Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood

A Position Statement Held on Behalf of the Early Childhood Education Profession

Effective early childhood educators are critical for realizing the

early childhood profession’s vision that each and every young

child, birth through age 8, have equitable access to high-quality

learning and care environments. As such, there is a core body

of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions early childhood

educators must demonstrate to effectively promote the

development, learning, and well-being of all young children.

Disponible en Español: NAEYC.org/competencias

Professional Standards

and Competencies for

Early Childhood Educators

Adopted by the NAEYC National Governing Board November 2019

Professional Standards and Competencies

for Early Childhood Educators

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Professional Standards and Competencies

for Early Childhood Educators

3 Introduction

4 Relationship of Five Foundational Position Statements

6 Purpose

6 The Position

7 Design and Structure

8 Professional Standards and Competencies

9 Summary

STANDARD 1: Child Development and Learning in Context

STANDARD 2: Family–Teacher Partnerships

and Community Connections

STANDARD 3: Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment

STANDARD 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and

Linguistically Appropriate Teaching Practices

STANDARD 5: Knowledge, Application, and Integration of

Academic Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum

STANDARD 6: Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator

26 Recommendations for Implementation

26 Early Childhood Educator Professional Preparation Programs

27 Higher Education Accreditation

27 Early Learning Programs

28 Federal, State, and Local Policies

29 Researchers

30 Appendices

APPENDIX A: Leveling of the Professional Standards

and Competencies by ECE designation

APPENDIX B: Critical Issues and Research Informing

the Professional Standards and

Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

APPENDIX C: Glossary

APPENDIX D: References and Resources

APPENDIX E: The History of Standards for Professional Preparation

APPENDIX F: Professional Standards and Competencies Workgroup

1 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Developing the Professional Standards and

Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

In 2017, the Power to the Profession Task Force began an extensive process to

review the range of the eld’s existing standards and competencies and establish a

process for arriving at a set of agreed-upon standards and competencies for the early

childhood education profession, working birth through age 8 across states, settings,

and degree levels. This work included a deep look at multiple national standards and

competencies; following a deliberative decision-making process, it resulted in the Task

Force recommendation that the 2010 NAEYC Standards for Initial and Advanced Early

Childhood Professional Preparation Programs be explicitly positioned as the foundation

for the standards and competencies of the unied early childhood education profession.

At the same time, the Task Force set four specic conditions

and expectations for the revision of the NAEYC professional

preparation standards. These included an expectation

that the standards would be reviewed in light of the most

recent science, research, and evidence; it gave particular

consideration to potential missing elements identied in

the Transforming the Workforce report, including teaching

subject-matter specic content, addressing stress and

adversity, fostering socio-emotional development, working

with dual language learners, and integrating technology in

curricula. To revise the standards, and respond to these and

other expectations, including the expectation that the revisions

would occur in the context of an inclusive and collaborative

process, a workgroup was convened in January 2018. The

workgroup comprised the Early Learning Systems Committee

of the NAEYC Governing Board, early childhood practitioners,

researchers, faculty, and subject-matter experts, including

individuals representing organizations whose competency

documents were considered, referenced, and used to inform

the revisions. The organizations included the following

Task Force members: the Council for Exceptional Children,

Division of Early Childhood; the Council for Professional

Recognition; and ZERO TO THREE.

In September 2018, the workgroup released the rst public

draft of the Professional Standards and Competencies for

Early Childhood Educators. This was followed by an extensive

public comment period and months of intensive work to

release the second public draft for needed feedback and

guidance from the eld, higher education, and others. The

second public draft of the competencies, which included a rst

draft of the leveling of the competencies to ECE I, II, and III,

was open from May to July 2019.

The second comment period was followed by extensive

rewriting, supported by a group of experts drawn from

preparation programs at ECE levels I, II, and III. The result

was a third public draft focused solely on the leveling, which

was open from October to November 2019. Ultimately,

the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early

Childhood Educators, leveled and aligned to ECE Levels I,

II, and III, are being released in conjunction with the full

Unifying Framework.

This excerpt is adapted from the Unifying Framework

for the Early Childhood Education Profession.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 2

Message from the NAEYC Governing Board

The NAEYC Governing Board is deeply honored to hold the Professional Standards

and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators (“Professional Standards and

Competencies”) on behalf of the early childhood education profession.

In response to the Power to the Profession (P2P) Task

Force’s 2018 decision to name the 2010 NAEYC Standards

for Initial and Advanced Early Childhood Professional

Preparation Programs (a NAEYC position statement) as

the foundation for the standards and competencies for the

unied early childhood education profession, the Governing

Board seriously considered and responded to the attendant

conditions and expectations. The revisions process is outlined

in detail on the opposing page, and we are deeply grateful

to all of the Governing Board members, P2P Task Force

members, early childhood practitioners, researchers, faculty,

state agency personnel, national and state organizations,

and subject-matter experts for their extensive engagement,

feedback, and guidance.

Given that the Professional Standards and Competencies

were developed by and are intended for the early childhood

education eld, and need to be adopted and used by

practitioners, states, professional preparation programs,

employers, and others, NAEYC has updated the name of the

standards. The Governing Board agreed to this because we

believe it is critical for all of us in this profession to own and

use these standards and competencies to guide our work.

While it is the members of the early childhood education

profession who, with support from professional preparation

programs, state systems, and others, are responsible for

implementing the Professional Standards and Competencies,

the NAEYC Governing Board commits to uphold its

responsibilities as the holder of the competencies and its

intellectual property to ensure that the competencies are

faithfully and appropriately utilized and that all future

revisions occur through an inclusive process that engages

the early childhood eld across states and settings.

With gratitude to our profession for doing the hard work

of dening and leveling the core standards and competencies

for all early childhood educators,

Amy O’Leary

President, NAEYC Governing Board

Elisa Huss-Hage

Chair, Early Learning Systems Committee

of the Governing Board

3 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Introduction

This update to the NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood Professional

Preparation responds to the charge from the Power to the Profession (P2P)

Task Force to create nationally agreed-upon professional competencies

(knowledge, understanding, abilities, and skills) for early childhood

educators. As such, it revises the NAEYC 2009 position statement

“Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation” and expands

the intent of the standards and competencies to allow their application

across the early childhood eld, including professional preparation

programs, professional development systems, licensure, and professional

evaluations. It places diversity and equity at the center and responds to

the critical competencies identied in Transforming the Workforce for

Children Birth Through Age 8: A Unifying Foundation, the seminal 2015

report by the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council.

This update levels the standards to the scope of practice for each early

childhood educator designation recommended in the Unifying Framework

for Early Childhood Education Profession established by Power to the

Profession: ECE I, ECE II, and ECE III. For clarity, see Appendix A, “Leveling

of the Professional Standards and Competencies.” This document

also lays out recommendations for implementation of the standards

for multiple stakeholders in the early childhood education eld.

Details about the context in which the updated standards were developed and the history

of NAEYC’s professional preparation standards can be found in Appendices B and E.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 4

Relationship of Five Foundational Position Statements

This position statement is one of ve foundational documents

NAEYC has developed in collaboration with the early childhood

education eld. While its specic focus is on dening the core

standards and competencies for early childhood educators,

this statement complements and reinforces the other four

foundational documents, which do the following:

› Dene Developmentally Appropriate Practice

› Advancing Equity in Early Childhood Education

› Dene the profession’s Code of Ethical Conduct

› Outline Standards for Early Learning Programs

Developmentally

Appropriate

Practice (DAP)

Professional

Standards and

Competencies for

Early Childhood

Educators

Code of

Ethical Conduct

Advancing

Equity in Early

Childhood

Education

NAEYC

Early

Childhood

Program

Standards

NAEYC’s Foundational Documents

5 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

The early childhood educator professional preparation

standards herein are aligned with the ve broad categories

of educators’ decision-making described in depth in the

developmentally appropriate practice position statement:

› Using knowledge of child development

and learning in context to create a caring

community of learners (Standard 1)

› Engaging in reciprocal partnerships with families and

fostering community connections (Standard 2)

› Observing, documenting, and assessing children’s

development and learning (Standard 3)

› Teaching to enhance each child’s development

and learning (Standard 4)

› Understanding and using content areas to plan

and implement an engaging curriculum designed

to meet goals that are important and meaningful

for children, families, and the community in the

present as well as the future (Standard 5)

The key elements of Standard 6, “Professionalism as an Early

Childhood Educator,” pull forward the knowledge, skills, and

dispositions that early childhood educators need in order

to make decisions that exemplify ethical, intentional, and

reective professional judgment and practice.

Early childhood as an interdisciplinary,

collaborative, and systems-oriented profession

Eective early childhood education and the promotion of

children’s positive development and learning in the early

years call for a strongly interdisciplinary and systems-

oriented approach. By its nature, the early childhood eld

is, and historically has been, interdisciplinary. That is, early

childhood educators need to integrate knowledge of all

aspects of child development—content in academic disciplines,

early intervention programs, and other programs for young

children—and draw on knowledge from other disciplines,

including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy,

special education, bilingual education, family dynamics,

mental health, and multiple other approaches to the

comprehensive well-being of young children and their families.

An interdisciplinary, systems-oriented perspective is essential

if professionals, particularly as they advance in their practice,

are to integrate multiple sources of knowledge into a coherent

approach to their work.

These foundational statements are grounded in NAEYC’s core values, which

emphasize diversity and inclusion and respect the dignity and worth of each

individual. The statements are built upon a growing body of research and

professional knowledge that underscores the complex and critical ways in

which early childhood educators promote early learning through relationships—

with children, families, and colleagues—that are embedded in a broader

societal context of inequities in which implicit and explicit biases are pervasive.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 6

Purpose

The position statement presents the essential body of

knowledge, skills, dispositions, and practices required of all

early childhood educators working with children from birth

through age 8, across all early learning settings. It articulates

a vision of sustained excellence for early childhood educators.

The statement has been intentionally developed not only to

guide the preparation and practice of the early childhood

education profession but also to be used by others in the

early childhood eld. It is intended to serve as the core early

childhood educator standards and competencies for the

eld, a document that states can use to develop their own

more-detailed standards and competencies that address

their specic contexts. Ideally, the eld will use this position

statement to align critical professional and policy structures,

including the following:

› State licensing for early childhood educators

› State and national early childhood educator credentials and

related qualication recommendations or requirements

› Curriculum in professional preparation programs

› Articulation agreements between various levels and

types of professional preparation programs

› National accreditation of early childhood

professional preparation programs

› State approval of early childhood educator

professional preparation programs and

professional development training programs

› Expectations for educator competencies in

early learning program settings through job

descriptions and performance evaluation tools

The Position

Eective early childhood educators are critical for realizing

the early childhood profession’s vision that each and every

young child, birth through age 8, have equitable access to

high-quality learning and care environments. As such, there is

a core body of knowledge, skills, values, and dispositions early

childhood educators must demonstrate to eectively promote

the development, learning, and well-being of all young

children. These are captured in the next section, “Professional

Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators.”

These standards will be updated regularly to respond to new

developments in the early childhood eld, new research, and

changing social and policy contexts.

These standards and competencies are informed by

› Research and practice that advance our

understanding of what early childhood

educators need to know and be able to do

› Early childhood standards as well as educator

standards from other professional organizations

› The current context of the early childhood

workforce and higher education

› The imperatives from the Unifying Framework

developed through Power to the Profession

Input from a broad-based workgroup (see Appendix F) and

the early childhood eld underpins the updated standards

and competencies.

7 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Design and Structure

Comprehensive, not exhaustive: These standards and

competencies represent the core domains of knowledge and

practice required of every early childhood educator, and

they provide a baseline of expectations for mastery of these

domains. They are not meant to represent an exhaustive list

of what an early childhood educator should know and be

able to do in order to educate and care for young children.

For preparation programs, certication/licensure bodies,

accrediting bodies, state early childhood career ladders,

educator evaluation systems, and such, the competencies may

be expanded, as needed, to address specic state and local

contexts and to include more discrete competencies.

Aligned with the responsibilities of early childhood

educators: The standards and competencies align with

the early childhood education responsibilities designated by

the Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education

Profession (”Unifying Framework”) developed through Power

to the Profession:

› Planning and implementing intentional, developmentally,

culturally, and linguistically appropriate learning

experiences that promote the social and emotional

development, physical development and health,

cognitive development, language and literacy

development, and general learning competencies

of each child served (Standards 4 and 5)

› Establishing and maintaining a safe, caring, inclusive,

and healthy learning environment (Standards 1 and 4)

› Observing, documenting, and assessing children’s

learning and development using guidelines

established by the profession (Standards 3 and 6)

› Developing reciprocal, culturally responsive relationships

with families and communities (Standard 2)

› Advocating for the needs of children

and their families (Standard 6)

› Advancing and advocating for an equitable, diverse, and

eective early childhood education profession (Standard 6)

› Engaging in reective practice and

continuous learning (Standard 6)

Aligned with InTASC Model Core Teaching

Standards: Early childhood educators work in concert with

the rest of the birth through grade 12 teaching workforce. As

such, the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early

Childhood Educators are aligned with the larger education

eld’s understanding of eective teaching, as expressed

through the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support

Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards.

Integrated content: Diversity, equity, inclusive practices,

and the integration of technology and interactive media do

not have separate standards; rather, these important content

areas are elevated and integrated in the context of each

standard. Included in each standard and its associated key

competencies are examples of how the content areas apply

to early childhood educators working with particular age

bands of children—infants and toddlers, preschoolers, and

early elementary age children. Whether or not examples are

found in a competency, though, the intention is that every

competency applies across the birth through age 8 continuum.

Intentionally higher-level language: The language used

in the standards and competencies is based in the science of

human learning and development and reects the technical

language of research and evidence used in the early childhood

profession. In their preparation, early childhood educators

will be introduced to the terminology and concepts found

throughout this document.

Simplied structure: The major domains of competencies

are captured in six core standards. Each standard describes

in a few sentences what early childhood educators need to

know and be able to do. It is important to note, then, that

the expectation is not just that early childhood educators

know something about child development and the science

of eective learning—the expectation is more specic

and complex. Each standard comprises three to ve key

competencies to clarify its most important features. These

key competencies break out components of each standard,

highlighting what early childhood educators need to know,

understand, and be able to do. A supporting explanation

tied to each key competency describes how candidates

demonstrate that competency.

Leveling of the standards and competencies to

ECE I, II, and III: The recommendations in the Unifying

Framework lay out three designations with associated scopes

of practice for early childhood educators–ECE I, ECE II, and

ECE III. Appendix A serves as a guide for the profession in

articulating expectations for mastery of the standards and

competencies at each level.

To nd the resources listed in the Introduction and the following standards and competencies, please see Appendix D.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 8

Professional Standards

and Competencies for

Early Childhood Educators:

Summary

9 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

STANDARD 1

Child Development and

Learning in Context

Early childhood educators (a) are

grounded in an understanding of

the developmental period of early

childhood from birth through age

8 across developmental domains.

They (b) understand each child as an

individual with unique developmental

variations. Early childhood educators

develop within relationships and within

multiple contexts, including families,

cultures, languages, communities,

and society. They (d) use this

multidimensional knowledge to make

evidence-based decisions about how

to carry out their responsibilities.

1a: Understand the developmental

period of early childhood from

birth through age 8 across physical,

cognitive, social and emotional,

and linguistic domains, including

bilingual/multilingual development.

1b: Understand and value each

child as an individual with unique

developmental variations, experiences,

strengths, interests, abilities, challenges,

approaches to learning, and with

the capacity to make choices.

1c: Understand the ways that child

development and the learning process

occur in multiple contexts, including

family, culture, language, community,

and early learning setting, as well

as in a larger societal context that

includes structural inequities.

1d: Use this multidimensional

knowledge—that is, knowledge about

the developmental period of early

childhood, about individual children,

and about development and learning

in cultural contexts—to make evidence-

based decisions that support each child.

STANDARD 2

Family–Teacher Partnerships

and Community Connections

Early childhood educators understand

that successful early childhood

education depends upon educators’

partnerships with the families of the

young children they serve. They (a)

know about, understand, and value

the diversity in family characteristics.

Early childhood educators (b) use this

understanding to create respectful,

responsive, reciprocal relationships

with families and to engage with them

as partners in their young children’s

development and learning. They (c) use

community resources to support young

children’s learning and development

and to support children’s families,

and they build connections between

early learning settings, schools, and

community organizations and agencies.

2a: Know about, understand, and

value the diversity of families.

2b: Collaborate as partners with families

in young children’s development and

learning through respectful, reciprocal

relationships and engagement.

2c: Use community resources to

support young children’s learning and

development and to support families,

and build partnerships between

early learning settings, schools, and

community organizations and agencies.

STANDARD 3

Child Observation, Documentation,

and Assessment

Early childhood educators (a)

understand that the primary purpose

of assessments is to inform instruction

and planning in early learning settings.

They (b) know how to use observation,

documentation, and other appropriate

assessment approaches and tools. Early

childhood educators (c) use screening

and assessment tools in ways that are

ethically grounded and developmentally,

culturally, ability, and linguistically

appropriate to document developmental

progress and promote positive outcomes

for each child. In partnership with

families and professional colleagues,

early childhood educators (d) use

assessments to document individual

children’s progress and, based on the

ndings, to plan learning experiences.

3a: Understand that assessments

(formal and informal, formative and

summative) are conducted to make

informed choices about instruction and

for planning in early learning settings.

3b: Know a wide range of types of

assessments, their purposes, and

their associated methods and tools.

3c: Use screening and assessment tools

in ways that are ethically grounded and

developmentally, ability, culturally, and

linguistically appropriate in order to

document developmental progress and

promote positive outcomes for each child.

3d: Build assessment partnerships with

families and professional colleagues.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 10

STANDARD 4

Developmentally, Culturally,

and Linguistically Appropriate

Teaching Practices

Early childhood educators understand

that teaching and learning with young

children is a complex enterprise, and its

details vary depending on children’s ages

and characteristics and on the settings

in which teaching and learning occur.

They (a) understand and demonstrate

positive, caring, supportive relationships

and interactions as the foundation for

their work with young children. They

(b) understand and use teaching skills

that are responsive to the learning

trajectories of young children and to

the needs of each child. Early childhood

educators (c) use a broad repertoire

of developmentally appropriate and

culturally and linguistically relevant,

anti-bias, and evidence-based teaching

approaches that reect the principles

of universal design for learning.

4a: Understand and demonstrate

positive, caring, supportive

relationships and interactions as

the foundation of early childhood

educators’ work with young children.

4b: Understand and use teaching

skills that are responsive to the

learning trajectories of young

children and to the needs of each

child, recognizing that dierentiating

instruction, incorporating play as a

core teaching practice, and supporting

the development of executive function

skills are critical for young children.

4c: Use a broad repertoire of

developmentally appropriate, culturally

and linguistically relevant, anti-bias,

evidence-based teaching skills and

strategies that reect the principles

of universal design for learning.

STANDARD 5

Knowledge, Application, and

Integration of Academic Content

in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Early childhood educators have

knowledge of the content of the

academic disciplines (e.g., language

and literacy, the arts, mathematics,

social studies, science, technology and

engineering, physical education) and of

the pedagogical methods for teaching

each discipline. They (a) understand

the central concepts, the methods and

tools of inquiry, and the structures in

each academic discipline. Educators

(b) understand pedagogy, including

how young children learn and process

information in each discipline, the

learning trajectories for each discipline,

and how teachers use this knowledge

to inform their practice They (c) apply

this knowledge using early learning

standards and other resources to

make decisions about spontaneous

and planned learning experiences

and about curriculum development,

implementation, and evaluation to

ensure that learning will be stimulating,

challenging, and meaningful to each child.

5a: Understand content knowledge—

the central concepts, methods and

tools of inquiry, and structure—and

resources for the academic disciplines

in an early childhood curriculum.

5b: Understand pedagogical content

knowledge—how young children

learn in each discipline—and how

to use the teacher knowledge and

practices described in Standards 1

through 4 to support young children’s

learning in each content area.

5c: Modify teaching practices by

applying, expanding, integrating, and

updating their content knowledge in

the disciplines, their knowledge of

curriculum content resources, and

their pedagogical content knowledge.

STANDARD 6

Professionalism as an Early

Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators (a) identify

and participate as members of the early

childhood profession. They serve as

informed advocates for young children,

for the families of the children in

their care, and for the early childhood

profession. They (b) know and use

ethical guidelines and other early

childhood professional guidelines. They

skills that eectively support their

relationships and work young children,

families, and colleagues. Early

childhood educators (d) are continuous,

collaborative learners who (e) develop

and sustain the habit of reective and

intentional practice in their daily work

with young children and as members of

the early childhood profession.

6a: Identify and involve themselves

with the early childhood eld and

serve as informed advocates for young

children, families, and the profession.

6b: Know about and uphold

ethical and other early childhood

professional guidelines.

6c: Use professional communication

skills, including technology-mediated

strategies, to eectively support young

children’s learning and development

and to work with families and colleagues.

6d: Engage in continuous, collaborative

learning to inform practice.

6e: Develop and sustain the

habit of reective and intentional

practice in their daily work with

young children and as members of

the early childhood profession.

11 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Professional Standards and Competencies

for Early Childhood Educators

Becoming a professional early childhood educator means developing

the capacity to understand, reect upon, and integrate all six of these

professional standards. It is the integrated understanding of the

following that denes a professional early childhood educator:

› Child development

› Each individual child

› Family and community contexts and other inuences on

individual development and the ability to build respectful

reciprocal relationships with families and communities

› The use of observation and assessment to

learn what works for each child and for young

children as a community learning together

› The use of a repertoire of appropriate pedagogical practices

› Early childhood curriculum

› The application of professional knowledge,

disposition, and ethics

To deepen their understanding of and ability to navigate

complex situations, early childhood educators develop

a habit of reective practice, including integrating their

knowledge and practices across all six standards in order to

create optimal learning environments, design and implement

curricula, use and rene instructional strategies, and interact

with children and families whose language, race, ethnicity,

culture, and social and economic status may be very dierent

from educators’ own backgrounds. It is this knowledge and

practice that will allow teachers to transform a new group of

babies in the infant room or a group of second graders on the

rst day of school into a caring community of learners.

