Certified Educational Planner: A Mark of Distinction

1. Certified Educational Planner: A Mark of Distinction

2. A Certified Educational Planner (CEP) has achieved a rigorous level of educational and training standards.

3. A CEP is an experienced professional who is committed to providing accurate, timely, unbiased advice to students and families.

4. The Certified Educational Planner Program • Creates expectations for ethical, qualified educational advising. • Establishes national standards for both educational consultants and school-based college counselors. • Recognizes value-oriented, knowledgeable counselors and consultants. • Assures expanded knowledge and professional commitment. • Provides the public a guide within which to select a qualified service provider.

5. BECOMING A CERTIFIED EDUCATIONAL PLANNER The Three Parts To The CEP Application

6. Part 1: Documenting Your Education One gains credit in the education area through one or more of these factors: • Degree • Coursework in relevant subjects • Educational experiences • Educational consultant/counselor training programs • Licensure and certification

7. Part 2: Documenting Your Experiences One gains credit in the experiences, activities and leadership category through oneormore of these: • Educational consulting experience • School-based college counseling experiences • Other educationally-related paid experiences • Consulting to organizations • Speaking/moderating • Honors and awards • Books/articles published • Volunteer service • Leadership and/or memberships in professional associations

8. Part 3: Subscribing to Ethical Guidelines The guidelines are demonstrated by: • Providing professional references showing character, ability, and reputation. • Commitment to the code of ethical practices.

9. The Board Certified Examination covers: • Institutional Knowledge • Professional Knowledge

10. The Examination: Institutional Knowledge The applicant is given the names of three colleges, schools or "at risk teen" facilities from the list of 25 institutions identified in his/her application. For each institution, questions target: • The type of student who might be happy and best served • The admission criteria • The stand out features or attributes of the school • An example of a similar school • A description of the physical plant • The environment in which the school is located and influences of surrounding communities

11. The Examination: Professional Knowledge The applicant is given three cases covering self reported field(s) of professional expertise. Specifically, after reading each case, the applicant is asked to • Describe a plan of action in working with the student. • Assess college/school characteristics that would be right for the student. • Provide and rationalize specific institutional recommendations. Cases may also include an assessment of specific counseling techniques; sensitivity to individual student needs, ethics, confidentiality, and legal issues; and steps in the process of searching for appropriate educational options.

12. Certified Educational Planners Are Recertified Every Five Years Based On: • Earning continuing education units and participating in ongoing professional development (Specifically, documenting a minimum of 100 continuing education hours or equivalencies.) • Continuing visits and enhanced knowledge of colleges and schools. (Specifically, documenting a minimum of 75 site visits to colleges, schools or institutions for at risk teens.) In addition, CEPs sign affirmations of accuracy and ethical guidelines, and pay an annual renewal fee.

13. Commission on Credentialing Certification is given and maintained by the American Institute of Certified Educational Planners (AICEP) and supervised by its Commission on Credentialing: Steven R. Antonoff, Ph.D., CEP, Educational Consultant, Colorado Jean H. Baldwin, M.A., CEP, Educational Consultant, District of Columbia Francine E. Block, Educational Consultant, Pennsylvania Bernard DeGraw, CEP, Guidance Counselor, New York William S. Dingledine, Jr., M.S., CEP, Educational Consultant, South Carolina Shirley Levin, M.A., CEP, Educational Consultant, Maryland Rosalind P. Marie, Ed.S., CEP, Educational Consultant, Alabama Lorine Potts-Dupré, Ph.D., CEP, Educational Consultant, Maryland Michael W. Spence, CEP, Educational Consultant, Massachusetts Linda Zimring, Los Angeles Unified School District, California

14. Testimonials "Over the next decade I hope the CEP will become the gold standard for identifying qualified educational consultants. In the past, the lack of a clear set of certification standards has allowed numerous poorly-qualified individuals to promote themselves as college consultants." —Steven T. Syverson, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin "CEP is the panache that my families expect. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, accountants…each profession requires preparation, internships and certification. I am proud to be a Certified Educational Planner. Through visits, professional courses, and meetings, the CEP designation separates one from the 'wanna be' educational consultants." —Jill Q. Porter, MS, CEP, La Jolla, California

15. Testimonials “Recently, I ranked my professional credentials by quality and substance. I realized I was wasting money joining a few ‘associations’ that require little for membership but are recognized nationally. These are the ones that ask basically for your name, address and a check. There was no substance, purpose, or benefit other than listing yourself as a member. The CEP has substance and purpose and made the others seem silly. I dropped them. The requirements of certification are standards that not everyone is willing to meet. Proof of ongoing professional development, education, contribution, school assessment and peer review sets the certified consultant apart.” —Jean H. Baldwin, M.A., CEP, Washington, DC

16. For more information: www.aicep.org