The current national trends focus on building and improving the ECE system through: - State standards - QRIS systems - Professional Development state systems - Coaching and mentoring guidelines - Accreditation Career advancement requires interplay of all touchstones. The most effective interplay happens when ECE professionals can work within the parameters and expectations of the systems in place, and still design a professional development plan that focuses on individual strengths. The CDA credential has been the forerunner of individualized approach to professional development and has a legacy of effectively merging the measures that ensure quality with the differentiation of professional development practices. Since 1975, the CDA credential has been based on standards, peer-review and feedback, individualized training, culturally sensitive and flexible assessment components, and a system of nationally recognized legitimacy. The CDA offers an alternative path for those wishing to enter the ECE profession. Both entry-level and college-educated professionals appreciate this differentiated approach to their professional development and recognition of their classroom competency. The possibilities and realities of moving up the career ladder are many. Prescribing only one method or path fails to recognize the various skills and strengths among the diverse ECE professional community. With the challenges of quantity and quality in the ECE classrooms, the field must build on the rich array of research, pilot programs, and tested models and allow for a hybrid of approaches to professional development.