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WHO should join the Registry?
Early
Care and Education professionals work at all levels of the Career Ladder,
from entry level to advanced. The Career Ladder recognizes
the important contributions of the entire ECE workforce, regardless of
the position a person holds or their level. ECE professionals are: Teachers, Caregivers, Child Care Providers, Family Day Care and Group Home Providers, Educators, Administrators, Trainers, and Advocates. In other words, anyone working directly or indirectly with
young children (ages birth to 8) in a variety of settings can be a part
of The Nevada Registry. |
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WHY should you join?
Regardless
of how long you have been in the field or where you are at on your career
path, your participation
matters! The information provided in your application becomes our collective
voice and serves as the basis for research, policy making and legislative
action aimed at addressing the issues facing our field. Without you, our
voice (our profession) won't be heard. In addition to becoming part of
the movement to professionalize the field of ECE, joining the Registry
offers you these additional benefits: |
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The
Nevada Registry will place you on the Career Ladder and maintain a personal
career development file on your behalf. You'll be able to keep your completed
educational and work experiences, as well as your training records,
in a centralized location. |
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When you join, you will be issued a customized report of your
completed Registry-approved training. Your Training Report will be a great
tool to share with your Licensing representative (if applicable), parents,
and/or a potential employer. It is also designed to help you determine which
Core Knowledge Areas you have a strong knowledge base in and those in which
further learning and growth is needed. |
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You
will be awarded a professional Certificate of Achievement highlighting
your Career Ladder level and years of experience in the field. Your certificate
provides you with a tangible tool for demonstrating your
professional
qualities
and
strengths
as well
as
your
professional
image. Certificates can help you market yourself or your
program to potential families. |
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Most importantly, joining the Registry sends the message
that you believe in the work you are doing, you have made a commitment to continuing your education and training in
ECE, and that You are holding yourself accountable to standards of professional achievement.. |
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What happens when I apply?
When you join The
Nevada Registry,
a Career Development File will be created on your behalf. |
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| How can Registry certificates and Career Ladder levels be used? |
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If
you are an Early Care and Education provider, you can use your Registry
certificate and Career Ladder level: |
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When applying for new employment positions, when negotiating for
a salary increase, when needing to document your level of professional development and
areas of expertise, and as you define your future career goals and plan for your continued professional
development. |
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If
you are an Early Care and Education Administrator, you might use Registry
certificates and
Career
Ladder levels to: |
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Recruit staff, publicize the education, training and experience of your staff so parents
know that children are being cared for and educated by trained and educated
practitioners, and justify wage increases for your staff based on their level and movement
along the Career Ladder. |
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If
you are a parent of a young child, you might use Registry certificates
and Career Ladder levels to: |
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Make informed choices about your child care options, develop an understanding of the importance of ongoing training and education
in the early childhood profession, and give you a basis for expecting high quality care from highly trained
and educated practitioners. |
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How much does it cost to join?
There is currently NO COST to join the Registry/apply for Career Ladder placement!
Fees may go into effect in the future. |
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| How is my Career Ladder level determined? |
Your
Career Ladder level is determined by looking at your entire educational
career in the field of
Early Care and Education. You
are placed at the highest level for which you have documented verification
that you meet all of the criteria. Your level will be reassessed each
year
upon your annual renewal date. |
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| What if my degree is in something other than ECE? |
Individuals
applying to the Registry without a degree in ECE must submit copies
of college transcripts that show an
emphasis of studies in working
with families and children (ages birth through eight), or possess
a state teaching license containing an Early Childhood, Early Childhood
Special Education, 0-K or 0-2 Special Endorsement*. Additional documentation
such as course descriptions, internships, or other supporting
materials can also be submitted as verification of having obtained
30 ECE credits within your non-ECE degree program. |
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| Do I have to qualify at each level of the Career Ladder in order to advance to the next? |
Not
necessarily. For example, if you are not currently working directly
with children, or if you
are employed by
an agency that is not subject to licensing requirements, Level 1
and corresponding sublevels would not apply. As another example,
if you
do not have hours of experience in the field working directly with
children, but you do have a Bachelor’s degree in ECE, you could
bypass Levels 1 – 4 and be placed at Level 5.1 and so on. |
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| Do I need to submit my High School Diploma? |
Proof of high school graduation is not required if you have completed 20 or more credits from an accredited college or university (i.e., Level 3.2 on the Career Ladder) and/or have obtained a degree*. In these cases, copies of your degrees and college transcripts provide
the necessary documentation and will be accepted in lieu of a High School Diploma/High School Transcripts. |
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In other words, if you are applying
for Level 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1 or 2.2, you must submit a copy of your High
School Diploma or GED. |
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| How can I get a copy of my High School Diploma? |
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If you graduated from high school after 1940, you can obtain a copy of your transcripts by contacting your high school or the school district where your high school is/was located. The Registry will also accept a signed statement on letterhead from the school or Board of Education/School District if a copy of your diploma/transcripts cannot be obtained. The letter must include the name of the graduate with the graduation date indicated. |
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If you graduated from high school prior to 1940 and are unable to obtain a copy of your diploma/transcripts as described above, a Verification of High School Diploma form may be submitted with your Participant Application for Career Ladder Placement. This form must be signed and notarized in order to be considered complete. Incomplete forms will not be factored into your Career Ladder placement. |
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| What if I earned my degree in another country? |
The Registry is not able to translate transcripts
and/or degrees from other countries nor is the Registry able to determine
course and degree
equivalency. For this reason, we require that transcripts
and/or degrees be translated by an official translation agency or by
an institution
of
higher education (community college or university), and a letter or statement of equivalency be obtained prior to your application to the Registry. |
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| What about my years of experience? |
No one can discount
the importance of experience when it comes to working with children
and families. However, research
continues to indicate that
formal training is one of the major indicators of quality child care.
As a result, our ladder rewards practitioners for the completion
of specialized training in the field. The Career Ladder levels are
a measure
of formal
education gained by taking courses at the community college and/or
university level and are awarded by The Nevada Registry based
on either accumulated credits or degrees earned. Although the levels
of the ladder do not take in to account an individual's years of
service in the field, we do understand the value of long term dedication
and
commitment to children and families. For this reason, those years
of invaluable service are recognized separately on an individual's
Registry certificate along with his/her Career Ladder level.
Please note that certificates show
completed years of experience only. For instance, if at the time
of application you have 3 years and 2 months of experience in the field,
your certificate will
show 3 years of self-reported experience. |
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| Can my training be counted as college credit? |
No. There currently is no way to articulate informal
training hours into formal education. Therefore, the Registry can count
education/training
as college credit only when college courses have been taken and completed
at
an institution of higher education (community college or university)
and appear on a college transcript. |
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| Can my ECE college courses be used to meet my annual training requirements? |
Yes! A one-credit ECE college
course is equivalent to 15 hours of child care training*.
In other words, you can take an ECE course at your local community college or
university and meet your annual training requirements at the same time.
To learn
more
about
the various
ECE degree programs available in our state, click
here.
*Licensing will only accept college coursework when it is an ECE
course (i.e., you can't meet your training requirements by taking
a math class). Always
check with your local licensing surveyor when taking a course not clearly
related to ECE to ensure that it will be
accepted. |
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| How often should I send copies of my documentation (training certificates, etc.)? |
Please
do not submit documentation until you receive your annual renewal
notice
from the Registry.* At that time, we will ask that you submit any
documentation for trainings attended, college courses completed,
degrees earned,
etc. since the time of your last application. Your career development
file will be updated and a new certificate will be issued. *Annual renewal dates correspond to your certificate expiration
date. |
