Levels and Standards Key

The level and standard correlations key for each KET early childhood course are designed to help you find the training that best meets your needs.

Training Level

Each early childhood course is assigned to one of five levels of training. Level 1 is a basic introduction to a subject, and Level 5 represents the most advanced information.

Selecting a level is an individual decision based on your existing knowledge of a topic. If you already know a lot about a subject, a Level 1 or 2 training program might not help you learn anything new. On the other hand, if you have very little knowledge of the subject, you may find it hard to understand the content of a high-level course.

CDA Subject Areas

The CDA (Child Development Associate) is a certification issued by the Council for Professional Recognition indicating that a child care provider has met professional standards in a specified set of subject areas. The CDA standards identify 8 subject areas:

  1. Planning a safe and healthy learning environment
  2. Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development
  3. Supporting children’s social and emotional development
  4. Building productive relationships with families
  5. Managing an effective program operation
  6. Maintaining a commitment to professionalism
  7. Observing and recording children’s behavior
  8. Understanding principles of child development and learning

Visit the Council for Professional Recognition web site to learn more about these subject areas and how to pursue CDA certification.

Kentucky Core Content

These abbreviations represent subject areas defined in the state P-12 curriculum standards from the Kentucky Department of Education.

CGD: Child Growth and Development
HSN: Health, Safety, and Nutrition
PD: Professional Development
LEC: Learning Environments and Curriculum
CA: Child Assessment
FCP: Family and Community Partnerships
PME: Program Management and Evaluation

For more information about the core content areas, visit the Kentucky Governor’s Office of Early Childhood website.

Course Completion Method

Programs are available in four different ways:

  • Face to Face KET provides free, for-credit workshops for early childhood professionals aimed at increasing educator effectiveness and family engagement. *Please note: We require a minimum of 15 participants.
  • Online — Online courses are complete and fully functional with all the materials needed (including video) to complete them online.

All early childhood professional development courses are approved for ECE TRIS credit.