This Certificate of Achievement introduces students to foundational content and educational careers in PK-12 Teaching, Special Education and/or Youth Work/Extended Care. It builds to the Educator Careers II Certificate of Achievement and the AA-T in Child and Adolescent Development, which is aligned with various transfer and credential pathways for teachers and counselors in education.

We expect about 40 students to complete the 12 unit certificate per year.

These numbers are based on:

The number of students in the SF Educators Rising Para Apprenticeship (12 in this pathway)

The number of students expected in the Beacon Youth Worker Apprenticeship (20 per year)

The number of students pursuing the deactivated Youth Worker Certificate, the deactivated Introduction to Special Education Certificate and the deactivated Pre-Teacher Certificate.

Program Goals and Objectives Our goal is to create a stackable certificate pathway starting with an Educator Careers I, 12 unit, Certificate of Achievement that stacks to the Educator Careers II, 24 unit, Certificate of Achievement and the AA-T Degree in Child and Adolescent Development. This certificate has the opportunity for students to complete six units of transferable electives, allowing them to deepen their learning in the field of education in various areas of focus.

This pathway could lead to multiple educator roles, including:

PK-3 Teacher

K-5 Teacher

Special Education Teacher

Youth Work Roles (i.e. Program Leaders, Mental Wellness Coordinators, etc.)

School Counselors/Psychologist

This certificate pathway has been proposed and approved by our CTE Advisory Committee based on a number of labor needs and specific program partnerships, including:

1. SFUSD Dual Enrollment Internship Program for students in educational pathways
2. SF Educators Rising, an ECE, Elementary & Special Education Para Apprenticeship partnership between CCSF and SFUSD (2021 - present)
3. Youth Worker Apprenticeship partnership between CCSF as the LEA and Beacon afterschool programs as well as ECEPTS. (Fall 2024 - present: Planning stages)
4. K-16 Pathway collaborations with multiple programs at SFSU, including Liberal Studies ITEP (Integrated Teacher Education Program), Child and Adolescent Development Department, SFSU Department of Elementary Education, and the SF Scholars SFSU Special Education Program.

Students must complete 6 required units and 6 elective units in an area of their choice. Minimum time to complete the program is two semesters

Courses Required for the 12-unit Certificate of Achievement in Introduction to Educator Careers: 

Year 1 Fall = 6 units

Year 1 Spring = 6 units

Total Units = 12 units

This certificate pathway reflects CCSF’s mission in a number of ways: 

It provides career skills needed in the workplace for students currently working with children and youth

Our mission statement states that CCSF “belongs to the community.” This certificate pathway emerges from robust community partnerships with multiple organizations, including SFUSD Dual Enrollment, SFUSD Human Resources, UESF, and  the San Francisco Beacon Initiative

The certificate pathway stacks directly to the AA-T transfer degree, preparing students for transfer to multiple SFSU programs in education. WE have consulted with the CAD Department, the LIberal Studies ITEP (Integrated Teacher Education Program), the PreK-3 ITEP, the SF Scholars Special Education Program and the Graduate School of Education/Elementary Credential Program at SFSU as we developed this pathway

The California State Plan for Career Technical Education (CTE):  A Vision for Equity and Excellence in CTE, adopted on March 10, 2023, names four priorities:

Supply that meets demand: This pathway meets demand for educators in multiple areas throughout multiple educator pathways.

Effective delivery and support: This pathway aligns with workbased learning initiatives, transfer requirements and the pathway for equivalency for the Multiple Subject CSET at San Francisco State University. Furthemore, the two new stackable Certificates of Achievement aim to increase equitable access, retention and completion within the pathway.

Data that informs investments: As noted in the LMI report and elsewhere in this narrative, multiple data sources motivate the need for this pathway

Systems alignment: This pathway responds to feedback from stakeholders in multiple systems, including youth worker, employment/SFUSD, Dual Enrollment at SFSUD and multiple transfer institutions

Furthermore, this pathway integrates the five themes that cross these priorities: Pathways, Dual Enrollment, Work-Based Learning (apprenticeships and fieldwork), Regional Partnership Development and CTE Teacher Faculty Preparation and Pipeline.

Finally, the California Master Plan for Career Education, published in December 2024, states the importance of the following elements, which are all integrated into this pathway:

Alerting learners to educational and job opportunities;

Ensuring people have chances to explore options in a hands-on way and to build connections with employers;

Providing “earn-and-learn” opportunities whereby people can be paid as they gain skills;

Developing stackable credentials that ensure learning opportunities are built on each other;

Offering navigators that help people access services and address challenges

Given the widespread labor needs throughout the Bay Region, all of our community colleges need programs like this. That said, other Bay Area programs have stackable certificates in ECE but not in their Child and Adolescent Development pathways