Level 5 Core Competencies

Includes the knowledge and skills of Levels 1, 2, 3, and 4 plus knowledge and skills commensurate with an advanced degree in early childhood education or child development and extensive experience working with young children.

On this page:
Content Area I
Content Area II
Content Area III
Content Area IV
Content Area V
Content Area VI
Content Area VII
Content Area VIII

Content Area I: Child Growth and Development: Level 5

• Integrates information on growth, development, and learning patterns of individuals and groups and applies to work with children, families, and staff.
• Understands and articulates the significance of family-child attachments and family dynamics for development and learning.
• Applies knowledge of cultural and linguistic diversity and the significance of socio-cultural and political contexts for development and learning.
• Promotes and communicates information about promising practices, issues, and research relevant to child growth and development.
• Understands and articulates a systems perspective on issues of mental health, the effects of stress on development, and child support and protection.
• Analyzes current research and suggests additional topics to researchers as needed.
• Is aware of current and future trends in education and the larger society and the implications for children’s development.

Content Area II: Level 5

A: Creating the Learning Environment and General Curriculum

• Plans, evaluates, and modifies curriculum to engage children in problem solving and active learning.
• Teaches others how to design curriculum.
• Develops strategies that support families’ and children’s roles in planning curriculum.
• Analyzes and applies current theory and research on promoting children’s learning.
• Recognizes and articulates the family’s role as first educator of the child.
• Works collaboratively with community resources and agencies to communicate information on early childhood education.

B: Promoting Physical Development

• Explains how physical development and other areas of development interrelate.
• Understands and articulates concepts of sensory integration.
• Uses knowledge of kinesthetic learning styles when teaching others.

C: Promoting Language Development and Literacy

• Analyzes and applies current theory and research on promoting language acquisition and early literacy.
• Designs curriculum consistent with current theories of language use and language acquisition, including English as a second language.
• Informs families and others about the importance of adult-child and child-child interactions in children’s English and home language development.
• Develops family and community awareness about importance of reading to young children.
• Works cooperatively with local public libraries to sponsor events such as book fairs and story hours that encourage children and families to use the library and to read and tell stories together.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Mathematics

• Analyzes, evaluates, and applies current research and theory and research on mathematics teaching and learning.
• Includes emphasis on practical strategies for mathematics teaching and learning in staff development programs.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Science

• Arranges opportunities for children and families to work on community projects such as community gardens or picking up litter in park areas.
• Includes approaches to scientific thinking and problem solving in staff development programs.

D: Promoting Cognitive Development: Social Studies

• Encourages community leaders and members to become involved with early childhood programs.
• Includes peaceful conflict management and problem solving strategies in staff development programs.

E: Promoting Personal and Social Development

• Analyzes and applies current theory on attachment and promoting social development.
• Identifies and communicates to others specific strategies for interacting with children with challenging behaviors.
• Communicates to others the process for developing curriculum that promotes social and emotional development and positive approaches to learning.

F: Promoting Creativity and the Arts

• Using specific examples, explains how children represent their thoughts, feelings, and ideas through creative outlets.
• Informs families about the importance of individual creative expression.
• Encourages and integrates creative expression throughout the curriculum.
• Communicates to others the process for developing curriculum that promotes creative expression.

Content Area III: Assessment and Planning for Individual Needs: Level 5

• Understands and applies major theories and research relevant to observation and assessment.
• Addresses issues relevant to observation and assessment.
• Establishes criteria, procedures, and documentation methods for assessment of children’s progress.
• Establishes criteria, procedures, and documentation methods for assessment of program effectiveness with individual children.
• Understands and articulates assessment issues and strategies and communicates these to families and other professionals.

Content Area IV: Interactions with Children: Level 5

• Develops written policies for effective child guidance.
• Understands and describes the principles for intervention and conflict resolution in children’s play and learning.
• Recognizes and advocates family-teacher partnerships to establish positive interaction patterns in program, school, and home.
• Develops individual guidance plans, using relevant professionals and family members for support as needed.
• Develops cooperative skills that focus on working in pairs or small groups, negotiating, compromising, and problem solving.
• Uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
• Analyzes, evaluates, and applies current theory and research on individual and group guidance.

Content Area V: Families and Communities: Level 5

• Acts as advocate both for children and their families.
• Articulates the various theories of family systems and the effect of stress and crisis on families.
• Plans, conducts, and evaluates activities for family support and participation.
• Helps families move through the changes of their specific family system.
• Promotes staff growth and development in communicating and relating with families.
• Serves as a resource to colleagues, teachers, and staff in connecting families to services in the community.
• Works collaboratively with agencies and community resources to meet the needs of families in the community.

Content Area VI: Health, Safety, and Nutrition: Level 5

Health

• Provides an environment that is physically and psychologically healthy for children, families, and staff.
• Designs, documents, and informs others of emergency, illness, injury, and sanitation procedures.
• Establishes procedures for documentation and notification of suspected abuse and neglect.
• Works with health care professionals in community to ensure that the needs of the children are met.

Safety

• Maintains appropriate levels and standards for state and federal regulations.
• Identifies opportunities to fund environmental safety improvements.
• Develops and documents contingency plans to meet ratio requirements in all situations.
• Conducts self-assessments of facility for licensing and accreditation.

Nutrition

• Assesses program’s nutritional plan and adapts practices accordingly.
• Coordinates food activities with cultural calendar.

Content Area VII: Program Planning and Evaluation: Level 5

• Sets clear policy and practices for positive family-staff relationships.
• Communicates effectively with board and advisory groups.
• Communicates effectively with community and media representatives.
• Applies knowledge of federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, and professional standards to provide healthy and safe practices for all children and maintain current license and accreditation standards.
• Develops and implements program policies and fee structure.
• Identifies, develops, and implements formative and summative program evaluation strategies and understands their benefits, strengths, and limitations.
• Plans for, recruits, orients, and supervises staff.
• Designs and implements staff job descriptions and performance review forms and procedures.
• Plans and implements staff development opportunities.
• Sets clear policy and practices for positive and mutually supportive work environment.
• Evaluates assessment practices and remains updated on assessment research.
• Advocates for developmentally appropriate assessment of children and program.
• Plans, maintains, and reports on budget.
• Identifies and seeks additional funding opportunities as needed.
• Develops and maintains program marketing plan as needed.
• Possesses legal knowledge necessary for effective management.
• Provides strong leadership and visionary direction.

Content Area VIII: Professional Development and Leadership: Level 2

• Initiates and mediates group problem solving of ethical dilemmas.
• Recognizes causes and symptoms of “burnout” and develops strategies to prevent it.
• Keeps current on research and policy relevant to early education and care and revises practice accordingly.
• Understands how historical, philosophical, and social foundations of early childhood education affect current practices and future trends.
• Understands the impact of public policy upon children, families, and educational programs and advocates for supportive public policies.
• Designs staff development opportunities for staff and colleagues.
• Ensures staff development in cultural dynamics, (e.g., ethnocentrism, prejudice, cultural mistrust, white privilege).
• Recognizes variations in adult and child learning styles and applies knowledge to practice.
• Provides a work culture that fosters staff initiative to solve problems and resolve conflict.
• Serves on professional boards and committees.