In Vermont, some public and independent schools operate child care or afterschool programs regulated by the Child Development Division of the Vermont Agency of Human Services. Staff members working in these programs may need to meet certain requirements for child care licensing in addition to the requirements set by the Agency of Education and school districts or supervisory unions.
Northern Lights at CCV supports schools and districts with submitting staff qualifications and training documentation to be entered into individual Bright Futures Information System (BFIS) Quality Credentialing accounts. Below are links and resources to support schools in meeting these requirements in ways that work best for them:
Submitting Staff Qualifications Documentation
We encourage individuals to submit their staff qualifications documents directly to Northern Lights when possible. We understand that for many schools it is easier for someone in the administrative office to submit staff qualifications documents on behalf of their staff members. Below are a few tips to help ensure the documents you submit can be entered into the Child Development Division’s data system, BFIS:
- Include the Verification Cover Sheet – signed by the staff member – with the staff qualifications documents. This gives Northern Lights permission to enter the documents into the Child Development Division’s data system (BFIS).
- If you are submitting a teacher license, please be sure to include either a college transcript or copy of their degree. BFIS will not allow us to upload a teacher license unless we attach it to a transcript or degree.
Submitting Training Documentation
Public and Independent schools in Vermont can choose one of three different methods for submitting training documentation to Northern Lights: using training certificates, using the streamlined sponsor process for schools, or becoming an approved sponsor.
- For details about what to include in training certificates, visit the Make Training Count page
- For details about becoming an approved Sponsor, contact your Northern Lights Resource Advisor
Testimonials:
The School District Professional Development Documentation Process, the new option for school districts for submitting our professional development opportunities to Northern Lights at CCV, will streamline our practices. It will allow us to spend less time on the paperwork associated with accounting for professional development, will allow us to broaden the scope of offerings, and will decrease barriers to complying with professional development requirements. This is one example of how the CDD, Northern Lights at CCV, and AOE are working together to address the needs of public school based early childhood programs.
Becca Webb, M.Ed, Regional Act 166 Coordinator, Winooski Valley Superintendents Association
The recent pilot option of using a web form to submit professional learning for school districts worked well for CVSD. The system is easy and with an attendance roster, streamlined. The district has offered our early education staff training for years that goes undocumented due to the complexity of the old system. Multiple administrators, coaches and outside professionals offer PD in multiple schools. Most of this does not get to individual’s BFIS files as we have to document it internally already and not every trainer is aware of the BFIS system. This pilot has allowed us to enter PD for groups of people and give staff credit efficiently while complying with documentation requirements for the CDD regulations.
Shelley Henson, Director of Early Education, Champlain Valley School District
