The Child Development Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program is a national system to improve the professional competence of early childhood teaching staff. This report presents the findings of the 1999 national survey to assess the impact of credentialing on individuals' careers and professional development. A sample of 4,993 CDAs was…

Discusses key features of a conceptual framework for early childhood professional development that is designed to achieve the advantages of professionalization, minimize the potential negative effects of professionalization, and result in higher quality early childhood programs for all young children and their families. (MDM)

Discusses the historical context for the evolution of the Child Development Associate (CDA). Describes the CDA's contributions to the early childhood profession, and discusses its impact on programs and individuals. Speculates about the future of CDA credentialing, including the need for professionalism and new specializations. Notes that the CDA…

Inspired by the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, offers six challenges to American educators to reclaim the image of the competent child, promote conceptual integrity of programs for children, refine the definition of developmental appropriateness, balance standard-setting with questioning, reflect on professional development, and…

Presents lessons learned from 12 years of administering a national accreditation system. Lessons for early childhood education practice include setting standards for quality, interpreting standards for practice, and administering good-quality programs. Professional development lessons relate to professional preparation and ethical responsibility.…

Explores some of the issues inherent in a systems approach to professional development in early childhood education. Discusses the common core of knowledge that is shared by early childhood education professionals. (BB)

Describes development of NAEYC accreditation and offers a description of the process. Highlights the effects of accreditation and discusses its future. Notes that accreditation provides opportunities and motivation for valuable professional development, and that quality control is the greatest challenge faced by accreditation efforts. Notes…

Explores possible explanations for the lack of agreement about professionalism in the field of early childhood education. Examines the pros and cons of professionalizing the field. Offers a new paradigm designed to avoid the pitfalls of traditional concepts of professionalism. (BB)

Describes three typical routes by which people become early childhood professionals: the traditional, parental, and serendipitous routes. Discusses the conceptual model of the career lattice, which the National Institute for Early Childhood Professional Development plans to promote. (LB)

There is a consensus among professionals about the content of programs that prepare educators for the early childhood level, and particularly about a core knowledge base. However, there is little consensus on the minimum levels of hours and credits needed to adequately prepare early childhood educators, and on the professional roles and…