1. Welcome to today’s
Information
Session
Please download
a copy of the
CDA 2.0 Transition Guide
at cdacouncil.org/cda2013

2. Will be effective as of
June 1, 2013

3. What is “CDA 2.0 ”?
• The term “CDA 2.0” is the Council’s way of letting the early
childhood community know that the CDA credentialing system
is about to be updated, on June 1, 2013,
streamlining the process and making it
even more valuable as a professional
development experience for Candidates.
• Once the new system goes into effect,
we will stop using the term “2.0” because,
at that point, it will be the one and only Child Development
Associate (CDA) National Credentialing Program™.

4. Candidate Assessment
• The credentialing system is built upon the CDA
Competency Goals and Functional Areas
• Every Candidate will be required to:
– collect evidence of competence into the Professional
Portfolio
– compose a Professional Philosophy Statement and six
Reflective Statements of Competence
– be observed working with young children
– participate in a reflective dialogue
– take the CDA Exam

5. Candidate’s knowledge and competencies will
be determined using two factors:
• 65-question test of ECE practice
CDA Exam knowledge, taken at a local testing center
Verification Visit • Review of Professional Portfolio, transcripts/
certificates, Family Questionnaires
- The R. O. R. • Direct Observation of competencies
• Reflective Dialogue – Candidate’s areas of
Model ™ strength and growth
Both the CDA Exam and Verification Visit Comprehensive Scoring
Instrument were designed using the CDA Competency Goals and
Functional Areas, which will remain unchanged.

6. Comparison of the
Current and Future
CDA Credentialing Processes

8. Who participates in the CDA process?
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
CDA
CDA Advisor Professional
Development
Council Specialist
Representative
CDA Candidate
CDA Candidate

9. Step 1: Anytime before Application
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
Minimum of high school Minimum of high school
diploma/GED diploma/GED
or
or Enrolled in a high school
vocational program
Enrolled in a high school
vocational program 120 hours of education in 8
Subject Areas

10. Step 2: Before Application
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
(within 5 years) (within 3 years)
120 hours of training in
8 Subject Areas 480 hours of experience
480 hours of experience

11. Step 3: Within Six Months before Application
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
Observation by CDA Advisor Professional Portfolio
(chosen by the candidate) completed by Candidate
Professional Resource File
(PRF) completed by Family Questionnaires (FQ)
Candidate gathered by the Candidate
Parent Questionnaires (PQ)
gathered by Candidate

12. Step 4: Application
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
Candidate sends to the Candidate sends to the
Council: Council:
• Application •Application
•Fee •Fee
•Transcripts and/or •Candidate receives
Certificates of training approval that application is
complete and fee
was processed

13. Step 5: Council Approval of Completed Application
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
(approval within 3 months)
Verification Visit conducted by Verification Visit conducted by
Council Representative CDA Professional Development
(assigned by Council): Specialist (chosen by Candidate):
•Early Childhood Studies Review •Review of
exam PP, FQs, transcripts/Certificates
•Observation
•Oral Interview •Reflective Dialogue
•Review of PRF and PQs •Candidate takes CDA
Exam at a local
PearsonVUE center

14. Step 6: After Verification Visit
Current CDA “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing Process Credentialing Process
Council Representative mails Professional Development
Verification Visit results to the Specialist sends Verification
Council Visit scores to the Council
online
PearsonVue sends exam
scores to the Council online
Step 7: Council awards or denies CDA Credential

15. Credentialing Determination
Denial Award
Upon completion of the Exam, the Candidate’s scores in each of the 13 CDA Functional
Areas will be immediately transmitted to the Council.
Based on their findings from the Verification Visit, the PD Specialist will submit their
Recommended Scores to the Council online.
The Council will then combine the two sets of scores into a final Cumulative
Score which will determine Candidate credentialing. Awarded or denied,
the Candidate will also receive feedback on their strengths and areas of
growth in each of the CDA Functional Areas.

16. CDA 2.0 Credentialing Process

17. The 2013 Transition Plan
• Any Candidate whose application is received by the Council with a
postmark date on or before May 31, 2013 will use the current CDA
Credentialing process. The Candidate will be assigned a Council
Representative who will conduct the Verification Visit, even if that
Visit takes place after June 1. All applications using the current CDA
Credentialing process, that therefore include Verification Visits by
Council Reps, will be completed by August 31, 2013.
• Any Candidate whose application is received by the Council with a
postmark date on or after June 1, 2013 will use the “CDA 2.0”
Credentialing process . The Candidate will need to choose a CDA
Professional Development Specialist to conduct the Verification
Visit and will need to take the CDA Exam at a local
PearsonVUE testing center.

18. Useful Resources
www.cdacouncil.org

19. For More Information
Sign Up for the CounciLINK Newsletter
Be sure to keep up with all the news from the Council. CounciLINK, our
monthly newsletter, is our primary way to provide you with the
most current information you need to succeed! If you
are not yet on our emailing list, please sign up:
www.cdacouncil.org/newsletter.
Email Us
Have other CDA 2.0-related questions or concerns? Please feel free to
contact Richard Cohen, Director of Communications, Partnerships
and New Initiatives, at richardc@cdacouncil.org or Mary
LaMantia, Manager of the CDA Professional Development Specialist
Program, at maryl@cdacouncil.org.