Glossary

Common terms and acronyms:

CDA – Child Development Associate - The Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education (ECE) and is a key stepping stone on the path of career advancement in ECE. The Council for Professional Recognition that grants the credential works to ensure that the nationally-transferable CDA is a credible and valid credential, recognized by the profession as a vital part of professional development.

College Transfer - College transfer is student’s movement from one higher education institution to another and the process by which academic credits are accepted or not accepted by a receiving institution.

Degree - There are several different types of degrees that come from different types of colleges, for different types of study. Generally, Certificate programs and Associates Degrees are earned in 1-2 years and can be found at Community Colleges. Other colleges and universities offer Bachelor’s Degrees, designed to be completed in 4 years as a full-time student.

EEC Certifications - To work in a large group child care program as a Teacher, Lead Teacher or Director, you must be qualified. There are six positions you can qualify for: Infant-Toddler Teacher; Preschool Teacher; Infant Toddler Lead Teacher; Preschool Lead Teacher; Director I; Director II

Infant-Toddler Teacher - complete a three-credit course in “Child Growth and Development” plus 9 months supervised work experience with infants and toddlers.

Preschool Teacher - complete a three-credit course in “Child Growth and Development” plus 9 months supervised work experience with preschoolers.

Infant-Toddler Lead Teacher – 12 college credits in Early Childhood Education or a CDA and supervised work experience (determined by the degree held) with infants and toddlers.

Preschool Lead Teacher - 12 college credits in Early Childhood Education or a CDA and supervised work experience (determined by the degree held) with preschoolers.

Director I - complete an additional 2 credits or 3 CEU's in Administration AND an additional two credits or 3 CEU's in Early Childhood Education, plus 6 months additional work experience as a Lead Teacher.

Director II – Meet Director I plus complete an additional 2 credits or 3 CEU's in Advanced Day Care Administration, or Supervision, Families & Community, Day Care Policy, and Health and Safety in Early Childhood Programs, or Children with Disabilities.

FCC Provider – Someone who cares for children, not related to them, on a regular basis in their home. A Family Child Care License is required and the first step to obtain a License is to attend an EEC Potential Provider Meeting at an EEC Regional Office.

FCC Certified Assistant - A Family Child Care Assistant is someone who assists a family child care provider with their program or cares for children if the provider is absent. Certification requires an application and pre-service training through EEC.

School-Age Child Care/Out-of-School Time Care

          Assistant Leader - works under the supervision of the group leader and must be either
  • 16 years of age and have a high school diploma or equivalent or be currently enrolled in a high school program or equivalent; or
  • 18 years of age or over.
          Group Leader - is at least 18 years of age and meet one of the following requirements:
  • Have a Bachelor’s Degree or an Associate’s Degree; and have three months experience working with school age children; or
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent, and have six months of experience working with school age children including three months of supervised experience at a school age child care program; or
  • Have nine months of experience with school age children including three months of supervised experience at a school age child care program.
          Site Coordinator - is at least 20 years of age and meet one of the following sets of requirements:
  • Have a minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Elementary Education or related field; and have six months of experience working with school age children; or
  • Have a Bachelor’s Degree in any field or an Associate’s Degree with Education focus or related field and have nine months of experience working with school age children; or
  • Have a high school diploma or equivalent; and have one year of experience working with school age children.
          Program Administrator - is at least 21 years of age and meet the requirements of a Site Coordinator. 
  • In addition the Program Administrator must have six months of administrative experience or evidence of satisfactory completion of at least nine credits in management or administration subject areas from an accredited institution of high education.

EEC Scholarship Program - In the fall of 2005 the Massachusetts Legislature passed key legislation implementing the Early Childhood Educators Scholarship program to early childhood and out of school time educators earning their associates or bachelors degree in early childhood education or a related field.

IPDP – Individual Professional Development Plan – An individual educator’s annual plan for professional development that outlines specific goals for professional or educational advancement with courses or training and timelines for achieving them.

Initial Public School License for Prek-2 or Elementary 1-6 - An educator license issued to a person who has completed a bachelor's degree, passed the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure, completed a professional preparation program approved by the Commissioner, and met other eligibility requirements.

Licensure - Educators, including teachers, support personnel, and administrators are generally required to hold a license issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education in order to be eligible to teach in the Massachusetts Public Schools.

Loan Forgiveness - Under certain circumstances, the federal government will cancel all or part of an educational loan. To qualify, you must perform volunteer work, perform military service, teach or practice medicine in certain types of communities, or meet other criteria specified by the forgiveness program.

Matriculation - the process by which a student is formally admitted to a college or university program as a candidate for a degree.

Mixed-Delivery System - This term refers to the entire system of programs delivering early education services to Massachusetts’ children and families. It includes, but is not limited to the variety of settings in public, private, non-profit and for-profit preschools, child care centers, nursery schools, preschools operating within public and private schools, Head Start programs and independent and system affiliated family child care homes.

PQR – Professional Qualifications Registry – A statewide database of individual educator profiles documenting each educator’s qualifications and professional development. Educators, including assistants, who work with infants, toddlers, preschoolers, or school age children in EEC-licensed settings are required to register and update their registration annually. EEC encourages all educators to take advantage of the PQ Registry, including those who work in public preschools and other programs that are not subject to EEC licensure.

QRIS – Quality Rating and Improvement System - A Quality Rating & Improvement System (QRIS) is a method to assess, improve, and communicate the level of quality in early care & education and after-school settings ( Stair Steps to Quality , Anne W. Mitchell (2005). QRIS are similar to other consumer rating systems, in that they "rate" goods or services to provide customers with a better understanding about the quality of service. Massachusetts’s QRIS is designed with 6 key indicators of quality measured at 5 Levels.