parent Advocacy Network (SPAN), and the New Jersey Child Care Association (NJCCA) offer periodic workshops. 

There is paraprofessional training in early childhood offered through federal and state grants. There is also training offered for women moving from welfare to work as family day care providers.

Like in-service training programs, these offerings vary in formality, content, and progressive development of core knowledge. In recent years EIRC and the professional organizations have provided documentation of attendance so that participants may begin to build a portfolio of documented professional development activities.

Family Day Care

Some early childhood teachers enter the profession by first becoming a family day care provider. Nine hours of training are required in order to become a registered family day care provider. Family day care home registration is voluntary. Additional training is required to renew registration.

Conferences

Professional organizations such as NJAEYC and its local affiliates, CITE, and NJCCA also offer annual conferences. Conference planners have recognized the need of participants to show that they have taken workshops and spent time at conferences. Several conferences have recently offered Continuing Education Units (CEU) or certificates to document participation and completion of requirements.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

Continuing Education Units are offered through institutions of higher education and through EIRC. Receipt of CEU documents that participants in professional education have completed work assignments in a specific course of study. CEUs are accepted to satisfy requirements for CDA and CCP credentials, and in some instances may be translated into college credits. CEUs reward early childhood professionals with recognition that they have taken a step toward enhancing their own professional development.

Child Development Associate Credential

The Child Development Associate (CDA) is a national credential granted through the National Council on Early Childhood Recognition. CDA training programs may be offered with or without college credit. The UCCA is the major provider of CDA training in New Jersey. Currently some community colleges and universities also offer CDA training. Some colleges and universities have given credit for CDA through Resource File evaluation and by evaluating life skills, knowledge, and competencies of the candidates upon meeting college entrance requirements. See page 19 for college link.

Certified Childcare Professional

The Certified Childcare Professional (CCP) is a nationally recognized credential for early childhood practitioners. It is a mark of professionalism, stating that the individual is qualified in 15 specific child development areas. The National Child Care Association, a professional trade association, awards CCP credentials. See page 20 for college link.

Unified Child Care Agency Training Programs

Each county has an assigned Unified Child Care Agency (UCCA) that coordinates child care activities in that county. Among its responsibilities, the UCCA registers family day care providers, provides technical assistance to child care programs, and offer professional development activities. CDA class hours and advisement are offered through the UCCA along with other workshops. For the most part CDA programs offered through the UCCA are not offered for college credit. 

CDA training at the UCCA is appealing for many candidates. The cost of UCCA training is almost always less than college tuition. Even when students are encouraged to attend CDA classes for credit, some do not feel confident enough to do so, preferring to take classes with the local UCCA because it is a familiar place. Sometimes the UCCA CDA class experience acts as a bridge to further education by instilling confidence and allaying a fear of failure.

Community Colleges

Students attending early childhood programs in community colleges are often concurrently employed in programs working with young children. Course work helps inform their practice; children in classrooms benefit from teachers who can plan an appropriate curriculum. Students working in the field are eager to take courses that will assist them in their daily classroom practice. Community college students who are presently working in child care programs find relevance and purpose from early exposure to coursework and field experience in child development, curriculum, and observing behavior. 

Community colleges offer AA, AS, and AAS degrees. Students who obtain an AA degree and continue on for a four-year degree are often disappointed to learn that a maximum of only six credits of early childhood coursework may substitute for courses at the four-year college. Some schools do not accept any of the community college courses to satisfy requirements leading to licensure. Community college students who receive a terminal degree (AS or AAS) find that little of their previous course work will satisfy the general education and major requirements of the four-year school.

Four community colleges in New Jersey also offer child care or early childhood education certificates that require fewer credits than the two-year degree.

Community colleges have a role to play in attracting minority students and developing a multi-ethnic teaching force. Community colleges often support the educational needs of nontraditional students seeking to improve their educational preparation. 

Four Year Colleges and Universities

The four-year college and university education programs have the responsibility for preparing students to be teachers in New Jersey's public schools whether early childhood, elementary, or middle, and senior high school. The NJ Department of Education must have approved all courses given toward licenses in these programs. Some presently teaching in child care centers have both the bachelor's degree and the state license to teach, particularly if they are head teachers.

