Offer multiple pathways to the early childhood credential, including integrated bachelor's, transfer articulation, postbaccalaureate, dual certification, and residency routes¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

The eight studied institutions of higher education designed multiple pathways to attract diverse candidates and serve educators entering by varying routes. These include integrated bachelor's degree and certification programs completable in 4 or 5 years, transfer pathways and statewide articulation agreements beginning at community colleges, postbaccalaureate routes, dual certification in early childhood and bilingual or special education, and teacher residencies. The report describes "teacher residencies that enable candidates to work full time as teachers alongside expert teachers while completing coursework that is integrated with their clinical practice."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• Statewide articulation agreements and mapped transfer routes to connect community college coursework to credential programs

Constraints¶

• Different pathways are needed for candidates first entering education, those seeking specialized learning about young children, and those pursuing career advancement

Target Learners¶

• prospective early childhood educators
• community college transfer students
• experienced early childhood educators seeking credentials
• career changers holding a bachelor's degree

Target Learning Goals¶

• early childhood teaching credential
• bilingual or special education dual certification

Related Strategies¶

• Reduce barriers for diverse early childhood credential candidates through cost subsidies, flexible course logistics, cohort community, outreach, and specialized advising
• Offer candidates multiple ways of demonstrating competence, crediting prior teaching experience and using performance-based alternative assessments
• Offer targeted service scholarships, loan forgiveness, and 1-year postbaccalaureate residency programs to rapidly expand the supply of well-prepared teachers in shortage fields and locations
• Target prospective teachers in childhood and early childhood education to earn special education certificates at first certification, and consider incentives redirecting teachers from administration toward shortage areas
• Create streamlined credit-transfer pathways between two-year and four-year institutions to raise completions
• Treat pathway legitimacy as a design target: ensure alternative routes are perceived as legitimate, usable, and socially recognized

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Schachner, A., Wang, V., Yun, C., Plasencia, S., Mauerman, C., McJunkins, C., & Stipek, D. (2025). Preparing early childhood teachers: Credentialing and preparation programs in four states. Learning Policy Institute. https://doi.org/10.54300/177.512