About OEA/NEA Micro-Credentials

OEA/NEA Micro-credentials are a competency-based digital form of professional learning.

In addition, they can be used to increase an educator’s skill and/or knowledge in a topic area to grow their professional practice and student success.

There are currently over 175 micro-credentials organized into 27 topic area stacks.

Experienced Ohio educators were involved in the development of the OEA/NEA micro-credentials.

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Additional Questions?

Please contact your Local President, or your Labor Relations Consultant (LRC) — or send an email to: EPRMA@ohea.org. NOTE: Further information and/or trainings are available.

Updated November 4, 2020

How Do I Get Started on My Personalized Learning Journey?

After following your Local Professional Development Committees’ (LPDC) established procedures, simply visit the NEA’s How it Works home page.

Educators will be asked to create an account.

 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)?

Micro-credentials are a competency-based digital form of professional learning. They can be used to increase an educator’s skill and/or knowledge in a topic area to grow their professional practice and student success.

There are currently over one hundred and seventy-five (175) micro-credentials organized into twenty-seven (27) topic area stacks. Educators can view topic area stacks and each of the individual micro-credentials at: http://cgps.nea.org/micro-credentials/stacks/

The above link allows educators to preview the content, tasks, time commitment and scoring rubrics for each credential. Educators upload their work to the micro-credential site.

All micro-credentials are free to OEA members.

NEA members will be able to continue to access and earn NEA micro-credentials at no cost as a benefit of their Association membership.  For non-members, when clicking on the “Start” micro-credential hyperlink located beside the identified micro-credential, you will be prompted to enter a credit card number.  The $75 cost is per micro-credential and is not per potential CEU credit issued by the Local LPDC.

The credentials are asynchronous – available online 24/7/365. Educators have six (6) months to complete each credential. There is no limit on the number of attempts or credentials being pursued.

After original work is uploaded to the site, it is reviewed by trained educators using the scoring rubric. Successful completion of the micro-credential requirements, results in the educator being issued a digital badge certificate.

The badge is evidence of an educator’s professional learning. It is an example of the Professional Responsibility and Growth standard within Ohio’s Teacher Evaluation System (OTES) Rubric and may support goals within an educator’s Professional Growth Program (PGP), Improvement Plan (IMP) and/or building/district focus.

Micro-credentials may be used by Ohio Educators to re-license provided: The LPDC established procedure for granting CEUs has been followed: pre-approval of proposed activity, alignment to Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP), and/or any other locally determined requirements (time-log, evidence of completion, etc.)  

Special Note:
For the purpose of licensure renewal in Ohio, Continuing Education Units (CEUs) may only be granted by a Local Professional Development Committee (LPDC) and College Credit awarded by an approved Institution of Higher Education (IHE).

OEA supports each LPDC’s duty to certify quality professional development is used for re-licensure by alignment to Ohio’s Content, Educator and Professional Development Standards.

It is the responsibility of each LPDC to maintain necessary documentation relating to Ohio Revised Code (ORC) 3319.22, ORC 3319.61, ORC 3319.112 and Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) 3301.24.

In Ohio, for the purpose of determining the potential number of CEUs granted by a LPDC, ten (10) clock hours of sixty (60) minutes each is equivalent to one (1) continuing education unit (CEU). It is an estimation each micro-credential may require fifteen (15) hours to complete. Each LPDC maintains the authority to determine the actual numbers of CEUs awarded.

 

1 hour of sixty minutes x 10 hours = 1 continuing education unit (CEU)

 

The content of each micro-credential is subject to copyright.

A team (grade, building, topic, professional learning community, etc.) may complete a credential. However, because the work may be used for re-licensure purposes which affects eligibility for employment, members of the team should:

♦  Seek individual and team pre-approval by completing and submitting required LPDC paperwork.
♦  Maintain individual and team documentation of completed work (time-log, work products, etc.)
♦  Create individual micro-credential accounts to upload work.

Document, as part of the LPDC approval process. Individuals may be uploading same or similar work. In this situation, it should not be considered an act of plagiarism and/or fraud and subject to Ohio Code of Professional Conduct for Educators.

 

When clicking on the “Start” micro-credential hyperlink located beside the identified micro-credential, you will be prompted to enter a credit card number.  The $75 cost is per micro-credential and is not per potential CEU credit issued by the Local LPDC.