Since 1985 there has been no freestanding degree in early childhood education in New Jersey. Several colleges provide an early childhood concentration. As of 1985, however, a bachelor's degree program preparing teachers for licensure can only be taken along with a complete major in one of the liberal arts or sciences. Teacher preparation programs have been limited by the Department of Education to a maximum of thirty credits, including all field placements as well as courses. Four-year colleges and universities also offer elementary and now early childhood teacher preparation at the post-baccalaureate level for candidates already holding a BA or BS degree. Some institutions are developing programs which will meet the requirements for early childhood licensure while the student is concurrently earning a master's degree. In all programs, those entering must have and maintain a 2.75 grade point average. All must obtain a satisfactory score on the state-administered national examination for teachers.

Of particular concern for articulation efforts is the long standing item of administrative code that limits to a maximum of six, the credits that can be transferred into a professional preparation program such as elementary or early childhood teacher certification, or licensure. This limit applies to credits earned at a two-year community college, another four-year institution or any other source of academic credit. The six credits are subject to the review and approval of the faculty receiving the transfer student and are only granted when the content and depth of the courses are judged to be equivalent to those courses for which they are being accepted. Many faculties of teacher certification programs have said at meetings that they consider this autonomy essential for maintaining the integrity of the programs they offer.

The rationale for the six-credit transfer limitation is that the institution and the program, which graduate and recommend a candidate for provisional certification must take full responsibility for the preparation of the candidate. That preparation includes the content of the courses, the quality of supervision of field experiences, and the evaluation of outcomes expected of the candidate.

Foremost for future improvements in articulation is the need for better and continuing communication between the four-year college and university faculty and their colleagues at the community colleges as well as with any other agencies providing professional preparation for early childhood teachers. To be effective, this communication will include detailed knowledge of each other's programs. Ideally, there will be consensus and consistency on (1) the essential core knowledge, (2) standards to be met, (3) the outcomes to be assessed for every student, and (4) what constitutes appropriate practice.

Improving the Present Situation

We shall make progress in improving the educational preparation of early childhood professionals as the New Jersey Professional Development Center for Early Care and Education achieves its goals. Included among these goals, and of key importance in this connection, are:

• improving access to opportunities for professional development as scholarships are expanded, and the Center's Clearinghouse is established
• improving transfer relationships (articulation) between types of educational systems
• gaining acceptance of the standards for core knowledge developed by the Center, as well as standards for competence expected for each level of role and responsibility

Articulation efforts will bring a more unified and coordinated system of early childhood professional preparation to New Jersey. Programs under different regulatory departments will accept common levels of professional development in early childhood. While teachers may still enter the professional development system at different entry points, they will be able to follow several pathways, which can eventually lead to licensure if they wish. Articulation activities should increase the pool of eligible teaches and support the recruitment of minority and nontraditional students. Articulation efforts will facilitate the movement of paraprofessionals toward credentials in the Abbott school districts. In the long run the quality of programs will improve. Better teacher preparation and parity will be created among them.

The following sections outline challenges that must be overcome in order to institute an articulated system of professional development in the early childhood field and recommendations to support the development of such a system.

Impact of the Abbott Decision on 
Early Childhood Professional Preparation


Abbott VI and Early Childhood Education

The Supreme Court recognized that high quality preschool programs have "discernible, positive, and significant impacts on student academic achievement". It stated that there must be an "educational content" to the preschool experience.

In April 2000, the Department of Education developed Early Childhood Education Program Expectations: Standards of Quality for preschool programs. Under the ruling, the Department was to develop regulations and standards, to be used as a baseline for districts in assisting community contracting centers in becoming well run preschools. Contracting community child care centers are to be supported in the form of supervision, professional development, access to specialized staff, and other services. The public schools must provide a Master Teacher for every twenty classrooms.

Class size is to be 15 children, staffed by one certified teacher and one aide. Present classroom lead teachers will have to become certified by 2004. New staff assigned as lead teachers must be college graduates willing to continue toward licensure within one year. The ruling states "if certified teachers cannot be found for preschool, we anticipate that increased efforts and further coordination with New Jersey's higher educational institutions will be necessary".

Practical Implications of the Abbott Decision

Licensure

The new P-3 endorsement has prompted changes in the course work offered through colleges and universities. There will be a great need for more qualified early childhood instructors at Unified Child Care Agencies, colleges, and universities as the number of students increase. 

