Child care licensing differentiates director qualifications among three center types based on the number of children enrolled. For a Type 1 Center (30 children or less) the director must have a CDA and 300 clock hours of experience working with children or ten years of relevant work experience. Directors of licensed programs must complete 15 clock hours of training for administrators annually. The Early Childhood Director’s Credential is offered as a 12 semester-hour undergraduate certificate at West Virginia University. Elementary school principals receive pre-K-Adult certification and are required to have a master’s degree. There is no QRIS in West Virginia; while it was proposed in 2015, it has not been implemented yet. While administrators of school-based state pre-K are required to have a master’s degree, there are no specific requirements for administrators of community-based state pre-K. West Virginia has one leadership degree program offered though West Virginia University.
