When you submit your transcript to the Aspire Registry, our team looks at each course you have taken and adds information about these credits to your Aspire Profile. We want to be sure you get recognition for your hard work!
Courses taken at accredited higher education institutions or professional development sessions must be intended to enhance the knowledge and strengthen the skills of professionals teaching and caring for young children. Credit and non-credit courses can be assigned to one of the following categories:
- Early Childhood Education
Acceptable courses include those early childhood education courses that would be required in an early childhood education major. Examples include but are not limited to pedagogical content that is primarily focused on:
- methods and strategies for assessing and teaching young children (ages 0-8)
- literacy development for young children (emergent literacy)
- early childhood curriculum and instruction in content
- approaches to teaching and learning in grades pre-K through Grade 2
- managing the early childhood classroom
- early childhood development for diverse learners
Unacceptable courses include those that focus on more than one developmental level, such as human development, methods of teaching grades K-12 and Child and Adolescence Development. This definition has been adapted from the NYS B-2 certification requirements.
- General Education
Courses that prepare teachers to work in Elementary Education. (ex. Teaching Social Studies) or courses that are offered by education departments but do not directly relate to teaching practices are also included in this category. Content in these courses may be theoretical or promote critical thought about aspects of the education system. (Ex. Historical Perspectives on Education; Education and Technology)
- School Age/Youth Development
Courses that focus on recreation or subjects related to after-school care (e.g. Therapeutic Recreation, Recreation Management).
- Adult Education
Courses that focus on teaching adult learners (e.g. Adult Development, Adult Instruction Design).
- Leadership, Administration, and Management
Courses that focus on subjects relevant to the administration and operations of an early childhood program, such as Personnel Management in Early Childhood Program, Children’s Programs: Financial Planning and Budgeting.