Inclusion Teacher Assistant

The Inclusion Teacher Assistant Certificate of Achievement requires the successful completion of 21 units of required core courses. This certificate is designed to integrate best practices from the fields of early intervention, early childhood education, and special education. This certificate is an academic and vocational training program that prepares students for future work as educators in diverse childhood settings that serve all children including children with disabilities and special needs. This certificate prepares students to enter the careers of teacher assistant or paraprofessional and early childhood teacher. Courses are designed to satisfy the State Department of Education Title 5 course requirements for the Child Development Assistant Permit. Students develop skills to work with children with and without disabilities and their families.

Upon completion of this program a student will be able to:

1. Evaluate and differentiate between typical and atypical development in all domain areas.

2. Effectively build and maintain relationships with children, family, and other staff members.

3. Apply best practices and developmentally appropriate activities for diverse learners including adaptations for children with disabilities and special needs.

4. Research and connect local and state community agencies to children with and without disabilities and their families.

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Course Prefix and Number	Course Title	2020 Annual # sections	2020 Annual enrollment total	2021 Annual # sections	2021 Annual enrollment total
CHST 002	Child Growth and Development	9	187	9	204
CHST 034A	Introduction to the Child with Special Needs	2	55	2	61
CHST 058	Early Childhood Language and Literacy Curriculum	1	10	1	30
CHST 063	Child, Family and Community	7	147	4	106
CHST 070	Infant-Toddler Development and Care	2	44	2	66
CHST 034C	Guidance and Strategies for Challenging Behaviors	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
CHST 034B	Curriculum and Strategies for Children with Special Needs	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A

Projected Annual completers = 20

The goal of the Inclusion Teacher Assistant Certificate of Achievement is to provide Career Technical Education opportunities in the fields of early intervention, early childhood education, and special education. This certificate provides the coursework to develop the skills related to assisting teachers with the development, daily care, and instruction of children with and without disabilities, and their families, in a variety of diverse educational settings.

 

Upon completion of this program a student will be able to:

1. Evaluate and differentiate between typical and atypical development in all domain areas.

2. Effectively build and maintain relationships with children, family, and other staff members.

3. Apply best practices and developmentally appropriate activities for diverse learners including adaptations for children with disabilities and special needs.

4. Research and connect local and state community agencies to children with and without disabilities and their families.

 

 

On completion of this certificate, potential careers exist in but are not limited to, teaching assistant, paraeducator, instructional aide, behavioral aide, or early childhood educator in a public or private early intervention programs, infant/toddler programs, preschool programs, inclusion classrooms, general education classrooms, and special education classrooms. According to the Center of Excellence June 2021 labor market report, this certificate is needed in the Silicon Valley Sub-Region because there is a gap with 660 annual openings for teacher assistants and no annual awards which ultimately leads to an undersupply of 660 students.

 

The purpose of this certificate aligns with the college’s mission statement which supports students to reach their transfer and career goals in the field of early childhood education and special education. Furthermore, the certificate aligns with the college’s emphasis on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion by preparing students to work with a diverse population of children, especially our most vulnerable population of children with disabilities and special needs.

 

Historically, teacher assistants, have had no training and learn while on the job which frequently results in high turnover rates and unfilled job positions. This certificate provides an opportunity for students to be better prepared with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed for an entry-level, teaching assistant position which will help them get started with their ultimate careers. Our department is committed to support students at their foundation of career development – right at the beginning!

 

Serving children with disabilities under the age of three in the natural environment as well as the least restrictive environment for children over the age of three, according to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), has brought more emphasis towards inclusion. The state initiative, California Equity Performance Improvement Program which has the ultimate goal of creating one educational system instead of the current two systems of general education and special education means that future educators will need to be able to meet the individual needs of children with disabilities alongside of their peers without disabilities in inclusive classrooms. This certificate is designed to integrate the knowledge from early intervention, early childhood education, and special education so that teachers will be ready to support all children, especially children with disabilities, in one educational system.

 

At our meeting held in January 2021, the Child Studies advisory board members approved the resurrection of the inclusion curriculum for the certificate. They expressed the importance of creating a class on positive guidance and challenging behaviors as that is frequently the number one concern of the teachers in the workforce as well as keeping the certificate as broad as possible to include training for a variety of teaching assistant opportunities in early childhood, inclusion, general education, and special education. In the August 2021 advisory board meeting, after much discussion, the title of Inclusion Teaching Assistant was agreed upon as well as the the required courses for the certificate. 

 

 

Requirements	Dept. Name/#	Name	Units	Sequence
Required Core (21 units)	CHST 002	Child Growth and Development	3	Year 1, Fall
	CHST 034A	Introduction to the Child with Special Needs	3	Year 1, Fall
	CHST 058	Early Childhood Language and Literacy Curriculum	3	Year 1, Fall
	CHST 063	Child, Family and Community	3	Year 1, Fall
	CHST 070	Infant-Toddler Development and Care	3	Year 1, Spring
	CHST 034C	Guidance and Strategies for Challenging Behaviors	3	Year 1, Spring
	CHST 034B	Curriculum and Strategies for Children with Special Needs	3	Year 1, Spring

In addition to these programs, the department also offers students the stackable Early Childhood Certificate of Achievement Level 1 and 2, Early Childhood Program Director Certificate of Achievement, AS Early Childhood Education, and 3 transfer degrees: Elementary Teacher Education ADT, Child and Adolescent ADT, and Early Childhood Education ADT.

Mission College has a 25-27 unit Early Intervention Certificate of Achievement. De Anza Community College has a 45 unit Early Intervention/Special Education Assistant Certificate of Achievement-Advanced. Foothill College has a 20 unit Certificate of Achievement in Early Childhood Special Education. Gavilan College has a 31-34 unit Early Intervention Assistant Certificate of Achievement. San Jose City College has a 24 unit Early Childhood Education Inclusion Specialist Certificate of Achievement.