Florida Director’s Certificate Renewal

Upon satisfactorily completing the Florida Director’s Certificate Renewal program, students should be able to:

• Identify key considerations for developing a child care center philosophy and mission & vision statements
• Recognize elements of a developmentally appropriate classroom and effective curriculum practices
• Identify practices that ensure safe and healthy food service and promote healthy eating habits in young children
• Identify common hazards throughout the school facility and strategies for maintaining a safe and healthy environment
• Recognize leadership practices that promote efficiency, teamwork, collaboration and effective communication
• Identify strategies, requirements and best practices for hiring, training, and retaining employees
• Identify effective communication strategies with employees and families
• Identify elements of leadership that build employee morale, promote continuous quality improvement, and prevent turnover
• Identify recommended safe practices and policies for responding to various types of disasters and security threats
• Identify and analyze center procedures for developing risk management policies and training employees
• Identify best practices pertaining to social media and technology use in a child care environment
• Identify strategies for responding to challenging behaviors in the child care environment
• Identify various forms of child advocacy
• Recognize recommended strategies for building relationships with families and promoting family involvement
• Identify regulations and legal requirements that relate to operating a child care center
• Demonstrate key elements of child care center management

Students enrolled in the Florida Director’s Certificate Renewal program are assessed using the following methods:

• Competency based multiple choice questions
• Student activities and/or observations with written feedback
• End of Course Quizzes in multiple choice format – Students must pass each quiz with a grade of 70% or better to complete the course
• Cumulative Final Exam in multiple choice format – Students must pass with a grade of 70% or better to complete the certificate program

• Must be 18 years of age or older
• Must possess a high school diploma or GED obtained from institutions accredited and recognized by U. S. Department of Education and submit documentation as proof. High school diplomas issued by private schools that are registered with the Florida Department of Education will also be accepted. Diplomas earned outside the U. S. or presented in a language other than English must be translated by a member of the American Translators Association, an approved credential evaluation agency approved by the Bureau of Educators Certification, or an accredited college/university.
• Must have access to a computer and printer
• Must have a valid email address
• Must have access to the Internet through a CCEI supported JavaScript enabled web browser (i.e. Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, etc.)
• Must be able to speak, read, and write well enough in the language the course is presented in to understand and complete the course material
• Several courses within the Florida Director’s Certificate Renewal program require observation, assessment, and practical application of learning principles in an early childhood learning environment. Students must be working in or have access to an early childhood environment to successfully complete these courses.

Textbook Information: No textbook is required to complete this certificate program.

Prospective students are strongly encouraged to check with their licensing representatives to determine each program’s applicability toward state requirements.