STANDARD 1

Child Development and Learning in Context

Early childhood educators (a) are grounded in an understanding of the developmental

period of early childhood from birth through age 8 across developmental domains.

They (b) understand each child as an individual with unique developmental variations.

Early childhood educators (c) understand that children learn and develop within

relationships and within multiple contexts, including families, cultures, languages,

communities, and society. They (d) use this multidimensional knowledge to make

evidence-based decisions about how to carry out their responsibilities.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 12

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

1a: Understand the developmental period of

early childhood from birth through age 8 across

physical, cognitive, social and emotional, and

linguistic domains, including bilingual/multilingual

development. Early childhood educators base their

practice on the profession’s current understanding of the

developmental progressions and trajectories of children

birth through age 8 and on generally accepted principles

of child development and learning. They are familiar with

current research on the processes and trajectories of child

development, and they are aware of the need for ongoing

research and theory building that includes multicultural and

international perspectives.

Educators consider multiple sources of evidence (e.g., research,

observations from practice, professional resources) to expand

their understanding of child development and learning. Their

foundational knowledge across multiple interrelated areas

encompasses the physical, cognitive, social and emotional,

and linguistic domains, including bilingual/multilingual

development; early brain development, including executive

function; and the development of learning motivation and life

skills. They understand the roles of biology and environment;

the importance of interactions and relationships; the critical

role of play; and the impact of protective factors as well

as the impact of stress and adversity on young children’s

development and learning. They know and can discuss

the theoretical perspectives and research that ground this

knowledge and continue to shape it.

1b: Understand and value each child as an individual

with unique developmental variations, experiences,

strengths, interests, abilities, challenges, and

approaches to learning, and with the capacity to

make choices. Early childhood educators learn about

each child through observation, open-ended questions,

conversations, reections on children’s work and play, and

reciprocal communication with children’s families. They

understand that developmental variations among children

are normal, that each child’s progress will vary across

domains and disciplines, and that some children will

need individualized supports for identied developmental

delays or disabilities.

1c: Understand the ways that child development

and the learning process occur in multiple contexts,

including family, culture, language, community, and

early learning setting, as well as in a larger societal

context that includes structural inequities. Early

childhood educators know that young children’s learning and

identity are shaped and supported by their close relationships

with and attachments to adults and peers and by the cultural

identities, languages, values, and traditions of their families

and communities. Early childhood educators know that young

children are developing multiple social identities that include

race, language, culture, class, and gender, among others.

Educators recognize the benets to children of growing up

as bilingual/multilingual individuals and the importance of

supporting the development of children’s home languages.

Early childhood educators understand that all children and

families are widely impacted by society’s persistent structural

inequities related to race, language, gender, social and

economic class, immigration status, and other characteristics,

which can have long-term eects on children’s learning and

development. They know that young children are more likely

than any other age group to live in poverty, and they understand

how poverty and income inequality impact children’s

development. Early childhood educators understand how

trauma and stress experienced by young children and their

families, such as violence, abuse, serious illness and injury,

separation from home and family, war, and natural disasters,

can impact young children’s learning and development.

Early childhood educators also understand that early

childhood programs are communities of learners that have

the potential for long-term inuence on children’s lives.

They recognize the role that early education plays in young

children’s short- and long-term physical, social, emotional,

and psychological health and its potential as a protective

factor in children’s lives. They understand that they as early

childhood educators, along with the social and cultural

contexts of early learning settings, inuence the delivery of

young children’s education and care.

13 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

1d Use this multidimensional knowledge—that

is, knowledge about the developmental period

of early childhood, about individual children,

and about development and learning in cultural

contexts—to make evidence-based decisions that

support each child. To support each child and build a

caring community of children and adults learning together,

early childhood educators engage in continuous decision

making by integrating their knowledge of the following three

aspects of child development: (a) principles, processes, and

trajectories of early childhood development and learning;

(b) individual variations in children’s development and

learning; and (c) children’s development and learning in

dierent contexts. Teachers apply this knowledge across all

six standards presented here, as they build relationships with

children, families, and communities; conduct and use child

assessments; select and reect upon their teaching practices;

develop and implement curricula; and think about their own

development as professional early childhood educators. In

doing so, they create learning environments that are safe,

healthy, respectful, culturally and linguistically responsive,

supportive, and challenging for each young child by

› Promoting children’s physical and psychological

health, safety, and sense of security

› Demonstrating respect for each child as a

feeling, thinking individual and respect for

each child’s culture, home language, individual

abilities, family context, and community

› Building on the cultural and linguistic assets that

each child brings to the early learning setting

› Communicating their belief in children’s ability

to learn through play, spontaneous activities, and

guided investigations, helping all children understand

and make meaning from their experiences

› Constructing group and individual learning experiences

that are both challenging and supportive and by applying

their knowledge of child development to provide

scaolds that make learning achievable and that stretch

experiences for each child, including children with

special abilities, disabilities, or developmental delays.

STANDARD 2

Family–Teacher Partnerships and Community Connections

Early childhood educators understand that successful early childhood education depends

upon educators’ partnerships with the families of the young children they serve. They

(a) know about, understand, and value the diversity in family characteristics. Early

childhood educators (b) use this understanding to create respectful, responsive, reciprocal

relationships with families and to engage with them as partners in their young children’s

development and learning. They (c) use community resources to support young children’s

learning and development and to support children’s families, and they build connections

between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 14

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

2a: Know about, understand, and value the diversity

of families. Early childhood educators understand that

each family is unique. They know about the role of parents

(or those serving in the parental role) and about family

development, the diversity of families and communities,

and the many inuences on families and communities.

Early childhood educators have a knowledge base in family

theory and research and the ways that various factors

create the home context in young children’s lives: social and

economic conditions; diverse family structures, cultures and

relationships; family strengths, needs and stressors; and home

language and cultural values. They recognize that families

who share similar socioeconomic and racial and/or ethnic

backgrounds are not monolithic but are diverse in and of

themselves. Early childhood educators understand how to

build on family assets and strengths.

2b: Collaborate as partners with families in young

children’s development and learning through

respectful, reciprocal relationships and engagement.

Early childhood educators take primary responsibility

for initiating and sustaining respectful and reciprocal

relationships with children’s families and other caregivers;

they work with them to support young children’s positive

development both inside and outside the early learning setting.

Teachers learn with and from families, recognizing and

drawing on families’ expertise about their children for insight

into curriculum, program development, and assessment. Early

childhood educators strive to honor families’ preferences,

values, childrearing practices, and goals when making

decisions about young children’s development and care. They

share information with families about their children in ways

that families can understand and use at home, using families’

preferred communication methods and home languages as

much as possible.

When collaborating with families, early childhood educators

employ a variety of communication methods and engagement

skills, including informal conversations when parents pick

up and drop o children, more formal conversations in

teacher–family conference settings, and reciprocal technology-

mediated communications, such as phone calls, texting, or

emails. They help families and children with transitions at

home, such as adapting to a new sibling, and with transitions

to new services, programs, classrooms, grades, or schools.

Early childhood educators reect on their own values and

potential biases in order to make professional decisions

that arm each family’s culture and language(s) (including

dialects) and that demonstrate respect for various family

structures and beliefs about parenting.

2c: Use community resources to support young

children’s learning and development and to

support families, and build partnerships between

early learning settings, schools, and community

organizations and agencies. Early childhood educators

demonstrate knowledge about a variety of community

resources and use them to support young children’s learning

and development and families’ well-being. These might

include community cultural resources, mental health services,

early childhood special education and early intervention

services, health care organizations, housing resources, adult

education classes, adult courses in English as a second

language, translation/interpretation services, and economic

assistance resources. Educators help families to nd high-

quality resources and to partner with other early childhood

experts (e.g., speech pathologists, school counselors), as

needed, to support young children’s development and learning.

Regardless of their own work settings, all early childhood

educators contribute to building respectful, reciprocal

partnerships with the various early learning programs and

schools in their communities, as well as with community

organizations and agencies, through activities such as

sharing information about or organizing visits to libraries or

museums, participating in community events, visiting re

houses, helping children get to know their neighborhood, and

partnering with other programs and schools to support child

and family condence and continuity during transitions.

15 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

STANDARD 3

Child Observation, Documentation, and Assessment

Early childhood educators (a) understand that the primary purpose of assessment is

to inform instruction and planning in early learning settings. They (b) know how to use

observation, documentation, and other appropriate assessment approaches and tools.

Early childhood educators (c) use screening and assessment tools in ways that are ethically

grounded and developmentally, culturally, ability, and linguistically appropriate to document

developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child. Early childhood

educators (d) build assessment partnerships with families and professional colleagues.

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

3a: Understand that assessments (formal and

informal, formative and summative) are conducted

to make informed choices about instruction and for

planning in early learning settings. Early childhood

educators understand that child observation, documentation,

and other forms of assessment are central to the practice of

all early childhood professionals. They are close observers of

children. Educators understand that assessment is a positive

tool that can build continuity in young children’s development

and learning experiences. They understand that eective,

evidence-based teaching is informed by thoughtful, ongoing

systematic observation and documentation of each child’s

learning progress, qualities, strengths, interests, and needs.

They understand the importance of using assessments that

are consistent with and connected to appropriate learning

goals, curricula, and teaching strategies for individual young

children. Early childhood educators understand the essentials

of authentic and strengths-based assessment—such as age-

appropriate approaches and culturally relevant assessment

in a language the child understands and assessment that is

conducted by a speaker of the child’s home language—for

infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children in early grades

across developmental domains and curriculum areas.

3b: Know a wide range of types of assessments,

their purposes, and their associated methods and

tools. Early childhood educators are familiar with a variety

of formative, summative, qualitative, and standardized

assessments. They know a wide range of formal and informal

observation methods, documentation strategies, screening

tools, and other appropriate resources, including technologies

that facilitate assessments and approaches to assessing young

children that help teachers plan experiences that scaold

children’s learning. Early childhood educators understand

the strengths and limitations of each assessment method and

tool. They understand the components of the assessment cycle

and concepts of assessment validity and reliability as well as

the importance of systematic observations, interpreting those

observations, and reecting on observations’ signicance for

and impact on their teaching.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 16

3c: Use screening and assessment tools in ways

that are ethically grounded and developmentally,

ability, culturally, and linguistically appropriate

in order to document developmental progress and

promote positive outcomes for each child. Educators

embed assessment-related activities in the curriculum and

in daily routines to facilitate authentic assessment and to

make assessment an integral part of professional practice.

They create and take advantage of unplanned opportunities

to observe young children in play and in spontaneous

conversations and interactions as well as in adult-structured

assessment contexts. Early childhood educators analyze

data from a variety of assessment tools and use the data

appropriately to inform teaching practices and to set learning

and developmental goals for young children.

They understand assessment issues and resources, including

technology, related to identifying and supporting young

children with diering abilities, including children whose

learning is advanced, those who are bilingual or multilingual

learners, and children with developmental delays or

disabilities. They seek assistance, when needed, on how to

assess a particular child. This might mean reaching out to

colleagues who can bring new understanding, experience,

or perspective related to child and family ethnicity, culture,

or language. For example, a bilingual colleague may be

better prepared to successfully observe a child’s receptive

and expressive language skills, social interaction skills, and

emerging reading skills in both the child’s home language and

second language.

Early childhood educators know about potentially harmful

uses of inappropriate or inauthentic assessments and of

inappropriate assessment policies in early education. If

culturally or linguistically appropriate assessment tools are

not available for particular young children, educators are

aware of the limitations of the available assessments. When

not given the autonomy to create or select developmentally

appropriate, authentic assessments due to the setting’s

policies, such as the use of standardized, normative

assessments in pre-K through grade 3 settings, early

childhood educators exercise professional judgment and work

to minimize the adverse impact of inappropriate assessments

on young children and on instructional practices. They use

developmental screenings to bring resources and supports to

children and families and to avoid excluding children from

educational programs and services. They advocate for and

practice asset-based approaches to assessment and to the use

of assessment information.

Early childhood educators use assessment practices that

reect knowledge of legal and ethical issues, including

condentiality and the use of current professional practices

related to equity issues. In order to ensure fairness in their

assessments of young children, early childhood educators

consider the potential for implicit bias in their assessments,

their ndings, and the use of their ndings in creating plans

for supporting young children’s learning and development.

3d: Build assessment partnerships with families

and professional colleagues. Early childhood educators

partner with families and with other professionals to

implement authentic asset-based assessments and to develop

individualized goals, curriculum plans, and instructional

practices that meet the needs of each child. They recognize the

assessment process as collaborative and open, and they benet

from shared analyses and use of assessment results while

respecting condentiality and following other professional

guidelines. They encourage self-assessment in children

as appropriate, helping children to think about their own

interests, goals, and accomplishments.

Early childhood educators particularly ensure that assessment

results and the planning based on those results are conveyed

using jargon-free explanations that are easily understood

by families, teaching teams, and colleagues from other

disciplines. Teachers recognize that their responsibility is to

identify, but not diagnose, children who have the potential for

a developmental delay or disability or for advanced learning.

They know when to refer families for further assessment by

colleagues with specialized knowledge in a relevant area. Early

childhood educators participate as professional partners in

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) teams for children

birth to age 3 and in Individualized Education Program (IEP)

teams for children ages 3 through 8.

17 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

STANDARD 4

Developmentally, Culturally, and Linguistically

Appropriate Teaching Practices

Early childhood educators understand that teaching and learning with young children is a

complex enterprise, and its details vary depending on children’s ages and characteristics

and on the settings in which teaching and learning occur. They (a) understand and

demonstrate positive, caring, supportive relationships and interactions as the foundation

for their work with young children. They (b) understand and use teaching skills that

are responsive to the learning trajectories of young children and to the needs of

each child. Early childhood educators (c) use a broad repertoire of developmentally

appropriate and culturally and linguistically relevant, anti-bias, and evidence-based

teaching approaches that reect the principles of universal design for learning.

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

4a: Understand and demonstrate positive, caring,

supportive relationships and interactions as the

foundation of early childhood educators’ work

with young children. They understand that all teaching

and learning are facilitated by caring relationships and that

children’s lifelong dispositions for learning, self-condence,

and approaches to learning are formed in early childhood.

When working with young children, early childhood

educators know that positive and supportive relationships

and interactions are the foundation for excellence in teaching

practice with individual children as well as the foundation for

creating a caring community of learners.

They know that how young children expect to be treated

and how they treat others is signicantly shaped in the early

learning setting. Early childhood educators understand that

each child brings his or her own experiences, knowledge,

interests, motivations, abilities, culture, and language to

the early learning setting and that part of the educator’s

role is to build a classroom culture that respects and builds

on this reality (Standard 1). They develop responsive,

reciprocal relationships with individual babies, toddlers, and

preschoolers and with young children in early school grades.

As such, teaching practices might include

› Integrating informal child observation throughout

various routines and activities in the day and using

those observations to learn about each child’s

strengths, challenges, and interests to guide

teachers’ decisions about teaching strategies and

curriculum implementation; and to build positive

relationships with each child and between children

› Providing a secure, consistent, responsive relationship as

a safe base from which young children can explore and

tackle challenging problems and can develop self-regulation,

social and emotional skills, independence, responsibility,

perspective-taking skills, and cooperative learning skills to

manage or regulate their expressions of emotion and, over

time, to cope with frustration, develop resilience, learn

to take on challenges, and manage impulses eectively

› Integrating young children’s home languages and cultures

into the environment and curriculum through materials,

music, visual arts, dance, literature, and storytelling

4b: Understand and use teaching skills that are

responsive to the learning trajectories of young

children and to the needs of each child, recognizing

that dierentiating instruction, incorporating

play as a core teaching practice, and supporting

the development of executive function skills are

critical for young children. Early childhood educators

understand that teaching young children requires teaching

skills and strategies that are responsive to and appropriate for

individual children’s ages, development, and characteristics

and the social and cultural family contexts in which they live.

They understand that dierentiating instruction based on

professional judgment about individual children or groups

of young children—including children who use multiple

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 18

languages or dialects, children whose learning is advanced,

and children who have developmental delays or disabilities

in order to help them meet important goals is at the heart of

developmentally appropriate practice.

Early childhood teachers understand the importance of

both self-directed play and guided play, as well as the role of

inquiry, in young children’s learning and development across

domains and in the academic curriculum. Early childhood

educators are familiar with the types of play (e.g., solitary,

parallel, social, cooperative, onlooker, fantasy, physical,

constructive) and with strategies to extend learning through

play across the full age and grade span of early education.

They understand that play helps young children develop

symbolic and imaginative thinking, peer relationships,

language (both English and the home language), physical

skills, and problem-solving skills.

Early childhood educators understand the importance of

helping children develop executive function and life skills,

including ability to focus, self-regulation, perspective taking,

critical thinking, communicating, remembering, making

connections, taking on challenges, cooperating, resolving

conicts, solving problems, moving toward independence,

feeling condent, planning, and participating in self-

directed, engaged learning in early childhood. They know

that these skills are developed through supportive, scaolded

interactions with adults and are critical for school readiness

and ongoing success. Early childhood educators know about

learning and diverse motivation theories, environmental

design, instructional design, and the appropriate and

intentional use of technology and interactive media to

enhance and improve access to learning.

As such, teaching practices might include

› Dierentiating instructional practices to respond

to the individual strengths, needs, abilities,

social identity, home culture, home language,

interests, motivations, temperament, and positive

and adverse experiences of each child

› Setting challenging and achievable goals for each

child across physical, social, emotional, and cognitive

domains; helping children set their own goals, as

appropriate; and adjusting support to scaold

and/or extend young children’s learning

› Stimulating and extending multiple forms of play as

part of young children’s learning to help them develop

symbolic and imaginative thinking, peer relationships,

social skills, language, creative movement, and

problem-solving skills; play would include imitative

play and social referencing in babies; solitary, parallel,

social, cooperative, onlooker, fantasy, physical,

and constructive play in toddlers, with increasing

complexity and skills in preschool and early grades

4c: Use a broad repertoire of developmentally

appropriate, culturally and linguistically relevant,

anti-bias, evidence-based teaching skills and

strategies that reect the principles of universal

design for learning. Educators apply knowledge

about ages, abilities, cultures, languages, interests, and

experiences of individual and groups of young children in

making professional judgments about the use of materials,

the organization of indoor and outdoor physical space

and materials, and the management of daily schedules

and routines. All decisions about and use of instructional

approaches and the learning environment are grounded in

and promote positive, caring, and supportive relationships

with and between young children.

While not exhaustive, the repertoire of practices to draw

upon across the birth-through-age-8 early childhood

period includes those addressed in 4a and 4b as well as the

following practices:

Creating the physical and social environments

› Arranging indoor and outdoor environments

that are physically and emotionally safe

› Using consistent schedules and predictable

routines as part of the curriculum

› Providing time, space, and materials to encourage

child-initiated play and risk taking and allowing

children space to roll, crawl, run, jump, exercise, and

engage in both ne and gross motor activities

› Designing teaching and learning environments that

adhere to the principles of universal design for learning

by incorporating a variety of ways for young children to

gain access to the curriculum content, oering multiple

teaching strategies to actively engage children, and

including a range of formats to enable all children to

respond and demonstrate what they know and have learned

19 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

› Selecting materials and arranging the indoor and outdoor

environments to create social and private spaces, oer

restful and active spaces, designate spaces for ne and

gross motor development, and create learning centers to

stimulate inquiry, problem solving, practice, and exploration

in foundational concepts in each curriculum area

› Using interactive media and technology with young

children in ways that are appropriate for individuals

and the group, that are integrated into the curriculum,

that provide equitable access, and that engage children

in problem solving, creative play, and interactions as

well as expanding their digital communication and

information capabilities in a safe and secure manner

› Using the environment and the curriculum to stimulate

a wide range of interests and abilities in children of

all genders, avoiding the reinforcement of gender

stereotypes and countering sexism and gender bias

› Engaging children as co-constructors of the environment

to help them express and represent their interests and

understandings, care for and take joy in nature, and

develop positive approaches to learning, participating in

school, and building relationships with peers and teachers

Advancing academic knowledge

› Integrating informal child observation throughout

various routines and activities in the day and using

those observations to inform decisions about teaching

strategies and curriculum implementation

› Integrating early childhood curriculum content into projects,

play, and other learning activities that reect the specic

interests of each child or of groups of children to help them

make meaning of curriculum content and to incorporate

playful learning from infancy through the early grades

› Engaging in genuine, reciprocal conversations with

children; eliciting and exploring children’s ideas;

asking questions that probe and stimulate children’s

thinking, understanding, theory-building, and shared

construction of meaning; encouraging and arming

young children’s self-expression while respecting various

modes of communication; fostering oral language and

communication skills; modeling desired behaviors

and language; and providing early literacy experiences

both in English and in children’s home languages

Providing social and emotional

support and positive guidance

› Responding to stress, adversity, and trauma in young

children’s lives by providing consistent daily routines,

learning the calming strategies that work best for individual

children, anticipating individual children’s dicult

experiences and oering comfort and guidance during those

experiences, supporting the development of self-regulation

and trust, and seeking help from colleagues, as needed

› Using varied approaches to positive guidance strategies

for individual children and groups, such as supporting

transitions between activities, modeling kindness and

respect, providing clear rules and predictable routines,

directing and redirecting behavior, and scaolding

peer conict resolution to help children learn skills for

regulating themselves, resolving problems, developing

empathy, trusting in early childhood educators, and

developing positive attitudes about school

Using culturally and linguistically relevant

anti-bias teaching strategies

› Becoming aware of implicit biases and working with

colleagues and families to use positive and supportive

guidance strategies for all children to help them

navigate multiple home and school cultural codes,

norms, and expectations and to prevent suspensions,

expulsions, and other disciplinary measures that

disproportionately aect young children of color

› Incorporating accurate age-appropriate and individually

appropriate and relevant information about ethnic,

racial, social and economic, gender, language, religious,

and LGBTQ+ groups in curriculum and instruction

› Confronting and teaching about racism and other -isms

as they arise in the classroom and on the playground and

addressing biases and stereotypes in books and

other resources used in the classroom in ways

that are developmentally appropriate for toddlers,

preschoolers, and children in early grades

› Using the home languages of children, as appropriate, in

the classroom to help them learn the content at the same

level as their English-speaking peers and to allow them to

use all of their linguistic assets to learn, and dierentiating

instruction for dual language learners to ensure they

learn the content while they are learning English

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 20

STANDARD 5

Knowledge, Application, and Integration of Academic

Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Early childhood educators have knowledge of the content of the academic disciplines

(e.g., language and literacy, the arts, mathematics, social studies, science, technology and

engineering, physical education) and of the pedagogical methods for teaching each discipline.

