--- title: "Program Management Training Requirements for ECE in Tennessee" id: "21669" type: "page" slug: "program-management" published_at: "2026-05-22T06:48:22+00:00" modified_at: "2026-06-09T17:43:05+00:00" url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/program-management/" markdown_url: "https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/program-management.md" excerpt: "Tennessee Program Management requirement Tennessee requires licensed childcare staff to complete 12 hours per year for teachers and 18 hours per year for directors of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Program Management training counts toward these requirements..." --- [Brightwheel](https://mybrightwheel.com/) › [ECE Professional Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/) › [Tennessee](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/) › [Program Management](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/program-management/) › Program Management Training Requirements for ECE in Tennessee # Program Management Training Requirements for ECE in Tennessee ## Find out how Tennessee’s CE requirements apply to Program Management training — and how brightwheel Professional Development courses count toward your compliance. Tennessee Program Management requirement Tennessee requires licensed childcare staff to complete 12 hours per year for teachers and 18 hours per year for directors of continuing education as a condition of state licensing. Program Management training counts toward these requirements — topics such as program administration, supervision, and leadership are recognized qualifying categories under the Tennessee DHS continuing education requirements. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Tennessee and offers IACET‑accredited Program Management courses that staff can complete on demand, with all completions tracked automatically in brightwheel. brightwheel courses auto‑post completed hours directly to the Tennessee TNPAL Registry. Tennessee — Program Management training at a glance | Annual CE hours (teachers) | 12 hours per training year | | --- | --- | | Annual CE hours (directors) | 18 hours per training year | | Training period | Annual | | Program Management maps to | program administration, supervision, and leadership | | Regulatory authority | Tennessee DHS | | Notes | TN DHS Report Card for Family and Group Child Care Homes (Authorization No. 345763, Feb 2019): Minimum Standards require Primary Educator = 18 clock hrs/yr; Educator = 12 clock hrs/yr. Source: Tennessee DHS childcare facility standards documentation. | | brightwheel approved in Tennessee | ✓ Yes — accepted for Tennessee CE requirements | | Auto‑posts to Tennessee TNPAL Registry | ✓ Yes — completed course hours post automatically to staff registry accounts | | Program Management courses in Tennessee | View brightwheel courses | ## About Program Management (CDA V) Program Management — CDA Competency Area V — covers the administrative, supervisory, and operational skills needed to run a compliant, well‑organized early childhood program. It is particularly relevant for directors, assistant directors, and lead teachers stepping into leadership roles. High‑quality early childhood programs require intentional management of people, policies, and processes. Educators who develop Program Management skills build the systems that allow programs to pass licensing inspections, retain staff, and deliver consistent quality for the children and families they serve. ## Tennessee Program Management training requirements Tennessee childcare teachers must complete 12 hours of annual continuing education, and directors must complete 18 hours, as a condition of maintaining a license from the Tennessee DHS. Program Management training counts toward these hours — program administration, supervision, and leadership are recognized qualifying CE topics. brightwheel Professional Development is accepted in Tennessee and offers IACET‑accredited courses aligned with the Program Management competency area. Both teachers and directors can complete brightwheel’s Program Management courses on demand — each course is 1 hour, self‑paced, and includes an assessment with a certificate of completion. All completions are recorded automatically in the brightwheel administrator dashboard, making compliance documentation straightforward for Tennessee licensing audits. ## What Program Management training covers brightwheel’s Program Management courses cover the knowledge and skills early childhood educators need to support children in this competency area. Topics include: Staff supervision, coaching, and performance feedback Licensing inspection preparation and compliance documentation Staff scheduling and coverage planning Recordkeeping and required documentation management Health and safety policy implementation and review Enrollment management and family communication systems Budget fundamentals and program financial sustainability Building a cohesive professional team culture ## Star-Quality Child Care Program and Program Management Star-Quality Child Care Program ✓ Program Management training supports Star-Quality Child Care Program quality criteria Star-Quality Child Care Program is Tennessee’s Quality Rating and Improvement System. Staff professional development in CDA‑aligned competency areas is a core component of Star-Quality Child Care Program quality ratings — programs that demonstrate ongoing staff training earn higher ratings. brightwheel’s IACET‑accredited courses align with the professional development requirements recognized by Star-Quality Child Care Program, and the automatic tracking dashboard makes it straightforward to demonstrate staff training during program quality evaluations. [Star-Quality Child Care Program →](https://www.childcareaware.org/resources/state-by-state-resource-map/) ## How brightwheel connects to the Tennessee TNPAL Registry ✓ Brightwheel automatically posts completed Program Management course hours to the Tennessee TNPAL Registry for eligible staff. When a staff member completes a course, the hours are recorded in their brightwheel profile and transmitted to the Tennessee TNPAL Registry automatically — no manual data entry required. [Tennessee TNPAL Registry →](https://www.tnpal.org/) ## Frequently asked questions Is brightwheel Program Management training accepted in Tennessee? Yes. Brightwheel Professional Development is accepted for continuing education requirements in Tennessee. Courses are IACET‑accredited and cover Program Management competencies recognized by the Tennessee DHS. How many CE hours does Tennessee require for childcare staff? Tennessee requires childcare teachers to complete 12 hours and directors to complete 18 hours of annual continuing education. Does brightwheel auto‑post Program Management course hours to the Tennessee registry? Yes. Brightwheel courses auto‑post completed hours directly to the Tennessee TNPAL Registry. Staff add their registry ID once in their brightwheel Professional Development profile — every course completed after that is recorded automatically. How do I get a certificate for a brightwheel Program Management course? Each brightwheel course includes a final assessment. Staff who score 80% or higher receive a certificate of completion that can be used for Tennessee licensing documentation and QRIS verification. Certificates are available to download from your brightwheel Professional Development profile at any time. Does completing brightwheel’s Program Management courses count toward a CDA credential? Brightwheel courses are aligned with CDA V — Program Management — of the CDA competency framework. However, earning a CDA credential requires additional components beyond course completion, including a Professional Portfolio, a formal observation, and an exam administered by the Council for Professional Recognition. Brightwheel courses provide the continuing education component of CDA preparation but are not a standalone pathway to CDA certification. ## Other competency areas available in Tennessee [CDA I · TennesseeSafe and Healthy Environment](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/safe-healthy-environment/) [CDA II · TennesseePhysical and Intellectual Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/physical-intellectual-development/) [CDA III · TennesseeSocial and Emotional Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/social-emotional-development/) [CDA IV · TennesseeFamilies](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/families/) [CDA VI · TennesseeProfessionalism](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/professionalism/) [CDA VII · TennesseeObservation and Documentation](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/observation-documentation/) [CDA VIII · TennesseeChild Development](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/child-development/) [All areas · TennesseeView all Tennessee requirements →](https://mybrightwheel.com/ece-professional-development/tennessee/) ## Meet Tennessee Program Management training requirements with brightwheel Brightwheel offers IACET‑accredited Program Management courses accepted in Tennessee — with automatic tracking and Tennessee TNPAL Registry auto‑posting built in. [View full course roster](https://info.mybrightwheel.com/professional-development-courses?state=tennessee&course=program-management) [https://iacet.org/ap/140328/](https://iacet.org/ap/140328/) **Accreditation:** Brightwheel is accredited by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training (IACET) and offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard. IACET is recognized internationally as a standard development organization and accrediting body that promotes quality of continuing education and training.