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NEW “STACKABLE CERTIFICATES” LEADING TO AN ECE STATEWIDE CREDENTIAL
The Washington State Department of Early Learning (DEL) and the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges have worked together to
make a clearer path for current and potential early learning professionals to further their education. Professional Development and connections
to higher education are key strategies in the Race to the Top – Early Learning Challenge grant (RTT) plan for Washington. RTT allows for new
opportunities for scholarships and financial incentives supporting the upward movement on the Washington State Career Lattice.
Colleges across the state will offer common courses, course titles, course numbers, course descriptions and student outcomes. All courses are
aligned with the Washington State Core Competencies for Early Care and Education Professionals and are “stackable” in that they build off one
another in a sequential manner and deepen levels of applied learning along the way. The intent is to improve mobility for the developing
professional and ultimately provide improved quality of care and education for our youngest.
The Initial Certificate 12 credits (Step 5 on the Career Lattice) may be a point of entry or a continuation of professional development from lower
levels on the Career Lattice. This 12 credit certificate focuses on competencies comparable to the Child Development Associate (CDA). This
provides the foundation for the ECE State Credential and Associate Degree. Courses include: a 5-credit Introduction to Early Childhood
Education; a 5-credit Health, Safety and Nutrition course, and a 2-credit practicum to apply learning.
The ECE Short Certificate 20 credits (Step 6 on the Career Lattice) builds on the Initial Certificate. At this point, professionals have 5 choices for
specialization: ECE General, Infant-Toddler Care, School-Age Care, Family Child Care, and ECE Administration. Additional courses include a 5credit Child Development course in addition to courses aligned with specialization.
The ECE State Credential 47 credits (Step 7 on the Career Lattice) is the benchmark of mastery of Level 2 Core Competencies. This final
“stackable certificate” requires college level Math and English as a foundation for the next step, an Associate degree in ECE. In addition to these
general education requirements, courses include: Language and Literacy Development; Observation and Assessment; Child, Family and
Community; Guiding Behavior; Environments for Young Children; and Curriculum Development.
Figure 1.below is a graphic depiction of how the certificates “stack” from lower to higher steps on the Career Lattice.
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FIGURE1. STACKABLE CERTIFICATES ALIGNED WITH THE WA STATE CAREER LATTICE
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What colleges offer the stackable ECE certificates?
Adoption of these common courses and certificates is voluntary, therefore all colleges may not adopt them. Early Achievers Opportunity Grants
funded by RTT are earmarked for ECE students who are employed in an Early Achievers facility and working toward one of the new certificates or
Associate Degree offered at one of their local community colleges. For qualifying low income students, Early Achievers Opportunity Grants cover
the cost of tuition, books and other student resources, such as tutoring. Initially in fall 2012, seven community colleges will offer Early Achievers
Opportunity Grants. All other colleges with an ECE program will be eligible to offer grants within 18 months, mirroring the statewide roll-out of
Early Achievers.
For more information, on Early Achievers, visit http://www.del.wa.gov/care/qris/Default.aspx
To access the Washington State Career Lattice, visit http://www.del.wa.gov/publications/PD/docs/Career_lattice.pdf
For more information on the Washington State Core Competencies, visit http://www.del.wa.gov/requirements/professional/core.aspx