They (a) understand the central concepts, methods and tools of inquiry, and structures in each

academic discipline. Educators (b) understand pedagogy, including how young children learn

and process information in each discipline, the learning trajectories for each discipline, and how

teachers use this knowledge to inform their practice. They (c) apply this knowledge using early

learning standards and other resources to make decisions about spontaneous and planned

learning experiences and about curriculum development, implementation, and evaluation

to ensure that learning will be stimulating, challenging, and meaningful to each child.

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

5a: Understand content knowledge—the central

concepts, methods and tools of inquiry, and

structure—and resources for the academic disciplines

in an early childhood curriculum. Early childhood

educators know how to continuously update and expand

their own knowledge and skills, turning to the standards of

professional organizations in each content area and relying on

sound resources for their own development, for curriculum

development, and for selection of materials for young children

in the following disciplines.

Early childhood educators understand that

› Language and literacy learning are foundational not

just for success in school but for lifelong success in

communication, self-expression, understanding of the

perspectives of others, socialization, self-regulation,

and citizenship. Early childhood educators know that

listening, speaking, reading, writing, storytelling, and

visual representation of information are all methods of

developing and applying language and literacy knowledge

and skills. They understand essential elements of language

and literacy, such as semantics, syntax, morphology, and

phonology, and of reading, such as phonemic awareness,

phonics decoding, word recognition, uency, vocabulary,

and comprehension. Early childhood educators understand

the components and structures of informational texts and

of narrative texts, including theme, character, plot, and

setting. They are aware that oral language, print, and

storytelling are similar and dierent across cultures, and

they are familiar with literature from multiple cultures.

› The arts—music, creative movement, dance, drama, visual

arts—are primary media for human communication,

inquiry, and insight. Educators understand that each of

the arts has its own set of basic elements, such as rhythm,

beat, expression, character, energy, color, balance, and

harmony. They are familiar with a variety of materials

and tools in each of the arts and with the arts’ diverse

styles and purposes across cultures. Educators know

that engagement with the arts includes both self-

expression and appreciation of art created by others.

They value engagement in the arts as a way to express,

communicate, and reect upon self and others and upon

culture, language, family, community, and history.

› Mathematics is a language for abstract reasoning and

critical thinking and is used throughout life to recognize

patterns and categories, to make connections between

what is the same and what is dierent, to solve real-

world problems, and to communicate relationships and

concepts. Early childhood educators are familiar with

the concepts that underlie counting and cardinality and

number and operations. They understand algebraic and

geometric concepts such as equal/not equal, lines and

space, and estimation and measurement. They know that

the tools for mathematical inquiry include observation,

comparison, reasoning, estimation and measurement,

generation and testing of theories, and documentation

through writing, drawing, and graphic representation.

21 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

› Social studies is a science used to understand and think

about the past, the present, and the future and about self

and identity in society, place, and time. Early childhood

educators know that the eld of social studies includes

history, geography, civics, economics, anthropology,

archeology, and psychology—and that all of these areas

of inquiry contribute to our ability to make meaning

of our experiences, think about civic aairs, and make

informed decisions as members of a group or of society.

They are familiar with central concepts that include social

systems and structures characterized by both change

and continuity over time; the social construction of

rules, rights, and responsibilities that vary across diverse

groups, communities, and nations; and the development of

structures of power, authority, and governance and related

issues of social equity and justice. They know that oral

storytelling, literature, art, technology, interactive media,

artifacts, and the collection and representation of data are

all tools for learning about and exploring social studies.

› Science is a practice that is based on observation,

inquiry, and investigation and that connects to and uses

mathematical language. Early childhood educators

understand basic science concepts such as patterns, cause

and eect, analysis and interpretation of data, the use

of critical thinking, and the construction and testing of

explanations or solutions to problems. They are familiar

with the major concepts of earth science, physical science,

and the life sciences. They are familiar with and can use

scientic tools that include, for example, technology,

interactive media, and print to document science

projects in text, graphs, illustrations, and data charts.

› Technology and engineering integrate and employ concepts,

language, principles, and processes from science and

mathematics to focus on the design and production of

materials and devices for use in everyday life, school, the

workplace, and the outdoor environment. Early childhood

educators know that, from zippers to bridges to computers

and tablets to satellites, technology and engineering have

a signicant impact on society and culture. They are

familiar with technology and engineering tools and inquiry

methods, including imagining, data gathering, modeling,

designing, evaluating, experimenting, and modifying.

› Physical education, health, and safety have signicant

eects on children’s current and future quality of life. Early

childhood educators understand development of ne and

gross motor skills; neurological development, including

executive function; and the relationship of nutrition

and physical activity to cognitive, physical, social, and

emotional well-being in young children. They know that

the components of physical education include spatial

awareness, agility, balance, coordination, endurance, and

force. They know about health and safety guidelines and

practices for the prevention and management of common

illnesses, diseases, and injuries, and they know how to

promote wellness in adults and children. Educators

are able to nd and stay current in health, safety, and

risk management standards and guidelines for young

children from birth through age 8. They are familiar with

the processes that help children develop fundamental

competence, skillful practices, and tness in physical

education, including participation in games and sports,

aquatics, dance and rhythmic activities, tness activities,

outdoor pursuits, and individual performance activities.

5b: Understand pedagogical content knowledge—

how young children learn in each discipline—and

how to use the teacher knowledge and practices

described in Standards 1 through 4 to support young

children’s learning in each content area. This includes

children’s common conceptions and misconceptions in

content areas. Early childhood educators know how to engage

young children in learning about essential and foundational

concepts, principles, and theories; in methods of investigation

and inquiry; and in forms of representation that express

ideas, relationships, and patterns in each curriculum area.

They know about and can access professional instructional

resources, including those available from professional

associations representing various disciplines. They understand

early learning trajectories and related developmentally and

culturally appropriate teaching and assessment strategies for

each area of the early childhood curriculum.

Early childhood educators know that children learn and

develop in each curriculum area from birth and that learning

in each area increases in complexity during preschool and the

early grades. Teachers understand the connections between

young children’s learning in and across disciplines and teachers’

knowledge and practices described in Standards 1 through 4

and that young children learn in each of these content areas

simultaneously, exploring and integrating them into their play,

projects, and conversations. Early childhood educators can

sequence goals, and they know related strategies to grow young

children’s learning in each discipline, understanding that

› Language and literacy learning (oral and written, expressive

and receptive)—beginning with early gestures, vocalizations,

babbling, single words, scribbling, book handling, and

dramatic play- are the foundation for the acquisition of

phonemic and phonological awareness, vocabulary, grammar,

and reading. They know that children develop understanding

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 22

of the concept of print, with progressive understanding

that print carries meaning and has directionality and

that letters represent sounds and compose words, which

compose sentences and support development of the

writing process. Early childhood educators are familiar

with young children’s literature—both narrative and

informational texts—and know how to select and use books

in interactive and responsive ways, based on children’s

developmental, cultural, and linguistic needs and interests.

› Teachers have a deep understanding of the bilingual

language development process in young children,

including the strong role the home language plays as

a foundation for academic success and the damaging

eects of home language loss. They are aware that

bilingual and multilingual development benets young

children’s learning and development and that teachers

need to foster home language development as children

are exposed to English. They know strategies for

supporting the development of the home language in

both the classroom and at home, and they encourage

the development of multiple languages for all children.

› The arts—music, creative movement, dance, drama,

visual arts—are a primary vehicle for young children’s

expression and exploration of their thoughts, ideas, and

feelings, facilitating connections across the arts and to

other curriculum areas and developmental domains.

Teachers know that creative and skillful expression and

appreciation of the arts develop from birth and throughout

this age range, from melodic babbling to singing, from

scribbling to drawing, from bouncing to dancing, from

pretend play to dramatic performance, script writing, and

characterization. Teachers are familiar with a range of

materials, techniques, and strategies to foster children’s

appreciation of the arts and their condent, creative

participation in the arts. They also recognize the arts as

an important pathway to learning across the curriculum,

especially as young children develop competence in

language, literacy, mathematics, social studies, and science.

› Mathematics begins with the development of prenumeracy

and early numeracy skills, such as recognition of faces and

shapes, visual matching, knowledge of numbers, visual

recognition of numbers, ordering, sorting, classifying,

sequencing, one-to-one correspondence, visual and physical

representation of objects, and relationships between objects,

including understanding similarities and dierences. Early

childhood educators have a grasp of mathematical language

and know the importance of modeling it and of fostering

positive mathematical dispositions in each child. They

know the expected trajectories of mathematical learning,

including common misconceptions and errors. They use

this knowledge to select scaolding strategies to advance

children’s development of mathematical understanding.

They know that children learn mathematical thinking

through active exploration, conversations, observation,

and manipulation of both natural and manufactured

materials. They know that play, stories, music, dance,

and visual arts can all be used to illustrate and discuss

mathematical ideas in ways that are more meaningful

to young children than isolated, abstract exercises.

› Social studies knowledge develops from birth with the

gradual understanding of self and others, individuals and

families, neighborhoods and communities, time and patterns

of time, and past/present/future, and with an awareness

of one’s own and others’ cultures. Over time, social studies

develops into the intentional study of history, geography,

economics, civics, and politics. Early childhood educators are

familiar with strategies to help young children in preschool

and early grades learn perspective-taking skills, explore

ideas of fairness, reect on the past, experience the present,

and plan for the future. They are familiar with some of the

emerging understandings and misconceptions related to

these and other areas of the curriculum that preschoolers

and children in early grades are likely to have. They know

about developmentally appropriate strategies, materials, and

activities, including the use of pretend play, games, stories,

eld trips, and the arts to grow young children’s increasing

understanding of the social world and to counter biases

and fears in the context of a caring community of learners.

› Scientic inquiry develops naturally in young children

as they observe, ask questions, and explore their world.

Early childhood educators understand the importance

of providing opportunities for very young children to

engage in sensory exploration of their environments

and of supporting their progressive ability to ask

questions, engage in scientic practices, collect data,

think critically, solve problems, share ideas, and reect

on their ndings. Teachers are familiar with materials

that help young children conduct experiments, represent

theories and ideas, document ndings, and build

condence in and positive dispositions toward science.

› Technology and engineering concepts are explored as young

children play with cause and eect, tting and stacking,

dropping, pushing, and pulling physical objects. Young

children’s abilities and understanding develop further

as they build increasingly complex structures, perhaps

experimenting with balance, stability, speed, and inclines

in the block corner, dramatic play area, and outdoors.

Early childhood educators model the use of science

and the language of mathematics to develop children’s

imaginations, curiosity, and wonder. They know that asking

23 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

good questions and encouraging young children to express

and test their own ideas are often more eective teaching

strategies than providing direct information and “right”

answers. Knowing that young children have been born

into the digital age, educators use technology inside and

outside of the classroom and supervise young children in

the appropriate use of technology in play and in learning.

› Physical activity, physical education, health, and safety

are important parts of the curriculum for young children

and are essential to their well-being. Early childhood

educators know that young children “learn by doing”

across disciplines, and that active physical play helps

brain development and is a primary means for children to

learn about themselves, others, and the world. Teachers

understand the learning progression of movement skills,

from infancy (e.g., roll, crawl, creep) through preschool

age (hop, throw, bend, stretch) to the early grades

(e.g., engagement in organized and more complex team

and individual sports and dance)—skills that lay the

foundation for a lifetime of enjoying physical activity.

› Early childhood educators provide opportunities for children

to develop and maintain health-enhancing physical tness,

attain knowledge of movement concepts, and develop

mature fundamental movement skills. They intentionally

plan daily adult-led physical activities and unstructured

physical activities that will facilitate the maximum

participation of all children. They know the importance of

healthy daily routines and daily practice of basic skills and

habits related to active and quiet times, meals, rest, and

transitions in early childhood settings. They are familiar

with young children’s need for movement, play, rest, safety,

and nutrition and with individual and cultural variations in

practices to meet these needs. They know developmentally

eective ways to help older children think about, express,

and reect on their needs and their choices in this area.

5c: Modify teaching practices by applying,

expanding, integrating, and updating their content

knowledge in the disciplines, their knowledge of

curriculum content resources, and their pedagogical

content knowledge. Early childhood educators use their

understanding of preschool and early elementary standards,

their content knowledge, and their pedagogical knowledge,

along with experiences and cultural assets that young

children and their families bring, to create an integrated

curriculum that makes connections across content areas

through play and projects. The curriculum includes both

planned and responsive experiences that are individualized

to be developmentally appropriate, meaningful, engaging,

and challenging for each child and that reect cultural and

linguistic diversity.

Early childhood educators make and implement decisions

about oering meaningful, challenging curricular activities

for each child, using observation and assessment to scaold

new learning in each academic discipline. They design or

select a developmentally and culturally relevant curriculum

that avoids and counters cultural or individual biases and

stereotypes and that fosters a positive learning disposition

in each child in all areas of the curriculum. Early childhood

educators engage in continuous development of their own

abilities in each content area, drawing on the resources of

professional organizations and engaging in professional

development (such as postsecondary education) to improve

their knowledge and skills in each discipline.

Early childhood educators encourage and grow every

child’s interests and abilities in each academic discipline,

countering gender, ability, racial, ethnic, and religious biases

that can limit children’s opportunities and achievements.

Early childhood educators help children reect upon and

learn from their mistakes, fully understanding that making

mistakes and learning from them in positive ways fuels

learning. Early childhood educators foster each child’s sense

of ecacy and their ability to make choices and decisions, to

develop their own interests and learning dispositions, and to

gradually gain a sense of control, intention, and autonomy in

their environment.

Early childhood educators apply what they have learned

about curriculum content and about pedagogy—how young

children learn and what teaching strategies are most likely to be

eective, based on children’s development as individuals and as

participants in groups. For example, educators of infants and

toddlers model and responsively support development of early

language, scribbling, music, and movement; sense of self and

others; understanding of past, present, and future; knowledge

of number and patterns; and development of inquiry skills and

discovery. Educators of children in preschool through early

grades model engagement in challenging subject matter and

support children’s acquisition and exploration of increasingly

complex knowledge. They respond to the developmental

needs of individual children, building their condence as

young readers, writers, artists, musicians, mathematicians,

scientists, engineers, dancers, athletes, historians, economists,

and geographers and as young citizens of a caring learning

community. In developing curricula, educators use their

solid knowledge in each curriculum area while also helping

individual children construct knowledge in personally and

culturally meaningful ways.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 24

STANDARD 6

Professionalism as an Early Childhood Educator

Early childhood educators (a) identify and participate as members of the early childhood

profession. They serve as informed advocates for young children, for the families of the

children in their care, and for the early childhood profession. They (b) know and use ethical

guidelines and other early childhood professional guidelines. They (c) have professional

communication skills that effectively support their relationships and work young children,

families, and colleagues. Early childhood educators (d) are continuous, collaborative

learners who (e) develop and sustain the habit of reective and intentional practice in

their daily work with young children and as members of the early childhood profession.

Key Competencies and Supporting Explanations

6a: Identify and involve themselves with the early

childhood eld and serve as informed advocates for

young children, families, and the profession. Early

childhood educators understand the profession’s distinctive

values, history, knowledge base, and mission, as well as the

connections between the early childhood education profession

and other related disciplines and professions with which

they collaborate while serving young children and their

families. They know that equity in education begins in early

childhood and that early childhood educators have a special

opportunity and responsibility to advance equity in their daily

classroom work with children and their work with families

and colleagues.

They are aware of the broader contexts, challenges, current

issues, and trends that aect their profession and their work,

including challenges related to compensation and nancing

of the early education system; trends in standards setting

and assessment of young children; and issues of equity, bias,

and social justice that aect children, families, communities,

and colleagues. Early childhood educators embrace their

responsibility as advocates to strive to improve the lives of

young children and their families as well as the lives of those

serving in the profession. They engage in advocacy in early

learning settings and at wider levels—such as in local, state,

federal, or national contexts—and have a basic understanding

of how public policies are developed.

6b: Know about and uphold ethical and other early

childhood professional guidelines. Early childhood

educators have a compelling responsibility to know about and

uphold ethical guidelines, federal and state regulatory policies,

and other professional standards because young children

are at a critical point in their development and learning and

because children are vulnerable and cannot articulate their

rights and needs. Teachers know about and understand the

NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct and are guided by its ideals

and principles. They know how to use the Code to analyze

and resolve professional ethical dilemmas and can give

defensible justications for their resolution of those dilemmas.

They uphold high standards of condentiality and privacy,

sensitivity, and respect for young children and their families

and for their colleagues.

Early childhood educators can nd and use professional

guidelines, such as national, state, and local child care

regulations, and special education standards and regulations,

and professional health and safety practices. They uphold

their professional obligation to report child abuse and neglect,

and their practice is informed by the position statements of

their professional associations. They know and follow relevant

federal and state laws protecting the rights of young children

with developmental delays or disabilities, including the federal

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504, and

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

25 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

6c: Use professional communication skills, including

technology-mediated strategies, to eectively support

young children’s learning and development and to

work with families and colleagues. Early childhood

educators use professional communication skills to understand

and apply the standards and competencies in this position

statement, work eectively with families and colleagues,

and facilitate their own professional development including

their academic success when pursuing postsecondary

education. These skills include competency in formal and

informal speaking and in listening, reading, and writing.

Early childhood educators use appropriate, grammatically

correct language, and their written communications are

clear and understandable, with few errors. Early childhood

educators employ the most respectful, sensitive, and eective

communication techniques: attentive listening with young

children, families, and colleagues; skillful and empathetic

dialogue with families about their children’s development; a

translator or other resource for exchanges with speakers of

languages other than English; use of technology-mediated

strategies for communication, where appropriate; and assistive

technology tools with children and adults, as needed. Early

childhood educators know that developing, enhancing, and

improving their communication skills is an ongoing process.

6d: Engage in continuous, collaborative learning

to inform practice. An attitude of inquiry is evident in

early childhood educators’ writing, discussions, and actions.

They demonstrate self-motivated, purposeful learning, and

they actively investigate ways to improve their practice, such

as engaging in classroom-based research, participating

in conferences and workshops, providing or receiving

mentorship, and nding evidence-based resources. Early

childhood educators know how to participate in reective

and supportive supervision, both as supervisors and as

recipients of supervision. In the case of the former, they

have skills related to conducting performance evaluations,

providing guidance to supervisees, identifying professional

development needs, understanding personnel policies in early

learning settings, and developing supervisees’ professional

behaviors and addressing their unprofessional behaviors.

Early childhood educators receive and act on feedback from

their supervisors, seek assistance when they need it, and

consistently carry out the responsibilities of their jobs. Early

childhood educators partner with other members of their

teaching team, recognizing the importance of respectful,

cooperative relationships and shared responsibilities between

all members of the team when interacting with children and

families and with each other.

Educators engage in collaborative learning communities and

professional learning networks with early childhood educators

and with others in related disciplines and professions, working

together on common challenges and exchanging ideas to

benet from one another’s perspectives and expertise. They

recognize that while early childhood educators share the

same core professional values, their professional knowledge

base is constantly evolving and that dialogue and attention

to dierences is part of the development of new shared

knowledge. They know where to nd and how to use

resources and when to reach out to early education colleagues

within and across professions. They work collaboratively

with colleagues in their early learning settings and in other

professional disciplines to support individual children and

their families, including, but not limited to, IFSP and IEP

teams. They stay current in the eld and realize that, through

their own research and practice, they can contribute to

expanding the profession’s knowledge base.

6e: Develop and sustain the habit of reective and

intentional practice in their daily work with young

children and as members of the early childhood

profession. Early childhood educators examine their own

practice, sources of professional knowledge, and assumptions

about the early childhood eld with a spirit of inquiry. They

make intentional professional judgments each day, based on

knowledge of young children’s development and learning, of

individual children, and of the social and cultural contexts in

which children live. Using supervisors’ and peers’ feedback,

they reect on their daily practice and analyze their work with

young children in a broader context to modify and improve it.

Early childhood educators consider multiple sources of

evidence and knowledge in decision making, including new

and emerging research, professional learning, experience and

expertise, and the interests, values, needs, and choices of the

children, families, and communities they serve. They consider

how their own social and cultural contexts and implicit biases

may inuence their practice and equity in their early learning

settings as they strive to provide eective supports for each

and every child.

