| | CERTIFICATION STATISTICS | |
There are currently 4,012 Certified Child Life Specialists throughout the world.
Breakdown by Country:
Australia - 2
Canada - 222
Georgia - 1
Guatemala - 1
Hong Kong - 2
Italy - 1
Japan - 26
Kuwait - 1
Mexico - 1
Netherlands - 1
New Zealand - 4
Philippines - 2
Puerto Rico - 1
Singapore - 2
Switzerland - 4
Taiwan - 1
Trinidad - 1
United Arab Emirates - 1
United Kingdom - 3
United States - 3736
AK - 5
AL - 42
AR - 26
AZ - 89
CA - 377
CO - 50
CT - 52
DC - 12
DE - 16
FL - 154
GA - 99
HI - 9
IA - 50
ID - 10
IL - 170
IN - 77
KS - 32
KY - 35
LA - 49
MA - 188
MD - 68
ME - 11
MI - 84
MN - 107
MO - 112
MS - 14
MT - 1
NC - 150
ND - 7
NE - 22
NH - 17
NJ - 127
NM - 9
NV - 16
NY - 244
OH - 199
OK - 24
OR - 26
PA - 123
RI - 15
SC - 51
SD - 17
TN - 103
TX - 362
UT - 62
VA - 74
VT - 15
WA - 60
WI - 71
WV - 2 |
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Computer-Based Testing Statistics
This November, 282 candidates took a computer-based certification exam, in one of the following locations:
State (Number)
Alabama (3)
Arizona (2)
California (26)
Colorado (1)
Delaware (2)
Florida (11)
Georgia (6)
Iowa (4)
Idaho (2)
Illinois (20)
Indiana (6)
Kansas (8)
Massachusetts (8)
Maryland (3)
Michigan (5)
Minnesota (7)
Missouri (5)
North Carolina (8)
Nebraska (1)
New Jersey (3)
New York (25)
Ohio (10)
Oklahoma (1)
Pennsylvania (4)
South Carolina (5)
Tennessee (3)
Texas (14
Utah (1)
Virginia (8)
Washington (2)
Wisconsin (3)
Country (Number)
Singapore (1)
Australia (1)
Canada (15) | | |
| CERTIFICATION MAINTENANCE & RECERTIFICATION | | |
98.28% of Certified Child Life Specialists maintained their certification in 2010
472 CCLSs were due to recertify in 2010;
of these, 415 (87.92%) have completed the recertification process. The remaining 57 will expire on December 31, 2010. |
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Greetings!
It is my pleasure to re-introduce the CCLS Connection newsletter for Certified Child Life Specialists in a new online new format. The Child Life Certifying Committee (CLCC) believes that all CCLSs should be provided with regular updates on current certification-related activites and events. We will disseminate this information through the CCLS Connection e-newsletter three times a year, under the direction of Certifiying Committee member Stephanie Hopkinson. This will replace "The Certification Corner" which was a regular feature of the quarterly Bulletin print newsletter.
We hope you enjoy the new CCLS Connection! Please send your feedback to certification@childlife.org.
Sincerely,
Kitty O'Brien, MA, CCLS
Chairperson, Child Life Certifying Committee
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| 2010 Certification Highlights |
 2010 was a big year for the Certification Program. Click on the links to learn more about some of the highlights.
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New Exam Administration Vendor |
CLC issued a Request for Proposal (RFP) in 2009 as our test administration vendor contract was expiring. Four responses were received. After careful review, CLC staff and the Child Life Certifying Committee recommended acceptance of the proposal of Schroeder Management Technologies (SMT) for a contract to commence on January 1, 2010 for a period of 3 years, renewable at the discretion of CLC for an additional 2 years. The contract was finalized early in 2010. The scope of the contract includes: item development, test construction, and passing score determination; test administration, scoring, reporting, and statistical analysis; annual test revision; practice exam; and practice analysis and test specifications (if required). SMT, headquartered in Florida, has been in business for 14 years. In addition to their own staff, they use two corporate affiliates (subcontractors): Iso-Quality Testing (IQT) who provide test administration services, and Examination Security Solutions (ESS) who provide security-related services. Their bid was distinguished by the fact that they made recommendations to improve our examination process rather than simply adhering to what was requested in the RFP. Back to Top |
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CLCC Item Writing Style Guide | |
In September, the Certifying Committee finalized and approved a CLCC Item Writing Style Guide to standardize the language and approach used on the Child Life Professional Certification Exam. This document incorporates current practices in the certification industry. Language conventions are defined in order to increase consistency and predictability on the exam.
In addition, it was decided that CLCC will make use of what Kathie Snow calls "People First Language." Kathie Snow is an author, public speaker, trainer, consultant, as well as a mother of a child with autism.
This approach to language sends a powerful and profound message about honoring and respecting people first!
Historically we have heard words like "hospitalized child", "CFer", or even the "CP" child. This language approach challenges us to substitute "child in the hospital," "child with Cystic Fibrosis," and "child with Cerebral Palsy" in order to respect the child as a person first.
