Advising to Support Professional Certification
Category
Early Care and Education
Child's Age
0-1 years, 1-2 years, 2-3 years, 3-4 years, 4-5 years
Participant
ECE Owner/Operator, ECE Teachers
Languages
English
Brief Description
Advising for child care professionals advancing their credentialing in early care and education is an intensive and comprehensive service designed to support the whole student in achieving their goals. Intensive advising is associated with improved retention rates and knowledge gains for students. Examples of professional certifications include the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Family Child Care (FCC) Credential, and North Carolina Early Childhood Credential (NCECC), among others. Advising must be aligned with NC community College & Coaching for Mastery.Advising for child care professionals advancing their credentialing in early care and education is an intensive and comprehensive service designed to support the whole student in achieving their goals. Intensive advising is associated with improved retention rates and knowledge gains for students. Examples of professional certifications include the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, Family Child Care (FCC) Credential, and North Carolina Early Childhood Credential (NCECC), among others. Advising must be aligned with NC community College & Coaching for Mastery.
Expected Impact
- Improved retention of participants
- Increase in participants' knowledge of education systems and early care and education
Core Components for Model Fidelity
- Advising: Participants seeking to further their education in early care and education require intensive, comprehensive advising that begins from an early stage so as to build a trusting relationship between the advisor and advisee. Advisors make themselves available during nontraditional hours (at least some weekends and evening) to meet the needs of nontraditional students. Topics commonly addressed during advising sessions include:
- Navigating the higher education system
- Identifying career and education goals
- Establishing a clear path to achieve goals
- Addressing challenges and finding appropriate supports or solutions
- Child care
- Transportation
- Tutoring
- Translation services
- Transferring to a four-year instiution
- Mental health challenges such as stress, anxiety, and depression
- Balancing school, work, and familial responsibilities
- Financial aid for classes, course materials, etc.
- Credentials and Certifications: Examples of certifications and credentials that child care professionals may be working towards can be found on DCDEE's webpage dedicated to Early Childhood and Administration Credentials and include the following:
- North Carolina Early Childhood Credential (NCECC)
- North Carolina Early Childhood Administration Credential (NCECAC)
- Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential
- Family Child Care (FCC) Credential
Languages Materials are Available in
English
Delivery Mode
Advising services are provided in person. If needed, services may be provided virtually, but in person is preferred.
Dosage
Dosage varies based on the needs of the participants. Advising starts as soon as the student enrolls in the program if not earlier to begin establishing a strong, positive relationship between the advisor and advisee.
Infrastructure for Implementation
Other: Participants may require advising around topics such as securing reliable transportation to and from classes, finding childcare during classes, or address mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression. Advisors must be adequately equipped to address these concerns and/or connect students to the appropriate professionals who can provide further support.
Staffing Requirements
Staffing requirements vary based on local needs. Consult with the community colleges and other institutions in your area for more information.
Training for Model Fidelity
Training for advisors may vary based on local needs. Consult with the community colleges and other institutions in your area for more information.
Contact Information
For more information, please contact your Program Officer or Angela Lewis, NCPC's Early Care and Education Manager, at alewis@smartstart.org.
Cost Estimates
Cost estimates vary based on local staffing needs. Consult with the community colleges and other institutions in your area for more information.