As reective practitioners, early childhood educators know

that managing their own resilience, self-ecacy, mental health,

and wellness is critical to the eectiveness of their work,

particularly when addressing challenging behaviors. They take

responsibility for their own well-being and have strategies to

manage the physical, emotional, and mental stress inherent

in their profession in order to be healthy and to engage

eectively and empathetically with children and families.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 26

Recommendations for Implementation

Early Childhood Educator Professional Preparation Programs

1. Align preparation programs with these standards

and competencies and with associated leveling

The standards and competencies should serve as the core

learner outcomes for early childhood educator professional

preparation programs. Learning opportunities within

programs, including eld experiences, should be designed

and scaolded to develop candidates’ understanding

and application of the competencies. With this revision,

professional preparation programs should carefully

consider which early childhood educator designation

(ECE I, II, or III) they are preparing candidates for (see

Appendix A for leveling recommendations) and ensure that

the level of mastery of standards and competencies aligns

with the breadth and depth of competency mastery in the

Unifying Framework

developed through Power to the

Profession. The expectation is that every early childhood

professional preparation program prepares candidates to

work with children birth through age 8; some programs,

though, might include an emphasis on or specialization in

a particular age group or early learning setting.

2. Ensure faculty are qualied to teach candidates

in the standards and competencies

Faculty in early childhood educator professional

preparation programs should have advanced degrees

and professional experience related to their teaching

assignments. Faculty who teach education methods

courses should have experience teaching in programs

for young children as well as have current knowledge

of child and adult development and the science of

learning. Faculty also gain expertise through career-long

participation in professional activities and memberships

in professional organizations.

3. Promote standards, not standardization

Professional preparation programs should be responsive

to their local workforce needs, their community contexts,

and their institutions’ missions. These standards

and competencies are intended to provide a vision of

excellence—not to constrict innovative responses to the

needs of young children and their families or to current

and prospective early childhood educators. This position

statement promotes standards for—not standardization

of—preparation of early childhood educators. The

standards and competencies and accompanying leveling

recommendations are meant to serve as a framework for

professional preparation program design.

4. Ensure that standards and competencies and

leveling facilitate transfer and articulation

Professional preparation programs should incorporate

the leveling recommendations (see Appendix A) for the

standards and competencies to facilitate articulation

and transfer and distinguish the depth and breadth of

the standards and competencies at each professional

preparation program level. These standards and

competencies and their associated leveling can be used

to support the progression of professional competency

through professional preparation programs and to develop

articulation agreements and stackable, portable credentials

that increase workforce diversity, equity, and access to new

career opportunities.

5. Ensure that a mix of general education courses and

education methods courses oer candidates the

necessary content knowledge to meet expectations

in Standard 5 and to demonstrate their

application of all standards and competencies

In partnership with professional preparation program

accrediting bodies/recognizing bodies, consider the

general education content knowledge and education

methods courses necessary to support mastery of

Standard 5 at each early childhood educator designation

(ECE I, II, and III).

27 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

6. Commit to advancing equity and diversity

Professional preparation programs should work to

ensure that they reect principles of equity and diversity

throughout all aspects of their curricula. This includes

ensuring that professional preparation programs provide

eld experiences that give candidates opportunities

to work eectively with diverse populations; employ a

diverse faculty across multiple dimensions, including but

not limited to race and ethnicity, language, ability, gender,

and sexual orientation; and allow time and space to foster

a learning community among administrators, faculty,

and sta, with opportunities for reection and learning

regarding cultural respect and responsiveness, including

potential issues of implicit bias.

Higher Education Accreditation

1. Ensure that professional preparation programs

are preparing candidates across as well as

within standards and competencies

Accreditation of early childhood educator professional

preparation programs must require evidence from those

programs that learning opportunities facilitate candidates’

mastery of the standards and competencies and that the

programs are evaluating candidates’ mastery of these.

2. Ensure that professional preparation program

design and infrastructure facilitate candidates’

mastery of the standards and competencies

While the learning opportunities and assessment of

candidates’ knowledge and practice should be the central

focus of accreditors, it is also important for accrediting

bodies to evaluate the program design and infrastructure

that facilitate high-quality learning opportunities

and eective assessments related to the standards

and competencies. Evidence of a program’s mission,

responsiveness to local context, faculty qualications and

responsibilities, institutional resources (such as budgets,

technology, and libraries), academic and nonacademic

supports for candidates, eld experiences, course design

and sequencing, and teaching quality should contribute to

the accreditation decision.

3. Ensure that professional preparation programs are

aligned with the leveling in the position statement

Expectations for meeting accreditation standards should

align with the leveling of the standards and competencies

recommended in this position statement (Appendix

A). In particular, the learning opportunities and related

assessments of professional preparation programs

should be evaluated against the recommended leveling of

competency mastery.

Early Learning Programs

1. Ensure that standards and competencies

are reected in early childhood

educators’ responsibilities and levels

of autonomy in early learning settings

Early childhood educators should be given appropriate

autonomy in their settings to make sound professional

judgments that align with their level of mastery of these

standards and competencies.

2. Ensure job candidates have completed

the appropriate level of professional

preparation needed for the early childhood

educator positions they seek

Early learning programs hiring teachers should require

completion of a professional preparation program for job

candidates, with preference for professional preparation

programs that have demonstrated alignment with these

standards and competencies through accreditation.

Qualications for specic positions should be based upon

the scope of practice and associated level of mastery of

the standards and competencies for the appropriate early

childhood educator designation — ECE I, II or III — for

the position.

3. Design and support professional development

that advances early childhood educators’

mastery of the standards and competencies

Early learning programs should create respectful

professional growth plans aligned with the standards and

competencies in order to broaden and deepen their stas’

mastery of the standards and competencies. Early learning

programs should contribute to the preparation of future

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 28

early childhood educators by serving as eld sites where

emerging professionals can develop their knowledge, skills,

and dispositions under the mentorship of experienced

early childhood educators. These programs should also

provide professional development opportunities for their

stas—particularly through coaching and mentoring—in

order to advance sta’s understanding and application of

the standards and competencies. Professional development

should strengthen early childhood educators’ ability to

engage in reective practice.

4. Design and conduct evaluations aligned

with the standards and competencies

Early childhood educators should be supported and be held

accountable for practices aligned with the appropriate level

of mastery of these standards and competencies.

Federal, State, and Local Policies

1. Align all early childhood workforce supports

with the standards and competencies

The standards and competencies should inform all

policies and systems that address early childhood

workforce recruitment, development, and retention.

These policies and systems include states’ professional

standards, professional preparation programs, licensing

and certication bodies, induction/mentoring/coaching

programs, legislative policies, leadership in early learning

programs, nancing of the workforce, working conditions,

and professional networks and associations. In adopting

the standards and competencies, states may need to expand

them to address state and local priorities and contexts.

2. Elevate professional preparation programs

designated and accredited by the early

childhood education profession as the core

pathway for individuals to be prepared

in the standards and competencies

Policies should elevate the professional preparation

programs that are designated by the profession as the core

pathways for individuals who are preparing to be early

childhood educators or who are advancing their early

childhood education credentials.

Given the breadth and

depth of the standards and competencies and the need

for early childhood educators to have deep knowledge

and understanding of, as well as applied practice in

them, these pathways are best positioned to prepare early

childhood educators.

Policies and resources should ensure that all individuals

are provided equitable opportunities to access and

progress seamlessly through these pathways.

3. Align early childhood educator licensure,

certication, and credentialing with

the standards and competencies

Early childhood educator licensure, certication, and

credentialing systems should ensure that all young

children, birth through age 8, have access to educators

with a sound understanding of and skills in using the

Professional Standards and Competencies for Early

Childhood Educators. States should develop timelines

and benchmarks for advancing the education credentials

of the entire early childhood workforce, along with

associated compensation increases.

4. Build professional development and QRIS systems

that align with the standards and competencies

Content of professional development systems and QRIS

(quality rating and improvement systems) should be driven

by the standards and competencies and recommended

leveling for each early childhood educator designation.

5. Adequately nance the early childhood

education workforce so that every early

childhood educator is prepared in the

professional standards and competencies

Financing should be targeted to individuals seeking to

attain or advance their knowledge and application of the

standards and competencies included in this position

statement and to the professional preparation programs

that seek to demonstrate or have already demonstrated

alignment with the standards and competencies through

earning and maintaining accreditation. Early childhood

educators who demonstrate eective practice in the

competencies should be fairly compensated.

29 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

Researchers

1. Create research agendas that examine the

connections between the standards and

competencies and their impact on young

children’s development and learning

Ongoing research is needed to more directly connect

how the standards and competencies facilitate young

children’s development and learning. In addition, the

eld would benet from more applied research through

partnerships between the research community and the

practice community.

2. Identify key features of design, content,

eld experiences, assessments, and more,

in professional preparation programs

that eectively prepare candidates in

the standards and competencies

The research community can play an important role in

helping the profession better understand how features of

professional preparation programs develop candidates’

understanding of the standards and competencies.

In addition, this research should advance the eld’s

understanding of the educator preparation program

landscape and the availability and eectiveness of faculty

development and pipelines.

3. Inform the profession about new research

on young children’s development, educator

quality, and dimensions of eective teaching

that will inuence the next revision of

the standards and competencies

Given that the research and practice that inform the

early childhood educator standards and competencies

are always evolving, the research community plays an

important role in leading and synthesizing the most

relevant and informative research on child development

across multiple social, cultural, and linguistic contexts;

educator quality; eective teaching; and so forth, to

incorporate into the next iteration of the standards

and competencies.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 30

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

Leveling of the Professional Standards and

Competencies by ECE Designation

This Leveling of the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood

Educators (Professional Standards and Competencies) is a rst iteration that will change

over time as new knowledge about how young children develop and learn emerges

as well as knowledge about effective early childhood educator practice; as distinctions

in content between the programs preparing ECE I, ECE II and ECE III practitioners

become clearer and more consistent; and as the scopes of practice for each practitioner

designation are rened and updated to reect the context of the profession at that time.

The Leveling is not a replacement for the Professional

Standards and Competencies but rather serves as a

companion document. While the Leveling addresses every

standard, it does not address every aspect of each key

competency within a standard.

The Unifying Framework for the Early Childhood Education

Profession (Unifying Framework) generated through Power

to the Profession lays out an audacious vision for an “eective,

diverse, well-prepared, and well-compensated workforce”

so that each and every young child has access to high quality

early childhood education and care. Included in this vision is

that every early childhood educator with lead responsibilities

has an early childhood bachelor’s degree, in recognition of the

advanced knowledge and skills the degree brings as well as

of the status it confers on the individual and the profession.

At the same time, the Unifying Framework lifts up the

critical value and unique contributions of early childhood

educators who have acquired their competencies through such

opportunities as a CDA credential and a high-quality early

childhood associate degree.

The Unifying Framework also recognizes the current realities

of the early childhood education workforce. Many educators in

our eld have gained deep knowledge and expertise through

experience. Half of the early childhood workforce doesn’t have

a postsecondary credential. Policies across and within states

and across and within early learning settings vary widely.

Early childhood educators face signicant barriers to accessing

professional preparation programs. The content within and

across professional preparation programs varies widely.

Hence the recommendations in the Unifying Framework

serve as a bridge to support the workforce in moving from

the current reality to the audacious vision. In this vein, the

Unifying Framework recommends three designations of early

childhood educators (ECE I, ECE II, and ECE III), each with

a distinct, meaningful scope of practice and associated level of

preparation. Individuals at each designation are expected to

have mastery of the standards and competencies so that they

can eectively work within their scope of practice. As such,

the Leveling describes the expectations for early childhood

educators’ mastery of the standards and competencies across

the ECE designations.

How the Leveling Will be Used

The Leveling is meant to be a guide to help the early childhood

education ecosystem (e.g. practitioners, professional

preparation programs, accreditors, licensing bodies, etc.)

understand the level of knowledge and skills related to the

standards and competencies they need to master or support in

their professional roles. These include informing:

› the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to

have in order to eectively carry out their scope of practice

› the content, assessments, and eld experiences

in professional preparation programs

› the content in licensure assessments

› professional development oered by employers or

through state professional development systems

› state early childhood educator competencies

› how early childhood accrediting/recognition bodies

evaluate professional preparation programs

Members of the early childhood education ecosystem will

need to build on the leveling to further dene and support

competence at each level as it relates to their professional

responsibilities. For example, accreditors of professional

preparation programs might work with higher education to

designate general education requirements that would support

31 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

individuals in gaining competency in Standard 5 Knowledge,

Application and Integration of Academic Discipline Content

in the Early Childhood Curriculum for the ECE I, II, and

III designations. Accreditors and professional preparation

programs might also set requirements for programs related to

eld experiences at each designation level.

How to Read the Leveling Chart

The Leveling Chart describes expectations for mastery of the

Professional Standards and Competencies across the ECE I,

II and III designations for each Key Competency within each

standard. It focuses on important areas within the Professional

Standards and Competencies that need to be distinguished

across the designations and includes examples of where

distinguishing across the designations is not critical. For the

latter, these similarities are primarily based on hours of content

exposure in early childhood education professional preparation

programs throughout the standards and competencies as well

as the scopes of practice outlined in Decision Cycles 3,4,5 and 6

of Power to the Profession. While every key competency of each

standard is included in the Leveling Chart, not every aspect of

each key competency is “leveled”.

The expectations for the mastery of standards and competencies

build on each designation. In other words, ECE II practitioners

are expected to know and practice what is described for the

ECE I designation as well as what is described for the ECE II

designation. Likewise, ECE III practitioners are expected to

know and practice what is described for the ECE I and ECE II

designations in addition to what is described for the ECE III

designation. In some cases, there may be a blank space in a box.

This indicates that an individual with that ECE designation

is not expected to have the knowledge or skills related to a

particular aspect of the Key Competency.

1 The “depth” of a standard refers to “know-understand-do” continuum within each component of the standard (i.e. the

cognitive demands outlined in the standard). “Breadth” refers to the dierent components that come together to make up the

content of a standard--e.g., in Standard 2 there is a focus on families as well as communities; in Standard 5 various content

areas are included; in Standard 6, advocacy is part of identifying as a profession. Professionals who demonstrate the breadth

of a standard go beyond demonstrating individual components in isolation; instead, there are sucient opportunities in their

preparation and/or practice to provide assurance about their prociency related to the full continuum of the standard.

2 Recommendations from Decision Cycles 3,4,5+6 designate three primary categories of professional preparation programs. In

particular, ECE II and ECE III programs are housed within higher education institutions. Other qualifying professional preparation

programs, particularly non-degree-awarding programs or programs in freestanding institutions, will also be incorporated, as

needed, when the Unifying Framework is implemented. ECE III professional preparation programs include both early childhood

baccalaureate and initial early childhood master’s degrees. Initial master’s degree programs refers to programs preparing individuals

for their rst roles as early childhood educators. These are not referencing master’s degree programs that prepare individuals

as advanced practitioners and or prepare individuals for specializations within the early childhood education profession.

The scopes of practice for each ECE designation determine the

necessary depth and breadth

of mastery of the Professional

Standards and Competencies. The chart below provides

an underlying explanation for the distinctions between

ECE I, ECE II, and ECE III designations based on the

recommendations generated in Decision Cycles 3,4, 5 and 6

of Power to the Profession.

For each designation the level of

responsibilities within the scopes of practice increases related

to whether the practitioner has support or lead responsibilities

for working with young children, birth through age eight,

in selecting and administering assessments, implementing

curriculum, working in complex practice environments and

having supervisory capacity. As noted in the following chart,

one of the dierentiating factors between designations is that

those with ECE I designations implement the standards and

competencies in their practice under the supervision of those

with ECE II and ECE III designations. Thus, ECE II and ECE

III designations have supervisory roles related to supporting

those with ECE I designations and ECE II designations (in the

case of ECE IIs who work in public PreK-grade 3 settings) in

applying the standards and competencies in their practice.

Mastery of the competencies is gained across a professional

learning continuum that includes professional preparation

as well as ongoing professional development throughout

early childhood educators’ careers. Professional preparation

programs, particularly in institutions of higher education,

include programs of study that address a broad array of

content beyond early childhood education. As individuals

progress through the ECE I, II, and III professional

preparation programs, the level of depth and access to

this content grows. The Leveling, though, only addresses

early childhood content knowledge and skills as laid out in

the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early

Childhood Educators.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 32

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

Expectations

during

preparation

regarding

depth of

mastery of the

competencies

Professional Certicate/

Credential Program (at least

120 hours) completers are

introduced to all professional

standards and competency areas

but are not expected to know and

apply the full depth and breadth

of them across the birth through

age 8 continuum and settings.

Associate degree graduates

know and apply the depth

and breadth of all professional

standards and competencies areas

across the birth through age 8

continuum and settings, with a

dedicated focus on young children

in birth through age 5 settings.

Bachelor’s degree graduate or

Master’s degree graduate (initial

prep) know and apply the breadth

and depth of all professional

standards and competencies

across the birth through age

8 continuum and settings

Expectations

regarding

responsibilities

for practice

Birth–age 8 Settings:

Professional Training Program

(at least 120 hours) completers

can help develop and sustain high-

quality development and learning

environments. Completers can

serve as effective members of early

childhood education teaching teams.

Birth-age 5 Settings:

* Associate degree graduate can

be responsible for developing and

sustaining high-quality development

and learning environments with

stafng models that provide frequent

access to ECE IIIs for guidance.

Kindergarten*–age 8 Settings:

Associate degree graduate

can help develop and sustain

high quality development and

learning environments.

Associate degree graduate

can serve as effective members

of ECE teaching teams and can

guide the practice of ECE I.

* In state-funded preschool

programs (as dened by NIEER),

provided in mixed delivery settings

and explicitly aligned with the

K–12 public school system, ECE II

graduates can serve in the support

educator role. ECE III graduates

must serve in the lead educator role

Birth–age 8 Settings:

Bachelor’s degree graduate

or Master’s degree graduate

(initial prep) can be responsible

for developing and sustaining

high-quality development and

learning environments.

Bachelor’s degree graduate

or Master’s degree graduate

(initial prep) can serve as

effective members of ECE

teaching teams and can guide

the practice of ECE I’s and II’s.

33 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

Preparation Program Progression

ECE I ECE II ECE III

General Education Content

ECE Content (0–5)

ECE Content (K–3)

Pedagogy and other non-ECE focused education courses/content

Integration of disciplinary and ECE content knowledge

Understanding and implementing culturally, linguistically and ability responsive strategies

Supervised, Sustained, and Sequenced eld experiences

Preparation in Supervision Skills

Preparation in Advocacy Skills

Preparation in Communicating Effectively with Diverse Stakeholders

Note: Empty small circle = no or very limited exposure to the content and/or practice opportunities. The lled circles represent the

increase of depth and breadth in the content and opportunities for practice across the ECE I, II and III professional preparation programs.

While there may be similarities across the ECE designations

in the Leveling, there are certainly other components of

professional preparation (e.g. eld experiences, general

education courses, and pedagogy and other non-ece focused

education courses), not reected in the leveling chart,

that dierentiate and deepen the knowledge and skills

that completers/graduates of professional preparation

programs acquire.

Professional development is also an important part of early

childhood educators’ professional learning continuum. While

professional preparation programs provide critical exposure

to the standards and competencies, the structural limitations

of clock and credit hours mean that programs have to make

careful choices about the content and eld experiences they

include. Early and ongoing career professional development,

then, plays an important role in building practitioners’

knowledge and skills in key areas such as developing

supervision skills for ECE II and III practitioners, selecting

and administering assessments and analyzing assessment

data, supporting children with disabilities, and using culturally

and linguistically appropriate practices.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 34

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

Standards and Competencies by ECE Designation

NOTE: The expectations for the mastery of competencies build on each level (mastery of listed competencies in ECE I would be expected

of ECE II, mastery of listed competencies in ECE I and ECE II would be expected of ECE III). This is not meant to be an exhaustive list.

1a: Understand the

developmental period

of early childhood

from birth through

age eight across

physical, cognitive,

social and emotional,

and linguistic

domains including

bilingual/multilingual

development.

Identify fundamental theoretical

models of developmental periods

of early childhood across physical,

cognitive, social, emotional,

and linguistic domains

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base (that reects multicultural

and international perspectives)

of the developmental periods

of early childhood and how

development and learning

intersect across the domains

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base (that reects

multicultural and international

perspectives) of the developmental

periods of early childhood and

how development and learning

intersect across the domains

Identify critical aspects of

brain development including

executive function, learning

motivation, and life skills

Describe brain development

in young children including

executive function, learning

motivation and life skills

Describe brain development

in young children including

executive function, learning

motivation and life skills

Identify biological, environmental,

protective, and adverse

factors that impact children’s

development and learning

Describe how biology,

environment and protective and

adverse factors impact children’s

development and learning

Describe how biology,

environment and protective and

adverse factors impact children’s

development and learning

Know the importance of social

interaction, relationships and play

Describe how social

interaction, relationships and

play are central to children’s

development and learning

Describe how social

interaction, relationships and

play are central to children’s

development and learning

1b: Understand and

value each child as

an individual with

unique developmental

variations,

experiences,

strengths, interests,

abilities, challenges,

approaches to

learning, and with

the capacity to

make choices.

Identify how each child

develops as an individual

Use research and professionally

recognized terminology to

articulate how each child is

an individual with unique

developmental variations,

experiences, strengths,

interests, abilities, challenges,

approaches to learning, and

capacity to make choices,

Use research and professionally

recognized terminology to

articulate how each child is

an individual with unique

developmental variations,

experiences, strengths,

interests, abilities, challenges,

approaches to learning, and

capacity to make choices,

Engage in responsive, reciprocal

relationships with babies,

toddlers, preschoolers and

children in early school grades

Engage in responsive, reciprocal

relationships with babies,

toddlers, preschoolers and

children in early school grades

Engage in responsive, reciprocal

relationships with babies,

toddlers, preschoolers and

children in early school grades

Describe ways to learn

about children (e.g. through

observation, play, etc.)

