Reviewed/Updated October 2024
Any member may ask to have their Career Ladder level reviewed at any time. If this request is made within thirty (30) calendar days of the certificate issuance date and/or in conjunction with their annual renewal date, a reevaluation will occur at no charge to the member*. If the concern or question is raised 30 or more calendar days beyond the certificate issuance date, a fee of $20 will be imposed.
*Failure to submit documentation at the the time of application/renewal does not warrant a free evaluation.
A member who believes there has been an error in the calculation of their Career Ladder level is encouraged to contact The Nevada Registry and speak with a Registry Specialist about the concern at any time. As much as possible, the Registry Specialist will work with the member to resolve the matter. However, if the member remains dissatisfied with their level, and it has been determined by the Registry Specialist that the concern is an appealable** matter, the member has the option to initiate the appeal process by completing a Career Ladder Level Request for Formal Review form. The form must be submitted directly to the Registry Program Director within forty-five (45) calendar days of their certificate issuance date (15 days beyond the 30-day window allotted for initial contact for review without a re-evaluation fee if warranted). Contact made to any other office and/or communicated to the Registry via a third party will not be taken into consideration when reviewing application status/Career Ladder level. The Program Director will work with the member to seek a resolution.
Members who remain unsatisfied with the resolution of the first level appeal can follow through with the second level of the appeal process by filing a formal appeal in writing. All appeals must be submitted to The Nevada Registry Advisory Committee c/o The Nevada Registry at: 240 S. Rock Boulevard, Ste. #143 Reno, Nevada 89502 within fifteen (15) calendar days of being notified of the Program Director’s first level review decision. The letter of appeal must contain (a) the nature of the appeal; (b) all steps taken to resolve the issue; (c) the requested outcome expected from the appeal and (d) any additional information that the appellant feels will support his/her position. The review becomes an official appeal at this point. An appeal hearing will be scheduled within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt of an appeal letter (unless otherwise agreed upon).
**Appeals can be initiated only when courses and/or degree acceptance/non-acceptance is in question. Appeals cannot be initiated to factor in field experience in lieu of formal education, to request acceptance of non-ECE degrees in lieu of ECE degrees, and/or if the level granted is lower than expected due to the member’s failure to submit necessary documentation at the time of initial application/renewal. In the latter instance, the member may submit additional documentation and pay a $20 re-evaluation fee, or wait to have their Career Ladder level re-evaluated at no charge upon their annual renewal.
The Nevada Registry has developed a multi-step process that provides members with two levels to appeal a decision regarding their Career Ladder level.
Appeal Procedure
A Career Ladder Level Placement Appeal can be initiated only when courses and/or degree acceptance/non- acceptance is in question. Appeals cannot be initiated to factor in field experience in lieu of formal education, to request acceptance of Non-ECE degrees in lieu of ECE degrees, and/or if the level granted is lower than expected due to the member’s failure to submit necessary documentation at the time of initial application/renewal. In the latter instance, the member has the option to submit a Career Ladder Level Re-Evaluation Form. Career Ladder re-evaluations occurring in conjunction with an individual’s scheduled annual renewal are completed at no cost. The cost to re-evaluate Career Ladder levels for any other reason than the recent completion of ECE college courses and/or an ECE degree that will result in a Career Ladder level increase (i.e., to factor in documentation that was not originally submitted with the member’s initial application or most recent renewal, etc.) is $20.
Career Ladder Level Placement Procedure
Each applicant is placed on the Career Ladder and granted the highest level possible based on the documentation supplied and in accordance with current Registry program policies and established verification processes. The member is notified when their digital certificate is available from within their Online Portal.
A member who believes that there was an error in the calculation of their Career Ladder level should contact The Nevada Registry office directly within 30 days of processing to inquire about the assigned Career Ladder level. Contact made by the individual to any other office and communicated to The Nevada Registry via a third party will not be taken into consideration when reviewing an individual’s level. The individual will be provided with an explanation regarding their current level placement and the documentation used to make the level determination.
Scenario 1:
If it is determined the level was incorrectly assigned by The Nevada Registry, a Career Ladder re-evaluation will be processed at no cost to the member. The file will be rerouted back to the Registry Specialist who completed the data entry to correct. The file will be reprocessed, and an updated digital membership certificate will be issued. No further review is necessary, and the matter will be considered closed.
Scenario 2:
If it is determined the member failed to include documentation with their Membership Application or Update/Renewal Form, they will be asked to submit a Career Ladder Level Re-Evaluation Form with the additional information needed to place at the requested level. A non-refundable fee of $20 will be assessed regardless of the outcome of the re-evaluation. The Career Ladder Level Re-Evaluation Form will be reviewed upon receipt. The member’s account will be placed back into a data entry status and will be reprocessed. An updated digital membership certificate reflecting the updated Career Ladder level will be issued. No further review is necessary, and the matter will be considered closed. If the information submitted does not warrant a Career Ladder level change, the member will be notified via email and the original level granted will stand. This information will be noted in the member’s account. No further review/action is required.
