Indicator: 27 - Teachers With Early Childhood Certification

Why This Is Important

Having a strong background in early childhood education may help elementary teachers plan and adjust their instruction to their learners’ needs. School boards and administrators that support professional development efforts and hiring criteria that encourage more elementary-level teachers to have this special level of certification are demonstrating a way to make schools readier for children.
 

Where We Stand

Teachers who hold Early Childhood Education Certificates have completed coursework and training specific to the developmental needs of young children (ages 0- 8). While 114 Maine teachers had this certification in the 2001-2002 school year, this was only 1% of the 11,450 public and private elementary school classroom teachers in Maine. Furthermore, of those individuals that held such a certificate, only 55 were employed in a school setting.

Data Sources and Context

The data source is the Division of Certification, Maine Department of Education, 2002.