Evaluate, make decisions about,

and communicate effective ways

to learn about children (e.g.

through observation, play, etc.)

Identify individual characteristics

of each child through family

and community relationships,

observation and reection

Support young children in

ways that respond to their

individual developmental,

cultural and linguistic variations

Describe developmentally

appropriate decisions, plans and

adjustments to practice in response

to individual, developmental,

cultural and linguistic variations

of young children

Describe developmentally

appropriate decisions, plans and

adjustments to practice in response

to individual, developmental,

cultural and linguistic variations

of young children

35 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

1c: Understand

the ways that

child development

and the learning

process occur within

multiple contexts,

including family,

culture, language,

community, and early

learning settings

as well as within

a larger societal

context that includes

structural inequities.

Identify family, social, cultural and

community inuences on children’s

learning and development

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core

research base that shows that

family and societal contexts

inuence young children’s

development and learning

Analyze, and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base that shows that

family and societal contexts

inuence young children’s

development and learning

Describe how children’s learning

is shaped by cultural and linguistic

contexts for development, their

close relationships with adults

and peers, economic conditions

of families and communities,

adverse and protective childhood

experiences, ample opportunities

to play and learn, experiences with

technology and media, and family

and community characteristics

Describe how children’s learning

is shaped by cultural and linguistic

contexts for development, their

close relationships with adults

and peers, economic conditions

of families and communities,

adverse and protective childhood

experiences, ample opportunities

to play and learn, experiences with

technology and media, and family

and community characteristics

Identify structural inequities

and trauma that adversely

impact young children’s

learning and development

Describe how structural

inequities and trauma adversely

impact young children’s

learning and development

Describe how structural

inequities and trauma adversely

impact young children’s

learning and development

Know that quality early childhood

education inuences children’s lives

Describe how quality

early childhood education

inuences children’s lives

Explain how and why quality

early childhood education

inuences children’s lives

1d: Use this

multidimensional

knowledge—that is,

knowledge about the

developmental period

of early childhood,

about individual

children, and about

development and

learning in cultural

contexts—to make

evidence-based

decisions that

support each child.

Support the implementation

of early childhood curriculum,

teaching practices, and learning

environments that are safe,

healthy, respectful, culturally and

linguistically responsive, supportive

and challenging for each child

Use multidimensional knowledge

(developmental period of early

childhood, individual child, family,

and multiple social identities,

ability, race, language, culture,

class, gender and others)

to intentionally support the

development of young children

Use multidimensional knowledge

(developmental period of early

childhood, individual child, family,

and multiple social identities,

ability, race, language, culture,

class, gender and others)

to intentionally support the

development of young children

Use available research evidence,

professional judgments and

families’ knowledge and

preferences — for identifying and

implementing early childhood

curriculum, teaching practices, and

learning environments that are safe,

healthy, respectful, culturally and

linguistically responsive, supportive

and challenging for each child

Use available research evidence,

professional judgments and

families’ knowledge and

preferences — identifying and

implementing early childhood

curriculum, teaching practices, and

learning environments that are safe,

healthy, respectful, culturally and

linguistically responsive, supportive

and challenging for each child

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 36

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

2a: Know about,

understand and

value the diversity

of families.

Identify and understand diverse

characteristics of families and the

many inuences on families

Identify stages of parental

and family development

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base on family structures

and stages of parental and

family development

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base family structures

and stages of parental and

family development

Identify some of the ways that

various socioeconomic conditions;

family structures, relationships,

stressors, adversity, and supports;

home languages, cultural values

and ethnicities create the context

for young children’s lives

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base about the ways that various

socioeconomic conditions;

family structures; cultures and

relationships; family strengths,

needs and stressors; and home

languages cultural values

create the home context for

young children’s lives

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base of the ways

that various socioeconomic

conditions; family structures;

cultures and relationships; family

strengths, needs and stressors;

and home languages cultural

values create the home context

for young children’s lives

Identify that children can thrive

across diverse family structures and

that all families bring strengths

Explain why it is important

to build on the assets and

strengths that families bring

Explain why it is important

to build on the assets and

strengths that families bring

37 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

2b: Collaborate as

partners with families

in young children’s

development and

learning through

respectful, reciprocal

relationships and

engagement.

Identify the importance of

having respectful, reciprocal

relationships with families

Take primary responsibility

for initiating and sustaining

respectful relationships with

families and caregivers

Contribute to setting-wide

efforts to initiate and sustain

respectful, reciprocal relationships

with families and caregivers

Recognize families as the

rst and most inuential

“teachers” in their children’s

learning and development

Use strategies to support positive

parental and family development

Use strategies to support positive

parental and family development

Afrm and respect families’

cultures, religious beliefs,

language(s) (including dialects),

various structures of families and

different beliefs about parenting

Demonstrate the ability to

negotiate sensitively any areas

of discomfort or concern if there

are potential conicts between

families’ preferences and cultures

and the setting’s practices

and policies related to health,

safety and developmentally

appropriate practices

Demonstrate the ability to

negotiate sensitively any areas

of discomfort or concern if there

are potential conicts between

families’ preferences and cultures

and the setting’s practices

and policies related to health,

safety and developmentally

appropriate practices

Identify effective strategies for

building reciprocal relationships

and use those to learn with

and from family members

Use a broad repertoire of strategies

for building relationships to learn

with and from family members

Use a broad repertoire of strategies

for building reciprocal relationships,

with a particular focus on cultural

responsiveness, to learn with

and from family members

Initiate and begin to sustain

respectful relations with families

and caregivers that take

families’ preferences, values

and goals into account

Engage families as partners for

insight into their children for

curriculum, program development,

and assessment; and as partners

in planning for children’s

transitions to new programs

Engage families as partners for

insight into their children for

curriculum, program development,

and assessment; and as partners

in planning for children’s

transitions to new programs

Use a variety of communication

and engagement skills with

families and communicate (or nd

resources) in families’ preferred

languages when possible

Use a variety of communication

and engagement skills with

families and communicate (or nd

resources) in families’ preferred

languages when possible

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 38

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

2c: Use community

resources to

support young

children’s learning

and development

and to support

families, and build

partnerships between

early learning

settings, schools

and community

organizations

and agencies.

Identify types of community

resources that can support

young children’s learning

and development and

to support families

Partner with colleagues to

help assist families in nding

needed community resources

Assist families with young children

in nding needed resources,

access and leverage technology

tools, and partner with other

early childhood experts (such as

speech pathologists and school

counselors) as needed to connect

families to community cultural

resources, mental health services,

early childhood special education

and early intervention services,

health care, adult education,

English language instruction,

translation/interpretation services,

and economic assistance

Advocate for families with young

children in nding needed

resources, access and leverage

technology tools, and partner with

other early childhood experts (such

as speech pathologists and school

counselors) as needed to connect

families to community cultural

resources, mental health services,

early childhood special education

and early intervention services,

health care, adult education,

English language instruction,

translation/interpretation services,

housing and economic assistance

Support young children and

families during transitions

between classrooms and/or other

early learning settings to help

ensure a continuum of quality

early care and education

Collaborate with early learning

settings in the community to

support and advocate for a

continuum of quality early care

and education that ensures

successful transitions

Support young children and

families experiencing sudden,

severe incidents (e.g. divorce,

death, immigration concerns)

39 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

3a: Understand

that assessments

(formal and informal,

formative and

summative) are

conducted to make

informed choices

about instruction and

for planning in early

learning settings.

Identify the central purposes

of assessment

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base regarding the purposes

and use of assessment

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base regarding the

purposes and uses of assessment

Understand that observation

and documentation are central

practices in assessment

Understand that observation

and documentation are central

practices in assessment

Understand that observation

and documentation are central

practices in assessment

Understand assessment as

a positive tool to support

young children’s learning

and development

Understand assessment as

a positive tool to support

young children’s learning

and development

Understand assessment as

a positive tool to support

young children’s learning

and development

Describe how assessment

approaches should be connected

to the learning goals, curriculum

and teaching strategies for

individual young children

Explain why assessment

approaches should be connected

to the learning goals, curriculum

and teaching strategies for

individual young children

Describe the essentials of

authentic assessment—such as

age-appropriate approaches and

culturally relevant assessment

in a language the child

understands—for infants, toddlers,

preschoolers, and children in early

grades across developmental

domains and curriculum areas

Describe the essentials of

authentic assessment—such as

age-appropriate approaches and

culturally relevant assessment

in a language the child

understands—for infants, toddlers,

preschoolers, and children in early

grades across developmental

domains and curriculum areas

3b: Know a wide-

range of types

of assessments,

their purposes and

their associated

methods and tools.

Identify common types of

assessments that are used

in early learning settings

Describe the structure, strengths,

and limitations of a variety of

assessment methods and tools

(including technology-related

tools) used with young children

Describe the structure, strengths,

limitations, validity and reliability

of a variety of assessment

methods and tools (including

technology-related tools), including

formative and summative,

qualitative and quantitative, and

standardized assessment tools,

used with young children

Identify the components of

an assessment cycle including

the basics of conducting

systematic observations

Describe the components of

an assessment cycle including

the basics of conducting

systematic observations and

interpreting those observations

Explain components of an

assessment cycle including making

decisions on “who, what, when,

where, and why” in conducting

systematic observations,

selecting the most appropriate

assessment method to gather

information, analyzing, evaluating,

and summarizing assessment

results and reecting on their

signicance to inform teaching

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 40

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

3c: Use screening

and assessment tools

in ways that are

ethically grounded

and developmentally,

ability, culturally,

and linguistically

appropriate in

order to document

developmental

progress and promote

positive outcomes

for each child.

Identify the appropriateness of

features of assessments for the

developmental stage, culture,

language, and abilities of the

children being assessed

Select and use assessments

that are appropriate for the

developmental stage, culture,

language, and abilities of the

children being assessed

Select and use assessments

that are appropriate for the

developmental stage, culture,

language, and abilities of the

children being assessed (including

high stakes assessments used for

more than informing practice)

Support the use of assessment-

related activities in curriculum

and in daily routines to facilitate

authentic assessment and to

make assessment an integral

part of professional practice

Create opportunities to observe

young children in play and

spontaneous conversation

as well as in adult- structured

assessment contexts

Embed assessment-related

activities in curriculum and

in daily routines to facilitate

authentic assessment and to

make assessment an integral

part of professional practice

Create opportunities to observe

young children in play and

spontaneous conversation

as well as in adult- structured

assessment contexts

Embed assessment-related

activities in curriculum and

in daily routines to facilitate

authentic assessment and to

make assessment an integral

part of professional practice

Identify that assessments must

be selected or modied to

identify and support children

with differing abilities

Use assessment resources (such as

technology) to identify and support

children with differing abilities,

including children whose learning

is advanced as well as those whose

home language is not English,

and children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Use assessment resources (such as

technology) to identify and support

children with differing abilities,

including children whose learning

is advanced as well as those whose

home language is not English,

and children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Identify legal and ethical issues

connected to assessment practices

Describe the limitations of

various assessment tools and

minimize the impact of these

tools on young children

Explain the research base

and theoretical perspectives

behind harmful uses of biased

or inappropriate assessments

Explain the developmental,

cultural, and linguistic limitations of

various assessment tools; recognize

the circumstances under which use

of these tools may be inappropriate

(including the use of their results);

minimize the impact of these tools

on young children; and advocate

for more appropriate assessments

41 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

3c (cont’d.): Use

screening and

assessment tools

in ways that are

ethically grounded

and developmentally,

ability, culturally,

and linguistically

appropriate in

order to document

developmental

progress and promote

positive outcomes

for each child.

Analyze data from assessment tools

to make instructional decisions and

set learning goals for all children

Analyze data from assessment

tools to make instructional

decisions and set learning goals

for children, differentiating for

all children including those

who are exceptional learners

Identify implicit bias or the

potential for implicit bias in

one’s own assessment practices

and use of assessment data

Identify implicit bias or the

potential for implicit bias in

one’s own assessment practices

and use of assessment data

Identify implicit bias or the

potential for implicit bias in

one’s own assessment practices

and use of assessment data as

well as support others on the

teaching team in doing so

Communicate and advocate for

the ethical and equitable use

of assessment data for multiple

audiences including families, early

learning setting leadership, allied

professionals and policymakers

3d: Build assessment

partnerships

with families

and professional

colleagues

Partner with families and

other professionals to support

assessment-related activities

Initiate, nurture and be receptive

to requests for partnerships with

young children, their families and

other professionals to analyze

assessment ndings and create

individualized goals and curricular

practices for young children

Demonstrate ability to skillfully

communicate with families

about the potential need for

further assessment/supports

when this information may be

difcult for families to hear

Support young children as

part of IFSP and IEP teams

Work with colleagues to

conduct assessments as part

of IFSP and IEP teams

Work with colleagues to

conduct assessments as part

of IFSP and IEP teams

Demonstrate judgment in knowing

when to call on professional

colleagues when assessment

ndings indicate young children

may need additional supports or

further assessments to identify

developmental or learning needs

Demonstrate judgment in knowing

when to call on professional

colleagues when assessment

ndings indicate young children

may need additional supports or

further assessments to identify

developmental or learning needs

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 42

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

4a: Understand and

demonstrate positive,

caring, supportive

relationships and

interactions as

the foundation of

early childhood

educators’ work with

young children.

Establish positive and supportive

relationships and interactions

with young children

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base related to facilitating

positive, supportive relationships

and interactions with young

children and creating a caring

community of learners when

working with groups of children

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base related to facilitating

positive, supportive relationships

and interactions with young

children and creating a caring

community of learners when

working with groups of children

Identify ways that each child

brings individual experiences,

knowledge, interests, abilities,

culture and languages to

the early learning setting

Take primary responsibility for

creating a classroom culture

that respects and builds on

all that children bring to the

early learning setting

Take primary responsibility for

creating a classroom culture

that respects and builds on

all that children bring to the

early learning setting

Support a classroom culture

that respects and builds on

all that children bring to the

early learning setting

4b: Understand and

use teaching skills

that are responsive to

the learning trajectory

of young children and

to the needs of each

child, recognizing

that differentiating

instruction,

incorporating play

as a core teaching

practice, and

supporting the

development of

executive function

skills is critical for

young children.

Identify teaching practices that

are core to working with young

children including differentiating

instruction for individual children

and groups of children, using play

in teaching practices, and using

teaching practices that build young

children’s executive function skills.

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and core research

base about various teaching

strategies used with young children

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base on various

instructional practices used

with young children

Use teaching practices with

young children that are

appropriate to their level of

development, their individual

characteristics, and the sociocultural

context in which they live

Use teaching practices with young

children that are appropriate

to their level of development,

their individual characteristics,

and the sociocultural context

in which they live

Use teaching practices that

incorporate the various types

and stages of play that support

young children’s development

Use teaching practices that

support development of young

children’s executive function skills

Design, facilitate and evaluate

the effectiveness of differentiated

teaching practices based on

the level of development,

individual characteristics and

interests, and sociocultural

context of young children

Design, facilitate and evaluate

teaching practices that incorporate

the various types and stages

of play that support young

children’s development

Design, facilitate and evaluate

teaching practices that support

development of young children’s

executive function skills

43 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

4c: Use a broad

repertoire of

developmentally

appropriate, culturally

and linguistically

relevant, anti-bias

and evidence-based

teaching skills and

strategies that

reect the principles

of universal design

for learning.

Use developmentally appropriate,

culturally and linguistically relevant

teaching practices to facilitate

development and learning and

classroom management

Use a broad repertoire of

developmentally appropriate,

culturally and linguistically

relevant teaching approaches to

facilitate development, learning

and classroom management

Guide and supervise implementing

effective teaching practices

and learning environments

Use a broad repertoire of

developmentally appropriate,

culturally and linguistically

relevant teaching approaches to

facilitate development, learning

and classroom management

Guide and supervise implementing

effective teaching practices

and learning environments

Apply knowledge about age

levels, abilities, developmental

status, cultures and languages,

and experiences of children in

the group to make professional

judgments about the use of

materials, the organization of

indoor and outdoor physical

space and materials, and

the management of daily

schedules and routines

Apply knowledge about age

levels, abilities, developmental

status, cultures and languages,

and experiences of children in

the group to make professional

judgments about the use of

materials, the organization of

indoor and outdoor physical

space and materials, and

the management of daily

schedules and routines

5a: Understand

content knowledge

and resources—the

central concepts,

methods and tools of

inquiry, and structure

— , and resources

for the academic

disciplines in an early

education curriculum.

Has preparation in general

education content areas as

demonstrated through holding a

high school credential or equivalent

Has preparation in general

education content areas as

demonstrated through holding

an associate degree3

Has preparation in a broad range

of general education content

areas as demonstrated through

holding a baccalaureate degree4

5b: Understand

pedagogical content

knowledge—how

young children

learn in each

discipline—and how

to use the teacher

knowledge and

practices described in

Standards 1 through

4 to support young

children’s learning

in each content area.

Recognize that there are different

ways that young children learn

across content areas and that

instructional decisions should be

responsive to how children learn

Describe how young children

learn across core content areas

and use this understanding of

pedagogical content knowledge

to make instructional decisions

Analyze and synthesize the

theoretical perspectives and

research base undergirding

pedagogical content knowledge

Describe how to engage young

children in learning about essential

and foundational concepts,

principles, and theories; in methods

of investigations and inquiry; and

in forms of representation that

express ideas, relationships, and

patterns in multiple content areas

Analyze models of engaging

young children in learning about

essential and foundational concepts,

principles, and theories; in methods

of investigations and inquiry; and

in forms of representation that

express ideas, relationships, and

patterns in multiple content areas

3 Settings/states might consider an equivalent credential for a practitioner whose postsecondary preparation took place outside the United States

4 Settings/states might consider an equivalent credential for a practitioner whose postsecondary preparation took place outside the United States

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 44

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

5c: Modify teaching

practices by

applying, expanding,

integrating and

updating their

content knowledge

in the disciplines,

their knowledge of

curriculum content

resources, and

their pedagogical

content knowledge.

Identify early learning standards

relevant to the state and/

or early learning setting

Identify early learning standards

relevant to the state and/

or early learning setting

Identify early learning standards

relevant to the state and/

or early learning setting

Support implementation of

curriculum across content areas

for birth- age 8 settings

Combine understanding of content

knowledge, pedagogical content

knowledge and early learning

standards to select or create

an integrated curriculum across

content areas for birth-ve settings

Support the implementation

of curriculum across content

areas for K-3 settings

Analyze the content in

an integrated curriculum

across content areas for

birth-age 8 settings

Support implementation

of curriculum that counters

biases and stereotypes, fosters

young children’s interest in the

content areas, and facilitates

individual and group learning

in birth-age 8 settings

Select or create curriculum that

counters biases and stereotypes,

fosters young children’s interest

in the content areas, and

facilitates individual and group

learning in birth-ve settings

Support implementation of

curriculum that counters biases

and stereotypes, fosters young

children’s interest in the content

areas, and facilitates individual and

group learning in K-3 settings

Select or create curriculum that

counters biases and stereotypes,

fosters young children’s interest in

the content areas, and facilitates

individual and group learning

for birth-age 8 settings

Use resources from professional

organizations representing

content areas as well as through

professional development

to support instructional

practice and to grow their own

knowledge in content areas

Use resources from professional

organizations representing

content areas as well as through

professional development

to support instructional

practice and to grow their own

knowledge in content areas

45 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

6a: Identify and

involve oneself with

the early childhood

eld and serve

as an informed

advocate for young

children, families

and the profession.

Identify as a committed

professional in the early

childhood education eld

Be a member of a professional early

childhood education organization

(at the local, state, or national level)

Describe the distinctive history,

knowledge base, and mission of

the early childhood education

profession and the early

childhood eld as a whole

Take responsibility for

increasing the stature of the

early childhood eld

Identify basic professional and

policy issues in the profession, such

as compensation and nancing

of the early education system;

standards setting and assessment

in young children; and issues of

equity, bias and social justice that

affect young children, families,

communities and colleagues

Describe the broader contexts

and challenges, current issues and

trends that affect the profession

including compensation and

nancing of the early education

system; standards setting

and assessment in young

children; and issues of equity,

bias and social justice that

affect young children, families,

communities and colleagues

Analyze and synthesize the

broader contexts and challenges,

current issues and trends that

affect the profession including

compensation and nancing

of the early education system;

standards setting and assessment

in young children; and issues of

equity, bias and social justice that

affect young children, families,

communities and colleagues

Advocate for resources and

policies that support young

children and their families as well

as for early childhood educators,

with a primary focus on advocacy

within the early learning setting

Describe the basics of how

public policies are developed

Advocate for resources and

policies that support young

children and their families as

well as for early childhood

educators, within early learning

settings as well as in broader

contexts such as at the local,

state, federal or national levels

Advocate for resources and

policies that support young

children and their families as well

as for early childhood educators,

within early learning settings as

well as in broader contexts such

as at the local, state, federal,

national or global levels

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 46

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

6b: Know about and

uphold ethical and

other early childhood

professional

guidelines.