Scenario 3:
If it is determined that coursework and/or degrees were not accepted for Career Ladder level placement, the individual will be offered suggestions as to the type of information that can be submitted to document ECE course content and relevancy. The individual will also be asked to complete a College/University Course Description Form. This form must be submitted with the Career Ladder Level Re-Evaluation Form. A non-refundable fee of $20 will be assessed.
First Level Appeal
If the individual remains dissatisfied with their Career Ladder level following the Career Ladder re-evaluation, they may initiate the first level of the appeal process by contacting the Registry Program Director in writing via email to request a second review. The review becomes an official appeal at this point. The original Career Ladder level placement issued will remain in effect until the appeal review process is concluded.
Using current program policies and established verification processes, the Registry Program Director will review the file and decide based on the documentation submitted. If the Director determines that the information submitted warrants a Career Ladder level change, the member will be notified via email. The member’s file will be reprocessed, and a new digital membership certificate will be generated reflecting the updated Career Ladder level. This information will be noted in the member’s account. No further review/action is required. If the Registry Program Director determines that the information submitted does not warrant a Career Ladder level change, the member will be notified via email and provided with the specific verification policy and/or policies supporting the decision. The original level granted will remain in effect. This information will be noted in the member’s account. No further review/action is required.
Second Level Appeal
If the individual is unsatisfied with the resolution of the first level appeal, they can follow through with the second level of the appeal process by filing a formal appeal in writing. All appeals must be submitted to The Nevada Registry Advisory Committee c/o The Nevada Registry at 240 S. Rock Boulevard, Ste. #143 Reno, Nevada 89502. The letter must contain (a) the nature of the appeal; (b) all steps taken to resolve the issue; and (c) the desired outcome expected from the appeal.
Appeal Processing Time
A review will be scheduled within 30 days* of receipt of the formal letter of appeal (unless otherwise agreed upon). The Registry Program Director will appoint an ad hoc Appeals Panel to consider the appeal. An email will be sent to the appellant to confirm that a review has been scheduled within the designated timeframe.
The Appeals Panel will be comprised of three members of The Nevada Registry Advisory Committee and will be appointed based upon the following criteria: a) comprised of rotating Advisory Committee members; b) members’ ability to meet during the established time frame; and c) members must not have any professional or personal conflicts of interest with the appellant (cannot be employed by the same employer, etc.). No information about the appellant or the basis for the appeal will be shared with any member of the Appeals Panel prior to the review. One member of the Appeals Panel will be designated the contact person for the review and will be responsible for notifying the Registry Program Director and the appellant of the panel’s decision. The Appeals Panel will conduct their review in person or virtually via video conference depending on the composition of the Appeals Panel. Travel expenses will not be provided for Appeals Panel members.
During the review, the Appeals Panel will review the appellant’s complete application, including all support documentation, the letter of appeal, The Nevada Registry’s Review/Appeal Tracking Form and any other correspondence that has occurred between the individual and Registry staff. To ensure anonymity and to reduce the likelihood of a conflict of interest, the appellant’s name and any other identifying information will be removed from the documentation. All Appeals Panel reviews are considered confidential. As such, no other individuals other than the three appointed Appeals Panel members will be present during the review process.
A decision will be made at the conclusion of the review. If the Appeals Panel determines there is documentation to warrant a Career Ladder level change, the individual’s file will be reprocessed to reflect the new Career Ladder level. This will be completed at no additional cost to the individual. If the Appeals Panel determines there is not enough documentation to warrant a Career Ladder level change, the individual’s original Career Ladder level will stand. The designated Appeals Panel point person will notify the individual in writing via email of the panel’s decision within two business days of the review. The Registry Program Director will be provided with the panel’s decision as well.
The decision of the Appeals Panel is final. Once the Appeals Panel decides, the individual may not request further appeals from any other third party (funding agent, Registry Advisory Committee, etc.). Additionally, the individual may not request another appeal in subsequent years to review the documentation already considered by the Appeals Panel. However, a member’s Career Ladder level may be reviewed again upon their annual renewal to The Nevada Registry if documentation is submitted to verify the completion of additional coursework and/or degrees that would substantiate a Career Ladder level change.
*The standard appeal processing time can be expedited upon request to meet a program’s accreditation deadlines, maintain partnership agreements, or as directed by our funder. The appeal process can be expedited to meet a program’s deadlines only when The Nevada Registry has been notified that a program is going through accreditation and has been made aware of the program’s deadline. Any individual requiring expedited processing is expected to notify the Registry of any circumstances that might require a more rapid turnaround time. Any program requiring priority processing is expected to request this service a minimum of 10 business days prior to their accreditation deadline.