Purpose Service Code (PSC)
3105 - Accessing Professional Certification and Course Work
Program Identifier (PID)
Advising to Support Professional Certification
Minimal Outputs for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Number of child care staff receiving/participating in professional certification advising
- Number of child care facilities with at least one staff person participating *
Minimal Outcomes for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Improved teacher knowledge
Minimal Measures for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Certification Completion
NCPC Evidence Categorization
Evidence Informed- Industry Standard
Research Summary
The most relevant publications on advising include a report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley,1 a report from the Learning Policy Institute,2 and a paper published by Bellwether Education Partners.3 Across all three publications, advising is considered fundamental in supporting nontraditional students in furthering their education. Advising must be intensive and intentional; advisors should connect with their advisees regularly, beginning very early in their college career, to begin establishing a trusting relationship. Advisors support students by identifying their goals, establishing a program of study that outlines the courses needed to achieve those goals, and providing nonacademic supports. This may include assistance in understanding processes like applying for financial aid; addressing competing responsibilities with school, work, and family life; securing reliable transportation or child care; and more. Advisors provide career counseling and invite students to reflect on their professional goals regularly throughout their college career. They also provide or refer students to personal counseling services to address concerns outside of school or work, such as mental health challenges. Intensive advising is associated with improved retention rates as advisors address students’ concerns quickly and work with them to find supports and solutions to address those needs and continue making progress towards their goals. Students also benefit from a greater understanding of the education system and, of course, improved knowledge of early care and education.
- ^ See Dukakis et al. (2007). This report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California at Berkeley describes California-based efforts to support nontraditional students in early care and education (ECE) programs. The authors first outline the challenges nontraditional students face, which fall into two primary categories: access (language, work hours, child care, and knowledge of the systems and policies in place regarding financial aid and admission) and retention and completion. Services that address these obstacles and support nontraditional students in successfully obtaining their education include a targeted delivery, advising and counseling, financial support, skill-based supports, and access-based supports. Higher education institutions can target support to students who share similar backgrounds by establishing cohorts or learning communities, ensuring access to classes for English language learners, and creating multipurpose programs that deliver multiple support services to students who meet certain qualifying characteristics. Advising and counseling for nontraditional ECE students must go beyond a simple checkbox for completion. Nontraditional students need academic advising and counseling that familiarizes them with the education institution’s structure and course offerings. At community colleges, academic advising and counseling may include assisting students in transferring to a four-year institution. Additionally, nontraditional ECE students should receive career and personal counseling. Career counseling creates a clear path between academic coursework and professional goals and aspirations. Personal counseling addresses challenges that might interfere with a student’s ability to succeed academically, such as work and familial responsibilities, financial concerns, or mental health challenges like stress, anxiety, and depression. Financial support includes financial aid and other supplemental services. Financial aid typically includes loans, grants, work-study positions, and scholarships. Supplemental services can include financial assistance with school supplies, books, transportation, and child care. Vouchers, subsidies, and general assistance finding appropriate child care services are ways to support nontraditional students. Furthermore, skill-based supports may include academic supports (tutoring and study skills classes) and technological supports. Access-based supports may require that education institutions offer classes and services at nontraditional hours (evenings and weekends) to meet the needs of their nontraditional students. Institutions should consider if classes are geographically accessible to students; offering courses at community colleges and/or community-based locations can be more accessible and less intimidating for nontraditional students. Another option to promote accessibility is to provide online courses through accredited institutions led by instructors with online teaching experience and access to technical support as needed.