Identify the core tenets of

the NAEYC Code of Ethical

Conduct and abide by its

ideals and principles

Use the NAEYC Code of Ethical

Conduct to analyze and resolve

professional ethical dilemmas and

give defensible justications for

resolutions of those dilemmas

Facilitate the use of the NAEYC

Code of Ethical Conduct to

analyze and resolve professional

ethical dilemmas and give

defensible justications for

resolutions of those dilemmas

Practice condentiality, sensitivity

and respect for young children,

their families, and colleagues

Practice condentiality, sensitivity

and respect for young children,

their families, and colleagues

Practice condentiality, sensitivity

and respect for young children,

their families, and colleagues

Identify and follow relevant

laws such as reporting child

abuse and neglect, health and

safety practices, and the rights

of children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Identify and follow relevant

laws such as reporting child

abuse and neglect, health and

safety practices, and the rights

of children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Identify and follow relevant

laws such as reporting child

abuse and neglect, health and

safety practices, and the rights

of children with developmental

delays and disabilities

Identify the basic elements of

professional guidelines such

as national, state, or local

standards and regulations

and position statements from

professional associations

Reect upon and integrate into

practice professional guidelines

such as national, state, or local

standards and regulations

and position statements from

professional associations

as appropriate for the role/

designation in the profession

Explain the background and

signicance of professional

guidelines such as national, state,

or local standards and regulations

and position statements from

professional associations

6c. Use professional

communication skills,

including technology-

mediated strategies,

to effectively

support young

children’s learning

and development and

work with families

and colleagues.

Apply proper grammar, spelling,

and usage of terms when

communicating with young

children, families and colleagues

equivalent to the expected level

of a U.S. high school graduate

Apply proper grammar, spelling,

and usage of terms when

communicating with young

children, families and colleagues

equivalent to the expected

level of a college graduate

Apply proper grammar, spelling,

and usage of terms when

communicating with young

children, families and colleagues

equivalent to the expected

level of a college graduate

Supports communication with

families in their preferred language

Supports communication with

families in their preferred language

Supports communication with

families in their preferred language

Use clear and positive language

and gestures with young children

Use a positive, professional

tone to communicate with

families and colleagues

Use appropriate technology

with facility to support

communication with colleagues

and families, as appropriate

Use clear and positive language

and gestures with young children

Use a positive, professional

tone to communicate with

families and colleagues

Use appropriate technology

with facility to support

communication with colleagues

and families, as appropriate

Use clear and positive language

and gestures with young children

Use a positive, professional

tone to communicate with

families and colleagues

Use appropriate technology

with facility to support

communication with colleagues

and families, as appropriate

Conduct sensitive, challenging

conversations with young children,

their families, and colleagues

Conduct sensitive, challenging

conversations with young children,

their families, and colleagues

47 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX A: LEVELING

ECE I ECE II ECE III

6d: Engage in

continuous,

collaborative learning

to inform practice

Demonstrate self-motivated

commitment to continuous learning

that directly inuences the quality

of their work with young children

Identify the theoretical perspectives

and research base related to

continuous and collaborative

learning and leadership

Describe the theoretical

perspectives and research

base related to continuous

and collaborative learning

and leadership

Participate in and act on guidance

and reective supervision related

to strengths and areas for growth.

Lead teaching teams in birth

through age 5 settings through

providing guidance to teaching

team members, conducting

performance evaluations,

identifying professional growth

needs in members of the teaching

team, and adhering to personnel

policies in the early learning setting

Lead teaching teams in birth

through age 8 settings through

providing guidance to teaching

team members, conducting

performance evaluations,

identifying professional growth

needs in members of the teaching

team, and adhering to personnel

policies in the early learning setting

Determine when it is appropriate

to reach out for new resources

and consult with peers in related

professions and other members

of their teaching team

Determine when it is appropriate

to reach out for new resources

and consult with peers in related

professions and other members

of their teaching team

Determine when it is appropriate

to reach out for new resources

and consult with peers in related

professions and other members

of their teaching team

Participate in collaborative

learning communities, informal or

formal, with colleagues and with

professionals in related disciplines

Participate in collaborative

learning communities, informal or

formal, with colleagues and with

professionals in related disciplines

Lead collaborative learning

communities, informal or

formal, with colleagues and with

professionals in related disciplines

6e: Develop and

sustain the habit

of reective and

intentional practice

in their daily practice

with young children

and as members of

the early childhood

profession.

Regularly reect on teaching

practice and personal biases

to support each child’s

learning and development.

Examine own work, sources

of professional knowledge,

and assumptions about

the early childhood eld

with a spirit of inquiry

Examine own work, sources

of professional knowledge,

and assumptions about

the early childhood eld

with a spirit of inquiry

Reect on own needs and

incorporate self-care into

routines to maintain positive

engagement with young

children and professionalism

with families and colleagues

Advocate for, model, and

practice self-care to maintain

positive engagement with young

children and professionalism

with families and colleagues

Advocate for, model, and

practice self-care to maintain

positive engagement with young

children and professionalism

with families and colleagues

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 48

APPENDIX B: CRITICAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH

Critical Issues and Research Informing the Professional

Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

This appendix summarizes research ndings and the contextual issues facing

the early childhood eld that informed this position statement.

A Response to Research and Practice

Since the publication of the 2009 position statement “NAEYC

Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation,”

signicant research—much of it synthesized in the Institute of

Medicine (IM) and National Research Council’s (NRC) 2015

report Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth Through

Age 8: A Unifying Foundation—has informed our understanding

of young children and of the workforce that supports their

learning and care. This new evidence arms the importance

of high-quality early learning experiences for young children,

conrms that from birth young children actively develop across

many domains, and helps the public and the early childhood

eld better understand the neuroscience behind young children’s

cognitive development, particularly during the earliest years. The

research runs parallel to contextual factors and research ndings

such as the following:

› Early childhood educators’ knowledge and practice

inuence young children’s educational outcomes

› Early childhood educators’ having specialized

knowledge of child development and early childhood

education is correlated with better educational

outcomes for young children (IM & NRC, 2015)

› The relationship between an early childhood educator’s degree

level and the educator’s impact on young children’s learning

and development is mixed; however, there is consensus

among researchers that higher education is one important

component of educator quality (Whitebook & Ryan, 2011; IM

& NRC, 2015; Manning, Garvis, Fleming, & Wong, 2017)

› Professional learning systems for early childhood educators—

those entering and those already serving in the profession—

should be aligned with the knowledge and practices shown

to have a positive inuence on young children’s outcomes

› A large segment of the early childhood education workforce

does not have a college degree (Center for the Study

of Child Care Employment, 2016; OPRE, 2016)

› Those early childhood educators who do not have college

degrees often pursue initial postsecondary credentials at

community colleges, not at baccalaureate-granting institutions

(National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 2018)

› Those pursuing postsecondary credentials in the early

childhood profession often have challenges—low wages, the

need to work full time or part time while going to school,

family responsibilities, language barriers, lack of academic

readiness for postsecondary education, and so forth—that

can result in stopping out or dropping out of the credential

program. These barriers are particularly burdensome to,

and disproportionately aect, individuals of low social and

economic status, people of color, and English language

learners (T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood National Center, 2016)

› The racial, ethnic, and linguistic diversity of the early childhood

education profession is more reective of the young child

population than the diversity of the K-12 educator workforce

to the diversity of the K-12 student population; however, the

diversity in the early childhood workforce is racially stratied,

with white educators over-represented among higher-status

and higher-paying positions (Park, McHugh, Zong, & Bataloya,

2015; Center for the Study of Child Care Employment, 2016)

› There are benets associated with having a teaching workforce

that reects the ethnic, linguistic, and racial identities

of the children it serves, including strong evidence that

educators of color have a positive impact on child outcomes

(Gershenson, Hart, Lindsay, & Papageorge, 2017)

The Need for Clarity and Coherence

Currently, the early childhood workforce is fragmented. This

fragmentation, for most, has an adverse impact on the

eectiveness of early childhood educators and on developmental

and educational outcomes for young children. It is the result of

a long history of inadequate and disconnected public policies

and nancing that has undervalued the care and education of

young children. As such, individuals with varying credentials and

qualications provide education and care for young children and

the compensation structure, for the most part, does not enable

or encourage individuals in the eld to pursue specialized early

childhood postsecondary credentials. Furthermore, because

of systematic racism, much of the early childhood workforce is

comprised of women of color serving in the lowest-paid sectors

and settings.

49 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX B: CRITICAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH

Each state and US territory has its own set of standards or

competencies for early childhood educators and its own licensure/

certication system that in most cases licenses/certies only at

the pre-K grade level or higher. There are wide variations across

professional preparation programs in terms of course content

and availability and in terms of quality of eld experiences as

related to the specialized knowledge and practices needed to be

an eective early childhood educator.

In many cases, there are also signicant divisions in wages

and benets, career advancement opportunities, professional

preparation and development, and working conditions between

early childhood educators working with particular age groups,

those working in home-based programs, educators in center-

based programs, and those in elementary school settings.

The profession took the lead in addressing this fragmentation,

issuing a clear call for early education professionals to exercise

their agency to create and enact an eective, respected, and

fairly compensated early childhood workforce, modeling the

cohesiveness that professionals desire, developing a unied

denition of the profession, and rearming that all early childhood

educators must have specialized knowledge and competencies

across the birth-through-age-8 continuum to be eective.

This cohesive response was developed under the auspices

of Power to the Profession, an initiative led by 15 national

organizations comprised of early childhood professionals, over

30 stakeholder organizations that inuence and/or support

the early childhood profession, and hundreds of thousands of

early childhood educators. The initiative, built on the guidelines,

frameworks, and standards currently operating across programs,

organizations, and states, sought to establish a shared, uniform

framework of career pathways, knowledge and competencies,

qualications, standards, and compensation to unify the entire

profession. The initiative provides the clarity and cohesion

needed to advance and implement a comprehensive policy and

nancing strategy for the early childhood profession. It will

further ensure that those in the profession take ownership of their

practice and commitment to society.

One of the major recommendations from the Power to the

Profession Task Force in Decision Cycle 2 was that the “NAEYC

Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation” (NAEYC,

2009) should serve as the foundation for the profession’s core

knowledge and competencies, with some caveats for key revision:

› That the revision process be inclusive and

collaborative, ensuring representation by subject

matter experts as well as by the organizations whose

competency documents will be considered.

› That the revised standards be reframed as “Professional

Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood

Educators”. These standards will be intended for wide use

and adoption by the profession in developing individual

licensing, professional preparation program accreditation,

credentialing, and other core components of the profession.

› That the standards be reviewed in light of the

most recent science, research, and evidence,

with particular consideration given to

• Potential missing elements identied in Transforming

the Workforce, including teaching subject-matter-specic

content, addressing young children’s stress and adversity,

fostering social and emotional development, working

with children who are bilingual learners, and integrating

technology into teaching practices and curricula.

• The following documents: (1) Council for Exceptional

Children—Special Educator Professional Preparation

Initial and Advanced Standards, the Early Childhood

Special Education/Early Intervention Specialty Set (Early

Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education standards);

(2) Division for Early Childhood (DEC)—Recommended

Practices (evidence-based practices necessary for high-

quality inclusive programs for all children birth to age 8); (3)

Council for Professional Recognition—Child Development

Associate (CDA) Competency Standards for Center-Based

Infant-Toddler and Preschool, for Family Child Care, and for

Home Visitor; (4) National Board for Professional Teaching

Standards (NBTS)—Early Childhood Generalist Standards

(for Teachers of Students Ages 3 to 8); (5) ZERO TO

THREE—Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators

(for educators supporting children birth through age 3)

• Elevation of inclusion, diversity, and equity beyond

the currently integrated approach in order to fully

address the depth and breadth of these issues

In summary, using the imperatives from P2P’s Decision Cycle

2 and the ndings from current research and practice, and

informed by a workgroup comprised of faculty, researchers,

practitioners, and subject matter experts, NAEYC has revised the

2009 position statement “NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood

Professional Preparation.” This document, the updated position

statement, was adopted in 2019 and is now titled “Professional

Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educator.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 50

APPENDIX B: CRITICAL ISSUES AND RESEARCH

References and Resources for Appendix B:

Critical Issues and Research

Council for Exceptional Children. 2015. “Council for

Exceptional Children Initial and Advanced Special Education

Professional Preparation Standards”. Arlington, VA.

Council for Professional Recognition. 2013. The Child Development

Associate National Credentialing Program and CDA

Competency Standards, Preschool Edition. Washington, DC.

Council for Professional Recognition. 2013. The Child Development

Associate National Credentialing Program and CDA Competency

Standards, Infant-Toddler Edition. Washington, DC.

Dean, A., LeMoine, S., & Mayoral, M. (2016, 2019). ZERO

TO THREE Critical competencies for infant-toddler

educators™. Washington, DC: ZERO TO THREE.

Gershenson, S., C. Hart, C. Lindsay and N. Papageorge. 2017.

“The Long-Run Impacts of Same-Race Teachers.” Discussion

paper. Washington, DC: Institute of Labor Economics.

Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. 2015.

Transforming the Workforce for Children Birth through Age 8: A

Unifying Foundation. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

Manhattan Strategy Group. 2016. “Accessing Career

Pathways to Education and Training for Early Childhood

Professionals.” www2.ed.gov/programs/racetothetop-

earlylearningchallenge/pathways/elcpi-accessibility-ada.pdf

Manning, M., S. Garvis, C. Fleming, & G.T.W. Wong. 2017.

The Relationship Between Teacher Qualication and

the Quality of the Early Childhood Care and Learning

Environment. Campbell Systematic Reviews 2017:1.

https://les.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED573516.pdf

National Association for the Education of Young Children.

2009. “NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood

Professional Preparation.” Position statement. www.

naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-shared/downloads/

PDFs/resources/position-statements/2009%20

Professional%20Prep%20stdsRevised%204_12.pdf

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards. 2012.

Early Childhood Generalist Standards. Arlington, VA.

National Center on Education Statistics. Term Enrollment Estimates:

Spring 2018. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

Oce of Planning, Research and Evaluation. 2016. Characteristics

of Home-based Early Care and Education Providers: Initial

Findings from the National Survey of Early Care and Education.

Report #2016-13. Washington, DC: Administration for Children

and Families, US Department of Health and Human Services.

Park, M., M. McHugh, J. Batalova, & J. Zong.. 2015. Immigrant

and Refugee Workers in the Early Childhood Field: Taking

a Closer Look. Washington, DC: Migrant Policy Institute.

Power to the Profession. 2017. “Decision Cycle 2: General

Competencies Consensus Draft.” Washington, DC: NAEYC. www.

naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/

our-work/public-policy-advocacy/decision_cycle_2_nal.pdf

Whitebook, M., & S. Ryan. 2011. Degrees in Context: Asking the

Right Questions about Preparing Skilled and Eective Teachers

of Young Children. Preschool Policy Brief. New Brunswick, NJ:

National Institute for Early Education Research and Berkeley,

CA: Center for the Study of Child Care Employment.

Whitebook, M., C. McLean, & L.J.E. Austin. 2016. Early

Childhood Workforce Index: 2016. Berkeley, CA:

Center for the Study of Child Care Employment.

ZERO TO THREE. (2018). ZERO TO THREE Competencies

for Prenatal to Age 5 Professionals™. Washington, DC

and Los Angeles, CA: ZERO TO THREE and First 5 LA.

51 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

Glossary

Some denitions may be organized in logical order rather than alphabetical ow.

anti-bias. An approach to education that explicitly works to end all

forms of bias and discrimination (Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2009).

assessment. A systematic procedure for obtaining information

from observations, interviews, portfolios, projects, and other

sources, that is used to make informed judgments about learners’

characteristics, understanding, and development to implement

improved curriculum and teaching practices (Hansel 2019).

assessment cycle. Periodic, ongoing evaluation to track

performance, to support and improve student learning

outcomes, and to monitor progress of programs.

authentic assessment. Age-appropriate approaches and

culturally relevant assessment in a language the child understands—

for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and children in early grades,

across developmental domains and curriculum areas.

formal and informal assessment. Formal assessment is

cumulative and is used to measure what a student has learned.

It includes standardized testing, screenings, and diagnostic

evaluation. Informal assessment is ongoing and includes

children’s work samples and quizzes and teachers’ anecdotal

notes/records, observations, and audio and video recordings.

formative assessment and summative assessment.

Used to inform and modify real-time instruction in order to

improve student outcomes, formative assessment refers to the

teacher practice of monitoring student learning. Summative

assessment takes place at the end of the instructional period

to measure student learning or concept retention.

asset-based approaches. Approaches to assessment and

planning focused on the strengths and experiences unique to each

child in the contexts of family, community, culture, and language.

bias. Attitude or stereotypes that favor one group over another.

explicit biases. Conscious beliefs and stereotypes that

aect one’s understanding, actions, and decisions.

implicit biases. Beliefs that aect one’s understanding,

actions, and decisions but in an unconscious manner.

Implicit biases reect an individual’s socialization and

experiences in broader systemic structures; they work to

perpetuate existing systems of privilege and oppression.

anti-bias. An approach to education that explicitly works to end all

forms of bias and discrimination (Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2009).

candidate. A college student who is a candidate for

completion in an early childhood professional preparation

program. In some cases, these candidates are also candidates

for professional licensure or certication (NAEYC 2017, 41).

child observation. Observation of a child to gather

information on the child’s development, behavior,

levels of learning, interests, and preferences.

competencies. The knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary

to support high-quality practice across all early childhood

education sectors, settings, and roles (NAEYC 2016, 12).

content knowledge. The knowledge of subject areas

in the early childhood curriculum to be taught and the

ability to implement eective instructional strategies.

continuity of care. A term used to describe programming and

policies that ensure that a child and his or her family are consistently

engaged in high-quality early learning experiences through a stable

relationship with a caregiver who is sensitive and responsive to

the young child’s signals and needs (Ounce of Prevention 2017).

Code of Ethics. The NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct oers

educators guidelines for responsible behavior and sets forth a common

basis for resolving the principal ethical dilemmas encountered in

early childhood care and education. Refer to the NAEYC position

statement “Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.”

culture. Patterns of beliefs, practices, and traditions associated with

a particular group of people. Culture is increasingly understood as

inseparable from development (Reid, Kagan, & Scott-Little 2017;

Rogo 2009). Individuals both learn from and contribute to the culture

of the groups to which they belong. Cultures evolve over time, reecting

the lived experiences of their members in particular times and places.

culturally relevant. Culturally relevant curriculum and practice

emphasize content and interactions that are meaningful to the social

and cultural norms, traditions, values, and experiences of the learners.

culturally responsive. “A culturally responsive teaching

approach values all children’s cultures and experiences and

uses them as a springboard for learning. A culturally responsive

early childhood teacher learns about others’ values, traditions,

and ways of thinking” (Bohart & Procopio 2018, 56).

curriculum. The knowledge, skills, abilities, and understanding

children are to acquire and the plans for the learning experiences

through which their acquisition occurs. In developmentally

appropriate practice, the curriculum helps young children achieve

goals that are developmentally and educationally signicant.

developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). The NAEYC

position statement (2009) refers to a framework of principles and

guidelines for practice that promotes young children’s optimal learning

and development. DAP is a way of framing a teacher’s intentional

decision making. It begins with three Core Considerations: (1) what

is known about general processes of child development and learning;

(2) what is known about the child as an individual who is a member

of a particular family and community; and (3) what is known about

the social and cultural contexts in which the learning occurs.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 52

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

dierentiated instruction. An approach whereby teachers adjust

the curriculum and their instruction to maximize the learning of

all students: average learners, dual language learners, struggling

students, students with learning disabilities, and gifted and talented

students. Dierentiated instruction is not a single strategy but

rather a framework that teachers use to implement a variety of

strategies, many of which are evidence based (IRIS Center n.d.)

disability or developmental delay. Legally dened for young

children under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act

(IDEA), disabilities include intellectual disability; hearing, speech

or language, visual, and/or orthopedic impairment; autism; and

traumatic brain injury. Under IDEA, states dene developmental

delays to include delays in physical, cognitive, communication, social

or emotional, and adaptive development. These legal denitions

are important for determining access to early intervention and

early childhood special education services (Beneke et al. 2019).

dispositions. Individual attitudes, beliefs, values, habits, and

tendencies toward particular actions. Professional dispositions are

considered important for eective work in a specic profession and

are expected of all members of that profession. Critical dispositions

for educators have been dened in the CCSSO’s Interstate Teacher

Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Standards (CCSSO,

2013) and in the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards

(NBPTS). NBPTS dispositions for early childhood educators include

collaboration, respect, integrity, honesty, fairness, and compassion;

educators with these characteristics promote equity, fairness, and

appreciation of diversity in their classrooms (NBPTS 2012).

diversity. Variations among individuals, as well as within and

across groups of individuals, in terms of their backgrounds and

lived experiences. These experiences are related to social identities,

including race, ethnicity, language, sexual orientation, gender

identity and expression, social and economic status, religion, ability

status, and country of origin. The terms diverse and diversity are

sometimes used as euphemisms for nonwhite. NAEYC specically

rejects this usage as it implies whiteness as the norm.

early childhood. The rst period in child development,

beginning at birth. Although developmental periods do not rigidly

correspond to chronological ages, early childhood is generally

dened as including all children from birth through age 8.

early childhood education (ECE). A term dened using

the developmental denition of birth through approximately

age 8, regardless of programmatic, regulatory, funding, or

delivery sectors or mechanisms (NAEYC 2016, 12).

early childhood educator. An individual who cares for and

promotes the learning, development, and well-being of children

birth through age 8 in all early childhood education settings,

while meeting the qualications of the profession and having

mastery of its specialized knowledge, skills, and competencies.

early childhood education profession. Members of the

profession care for and promote the learning, development,

and well-being of children birth through age 8 to establish

a foundation for lifelong learning and success.

early learning settings. These include programs serving children

from birth through age 8. Settings refers to the locations in which

early childhood education takes place—child care centers, child care

homes, elementary schools, religious-based centers, and many others.

equity. The state achieved if the way one fares in society was no

longer predictable by race, gender, class, language, or any other

social/cultural characteristic. Equity in practice means each student/

family receives necessary supports in a timely fashion to develop

their full intellectual, social, and physical potential. Advancing equity

requires remediating dierences in outcomes that can be traced to

biased treatment of individuals as a result of their social identities.

