Frequently Asked Questions

The National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is a national organization that supports early learning for children from birth to age 8. They connect research, policy, and practice to improve the quality of care and education for young children with a vision for a society where all young children thrive and reach their full potential. 

Competencies describe what educators can do—not just what they know. They develop through experience, education, and training and can be strengthened through support like coaching. They include skills like communication, teamwork, creating engaging activities, communicating with families, and supporting children’s development. 

This means educators practice what they’ve learned by using their skills in real-life settings. Professional development may include hands-on activities, visits with a coach or quality improvement specialist, on the job practice, communities of practice, or reflective conversations with a technical assistance specialist. 

• CKCs (Core Knowledge Categories) focus on what you learn in a training.

• Competencies focus on how you use those skills in real-life settings. 

Oregon’s Department of Early Learning and Care (DELC) is adopting competencies to create a more practical, equitable, and competency-based professional learning system. This approach aligns Oregon with other states, uses research-based best practices, and expands professional development beyond traditional training.

Importantly, these competencies are not requirements for educators but a way to describe their practices.

As part of its Growing Oregon Together strategic plan reflected in Goal 4.1.b, DELC has set the vision for implementing other core competencies, including those for infant and toddler care (Zero to Three Critical Competencies) and coaching (Oregon Coaching Competencies). Future plans include competencies for instructional leaders, professional development providers, home visiting professionals, and child care licensing staff.

This adoption will take place gradually over multiple years to support thoughtful implementation. Early phases are focusing on planning, engagement and preparing. DELC and other system partners are working together to create new materials to support understand of the competencies and how to use them in professional learning. Later phases will include replacing Core Knowledge Category language with the language from the standards and competencies, and other updates to Oregon’s professional registry to support on-the-job learning. This revision aims to make the registry system more effective, offering multiple career paths and highlighting the value of job-based learning. During the transition, both will be used side by side. 

No. Training you've already completed will still count. Changes to the Step system are being planned carefully. Any future updates will make sure your past work is still recognized. 

As one of the system partners in this collaborative work, Oregon Center of Career Development (OCCD) is looking closely at the current process of training approval and will determine if any updates will be needed. Any revisions to OCCD’s  Oregon Registry Training Program will be shared widely before going into effect. 

DELC is leading the project with collaboration from:

• Oregon Center for Career Development (OCCD)

• Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI)

• The Research Institute at WOU (TRI)

DELC is leading the project with collaboration from:

• Oregon Center for Career Development (OCCD)

• Early Learning System Initiative (ELSI)

• The Research Institute at WOU (TRI)

There will also be opportunities for input from community members, Child Care Resource & Referral agencies, and other workforce development partners.

To learn more, visit the Early Learning System Initiative’s (ELSI) Professional Learning Core website, where you will find an overview of the adoption, one-pagers for each standard, and additional resources. https://sites.google.com/oregonstate.edu/elsi/

oregons-professional-standards-and-competencies-orpsc For a full description of the NAEYC Profesional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators Visit: https://www.naeyc.org/about-us