Verification Standards

Accomplishments we will verify

Introduction

Individuals are required to submit documentation to support all education data saved in the PD Registry. Individuals do not have to submit originals or official copies for verification. The PD Registry accepts unofficial documents. Clear copies will be accepted in most cases though the PD Registry reserves the right to request original documentation if needed. Schedules will not be accepted as appropriate documentation for formal education, credentials, or training because accepted documentation must indicate that the individual completed the education.

"Formal education" is defined as a degree or class taken at a high school, college or university. This includes high school diplomas, college degrees, and college classes.

This section applies only to education completed in the United States. Any education completed outside the United States must first go through translation and evaluation.

High School Diplomas

The documentation for high school diploma depends on the individual's education level and the accreditation of the awarding institution. In all cases, all documentation must include the individual's name, the completion date of the education, and the name of the awarding institution.

If the individual...

  1. has completed a college degree, the college degree diploma or an unofficial college transcript may be used as proof of high school diploma. The college degree must have been awarded by a regionally accredited college or university.
  2. has completed and passed a credit-bearing class at a college AND is currently degree seeking, an unofficial college transcript may be used as proof of high school diploma. The college class must have been completed at a regionally accredited college or university. The degree the individual is seeking must be at a regionally accredited college or university.
  3. has completed a regionally accredited high school program, a diploma will be accepted.
  4. has completed a high school program that is NOT regionally accredited, a diploma will not be sufficient. In addition, the individual must submit one of: a full transcript of grades 9 - 12; OR a GED certificate; OR a letter stating the diploma will be accepted by a regionally accredited post-secondary institution.
  5. completed a high school program before 2004, a diploma will be accepted regardless of the institution's accreditation status.

Post-Secondary (college or university) Degrees

The PD Registry only accepts post-secondary degrees from regionally accredited institutions.

A diploma will be accepted if it displays the degree level, awarding institution, and date awarded.

A college transcript or grade report will be accepted if it lists (at minimum) the person’s name, the award date of the degree, and the name of the awarding institution.

Post-Secondary (college or university) Classes

The PD Registry only accepts post-secondary degrees from regionally accredited institutions.

A college transcript or grade report will be accepted if it lists (at minimum) the person's name, class names, credit/hour amounts for each class, the start and end dates of the classes, and the name of the awarding institution.

Only classes and degrees from regionally accredited colleges and universities can be classified as ECE.

"ECE credits" are college credits that covered topics specific to the Early Childhood Education field. ECE credits may be earned as part of a degree or outside of a specific degree program. For individual classes to be determined as conferring ECE credits, a full transcript must be submitted for verification. The verification process uses course descriptions or syllabi from the awarding institution. The description or syllabus must indicate the curriculum teaches primarily child development and/or child education topics with a concentration on ages birth to 4.

Classes that are part of an accredited 9-hour, 15-hour, or 18-hour ECE Teacher Certification program will be accepted as ECE credits.

An "ECE degree" is a college-level degree that included at least 18 ECE credits as part of its core curriculum. The verification process uses degree descriptions from the awarding institution. The description must indicate the curriculum teaches primarily child development and/or child education topics with a concentration on ages birth to 4.

The PD Registry evaluates all submitted college diplomas and transcripts to determine if the credits and degrees they confer qualify as ECE.

"ECE-related" degrees and classes cover topics relating to child development or child education that do not focus on ages birth to 4.

"Informal education" is defined as any training conferring clock hours, in-service hours, or CEUs. 1 CEU is considered equal to 10 clock hours or 10 in-service hours.

The PD Registry records training completed as part of the 40-clock-hour Introductory Child Care Training. The PD Registry will verify that Part I, Part II, and/or the 30-hour Family Home have been completed, and will save the individual classes that comprise Part I, Part II, or the Family Home. The FL DCF Training Transcript is sufficient as proof of all accomplishments it lists.

The documentation accepted for verification of informal education may be either a certificate of attendance or a class sign-in sheet. Both types of documentation must include:

  1. the individual's name,
  2. the name of the class,
  3. the completion date of the class,
  4. the number hours or CEUs the class confers, and
  5. the name of the awarding institution.

For any course of study resulting in a credential or certificate, the awarding certificate will be accepted if it includes the person's name, the name of the award, the awarding organization, the award date and, if applicable, the expiration date. A transcript from the awarding organization (such as a DCF Child Care Training Transcript) will also be accepted if it includes the information listed above.

When the expiration date does not appear on the documents provided, for example the First Aid/CPR or National CDA certificates, the following expiration terms will apply:

  1. First Aid/CPR – two (2) years from the date issued
  2. National CDA – three (3) years from the date issued

Only classes conferring college credits taught at regionally accredited colleges and universities will be verified by the PD Registry.

The documentation accepted for verification of accredited teaching engagement may be a copy of the institution's course catalog or a link to an active, official website listing faculty. Both types of documentation must include:

  1. the individual's name,
  2. the name of the class,
  3. the course code of the class, and
  4. the semesters taught.

Only conferences occurring within one year of submission can be verified. The document accepted for verification may be a copy of the official conference schedule or an active, official website listing the conference details.