Equity is not the same as equality. Equal treatment, laid upon

unequal starting points, is inequitable. Instead of equal treatment,

early childhood professionals aim for equal opportunities. That

requires considering individuals’ and groups’ starting points, then

distributing resources equitably (not equally) to meet their needs.

Attempting to achieve equality of opportunity without consideration

of historic and present inequities is ineective, unjust, and unfair.

evidence based. Using multiple sources as the foundation for

decisions about practice, including best available research; professional

wisdom, values, knowledge, and expertise; and knowledge about

the interests, values, cultures, needs, and choices of children,

families, and communities served (Buysse & Wesley 2006).

executive function skills. Executive function skills include the

ability to remember and use information; to sustain and shift mental

focus and exibility; and to exercise self-regulation, set priorities, and

resist impulsive actions (Center on the Developing Child). Related life

skill include the development of focus and self-regulation, perspective

taking, communication skills, the ability to make connections,

critical thinking, the ability to take on challenges, and self-directed

engaged learning (Galinsky 2010; Shonko 2019). These are Mental

processes that begin to develop early and are crucial to children’s

learning and development. Their development requires supportive

scaolding from adults and is endangered by toxic stress and

adversity, which can interfere with healthy development of the brain.

family structure. The household make-up to which children

belong. Family members may include biological or adoptive

parents, guardians, single or married adults, foster parents or group

homes, grandparents, blended families, siblings, and individuals

who are LGBTQ, multiracial, multilingual, multigenerational,

and others. Pets may be viewed as family members in some

households. These examples of family structures are not exhaustive,

and they are intended to provide insight into the diversity of

familial identities (Koralek, Nemeth, & Ramsey 2019).

eld experience. Includes informal and formal opportunities

for eld observations, eld work, practicum, student teaching,

residencies, internships, clinical practice, and other learning

experiences that take place in an early education setting with

guidance from a skilled mentor, coach, or early childhood

instructor. A planned sequence of these experiences supports

candidate development of understanding, competence, and

dispositions in a specialized area of practice (NAEYC 2017, 42).

53 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs

early childhood education associate’s degree programs.

Associate’s degree programs usually require at least two years, but less

than four years, of full-time equivalent college work. An associate’s

degree is at least 60 credit hours of college-level coursework (Power to

the Profession 2018, Discussion Draft 2: Decision Cycles 345+6, 13).

early childhood education bachelor’s degree programs.

Bachelor’s degree programs normally require at least four

years, but no more than ve years, of full-time equivalent

college work. A bachelor’s degree is at least 120 credit hours of

college-level coursework (Power to the Profession 2018, 13).

early childhood education master’s degree programs

(initial preparation). Master’s degree programs usually require

at least one, but not more than two, full-time academic years of work

beyond the bachelor’s degree. Initial level master’s degree programs

are designed for individuals whose bachelor’s degrees are not in

early childhood education (Power to the Profession 2018, 13).

early childhood education professional training program.

A program that culminates in a degree, certicate, or credential that

provides a candidates with the appropriate level of mastery of the

agreed-upon standards and competencies. Early childhood educator

professional preparation programs are responsible for preparing

educators serving children birth through third grade across settings.

higher education programs. Dened in the Higher Education

Act as “postsecondary education programs oered by an institution

of higher education that leads to an academic or professional degree,

certicate, or other recognized educational credential” (Higher

Education Act of 2008, section 602.3; NAEYC & National Association

of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies 2011, 5–6).

Inclusion. The practice and legal requirement to include

children with delays or disabilities in the least restrictive

environments possible, making accommodations and

adaptations to teaching practices and learning environments

as needed (DEC & NAEYC 2009; also see universal design for

learning (UDL), under denition of universal design).

Individualized Education Program (IEP). A plan to ensure free

and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children ages 3 to 21

years with delays or disabilities, in compliance with the Individuals

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part B (NAEYC 2018, 12).

Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). A plan to ensure free

and appropriate public education (FAPE) for children ages birth to 3

years with delays or disabilities, in compliance with the Individuals

with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) Part C (NAEYC 2018, 12).

induction programs. Comprehensive sta development programs

retain rst-year teachers. Induction programs may be part of

professional or leadership development plans and can include

peer-to-peer networks, teacher learning communities, mentoring,

and coaching. Induction programs are often a partnership

between an institution of higher education and a school or other

early learning setting, supporting college or university students’

transitions from clinical practice as part of degree completion to

rst years of work in a new professional role (NAEYC 2018).

interactive media. Digital and analog materials, including

software programs, applications (apps), broadcast and streaming

media, some children’s television programming, e-books, the

internet, and other forms of content designed to facilitate active

and creative use by young children and to encourage social

engagement with other children and adults (NAEYC & the Fred

Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media 2012, 1).

Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium

(InTASC) Standards. The model core teaching standards outline

what all teachers across all content and grade levels should know

and be able to do to be eective in today’s learning contexts.

integrated curriculum. Planned curriculum experiences that

integrate children’s learning in and across the domains (physical,

social, emotional, cognitive) and the disciplines (including language,

literacy, mathematics, social studies, science, art, music, physical

education, and health). (NAEYC 2009, 21 [in revision]).

learning communities. Provide a space and a structure for

people to align around a shared goal. Eective communities are

both aspirational and practical. They connect people, organizations,

and systems that are eager to learn and work across boundaries,

all the while holding members accountable to a common agenda,

metrics, and outcomes. These communities enable participants to

share results and learn from each other, thereby improving their

ability to achieve rapid yet signicant progress (Center on the

Developing Child at Harvard University, Learning Communities).

leveling. A structure in which the standards and competencies for

early childhood educators are aligned to three distinct and meaningful

designations: Early Childhood Educator I (ECE I), Early Childhood

Educator II (ECE II), and Early Childhood Educator III (ECE III).

(Unifying Framework; also see Appendix A of this position statement).

life skills. Critical fostered abilities that help children

successfully navigate the joy and challenging complexities of

life. The seven critical areas are (1) focus and self-regulation;

(2) perspective taking; (3) communicating; (4) making

connections; (5) critical thinking; (6) taking on challenges;

and (7) self-directed, engaged learning (Galinsky 2010).

linguistic interactions. Actions that include speaking and

listening in order to assign meaning and facilitate communication.

Literacy skills are encompassed in linguistic development.

NAEYC Professional Preparation Standards. NAEYC’s

“Standards for Early Childhood Professional Preparation Programs”

represent a sustained vision for the early childhood eld and, more

specically, for programs that guide professionals working in the

eld. The standards are used in higher education accreditation

systems, in state policy development, and by professional

development programs both inside and outside of institutions of

higher education. These core standards can provide a solid, commonly

held foundation of unifying themes (NAEYC 2009). (This 2020

position statement, “Professional Standards and Competencies for

Early Childhood Educators,” represents the revised standards.)

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 54

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

national accreditation or recognition. Public recognition

of Institutions of higher education and professional degree

programs awarded by nongovernmental agencies through a

process of standard setting, self-study, peer review, accreditation

decision, and ongoing reporting (NAEYC 2011, part 2: 6).

pedagogical content knowledge. Knowledge of how children learn

in academic disciplines and the ability to create meaningful learning

experiences for each child by using eective teaching strategies.

play. A universal, innate, and essential human activity that children

engage in for pleasure, enjoyment, and recreation. Play, solitary or

social, begins during infancy and develops in increasing complexity

through childhood. Play integrates and supports children’s development

and learning across cognitive, physical, social, and emotional domains

and across curriculum content areas. Play can lead to inquiry and

discovery and facilitate future learning. While there are multiple and

evolving theories about the types and stages of play, as well as about

the teacher’s role in play, the professions of child psychology and

of early childhood education have long recognized play as essential

for young children’s development of symbolic and representational

thinking, construction and organization of mental concepts, social

expression and communication, imagination, and problem solving.

position statement. Adopted by the Governing Board to state the

NAEYC’s position on an issue related to early childhood education

practice, policy, and/or professional development about which

there are controversial or critical opinions. A position statement

is developed through a consensus-building approach that seeks to

convene diverse perspectives and areas of expertise related to the

issue and provide opportunities for members and others to provide

input and feedback. (NAEYC, About Position Statements, www.naeyc.

org/resources/position-statements/about-position-statements).

positive guidance. An approach to maintaining respectful

relationships with children by modeling positive interactions, thereby

creating learning environments that support clear routines and

choices and help extend learning (Dombro, Jablon, & Stetson 2011).

professional development. A continuum of learning and support

opportunities designed to prepare individuals with the knowledge,

skills, practices, and dispositions needed in a specic profession.

Professional development for early childhood educators includes both

professional preparation and ongoing professional development;

training, education, and technical assistance; university/college

credit-bearing coursework, and preservice and in-service training

sessions; observation with feedback from a colleague or peer learning

communities; and mentoring, coaching, and other forms of job-related

technical assistance. (NAEYC & NACCRRA 2011, 5; NAEYC 2016, 13).

professional judgment. The application of professional

knowledge, professional experience, and ethical standards in context

with understanding, analysis, and reection. Early childhood educators

exercise professional judgment to make intentional, informed

decisions about appropriate practice in specic circumstances.

race. A social construct that categorizes and ranks groups of

people on the basis of skin color and other physical features. The

scientic consensus is that using the social construct of race to

divide people into distinct and dierent groups has no biological

basis (Derman-Sparks & Edwards 2009). Early childhood educators

recognize that there is signicant diversity within racial categories.

reciprocal relationships. In reciprocal relationships between

practitioners and families, there is mutual respect, cooperation, shared

responsibilities, and negotiation of conicts to achieve shared goals

for children (NAEYC 2009, DAP position statement, 23 [in revision]).

social referencing. An infant behavior in which the child

“checks in” with a parent or other trusted adult for cues on

how to respond in unfamiliar situations (Galinsky 2010).

standards. The national standards formally adopted by a

profession to dene the essentials of high-quality practice

for all members of the profession. They may be applied in the

development of national accreditation, state program approval,

individual licensing, and other aspects of professional development

systems. They provide the unifying framework for core as well

as specialized or advanced knowledge and competencies.

structural inequities. The systemic disadvantage of one or more

social groups compared to systemic advantage for other groups with

which they coexist. The term encompasses policy, law, governance,

and culture and refers to race, ethnicity, gender or gender identity,

class, sexual orientation, and other domains (NASEM 2017).

supervision. Directing, coaching, and monitoring the work

of another, including guidance, motivation, and feedback on

performance and professional growth. May also include developing

goals, action plans, and evaluation for improved outcomes.

technology. Broadly dened as anything human-made that is used

to solve a problem or fulll a desire. Technology can be an object, a

system, or a process that results in the modication of the natural

world to meet human needs and wants. Additionally, technology

includes digital tools like computers, tablets, apps, e-readers,

smartphones, TVs, DVDs and music players, handheld games,

cameras, digital microscopes, interactive whiteboards, electronic

toys, non-screen-based tangible technology, and simple robots.

Familiar analog tools found in early childhood classrooms include

audio recorders, VHS and cassette players, record players, headphones,

crayons and pencils, scissors, rulers, blocks, and magnifying glasses.

Social media, email, video conferencing, cloud collaboration

tools, e-portfolios, blogs, pod casts, and other methods of

communication are used by young children (Early Childhood

STEM Working Group 2017; Donohue 2017, 2019;

International Society for Technology in Education 2019).

universal design. A concept that can be used to support access

to environments in many dierent types of settings through the

removal of physical and structural barriers. Universal Design

for Learning (UDL) reects practices that provide multiple and

varied formats for instruction and learning. UDL principles and

practices help to ensure that every young child has access to

learning environments, to typical home or educational routines

and activities, and to the general education curriculum.

young children. Refers to children in the period of early

childhood development, from birth through approximately age

8. Although developmental periods do not rigidly correspond

to chronological ages, early childhood is generally dened

as including all children from birth through age 8.

55 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

References and Resources for the Glossary

Adair, J.K. 2014. “Agency and Expanding Capabilities in

Early Grade Classrooms: What It Could Mean for Young

Children.” Harvard Educational Review 84 (2): 217–241.

Australian Government Department of Education and

Training for the Council of Australian Government. 2009.

Belonging, Being, Becoming: The Early Years Learning

Framework for Australia. Canberra, Australia: Author.

https://docs.education.gov.au/documents/belonging-being-

becoming-early-years-learning-framework-australia

Beneke, M., J. Newton, M. Vinh, S. Blanchard, & P. Kemp. 2019.

“Practicing Inclusion, Doing Justice: Disability, Identity, and

Belonging in Early Childhood.” ZERO TO THREE 39 (3): 26–34.

Bohart, H., & R. Procopio, eds. 2018. Spotlight on Young Children:

Observation and Assessment. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Buysse, V., P.W. Wesley, P. Synder, & P. Winton. 2006. “Evidence-

Based Practice: What Does It Really Mean for the Early

Childhood Field?” Young Exceptional Children 9 (4):

2–11. doi.org/10.1177/109625060600900401 [1, 4]

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. n.d.

“Executive Function & Self-Regulation.” https://developingchild.

harvard.edu/science/key-concepts/executive-function/

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University. n.d.

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Koralek, D., K. Nemeth, & K. Ramsey. 2019. Families &

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Levin, D.E. 2013. Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood: Teaching

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57 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX C: GLOSSARY

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Reid, J.L., S.L. Kagan, & C. Scott-Little. 2017. “New

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APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Resources Informing the Professional Standards and

Competencies for Early Childhood Educators

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Lutton, A. 2009. “NAEYC Early Childhood Professional Preparation

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NAEYC. 2020. “Professional Standards and

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NAEYC & National Association of Child Care Resource &

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Standard 2: Family Partnerships

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Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds. 2014.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First,

Second, and Third Grade. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds.

2014. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on

Kindergartners. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

61 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Division for Early Childhood. 2014. “DEC-Recommended

Practices/Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education.”

www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices

Division for Early Childhood & NAEYC. 2009. “Early Childhood

Inclusion.” Joint position statement. Washington, DC:

Authors. https://npdci.fpg.unc.edu/sites/npdci.fpg.unc.

edu/les/resources/EarlyChildhoodInclusion_0.pdf

Figueroa, A., S. Suh, & M. Byrnes. 2015. “Co-constructing Beliefs

about Parental Involvement: Rehearsals and Reections in a

Family Literacy Program.” Linguistics and Education 31 (44).

Head Start, Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge Center (ECLKC).

Family Engagement. Washington, DC: US Department of

Health & Human Services, Administration for Children and

Families. https://eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/family-engagement

McLeskey, J., M.-D. Barringer, B. Billingsley, M. Brownell,

D. Jackson, et al. 2017. High-Leverage Practices in

Special Education. Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional

Children & CEEDAR Center. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

National Association for the Education of Young Children

(NAEYC) & Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and

Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. 2012. “Technology

and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood

Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8.”

Joint position statement. Washington, DC: Authors.

NAEYC & Society for Research in Child Development

(SRCD). 2008. “Using Research to Improve Outcomes

for Young Children: A Call for Action.” Early

Childhood Research Quarterly 23 (4): 591–596.

Ray, A., B. Bowman, & J. Robbins. 2006. “Preparing Early Childhood

Teachers to Successfully Educate All Children: The Contribution

of Four-Year Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Programs—A

Project of the Initiative on Race, Class, and Culture in Early

Children.” Final report to the Foundation for Child Development.

www.erikson.edu/wp-content/uploads/Teachered.pdf

Redford, J., H. Huade, & M. McQuiggan. 2019. “Barriers to Parent-

School Involvement for Early Elementary Students.” Statistics

in Brief. Washington, DC: US Department of Education.

https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2017/2017165.pdf

Rendon, T. 2015. “Family and Community Engagement in Early

Childhood Governance.” In Early Childhood Governance:

Choices and Consequences, edited by S.L. Kagan and R.G.

Gomez, 140–149. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Sommer, T.E., T.J. Saabol, P.L. Chase-Lansdale, & J. Brooks-

Gunn. 2016. “Two-Generation Programs for Parents and

Their Young Children.” In The Leading Edge of Early

Childhood Education: Linking Science to Policy for a

New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux and S.M. Jones,

135–158. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Trivette, C.M., & B. Keilty, eds. 2017. “Family: Knowing

Families, Tailoring Practices, Building Capacity.” DEC

Recommended Practices Monograph Series No. 3.

Washington, DC: Division for Early Childhood.

Xu, Y., & J. Filler. 2008. “Facilitating Family Involvement

and Support for Inclusive Education.” The School

Community Journal 18 (2): 53–71. [2, 3]

Yogman, M., A. Garner, J. Hutchinson, K. Hirsch-Pasek, R. Michnick

Golinko, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and

Family Health, & Council on Communications and Media. 2018.

“The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development

in Young Children.” Pediatrics 142 (3). https://pediatrics.

aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058 [1, 2, 4, 5]

Standard 3: Child Observation,

Documentation, and Assessment

Bohart, H., & R. Procopio, eds. 2018. Spotlight on Young Children:

Observation and Assessment. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Cohen, D.H., V. Stern, N. Balaban, & N. Gropper. 201.

Observing and Recording the Behavior of Young Children.

6th ed. New York, NY: Teachers College Press. [3]

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate

Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children

Birth Through Age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds. 2014.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First,

Second, and Third Grade. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds.

2014. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on

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Division for Early Childhood. 2007. Promoting Positive Outcomes

for Children with Disabilities: Recommendations for Curriculum,

Assessment, and Program Evaluation. Missoula, MT: Author. [3]

Division for Early Childhood. 2014. “DEC-Recommended

Practices/Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education.”

www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 62

APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Head Start, Early Childhood Learning & Knowledge

Center (ECLKC). n.d. “Child Screening & Assessment.”

Washington, DC: US Department of Health & Human

Services, Administration for Children and Families. https://

eclkc.ohs.acf.hhs.gov/child-screening-assessment/article/

screening-assessment-evaluation-observation

Kagan, S.L., C. Scott-Little, & R.M. Cliord. 2003. “Assessing

Young Children: What Policymakers Need to Know and Do.”

In Assessing the State of State Assessments: Perspectives on

Assessing Young Children, edited by C. Scott-Little, S.L. Kagan,

and R.M. Cliord, 25–35. Greensboro, NC: SERVE. [3]

Luk, G., & J.A. Christodoulou. 2016. “Assessing and Understanding

the Needs of Bilingual Learners.” In The Leading Edge of

Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to Policy for

a New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux & S.M. Jones,

67–90. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

McLeskey, J., M.-D. Barringer, B. Billingsley, M. Brownell, D. Jackson,

et al. 2017. High-Leverage Practices in Special Education.

Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

& National Association for Early Childhood Specialists in

State Departments of Education (NAECS/DE). 2003. “Early

Childhood Curriculum, Assessment, and Program Evaluation:

Building an Eective, Accountable System in Programs for

Children Birth Through Age 8.” Joint position statement. www.

naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-shared/downloads/

PDFs/resources/position-statements/pscape.pdf

NAEYC & NAECS/SDE. 2005. “Screening and Assessment

of Young English-Language Learners.” Supplement to

the NAEYC and NAECS/SDE joint position statement on

early childhood curriculum, assessment, and program

evaluation. www.naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-

shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/

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Rous, B., & R. Hallam. 2016. “Screening and Supporting Children

at Risk for Developmental Delay or Disability.” In The Leading

Edge of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to

Policy for a New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux and S.M.

Jones, 117–134. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Scott-Little, C. 2015. “Implications of Standards-

Based Quality Improvement Eorts for Governance

Structures.” In Early Childhood Governance: Choices

and Consequences, edited by S.L. Kagan and R.G. Gomez,

83–94. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Snow, C.E., & S.B. Van Hemel, eds. 2008. Early

Childhood Assessment: Why, What, and How.

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Xu, Y., & J. Filler. 2008. “Facilitating Family Involvement

and Support for Inclusive Education.” The School

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Standard 4: Developmentally, Culturally, and

Linguistically, Appropriate Teaching Practices

Aronson, B., & J. Laughter. 2016. “The Theory and Practice of

Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across

Content Areas.” Review of Educational Research 86 (1): 163–206.

Bodrova, E., D.J. Leong, & T.V. Akhutina. 2011. “When Everything

New Is Well-Forgotten Old: Vygotsky/Luria Insights in

the Development of Executive Functions.” New Directions

for Child and Adolescent Development 133: 11–28.

Bonart, H., K. Charner, & D. Koralek, eds. 2015. Spotlight on Young

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Burchinal, M., C. Howes, R. Pianta, D. Bryant, D. Early, R.

Cliord, & O. Barbarin. 2008. “Predicting Child Outcomes

at the End of Kindergarten from the Quality of Pre-

Kindergarten Teacher-Child Interactions and Instructions.”

Applied Developmental Science 12 (3): 140–153.

Carlson, F.M. 2011. Bid Body Play: Why Boisterous,

Vigorous, and Very Physical Play Is Essential to Children’s

Development and Learning. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate

Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children

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Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds. 2014.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First,

Second, and Third Grade. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds.

2014. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on

Kindergartners. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Derman-Sparks, L., D. LeeKeenan, & J. Nimmo. 2015. Leading

Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change. New

York, NY: Teachers College Press and Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Derman-Sparks, L., P.G. Ramsey, & J. Olsen Edwards. 2011.