The Supreme Court ruling will require many classroom teachers in child care centers to return to school. Surveys are being conducted in some districts to determine the extent of the needed education for present staff. Some classroom teachers in child care centers that have a BA degree, an AA degree or are close to a degree will probably be able to finish and obtain licensure within the four-year limit. Other teachers who have few or no credits will have a much more difficult time in reaching the licensure goal within the short time frame. Other barriers to licensure might be lack of English proficiency or lack of literacy skills. In the past year, approximately twenty-five to thirty percent of those who have applied for scholarship funds through NJPDCECE have failed to pass the literacy test required for scholarship eligibility. The standardized test has a passing level of seventh grade. 
Teachers in public school preschool classrooms will be required to obtain the P-3 endorsement. Current teachers in public school classrooms who possess the N-8 endorsement will be able to obtain the additional P-3 endorsement through on-going professional development.
Additional education warrants higher salaries for all teachers. It will be difficult for child care centers to pay higher salaries and have benefits comparable to the public schools. Child care center directors report a loss of qualified teachers to public school positions. The more staff in centers that can be retained, the more staff there will be representing minority groups and the community. Literacy classes coupled with early childhood course work would be a bonus for those requiring remedial work in English skills. The present cap of 30 credit-hours allowed in professional courses in the college programs should be lifted to adequately prepare teachers to work with young children.
While many staff members will be retained as they continue their education, recruitment of degreed teachers will have to be ongoing. Public schools report difficulty in finding certified teachers with Early Childhood experience. Center directors also report difficulty recruiting teachers even when offering competitive salaries. Benefits, however, are not comparable.
The class size will impact the finances of the contracting community child care centers. While the Department of Human Services allows a classroom size of twenty children to two teachers, the new standard means fewer children will be accommodated in the same space. Space will also be impacted in public schools due to fewer children in each classroom. Equipment, materials, and supplies will be needed to adequately furnish preschool classrooms. New curriculum models will require special materials.

Conclusion
The Court mandate recognized the importance of high quality early education and its impact on future learning. It created the impetus that set in motion a number of changes in the provision of early care and education. It required statewide written standards and an early childhood license for lead teaches in all Abbott early childhood classrooms.
The Court recognized that the teacher plays a significant role in the provision of quality and requiring credentials has led teachers to continue their formal education. Parity should eventually result, not only leading to equal compensation, but to equal education opportunities for children no matter where the classroom setting.
One of the most exciting possibilities created by the Abbott ruling is the opportunity for improvement in the quality of classrooms not only in child care centers, but also Head Start, and public schools. For the first time in many years licensure will prepare teachers to work with young children. Since young children think and learn differently than older children, the specific focus on early childhood should improve the quality of teachers working with them.

Action Steps for Achieving an Articulated System


Overcoming Barriers to Articulation in Order to Expand the Pool of Qualified Early Childhood Teachers 

Action Steps for Forging Linkages in the Early Childhood Career Path

Increasing the Linkage Between Noncredit Professional Development Activities 
and College Credit

Noncredit Bearing Professional Development Activities

Noncredit bearing professional development activities such as stand-alone courses, noncollege based CDA and CCP training are often the entry paths into the early childhood career lattice. Participants in these activities may not meet matriculation requirements for enrollment in a college program or may not view themselves as capable of successfully completing college coursework. Noncredit activities are an important gateway for nontraditional teacher candidates who may have already obtained significant professional experience by working in an early childhood education setting. In order to increase the linkage between these noncredit professional development activities and the next step in the professional education progression, the following action steps are recommended:

• establish minimum qualifications for instructors of noncredit activities when credit transfer is desirable
• develop local working relationships between agencies offering noncredit activities and local institutions that conduct credit-granting educational opportunities in early childhood education
• provide opportunities for basic skills education in math, literacy and English as a second language
• ensure that course content is aligned with introductory level course work at local credit-granting institutions
• focus the efforts of noncredit bearing entities on developing programs and curriculum to prepare participants to obtain a nationally recognized credential such as the CDA or CCP
• develop criteria for the acceptance of nationally recognized credentials (CDA, CCP) for three to nine college credits transferable into the professional education coursework required for early childhood certification
• provide an opportunity for the assessment of life experience to obtain college credits.
   

