Early Childhood Coaching

A) Demonstrates Ethical Practice

A coach:

• Acts with honesty, integrity, and professionalism.
• Respects each person’s identity, background, values, and beliefs.
• Communicates in a respectful and inclusive way.
• Maintains confidentiality except when legally required or necessary to ensure safety.
• Refers individuals to other professionals or resources when needed.
• Follows the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Code of Ethics and upholds its core values.

B) Embodies a Coaching Mindset

A coach:

• Believes each person can make their own choices and decisions.
• Honors each person’s culture, background, and experiences.
• Uses self-awareness, intuition, and emotional regulation to support others’ learning and development.
• Engages in ongoing learning, self-reflection, and personal growth as a coach.
• Seeks support or guidance when needed.

C) Establishes and Maintains Partnership

The coach and coachee work together to:

• Clarify roles, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Agree on scheduling, meeting length, confidentiality, and who is involved.
• Set clear goals and define what success looks like.
• Stay focused during sessions and use time well.
• Adjust goals only when both agree.
• Reflect on whether the partnership is a good fit.
• End the coaching relationship in a respectful and reflective way.

D) Cultivates Trust and Safety

A coach:

• Seeks to understand the coachee’s identity and experiences.
• Respects different communication styles and perspectives.
• Encourages honest sharing of thoughts and feelings.
• Responds with empathy and support.
• Builds trust through openness and authenticity.

E) Maintains Presence

A coach:

• Prepares mentally and emotionally before each session.
• Stays focused, curious, and attentive.
• Manages strong emotions with awareness and confidence.
• Accepts uncertainty and does not need to have all the answers.
• Uses silence and pauses to allow reflection.

F) Listens Actively

A coach:

• Listens with curiosity and respect for the coachee’s background and beliefs.
• Paraphrases to confirm understanding.
• Notices what is not being said and asks thoughtful follow-up questions.
• Observes tone, body language, and energy shifts.

G) Evokes Awareness

A coach:

• Asks open-ended questions about values, goals, and beliefs.
• Helps the coachee see challenges as opportunities for growth.
• Encourages new perspectives and possibilities.
• Supports brainstorming next steps that match readiness and capacity.
• Shares observations to spark reflection.
• Recognizes what is working and adjusts support as needed.

H) Facilitates Growth

A coach:

• Helps turn new insights into action.
• Supports meaningful goal setting and accountability.
• Identifies possible barriers, resources, and supports.
• Reviews key learning and progress.
• Celebrates successes and builds confidence for next steps.

This component evaluates your academic background in Early Childhood or related fields. All coursework and degrees must be verified through the Early Childhood Workforce Registry. Only your highest completed degree or the degree with the highest point value will count toward your score.

• Maximum Points: 40
• Expiration Date: None

Scoring Criteria

Field of Study Definitions

• Early Childhood: Early Childhood Education, Child Development, Early Childhood Special Education
• Early Childhood – Related: Elementary Education, Child Development and Family Science, Family and Consumer Science, Human Development and Family Science, Special Education

This component recognizes your continued professional growth through approved training, workshops, or conferences. All professional development must be verified through the Early Childhood Workforce Registry and appear on your Learning Record as approved clock hours.

• Maximum Points: 30
• Expiration Date: 3 years from the date of the training

Scoring Criteria

• 1 clock hour = 1 point

This component recognizes hands-on work experience in early childhood settings, including both direct and indirect roles.

• Maximum Points: 20
• Expiration Date: None

Scoring Criteria

• 1,040 hours = 1 point

Eligible Experience

Work experience must be recorded on the Employment tab of your Early Childhood Workforce Registry individual profile. Overlapping employment timeframes will only be counted once. 

Eligible roles include:

• Coach
• Consultant
• Early Intervention Specialist
• Family/Group Assistant Caregiver
• Family/Group Lead Caregiver
• Program Director
• Teacher
• Assistant Teacher

Experience may be consecutive or non-consecutive, in North Dakota or out of state, and Verified or Self-Reported. For experience that is self-reported, a letter of verified employment from the reported employer must be submitted. For roles related to direct care (e.g. Family/Group Lead Caregiver) a letter of verified operation from a previous Licensing Specialist must be submitted.

This component evaluates your ability to apply coaching knowledge and skills in real-world settings. Points are awarded through structured reflections and feedback that demonstrate your professional competencies.

• Maximum Points: 10
• Expiration Date: 3 years from the date of submission of self-reflection, supervisor reflection, or coachee survey.

Scoring Criteria

• Self-Reflection Tool: 5 points
• Supervisor Reflection Tool: 3 points
• Coachee Survey: 2 points

Your membership level is determined by the total points earned across all four components.