We encourage all practitioners of child life to reflect on this approach, as it is part of our core values in respecting and supporting all children and families across settings and experiences. For more information on Kathie Snow and People First Language please refer to the website www.disabilityisnatural.com.
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Computer-Based Testing |
Computer-Based Testing (CBT) has grown in popularity and is quickly becoming a standard means of administering multiple-choice assessments. CLCC introduced this assessment method with the November 2010 exam administration.
By increasing the number of test sites available, the number of examinees who need to travel to other geographic locations is substantially reduced. Travel costs are reduced and in some cases virtually eliminated. Likewise, lodging and subsistence costs decrease. For many examinees the main advantage of increased test availability and locations may be that their normal work schedule will not be disrupted. Not only is this an issue of convenience, but it may also represent a significant savings because income lost from missed work may not be recouped.
Another benefit to candidates is that they are provided with immediate score reporting.
Our test administration vendor, Schroeder Measurement Technologies (SMT), contracts with Iso-Quality Testing (IQT) which staffs commercial testing centers with personnel specifically trained to administer examinations. IQT has direct control over the staff and sites and makes testing appointments for examinees on a five- or six-day-a-week basis during a 2-week testing window which CLC specifies.
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Changes to Eligibility Requirements | |
The following changes to the eligibility requirements for the Child Life Professional Certification Examination were approved by CLC's Board of Directors in November 2010.
1. All applicants for the fall 2012 and subsequent exams will be required to complete the required clinical experience through a child life internship or fellowship; paid work experience will no longer be accepted.
Rationale: As the profession of child life continues to mature, and as the demands on CCLSs become more rigorous, it becomes increasingly important for those representing the profession to present to other professionals in a consistent and predictable manner. For child life to truly establish itself as a viable and defendable service to children and families, those responsible for employing, collaborating with and advocating for child life should be able to have specific expectations about the amount and type of training received by each individual holding child life certification. CLC does not have the authority to require academic institutions to coordinate or consolidate their programs, and CLC has endorsed diversity in the academic backgrounds of its practitioners. However, CLC does have the authority and responsibility to require consistency in the clinical experience an incoming CCLS receives prior to certification. That consistency can best be achieved by standardizing child life internship and fellowship training, and requiring such training prior to certification.
2. All applicants for the fall 2013 and subsequent exams will be required to successfully complete a minimum of one child life course taught by a Certified Child Life Specialist as part of the course work requirement
Rationale: CLCC seeks to ensure that individuals pursuing a career in child life will be proficient in their future practice by requiring an academic background that includes knowledge essential to child life practice. Academic courses that prepare, support, and provide a solid academic and practical foundation for students allows them to build a foundation of knowledge in the core competencies of child life.
When preparing students for areas of specialty such as child life, having content experts providing instruction is of great value. Those who have earned the CCLS credential by successfully completing the Child Life Professional Certification Exam have demonstrated a level of expertise in child life that makes them uniquely suitable to instruct aspiring child life practitioners.
CLCC recommends that the newly-required course have a focus on children in the healthcare environment. Definition of the parameters for this content are forthcoming.
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| Revised Clinical Experience Verification Form |
The Clinical Experience Verification Form is used to document the clinical training that certification candidates have received. The Child Life Certifying Committee found that the old version of the form was not meeting the needs of clinical supervisors to detail whether the clinical training had been successful. The revised version was developed by CLCC in conjunction with the Internship Task Force and provides more guidance about what constitutes successful clinical training. The form now asks clinical supervisors to document not only the number of hours completed, but also whether the candidate has successfully met the requirements set forth by the CLCC. Clinical training that is completed after January 1, 2011 MUST be documented on the revised form. Older versions will not be accepted for hours completed after the start of the New Year.
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Recent and Future Exam Information | |
Child Life Professional Certification Examination Results for 2010
- Spring Exam: 225 out of 234 candidates passed (96.15% passing rate)
- Fall Exam: 269 out of 282 candidates passed
(95.39% passing rate)
The overall passing rate for 2010 was 95.74%.
Future Certification Exam Dates and Locations
- Thursday, May 26, 2011 in Chicago, Illinois (immediately prior to the CLC 29th Annual Conference on Professional Issues)
- November 2010 Computer-Based Examination (testing window dates TBD) in more than 300 testing centers worldwide
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| Important Dates to Remember in 2011 | |
January
31- Deadline to submit Maintenance Fees
March
31- End of Certification Maintenance fee grace period
(Deadline to pay with late fee)
31- Deadline for applications to sit for Spring exam
May
1 - Withdrawal deadline for Spring Exam
26 - Spring exam administration
26-29 - Annual Conference on Professional Issues, Chicago, IL
June
30- Deadline to apply to recertify through PDHs
August
31- Deadline for applications to sit for Fall exam
October
15 - Withdrawal deadline for Fall Exam
31 - Deadline for LATE PDH submissions
November
Dates TBD - Fall exam administration
December
20 - Maintenance fee invoices sent
31 - Deadline to apply for reinstatement of lapsed certification
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