CDA Preparation and College Credit

The Child Development Associate (CDA) credential is another gateway to further professional development, especially when the CDA preparation is offered by a degree-granting two-year or four-year college and when the CDA preparation includes a strong literacy component. Successful completion of the CDA credential includes 480 hours of classroom experience, at least 120 hours of professional development activities in eight content areas, preparation of a professional portfolio, and a standardized assessment by a nationally qualified monitor who conducts both an oral and written examination. CDA can be an effective entry step linking early childhood professionals to college-based teacher preparation programs if strong linkages are established. The following action steps are recommended to achieve the goal that a CDA credential would be accepted for three to nine transfer credits into any teacher preparation program:

• agree on the minimum criteria required to accept CDA work for credit toward the professional preparation coursework at degree-granting two- and four-year colleges
• support students completing the CDA to ensure that they meet basic requirements for admission to the college of their choice
•  increase the understanding on the part of New Jersey teacher preparation programs of the requirements and assessment procedures leading to the CDA credential
•  facilitate discussion and collaboration among locally associated colleges, UCCAs, and providers of CDA training through NJPDCECE
• identify courses in teacher preparation programs that align with CDA content areas
• establish recognized statewide standards for CDA instructors and agencies providing CDA training.

CCP Preparation and College Credit

The Child Care Professional (CCP) credential is an entry-level step to the development of an early childhood professional. The successful CCP credentialed professional has completed 720 hours of child care and education experience, 180 hours of which was professional development activities in 15 professional ability areas, completed a portfolio, and passed the National Early Childhood Education Specialist Credentialing Examination. Like the CDA, the CCP is an effective entry step if strong linkages are established with teacher preparation programs. Currently, California College for Health Sciences Center for Child Care Studies provides 15-semester credits for the CCP toward an Associate of Science degree. Establishing connections and linkages for colleges outside of New Jersey would greatly assist the non-traditional student.

Transfer of Teacher Preparation Coursework from 2-Year Colleges in 4-Year Preparation Programs

Transferring of credit for 2-year to 4-year institutions should be made without undue loss of credit or repetition of coursework. The Articulation Committee suggests the following to improve transfer of teacher preparation courses:

• establish a body to review core content and establish standards for a universal early childhood education articulation plan 
•  identify and study existing transfer agreements and develop transfer agreements that allow the previously obtained credits to satisfy professional coursework requirements for licensure examine introductory level course content to ensure that the content incorporates established core knowledge
• created a system to evaluate compatibility of curriculum content at the different 2-and 4-year colleges and universities.
  

Furthermore, there should be increase access to teacher preparation programs by non-traditional students. Increase access would be improved by:

• strengthening the general education preparation in two- and four-year programs to enable success on the examination required for certification
• developing diverse course delivery options to increase accessibility. Consider class location, schedules accessible to working students, and mode of delivery
• developing programs to meet the needs of working students including part time, evenings, weekend programs, and field placement options
• developing a system of student advisement that presents career options and supports students in charting their personal best course through the professional development system.
  

Appendix I
Objectives of the Office of Professional Standards and Articulation

Identify job titles, descriptions, and qualifications for all positions in early care and education.

Determine knowledge, experience, and skills required in all positions.

Identify core knowledge and curriculum areas, pre/in-service professional development requirements for each role.

Identify competencies for each role and credential.

Link appropriate professional development with current and proposed regulations governing certification.

Establish articulation system among providers of credit and non-credit professional development opportunities.

Provide information and make recommendations to facilitate access to the system of professional development opportunities.

Develop criteria for professional development information to be maintained in personnel registry.

Develop criteria for professional development information to be included in a directory of instructional resources.

Appendix II  Alternate Steps To Certification

Office of Professional Standards and Articulation 
Articulation Working Committee 

Staff
Majorie Kelly, Acting Executive Director
Odessa Davis, Director

Co-Chairs 
Florence Nelson and Marcia Schoolmaster

Committee Members
Laura Aitken
Susan Akers
Kathleen Aquino
Dana Berry
Veronica Bethel
Odessa Davis
Linda Easton-Harvest
Heidi Ferrar
Maxine Fischel
Adriana Flores-Kuhn
Barbara Friday-Scott
Barbara Karpinski
Nancy Lauter
Rosalyn Lenhoff
Arlene Martin
Marianne Reynolds
Dina Rosen
Steve Rosen
Therese Slusser
Linda Smith
Choicie Sorrell
Janice Szarko
Joanne Taylor
Nancy Thomson
June Trueax
Sue Venable
Lucille Weistuch
Lorriane Wylie

Thanks to the members of the Policy Advisory Board and the 
Professional Standards Working Committee for their support.

New Jersey Professional Development Center
for Early Care and Education
East Campus, Room 204
Kean University
Union, New Jersey 07083

Phone: 908/527-3186
Fax: 908/527-0534
Email: njpdc@njpdc.org

www.njpdc.org