What If All the Kids Are White? Anti-Bias Multicultural

Education with Young Children and Families. 2nd

ed. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Division for Early Childhood. 2014. “DEC-Recommended

Practices/Early Intervention/Early Childhood Education.”

www.dec-sped.org/dec-recommended-practices

Donohue, C. 2016. “Preparing Early Childhood Educators to

Implement Digital Media.” SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary

Early Childhood Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

63 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Donohue, C., & R. Schomburg. 2017. “Technology and

Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What

We’ve Learned from Five Years of Research, Practice and

Observing Children.” Young Children 72 (4): 72–78.

Gadzikowski, A. 2013. “Challenging Exceptionally Bright

Children in Early Childhood Classrooms.” In Developmentally

Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First, Second,

and Third Grade, edited by C. Copple, S. Bredekamp, D.

Koralek, and K. Charner. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Gillanders, C., & R. Procopio, eds. 2019. Spotlight on Young

Children: Equity and Diversity. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Horn, E., J. Kang, A. Classen, G. Butera, S. Palmer, et al. 2016. “Role

of Universal Design for Learning and Dierentiation in Inclusive

Preschools.” In Environment: Promoting Meaningful Access,

Participation and Inclusion, edited by T. Catalino and L.E.

Meyers, 51–66. Washington, DC: Division for Early Childhood.

Hirsh-Pasek, K., R.M. Golinko, L.E. Berk, & D.G. Singer. 2009.

A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting

the Evidence. New York, NY: Oxford University Press. [4]

Horm, D., N. Fileb, D. Bryant, M. Burchinal, H. Raikes, et

al. 2018. “Associations Between Continuity of Care in

Infant-Toddler Classrooms and Child Outcomes.” Early

Childhood Research Quarterly 42: 105–118.

Howell, J., & K. Reinhard. 2015. Rituals and Traditions: Fostering

a Sense of Community in Preschool. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Hyson, M. 2008. Enthusiastic and Engaged Learners:

Approaches to Learning in the Early Childhood

Classroom. New York, NY: Teachers College. [4]

Ladson-Billings, G. 2014. “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy 2.0: a.k.a.

the Remix.” Harvard Educational Review 84 (1): 74–84.

Levin, D.E. 2013. Beyond Remote-Controlled Childhood: Teaching

Young Children in the Media Age. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Masterson, M.L., & H. Bohart, eds. 2019. Serious Fun: How Guided

Play Extends Children’s Learning. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Magruder, E.S., W.W. Hayslip, L.M. Espinosa, & C. Matera.

2013. “Many Languages, One Teacher: Supporting

Language and Literacy Development for Preschool Dual-

Language Learners.” Young Children 67 (1): 8–15.

Pace, A., K. Hirsh-Pasek, & R.M. Golinko. 2016. “High-Quality

Language Leads to High-Quality Learning.” In The Leading

Edge of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to

Policy for a New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux and S.M.

Jones, 45–66. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Paciga, C., & C. Donohue, C. 2017. Technology and Interactive

Media for Young Children: A Whole Child Approach

Connecting the Vision of Fred Rogers with Research and

Practice. Latrobe, PA: Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning

and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College and Chicago, IL:

Technology and Early Childhood Center at Erikson Institute.

Rivkin, M.S., with D. Schein. 2014. The Great

Outdoors: Advocating for Natural Spaces for

Children. Revised ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Rubenzahl, L., K. Lavalee, & M. Rich. 2016. “Using Technology

and Media in Early Childhood Settings.” In The Leading

Edge of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to

Policy for a New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux and S.M.

Jones, 91–116. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Strasser, J., & L. Mufson Bresson. 2017. Big Questions for Young

Minds: Extending Children’s Thinking. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Wilson, R. 2016. Learning in Bloom: Cultivating Outdoor

Explorations. Lewisville, NC: Gryphon House.

Yogman, M., A. Garner, J. Hutchinson, K. Hirsch-Pasek, R. Michnick

Golinko, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and

Family Health, & Council on Communications and Media. 2018.

“The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development

in Young Children.” Pediatrics 142 (3). https://pediatrics.

aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058 [1, 2, 4, 5]

Standard 5: Knowledge and Application of Academic

Discipline Content in the Early Childhood Curriculum

Aronson, B., & J. Laughter. 2016. “The Theory and Practice of

Culturally Relevant Education: A Synthesis of Research Across

Content Areas.” Review of Educational Research 86 (1):163–206.

Bohart, H., H. Benson Collick, & K. Charner, eds. 2016.

Spotlight on Young Children: Teaching and Learning

in the Primary Grades. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Bonart, H., K. Charner, & D. Koralek, eds. 2015. Spotlight on Young

Children: Exploring Play. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 4, 5]

Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University.

2011. “Building the Brain’s ‘Air Trac Control’ System: How

Early Experiences Shape the Development of Executive Function.”

Working Paper No. 11. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Copley, J.V. 2010. The Young Child and Mathematics.

2nd ed. Washington, DC: NAEYC and Reston, VA:

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics.

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate

Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children

Birth Through Age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 64

APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds. 2014.

Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on Children in First,

Second, and Third Grade. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Copple, C., S. Bredekamp, D. Koralek, & K. Charner, eds.

2014. Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Focus on

Kindergartners. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Derman-Sparks, L., D. LeeKeenan, & J. Nimmo. 2015. Leading

Anti-Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change. New

York, NY: Teachers College Press and Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Donohue, C. 2016. “Preparing Early Childhood Educators to

Implement Digital Media.” SAGE Encyclopedia of Contemporary

Early Childhood Education. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Donohue, C., & R. Schomburg. 2017. “Technology and

Interactive Media in Early Childhood Programs: What

We’ve Learned from Five Years of Research, Practice and

Observing Children.” Young Children 72 (4): 72–78.

Ginsburg, H.P., S.J. Lee, & S.J. Boyd. 2008. “Mathematics

Education for Young Children: What It Is and How to

Promote It. Social Policy Report 22 (1): 3–11, 14–22. [5]

Heromman, C. 2017. Making & Tinkering with STEM: Solving

Design Challenges with Children.” Washington, DC: NAEYC.

McLeskey, J., M.-D. Barringer, B. Billingsley, M. Brownell, D. Jackson

et al. 2017. High-Leverage Practices in Special Education.

Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)

& Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media.

2012. “Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early

Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8.”

Joint position statement. Washington, DC: NAEYC. www.naeyc.

org/les/NAEYC/le/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf.

National Early Literacy Panel. 2008. Developing Early Literacy:

Report of the National Early Literacy Panel—A Scientic

Synthesis of Early Literacy Development and Implications for

Intervention. Washington, DC: National Institute for Literacy.

https://lincs.ed.gov/publications/pdf/NELPReport09.pdf [5]

National Mathematics Advisory Panel. 2008. Foundations for

Success: The Final Report of the National Mathematics Advisory

Panel. Washington, DC: US Department of Education. [5]

Paciga, C., & C. Donohue. 2017. Technology and Interactive

Media for Young Children: A Whole Child Approach

Connecting the Vision of Fred Rogers with Research and

Practice. Latrobe, PA: Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning

and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College and Chicago, IL:

Technology and Early Childhood Center at Erikson Institute.

Rubenzahl, L., K. Lavalee, & M. Rich. 2016. “Using Technology

and Media in Early Childhood Settings. In The Leading Edge

of Early Childhood Education: Linking Science to Policy for

a New Generation, edited by N.K. Lesaux and S.M. Jones,

91–116. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.

Shillady, A., ed. 2012. Spotlight on Young Children:

Exploring Math. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Yogman, M., A. Garner, J. Hutchinson, K. Hirsch-Pasek, R. Michnick

Golinko, Committee on Psychosocial Aspects of Child and

Family Health, & Council on Communications and Media. 2018.

“The Power of Play: A Pediatric Role in Enhancing Development

in Young Children.” Pediatrics 142 (3). https://pediatrics.

aappublications.org/content/142/3/e20182058 [1, 2, 4, 5]

Disciplinary Organizations

Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI)

Association of Children’s Museums (ACM)

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC)

Early Childhood Art Educators (ECAE)

Early Childhood Art Educators

InTASC Model Core Teaching Standards, Council

of Chief State School Ocers

International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC)

National Association for Music Education (NAFME)

Early Childhood Music Education (ECEA)

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)

National Council for the Social Studies(NCSS)

National Science Teachers Association (NSTA)

Society of Health and Physical Educators (SHAPE). Shape America.

Standards 6: Professionalism as an

Early Childhood Educator

Bruno, H.E., J. Gonzalez-Mena, L.A. Hernandez, & D. R.-E. Sullivan.

2013. Learning from the Bumps on the Road: Insights from

Early Childhood Leaders. St. Paul, MN: Readleaf Press.

Copple, C., & S. Bredekamp. 2009. Developmentally Appropriate

Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children

Birth Through Age 8. Washington, DC: NAEYC. [1, 2, 4, 5]

Derman-Sparks, L., D. LeeKeenan, & J. Nimmo. 2015. Leading Anti-

Bias Early Childhood Programs: A Guide for Change. New York,

NY: Teachers College Press and Washington, DC: NAEYC. [5, 6]

Division for Early Childhood. 2015. “Ethical Principles and

Professional Practice Standards for Special Educators.” www.cec.

sped.org/Standards/Ethical-Principles-and-Practice-Standards

65 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX D: REFERENCES AND RESOURCES

Feeney, S. 2012. Professionalism in Early Childhood Education:

Doing Our Best for Young Children. Boston, MA: Pearson.

Gon, S.G. 2015. Professionalizing Early Childhood Education

as a Field of Practice: A Guide to the Next Era. St. Paul,

MN: Redleaf Press and Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Kagan, S.L., K. Kauerz, & K. Tarrant. 2007. The Early Care and

Education Teaching Workforce at the Fulcrum: An Agenda

for Reform. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

McLeskey, J., M.-D. Barringer, B. Billingsley, M. Brownell, D. Jackson

et al. 2017. High-Leverage Practices in Special Education.

Arlington, VA: Council for Exceptional Children & CEEDAR Center.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

2018. How People Learn II: Learners, Contexts, and

Cultures. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

2018. Transforming the Financing of Early Care and

Education. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.

National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC).

2011. “Code of Ethical Conduct and Statement of Commitment.”

Position statement. www.naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-

shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/

Ethics%20Position%20Statement2011_09202013update.pdf [6]

NAEYC. 2011. “Code of Ethical Conduct: Supplement for Early

Childhood Program Administrators.” www.naeyc.org/sites/

default/les/globally-shared/downloads/PDFs/resources/

position-statements/Supplement%20PS2011.pdf [6]

NAEYC. 2006. “Code of Ethical Conduct: Supplement

for Early Childhood Adult Educators.” [6]

NAEYC & Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s

Media. 2012. “Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early

Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth Through Age 8.”

Joint position statement. Washington, DC: NAEYC. www.naeyc.

org/les/NAEYC/le/positions/PS_technology_WEB2.pdf

O’Neill, C., & M. Brinkerho. 2018. Five Elements

of Collective Leadership: For Early Childhood

Professionals. St. Paul, MN: Readleaf Press.

Sykes, M. 2014. Doing the Right Thing for Children: Eight

Qualities of Leadership. St. Paul, MN: Readleaf Press.

Washington, W., & B. Gadson. 2017. The New Early

Childhood Professional: Building on Strengths and

Competence. New York, NY: Teachers College Press

Washington, W., B. Gadson, & K.L. Amel. 2015. The New

Early Childhood Professional: A Step-by-Step Guide

for Overcoming Goliath. New York, NY: Teachers

College Press and Washington, DC: NAEYC.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 66

APPENDIX E: HISTORY

The History of Standards for Professional Preparation

NAEYC has a long-standing commitment to collaborative

standards setting for early childhood teacher preparation and

credentialing. The rst NAEYC statement on standards (then

called guidelines) for professional preparation was developed

by a 22-member commission of national leaders that included

Millie Almy, Elizabeth H. Brady, Barbara T. Bowman, Josué

Cruz, Asa Hilliard III, Lilian G. Katz, and Bernard Spodek.

The

guidelines were adopted by the NAEYC Governing Board in 1981

and published in 1982 (NAEYC 1982). That same year, they were

adopted as the national standards for early childhood teacher

education by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher

Education (NCATE).

Each update to this position statement responded to current

developments in the profession, changing federal and state policy

contexts, and new research. Each revision solicited input from

appointed advisory groups; related early childhood and specialty

organizations; other accrediting, credentialing, and standards-

setting groups; NAEYC members; and the public. Each revision

reects the continuity that sustains the profession’s identity and

role and also the reality that the profession must engage with and

prepare for change in the eld, in research, and in the social and

political contexts in which early childhood educators practice.

Deﬁning Professional Preparation

Content, Levels and Specializations

Over two decades of updates reected a need to dene shared

professional knowledge and practices at varying professional

levels, to propose optional specializations, and to promote

articulation pathways that connect them.

1982: “Early Childhood Teacher Education Guidelines

for four- and ve-year programs” armed that

• Four-year teacher education programs are sucient

to prepare individuals in the knowledge and skills

needed to serve as early childhood educators.

• Teacher development is continuous. Teacher educator

programs provide the foundational knowledge

in child development and instructional practice

to eectively work with young children.

• Early childhood teacher education curriculum is integrative

and interdisciplinary and it includes preparation to support

diversity and to counter discrimination and inequity.

1985: “Guidelines for Associate Degree

Programs” described this level as

• Including the core knowledge and skills.

• Addressing variations in serving specic

communities and populations.

• Preparing individuals suciently to advance

to upper-division coursework.

• The statement encouraged strong articulation policies

to advance the education of the workforce.

1991: “Early Childhood Teacher Education Guidelines: Basic

and Advanced” was developed in collaboration with NAECTE

(National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators)

and approved by NCATE in 1998. This update claried that

advanced preparation is not dened simply as graduate level but

as preparation that

• Ensures graduates meet the shared competencies

at higher, advanced levels, beyond what was

then called the “basic” standards.

• Provides increased professional development

for a specialized career role.

• Assures that the graduate demonstrates capacity to

evaluate and apply research to improve practices.

1996: “Guidelines for Preparation of Early Childhood

Professionals” consolidated expectations for associate,

baccalaureate, and advanced levels of preparation into one

publication. NAEYC guidelines were published alongside those

of CEC/DEC (Council for Exceptional Children/Division of

Early Childhood) and NBPTS (National Board for Professional

Teaching Standards). NAEYC and DEC endorsed each other’s

statements, and ATE (Association of Teacher Educators)

endorsed both. The introduction summarized the following:

• At the associate level, the graduate demonstrates

knowledge of theory and practice necessary

to plan and implement curriculum

• At the baccalaureate level, the graduate demonstrates

the ability to apply and analyze the core knowledge, to

systematically develop curriculum, and to develop and

conduct assessments of individual children and groups

• At the master’s level, the graduate demonstrates greater

capacity to analyze and rene core knowledge and

evaluate and apply research to improve practices

• At the doctoral level, the graduate conducts

research and studies practice to expand the

knowledge base and inuence system change

67 | PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS AND COMPETENCIES FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATORS

APPENDIX E: HISTORY

• At each of these levels, the professional is expected to reect

on his or her practice and to advocate for policies designed to

improve conditions for children, families, and the profession.

The content of the standards was updated to:

• Reect the need to prepare all early childhood

educators to support children with diering

abilities in inclusive early childhood programs

• Reframe the guidelines for program content and eld

experience as preparation program outcomes--what early

childhood educators should know and be able to do. The

purpose statement included use of these standards to guide

state early childhood educator licensure, preparation program

approval, articulation agreements, and related professional

development policies. NAEYC guidelines were published

alongside those of CEC/DEC and NBPTS. NAEYC and DEC

endorsed each other’s statements, and ATE endorsed both.

2003: “Preparing Early Childhood Professionals: NAEYC’s

Standards for Programs” included the following revisions:

• Expanded upon the importance of associate

degrees, community colleges, and articulation

agreements in supporting and increasing teacher

diversity at all levels of the profession

• Emphasized current challenges related to teacher recruitment,

retention, education, diversity, and compensation

• Added details to core knowledge areas to guide

student assessment, reecting a general shift from

inputs to student outcomes in higher education

evaluation, reform, and quality improvement

• Changed terminology from program guidelines to

program standards, with assessment of graduates’

knowledge and competencies related to these standards

as the primary measure of program quality

• Added rubrics to illustrate meeting the expectations

at associate, Initial Licensure, and advanced levels

2006: “NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood Associate

Degree Accreditation Standards”. This document summarized the

Commission’s full program standards, including

• Knowledge and competencies expected of associate degree

program graduates, using the 2003 NAEYC standards

as the framework for required student assessment

• Structural characteristics expected of programs

2009: “Standards for Early Childhood Preparation”

• Separated the two aspects of previous Standard 4 into

new Standard 4, focused on teaching practices, and

Standard 5, focused on content knowledge in academic

disciplines, in order to elevate the importance of

college-level content and competency in academic

disciplines or curriculum areas and their application

in early childhood curriculum and assessment

• Updated content to more intentionally address inclusion,

cultural competence, and technology across all standards

• Separated the 2009 position statement, intended for the

eld and adopted by the NAEYC Governing Board from

the 2010 program standards which were adopted for

implementation by NAEYC and NCATE higher education

accreditation governing boards. In 2010, the NAEYC

higher education accreditation commission adopted

the 2009 position statement as its standards framework

and dened accreditation expectations at two levels of

preparation program standards--Initial and Advanced--

using the 1991 denitions of Basic/Initial and Advanced

levels of professional knowledge and practice.

References

National Association for the Education of Young Children

(NAEYC). 1982. “Early Childhood Teacher Education Guidelines

for Four- and Five-Year Programs.” Position statement.

NAEYC. 1984. “Guidelines for Early Childhood Education Programs

in Associate Degree Granting Institutions.” Position statement.

NAEYC and the National Association of Early Childhood

Teacher Educators. 1991. “Early Childhood Teacher

Education Guidelines: Basic and Advanced.” Position

Statement. Washington, DC: NAEYC

NAEYC. 1996. “Guidelines for Preparation of

Early Childhood Professionals.”

NAEYC. 2003. “Preparing Early Childhood Professionals:

NAEYC’s Standards for Programs.” Position Statement.

NAEYC. (2006). NAEYC Commission on Early Childhood

Associate Degree Accreditation Standards

NAEYC. 2009. “NAEYC Standards for Early Childhood

Professional Preparation.” Position statement. https://

www.naeyc.org/sites/default/les/globally-shared/

downloads/PDFs/resources/position-statements/2009%20

Professional%20Prep%20stdsRevised%204_12.pdf

NAEYC. 2010. “NAEYC Standards for Initial & Advanced Early

Childhood Professional Preparation Programs: For use by

Associate, Baccalaureate and Graduate Degree Programs.”

NAEYC. 2020. “Professional Standards and Competencies

for Early Childhood Educators.” Position statement.

A POSITION STATEMENT HELD ON BEHALF OF THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROFESSION | 68

APPENDIX E: HISTORY

Professional Standards & Competencies Workgroup

A workgroup comprised of the Early Learning Systems Committee of the

NAEYC Governing Board, early childhood practitioners, researchers, faculty, and

subject matter experts informed the revisions to this position statement.

Iliana Alanis, University of Texas San Antonio

Chris Amirault, Tulsa Educare, Inc.

Shannon Riley-Ayers, The Nicholson Foundation

Nancy Barbour, Kent State University

Angela Baum, University of South Carolina and NAECTE

Nancy Beaver, Dallas County Community

College District and ACCESS

Anthony Broughton, Clain University

Dina Castro, University of North Texas

Manda Davis, Salish Kootenai College

Chip Donohue, Erikson Institute, Emeritus

Isauro Escamilla Calan, San Francisco Unied School District

Kelly Hantak, Lindenwood University

Kathy Hollowell-Makle, DCAEYC

Eva Horn, University of Kansas and DEC/CEC

Elisa Huss-Hage, Owens Community College

Iheoma Iruka, HighScope Educational Research Foundation

Tamara Johnson, Malaika Early Learning Center

Sarah LeMoine, ZERO TO THREE

Alison Lutton, Consultant

Megan Madison, Brandeis University

Peter Mangione, WestEd

Leslee Milch, Buena Park School District and NBPTS

Krista Murphy, Orange County Department of Education

Bridget Murray, Henderson Community College

Alissa Mwenelupembe, Teachers College, Ball State University

Abena Ocran-Jackson, Council for Professional Recognition

Nichole Parks, Leading for Children

Nancy Powers, St. Johnsbury School

Yohana Quiroz, Felton Institute

Aisha Ray, Erikson Institute, Emeritus

Nicol Russell, Teaching Strategies

Christine Snyder, HighScope Educational

Research Foundation

Jan Stevenson, Georgia Department of Education

Crystal Swank, Truckee Meadows Community College

Tarajean Yazzie-Mintz, First Light Education Project

Marlene Zepeda, California State University

In addition, NAEYC thanks Martha Muñoz for her

assistance with the glossary and references.

NAEYC also thanks the following individuals for informing

the Leveling of the Standards and Competencies: Sherry

Cleary, City University of New York; Marica Cox Mitchell,

Bainum Family Foundation; Sally Holloway, Whatcom

Community College; Elsa Jones, Post University; Leslie

Layman, Harry S. Truman College; Wei Qiu, Weber State

University; Anu Sachdev, East Stroudsburg University;

Vilma Williams, Council for Professional Recognition;

Victoria Young-Chiverton, Central Arizona College

Professional Standards

and Competencies for

Early Childhood Educators

A Position Statement Held on Behalf of the Early Childhood Education Profession

Disponible en Español: NAEYC.org/competencias

Adopted by the NAEYC National Governing Board November 2019