Certificate of Achievement, Special Education Paraprofessional

The Certificate of Achievement for the Special Education Paraprofessional seeks to inspire and prepare students and professionals in the field with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to support all children in special education and general education settings where children with exceptionalities are cared for and educated in inclusive settings. Program curriculum focuses on the origins of special education and legislation and strategies for supporting neurodiverse individuals. Students acquire foundational knowledge, teaching techniques, and strategies for building positive, inclusive classroom environments for all children. A certificate increases students’ employment opportunities and salary potential, including employment opportunities as a special education paraprofessional in school districts, residential care centers, Department of Rehabilitation, or private agencies.

Program Student Learning Outcome(s): 

1. Evaluate current policies related to special education law and inclusion. 

2. Explain the needs of children with disabilities and their families along with interventions designed to address these. 

3. Identify community resources serving individuals with special needs. 

The Child Development and Educational Studies Department offers three courses in Special Education: CDSED 67, CDSED 70, and CDSED 5. These courses fill every time they are offered, and enrollment increased 37% between Fall 2017 and Fall 2020. However, in that time the College awarded only 4 Special Education Assistant AA degrees. This low degree count provides the rationale for the Department offering a new Certificate of Achievement of 21 units to students interested in this area of education.

This certificate prepares students and professionals in the field with the knowledge, skills, and strategies to support all children in special education and general education settings where children with exceptionalities are cared for and educated in inclusive settings. A certificate increases students’ employment opportunities and salary potential.  Employment opportunities include: special education paraprofessional in School Districts, Residential Care Centers, Department of Rehabilitation, or Private Agencies. This is a CTE program.

The Child Development and Educational Studies Department pairs the “why" behind typical and atypical development, with the “how" of best practices in education. This model allows students to launch their professional careers with a whole-child lens, supporting developmentally appropriate practices in employment settings, with a depth of understanding characteristic of a highly qualified professional in the field. 

Course Number	Course Name	Units
CDECE 47	Human Development	3
CDECE 48	Child, Family & Community	3
CDECE 59	Guiding Young Children	3
CDSED 67	Introduction to Children with Special Needs	3
CDSED 5	Community Resources in Special Education	3
CDECE 271WE -OR- EDUC 20	Work Experience (must earn 3 units)   Introduction to Elementary Classroom Teaching	3
	Subtotal Units	18

IN ADDITION, complete THREE(3) units from the following:

Course Number	Course Name	Units
CDECE 61	Teaching in a Diverse Society	3
CDECE 259	Challenging Behaviors in Early Childhood	3
CDSED 70	Curriculum for Special Education	3
	Required Total	21

The Child Development and Educational Studies Department provides students with a strong, foundational understanding of typical growth and developmental, and best practices to support developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom and care settings. Department coursework and certification provides students with a comprehensive understanding of development across all learning domains and throughout lifespan development, resulting in a broad base for diverse employment opportunities in this growing field, including a multitude of related career pathways in the social science disciplines. The field of special education, and the specific career of special education paraprofessional, is one clear career pathway, supported by the wider, foundational lens of our core growth and development content, followed by a focus on the specific needs of atypical development and how to support neurodiverse populations in inclusive environments. The Child Development and Educational Studies Department pairs the “why" behind typical and atypical development, with the “how" of best practices in education. This model allow students to launch their professional careers with a whole-child lens, supporting developmentally appropriate practices in employment settings, with a depth of understanding characteristic of a highly qualified professional in the field.

Saddleback College, Rio Hondo College, Santiago Canyon College, Pasadena College, LA City College, and Fullerton College

100-200