Contents
Click below to jump to a topic, or use Ctrl+F to search this page.
Teacher certification requirements
Teacher certification requirements are outlined in the LENA Certified Teacher Tracker in the Teacher Guide. Teachers and Coaches use this form to keep track of participation throughout the sequence.
How to certify a teacher in LENA Online
As part of Session Preparation for Coaching Session 5, a group's Coach certifies each teacher who met the requirements during the sequence.
- Open the Group Staffing tab.
- Click Certify Teacher.
- Review requirements. If teacher completed, click I Agree. (If not, click I Disagree. The teacher is ineligible for certification.)
- Repeat for each eligible teacher.
- View, save, or print certificates from this tab, or from the View Reports screen. Bring them to Coaching Session 5. Some programs even frame teachers' certificates.
Important:
- Certification tools are unavailable after a group is closed. Certify before closing the group.
- Certification is not available to teachers in groups with fewer than five LENA Days.
- Certification is not available for Flex sequences.
Teacher Survey
At the end of a Grow 1 Essentials or Grow 2 Insights sequence, the report stack includes a unique QR code for each teacher. The code links to the Teacher Survey for that sequence.
LENA also emails a survey link to each teacher associated with the group. The email is bilingual (English/Spanish) and contains a link in each language.
The online survey is available in English and Spanish. The teacher can switch languages on the first screen of the survey.
Important Note for Teachers With Shared Email Addresses
If multiple teachers use the same email address, the system still sends one email message per teacher. In other words, the address will receive several messages. Each message mentions the corresponding teacher by name, and contains a link specific to that teacher. Whoever monitors the inbox must distribute the correct links to the correct teachers.
Alternatively, use the unique QR codes instead, from the final session's report stack.
Tips on what to do when the teacher did not receive a link are here.
Accessing teacher certificates
Teacher certificates are available in LENA Online indefinitely, from within the group the teacher is associated with.
- For all teachers in a group use View Reports.
- For all certificates earned by any one teacher use the Group Staffing tab on any group the teacher has participated in. Click View Cert to open the certificate.
To print or save a certificate from a LENA Online screen:
- Hit Ctrl+P, or right-click on the report to select Print.
- Choose destination.
- Choose a printer to print the certificate.
- Choose one of the PDF options to save to your computer as a PDF that you can later attach to an email.
LENA Grow Teacher Certification and state professional development credits
LENA Grow is approved for PD credit in some states. Refer to the list below to understand how you might receive credit in your state. For information on credit for coaches visit LENA Grow Training for Program Managers and Coaches.
| State | Teacher PD Credit |
| Alabama |
LENA Grow 1 and LENA Grow 2 PD hours count towards the required annual professional development hours for Alabama child care licensing and teachers can enter certificates into the Alabama Pathways Registry. The LENA Grow certification process is all that is required. Certificates should be provided to teachers for licensing documentation and to upload into their Alabama Pathways account. |
| Colorado |
LENA Grow 1 Essentials is approved for 4.5 hours and LENA Grow 2 Insights is approved for 3.5 hours in the Colorado Professional Development Information System (PDIS). To process approval, LENA Trained Coaches submit the LENA Grow Completions Google Form once educators have completed the LENA Grow sequence(s). The google form is available in the PDIS and is emailed to coaches seasonally. Guidance Document: Awarding Professional Development for LENA Grow in Colorado Shines PDIS. |
| Louisiana |
LENA Grow 1 and LENA Grow 2 PD hours count towards the required 12 clock hours of annual continuing education for Louisiana Early Learning Center Licensing Regulations and the Louisiana Career Development Track as long as the LENA Grow coach is an approved trainer in the Louisiana Pathways Registry. Teacher PD Approval Steps:
|
| Maryland |
LENA Grow 1 and LENA Grow 2 PD hours count toward required annual teacher professional development hours for Maryland child care licensing and toward the Maryland Child Care Credential. For licensing, teachers should retain LENA certificates as training documentation. For the Maryland Child Care Credential, teachers should submit them as part of their application. |
| Ohio |
LENA Grow 1 Teacher Certificate is approved for 4.5 hours and LENA Grow 2: Insights is approved for 3.5 hours in the Ohio Professional Registry. The LENA Grow Coach training approved for 4.5 train-the-trainer hours in the Ohio Professional Registry. Teacher PD Approval Steps:
Coach PD Approval Steps:
|
|
Tennessee |
LENA Grow 1 and LENA Grow 2 hours, as rewarded on the LENA Grow Teacher Certificate, count towards the required annual training hours for Tennessee child care licensing when documented in the TNPAL system. LENA Grow satisfies the 3-hour Pre-Literacy and Literacy Skills and Education Implementation requirement. To grant credit to teachers, coaches submit teachers’ LENA Grow certificates through their organization's TNPAL state-approved portal. Additional approval is not required. |
| Texas |
LENA Grow PD hours count toward required annual teacher professional development for Texas child care licensing for so long as the coach who delivered the program satisfies the Texas Child Care Trainer Requirements. Teacher PD Approval Steps:
|
| Virginia |
Certificate accepted if the LENA Grow coach is approved in the registry. Coach may also submit extra hours on behalf of the teacher above those listed on the LENA grow certificate. |
|
Washington, DC |
PD hours awarded on the LENA Grow Teacher Certificate count towards the required annual professional development hours in the DC Professional Development Information System when conducted by TAP-approved organizations. Approved organizations enter the training information into the system. Teachers should retain the LENA Certificate along with the coach’s information and organization’s TAP approval number. |
Certification troubleshooting
Certify button does not appear for teachers on Group Staffing tab.
The certify button only appears after LENA Day 5 for an open group. A teacher cannot be certified before LENA Day 5 has been processed.
Forgot to certify teachers before closing group.
Please contact your LENA Partner Success Manager or support@lena.org for assistance.
Teacher did not receive survey email.
If a teacher does not receive their survey email, it's usually for one of these reasons:
- Typo in the email address in LENA Online.
- Teacher checked the wrong email account (e.g., personal instead of work).
- Message went to a folder like junk, other, clutter, or spam instead of into the inbox.
Consider using the QR code instead.
Note: If the teacher's email address is incorrect in LENA Online, please contact support@lena.org for assistance. We can help re-send the survey, and also ensure that the email error does not adversely affect your program's subscription usage calculations.
Teacher's certification(s) from a previous group are not listed.
This happens if the teacher was accidentally duplicated in their second group by way of a typo or other data entry error. Please contact support@lena.org for assistance, as duplication may reduce the number of rooms available on your subscription.