Circle Preschool CDA Training Program

The Circle CDA Training Program was developed by the Texas School Ready Project, part of the Children’s Learning Institute at UTHealth Houston. The goal of the Circle CDA Training Program is to provide all high quality, formal professional development hours to enable early childhood teachers to earn the required training hours needed to apply for the Child Development Associate© (CDA) national credential. Awarded by the Council for Professional Recognition, the CDA is the most recognized credential for early childhood professionals.

Preschool CDA Training

This training program provides a new professional development opportunity and career pathway for early childhood teachers. In this training program, teachers will receive all 120 hours of high-quality professional development in the 13 CDA Functional Areas, as well as support to complete the required CDA competency statements and professional portfolio. All Circle CDA professional development, provided through online courses developed by the Children’s Learning Institute, is free to eligible CLI Engage users. Through the Circle CDA Training Program, participants will have the opportunity to complete all 120 hours needed to apply for the Preschool CDA, as well as online support in preparing their CDA Professional Portfolio, a required collection of reference materials related to their work.

At this time, the Circle CDA Training Program is available for early childhood professionals interested in applying for the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential™ for Center-Based Programs, Preschool Endorsement.

How Do I Get Started with the Circle CDA Training Program for Preschool?

Watch the overview video and review the following resources for additional information about the Circle CDA Training Program. After logging in to CLI Engage, there are additional resources related to the Circle CDA Training Program that are available under the Online Learning and Professional Development section. Look for the Circle CDA Training Program in the course catalog and enroll in the course named Circle CDA Training Program Resources to learn more about the program.

Earn the CDA in High School

While the Circle CDA Training Program was originally developed for early childhood teachers currently working in the field, these resources and materials can also be used to support high school students interested in earning a CDA while still in high school. Review the following resource to learn more about using the Circle CDA Training Program within your high school’s CTE program:

Overview

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