The CDA is the most widely recognized credential in early childhood education, a key step on the path of early childhood education career advancement. This mark of distinction shows teacher knowledge of how to apply essential competency standards to classroom practice. Practitioners who earn the CDA credential understand how to meet and nurture the emotional, physical, intellectual, and social needs of young children

Please contact Teachstone customer support to drop the CDA with CLASS course. Please note that there is no refund after day one of the program.

Teachstone’s online CDA program is engaging, reflective, and comprehensive. Because our courses include the CLASS approach, our CDA program is a unique experience. You’ll observe authentic teacher–student interactions in early childhood classrooms as you learn how the CLASS approach supports high-quality engagement. 

It’s all online, so you have the flexibility to learn at your convenience—anytime, anywhere, on any device with a browser. With support for developing your Professional Portfolio, the coursework fully prepares you to earn the CDA credential. User-friendly technology makes it easy to ask questions, access resources, and follow your own progress in coursework. And an online facilitator will support you along the way.

The five-year-olds in your program can be considered both in the focus age-group of your professional development clock hours (the part you are working on in the CDA with CLASS program) and for your hours working with the children in your age group, a requirement from the CDA Council for Professional Recognition.

When your PD Specialist (representing the council) comes for your verification visit, you will want to plan activities that focus particularly on the five-year-olds in your care. This visit will occur after you are finished with the CDA with CLASS program.

We do not accept any transfer education hours into our CDA courses. Because the CDA with CLASS and the CDA Renewal with CLASS are unique to the CLASS approach, this experience is separate from other professional education experiences.

Assignments are graded within 7-10 days after submitting your assignment. Follow along with the Pacing Guide located in the “About” tab of your course to ensure that you are spacing out your assignments appropriately.

Please note that you will be awarded a “0” (did not pass) or a “100” (passed) for all assignments. Make sure to read the assignment directions carefully, and always review your facilitator feedback before attempting a new assignment.

The course is designed for students to move at their own pace, but within specific start and stop dates. We have provided a Pacing Guide to help keep you on track, which can be found under the “About” tab for the course. We recommend that you print out the Pacing Guide and write in the weeks’ dates along the left-hand corner. Follow along with the Pacing Guide and you will stay right on track and not be too overwhelmed with work!

All course materials must be completed by the last day of each 8-week course, including all modules, assignments, and discussions. You can’t pass the course unless all work is done.

Follow these steps to locate your feedback:

1. Go back to the assignment link (where you submitted your assignment).
2. Click on the link, then scroll down to the bottom of the page, past the assignment instructions.

There you will be able to see that the assignment is graded, and you can read the comments from your instructor in the section titled “Feedback.”

The gradebook may show an incomplete until your facilitator submits their final grading. You can double check to ensure that you have completed everything by verifying that each circle has a checkmark next to it on your course homepage.

Your facilitator will enter a total grade for your discussion participation at the end of the course. As you move through the course, you should see each section “checked off,” indicating that you have participated. As long as you are able to move on in the course, you should be all set!

The CDA exam is administered by the Council of Professional Recognition, and is taken after you have completed the CDA with CLASS program. Because we do not administer this exam, we encourage you to review your CDA book and carefully read over the “CDA Exam” section located under “Apply for the CDA Credentialing Process.”

Yes. The CDA National Credentialing book from the Council of Professional Recognition is shipped to all students in Course 1. You will use the book to support your coursework in the “Professional Portfolio Development” units located in each CDA with CLASS course.

The CDA Renewal with CLASS is a comprehensive online course for early childhood educators who want to renew their CDA, and can be used regardless of where original CDA coursework was completed. This 8-week course is an opportunity to expand your understanding of children’s developmental needs and how you can support them in partnership with colleagues, families, and communities. The CLASS framework is at the center of all this learning. You will grow and refine your understanding of CLASS in ways that improve your classroom practice.

This online program spans eight weeks and provides more than 45 hours of professional development to fulfill requirements for renewal of the CDA credential.* Throughout the program, online facilitators provide ongoing guidance and support.

*Enrollment in the CDA Renewal with CLASS does NOT include the Council for Professional Development application fee.

 As a teacher, you will:

• Build essential knowledge and skills for high-quality early learning classrooms.
• Gain an understanding of the CLASS tool.
• Apply ideas and strategies in your own classroom.
• Experience a sense of community in your cohort group.

There are many things that make our program special, including:

• Engaging modules with authentic classroom videos
• Intentional connections between theory and practice
• Meaningful interactivity in an online environment
• Integration of key CLASS concepts to improve Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) ratings
• Explanation of why classroom interactions matter
• Flexibility in start dates
• Easy accessibility, at any time and from any device
• Helpful and accessible course facilitators

For enrollment, you will need:

• A start date from our academic calendar
• Date of birth
• Preferred age-level: Pre-K or Infant-Toddler
• Valid credit card number

Please note: You are not required to have taken Teachstone’s CDA with CLASS to take the CDA Renewal with CLASS.

To enroll:

1. Visit https://cdastore.teachstone.com/.
2. Select the CDA Renewal with CLASS course.

To successfully complete the course, you must:

• Complete all online course work in the 8-week program.
• Submit satisfactory work on all course assignments per the course syllabus.
• Participate in online discussions.

Upon successful completion of the course, teachers earn the following:

• 4.5 CEUs (Continuing Education Units)
• 45 hours of professional development required to apply for your CDA renewal certification
• CDA Renewal with CLASS teacher certificate

CDA Renewal with CLASS includes six units:

• Unit 1: The Developing Child and CLASS
• Unit 2: Your Interactions and CLASS
• Unit 3: A Closer Look at CLASS
• Unit 4: Planning with CLASS
• Unit 5: Interacting with Family
• Unit 6: Interacting with Colleagues and Community

You must complete the course in accordance with the course syllabus.

Remaining 2019 enrollment dates:

December 16, 2019 course start: Enrollment open November 19, 2019 to December 9, 2019

To renew your CDA credential with the Council for Professional Development, you need the following:

• 45 clock hours of Continued Professional Education (provided in CDA Renewal with CLASS)
• A membership to a national or local Early Childhood Professional Organization
• A minimum of 80 hours working with young children
• A recommendation from an ECE Reviewer
• Current First Aid and Infant and Child CPR Certification

When you complete CDA Renewal with CLASS and gather all of the documentation listed, you are ready to apply! This helpful guide will support you in reviewing all of the Council requirements to renew.

If you have an expired credential, you will need to start over with the Council and apply as if you are a new candidate. However, you do not need to redo your original 120 clock hours of education. Your initial 120 clock hours are always valid toward your CDA credential. 

Because your initial 120 clock hours can be applied to your application as a new candidate, you do not need to take the CDA Renewal with CLASS. It is essential for you to talk with your Center Director and the benefits coordinator. Starting from scratch means that you will need to pay the (currently) $425.00 application fee again. The application fee is a significant investment, so discuss your expired credential situation with your administrators to plan the best course of action for you. It may be that CDA with CLASS is a great option to refresh your knowledge.