- ^ See Gardner et al. (2019). This report from the Learning Policy Institute shares findings from three promising programs in California that prepare cohorts of early childhood educators for their career as a method of actively building and supporting the early care and education (ECE) workforce in their state. The three programs are the Family Child Care On-the-Job Training Program (FCC Apprenticeship), Skyline College’s Education/Child Development Program (EDU/CD), and EDvance at San Francisco State University. Each program is unique but all three share the following characteristics: focus on preparing diverse early educators; design features based on research and high-quality best practices for supporting ECE educators; and use of a variety of approaches in different geographic regions of California. The first case study reviewed findings from the FCC Apprenticeship. Focused on supporting licensed family child care providers, this program helps educators acquire state-recognized permits through no-cost college coursework, wage enhancements, and individualized supports. All participants receive academic advising and coaching from experienced bilingual program staff who support their education attainment and professional goals by providing feedback, resources, and guidance. This advising is intensive and highly individualized, beginning before the educators officially enter the FCC Apprenticeship, and fosters a strong relationship between apprentices and program staff. The Skyline EDU/CD Program similarly emphasizes the importance of advising. This program prepares students for a career in education with children ages birth to 8 years, with a focus on early childhood (birth to preschool). Skyline’s EDU/CD Program includes course pathways relevant to ECE educators working towards a degree or state-recognized permit and includes supervised clinical experiences to develop practical skills. Skyline staff ensure that students have access to academic and financial supports through individualized advising and mentoring. Advising begins with identifying students’ overall goals then deepens to include the right course of study, addressing concerns with work and familial responsibilities, and finding solutions and alternatives to obstacles that may impact a student’s success. This specialized advising supports the development of strong, positive relationships between students and program staff. The third program, EDvance at San Francisco State University, supports ECE educators working towards a bachelor’s degree in Child and Adolescent Development with a concentration in Early Childhood. EDvance includes two pathways: one for undergraduate students completing their first 2 years of college and one for working educators completing coursework for their degree. Advising is a key component of the EDvance model and students receive both financial and academic advising. EDvance employs a full-time academic advisor and program coordinator to oversee fiscal incentives. Across both pathways, EDvance advising is highly specialized and supports students in their goals to further their education. Advising topics include navigating the higher education system, guiding course selection, providing career services, ensuring access to tutoring services, and reflecting on professional goals. Students are connected to specialized services, such as a program that provides counseling and referral services to undocumented students. Advisors maintain a strong, close relationship with students that goes beyond traditional academic advising to support the whole student. Advisors make themselves available during weekends and evenings to meet students’ needs. EDvance advisors support students in finding employment opportunities and managing professional relationships. Finally, the report closes with a case study reviewing similar efforts in New Jersey. Across all four programs, intensive and comprehensive advising to address the needs of the whole student were fundamental in support students furthering their education in the ECE field. It is crucial that policymakers and institutions of higher education fund academic supports to ECE students, including the provision of specialized advising.
- ^ See Kaplan (2018). This report from Bellwether Education Partners describes the importance of community colleges in supporting early care and education (ECE) programs of study and the students they serve. The report further details innovative institution- and state policy-level strategies for supporting ECE educators in advancing their education. Advising is a core component of community college programs that support ECE educators in furthering their postsecondary education. Advising must be available in the languages students speak. Advising typically begins by outlining the student’s goals and may lead to establishing a guided pathway that helps students visualize exactly what courses they would need to take to obtain a certain degree or certification, the time required to complete the courses, and opportunities for careers and transferring to four-year institutions. It is recommended that advising be “intrusive,” in that advisors make frequent, deliberate, contacts with students from very early on to establish a trusting and caring relationship. Institutions using intrusive advising utilize an early warning system that notifies advisors when students are at risk of academic troubles, thus allowing the advisor to intervene and collaborate with the student to identify causes and possible solutions. The author indicates that advising, especially at community colleges, is best when it is intrusive, strategic, sustained, integrated, and personalized.
Researched Population
- Nontraditional students (English language learners, students who work full-time, etc.)
- Students pursuing an education and further credentialing in early care and education
Dukakis, K., Bellm., D., Seer, N., & Lee, Y. (2007). Chutes or Ladders? Creating Support Services to Help Early Childhood Students Succeed in Higher Education. Center for the Study of Child Care Employment. https://cscce.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/publications/chutes_ladders07.pdf
Gardner, M., Melnick, H., Meloy, B., & Barajas, J. (2019). Promising Models for Preparing a Diverse, High-Quality Early Childhood Workforce. Learning Policy Institute. https://ecepts.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/LPI-Full-Report.pdf
Kaplan, M. (2018). It Takes a Community: Leveraging Community College Capacity to Transform the Early Childhood Workforce. Bellwether Education Partners. https://bellwether.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Bellwether_CommunityCollege_JPK_Final.pdf
Local Partnerships Currently Implementing
Local Partnerships in purple have adopted Advising to Support Professional Certification. Local Partnership contact information can be found here.