Child Development

The Child Development Associate in Arts Degree (60 units total, 30 units in the major) is designed for students interested in infant, toddler, preschool or school-age education. Students may earn an A.A. degree in Child Development or an Associate Teacher Certificate, Teacher Certificate, Master Teacher Certificate or Site Supervisor Certificate for completing a defined course of study that requires fewer units than the AA degree. The California Child Development Permit Matrix requirements are reflected in our program allowing students to qualify for the permits required for teaching in programs governed by Title V and funded by contracts with the State of California. Permits are issued by the State Department of Education, California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (not Cerro Coso) and include: Assistant Teacher, Associate Teacher, Teacher, Master Teacher, and Site Supervisor.

All professionals working with children are required to have a clean criminal record, to demonstrate freedom from tuberculosis (TB), and to demonstrate the physical ability to perform all of the duties of a professional position working directly with children.

The requirements for this program are complex. You MUST meet with a Child Development faculty member AND a counselor.

Courses required for the associate degree major at Cerro Coso Community College may not be the same as those required for the major at a four-year school. If you plan to transfer, consult a counselor and http://www.assist.org/ to identify the courses needed from the major at your transfer school and to develop a plan that will best meet your goals.

You must complete a minimum of 60 units, including the courses listed in the major and general education requirements, with an overall GPA of 2.0 or better, and a grade of "A", "B", or "C" in all courses for the major. A minimum of 12 units must be completed at Cerro Coso Community College.

Your transfer institution may require some of the courses to be taken for a grade. Please consult a counselor and http://www.assist.org/ to determine any limitations on Pass/No Pass grading in major preparation courses.

Completion of the Cerro Coso local General Education Pattern DOES NOT prepare a student for transfer. If you are planning to transfer to a four-year school, depending on your transfer goal, you should select Option B or C only. For more information refer to the general education section of the catalog.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of the program, the student will be able to

• Understand, observe, and analyze development from a theoretical perspective including the realms of physical, socio-emotional, and cognitive development from conception through adolescence.
• Develop curriculum appropriate to the individual developmental needs of children from infancy through school age and across a variety of categories: aesthetic, affective, cognitive, language, physical, and social.
• Demonstrate classroom management skills working with both small and large groups of children.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the health, safety, and nutrition requirements of programs and children from infancy through school age.
• Analyze assessment techniques commonly used in the field of Child Development.
• Assess and practice a variety of program models.
• Address diversity issues, including special needs, with children, families, and programs in a constructive way.
• Take a leadership role in both the profession of Child Development and the in the community through an understanding of advocacy.

Locations

• CC Online

Courses

Note: Some courses within the major may have a required prerequisite. If you feel you have equivalent knowledge and skills to those included in the prerequisite course through professional experience, licensure, or certification, you have the opportunity to submit a Prerequisite Challenge to be reviewed by the faculty chair. For the Prerequisite Challenge to be considered, you must submit documentation/verification to substantiate the basis for the challenge. Please consult a counselor for more information regarding Prerequisite Challenge.

Complete all of the following courses:

Select 3 units from the following courses:

Observation: Students will be required to observe children in group settings. Students are encouraged to do their observation in licensed centers or licensed family child care homes in their community. Licensed-exempt facilities are acceptable.

Complete one of the following general education patterns:

Conditions of Enrollment

Advisory: Level 1 Reading and Writing Advisories:

Students are expected to read a college-level textbook, search articles from professional journals, and assigned readings. Reading Level 1 skills prepare students to succeed in CHDV classes by ensuring that they have the skills to read textbooks, journal articles, and assigned readings and are able to make connections between regulations, theory, and best practice. The ability to make these connections adequately prepares students to participate in discussions, formulate answers for quizzes and exams, and summarize materials read. Reading Level 1 skills also ensure that students will have the ability to identify central points, evaluate sources, distinguish fact from opinion, identify bias, and draw inferences.

Students are expected to write summaries of text chapters, journal articles, and assigned readings, as well as complete a research paper. Writing Level 1 skills prepare students to succeed in CHDV classes by ensuring they are able to write short essays that synthesize lectures and assigned readings and that are free of major spelling and grammatical errors. Writing Level 1 skills ensure that students are able to compose a formal research paper from multiple sources including finding, evaluating, organizing, synthesizing college-level reading materials, and to construct a detailed outline and annotated bibliography that projects the structure of the research paper and reflects the extent of their literature search and the relevance of the sources chosen. Writing Level 1 skills prepare students to use the corrected proof of their outline to draft a research paper that is properly formatted and written in clear and grammatically correct prose.

Permit

STATE OF CALIFORNIA CHILD DEVELOPMENT PERMIT: The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing grants permits in accordance with the Child Development Permit Matrix. Applications are separate from Cerro Coso Community College and must be submitted to California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Contact any Child Development faculty member or visit the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing website http://www.ctc.ca.gov/ for more information regarding the Permit Matrix and Professional Growth Advisors. For all Permits, all course work must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.

Contact

Mary O'Neal
Child Development
Phone: (760) 384-6275
Email: moneal@cerrocoso.edu