Early Childhood Education Practitioner

This certificate meets the educational requirements, and provides a portion of the classroom experience required for the Associate Teacher Level of the Child Development Permit Matrix issued by the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing and Community Care Licensing, Title 22 requirements for a fully qualified teacher. To earn a certificate of achievement, students must complete each course used to meet a certificate requirement with a “C” grade or higher.

Unduplicated Headcount	Projected Annual FTES	Annual Completers
Year 1 = 80	334.94	120 (including summer term)
Year 2 = 80	334.94	120 (including summer term)

1.  Create a developmentally appropriate integrated curriculum.
2. Analyze the psychological, physical, and cognitive influences on child development.
3. Identify the principles and ideas of the early childhood education profession.
4. Assess how socializing agents and culture impacts the lives of children and families.
5. Experience the principles and practices of early childhood education in the classroom.

This certificate addresses the need for introductory experiential preparation for new teachers. It provides 3 units in Infant/Toddler care and requires hands on experience with teacher/child interaction. It provides a portion of the classroom experience required for the California Child Development Permit and Licensing. This Certificate requires 6 more units than our Associate Teacher Certificate and can be utilized in the development of new ECE Career Apprenticeship initiatives. It addresses the job market that local demand for infant/toddler preschool teachers is projected to be greater in the Bay Region than the national average.

Course	Title	Units	Year/Semester (Y1 or S1)
Required courses:
ECE-123	Introduction to Curriculum in ECE	3
ECE-124	Child Development and Psychology	3
ECE-125	Principles and Practices of Early Childhood Education	3
ECE-130	Child, Family and Community	3
Plus at least 3 units from either:
ECE-230	Developmentally Appropriate Practice for Infants	3
ECE-231	Infants and Toddler Development	3
Plus a total of 3 units from List A or List B, at least one course from List A (must be taken for a minimum of 2 units):
List A
ECE-100	Essential Life Skills of Childhood	1 - 3
ECE-101	Media and the Developing Child	1 - 3
ECE-102	Childhood and Nature	1 - 3
ECE-103	Brain Development in Childhood	1 - 3
ECE-104	Cultural Influences on the Developing Child	1 - 3
ECE-105	Emotional Intelligence and the Developing Child	1 - 3
ECE-106	Child Behavior: Is This Normal?	1 - 3
ECE-110	Current Issues in Child Development	1 - 3
ECE-111	Current Issues in Child Cognitive Development	1 - 3
ECE-112	Current Issues in Child Physical Development	1 - 3
ECE-113	Play and the Developing Child	1 - 3
ECE-295	Occupational Work Experience Education in ECE	2 - 4
ECE-296	Internship in Occupational Work Experience Education in ECE	2 - 4
List B
ECE-242	Music, Dance, Drama for the Young Child	1
ECE-243	Creative Art for the Young Child	1
ECE-244	Circle Time Activities	1
ECE-254	Language & Literacy for the Young Child	1
ECE-255	English Learners in Early Childhood Classroom Settings	1
Total:		18

This certificate meets the missions of Diablo Valley College and Contra Costa Community College District by providing career education and supporting the healthy development of young children in the Bay Area. The ECE Department is a primary resource for educating quality early childhood professionals. This contributes to the economic development for all workers in the community. The department has addressed the predicted 10% employment growth for preschool teachers and a 15% employment growth for Child Care Workers in the state. Currently, there is a state requirement for all Transitional Kindergarten teachers to complete 24 Child Development units in order to teach in a Transitional Kindergarten program. To meet this need, the DVC's ECE Department is providing course offerings to address this need including several newly developed ECE/TK focused curriculum courses. In addition, the department offers the new internship and work experience courses ECE-295 and ECE-296.This certificate will meet the practical experience hours needed for the Child Development Permit as well as provide graduates with course work in infant toddler development and early childhood curriculum. This will prepare graduates of this certificate to better serve young children and allow them greater opportunity for employment upon completion of the certificate.

A similarly focused program in our service area could not be found.