Alignment Instructions

1. Introduction/Alignment Decision
   Review the project website (www.childdevelopment.org), materials and resources. Be familiar with the goals of CAP, engage colleagues, chairs and adjunct instructors in the alignment discussion. Use the 2007-2008 CAP Recommendation.
2. Support/Planning
   Contact your campus Curriculum Committee to gain advice as to the guidelines to follow in order to take the proper steps to proceed with rewrites, changes and the development of new courses and program/degree/certificate changes. Support for planning time, work sessions and college curriculum and program change processes (may include release time, funding and in-kind community and college recognition). Website will post planning examples from other colleges under the “Technical Assistance” heading.
3. Complete a Statement of Intent
   This formalizes the plans of your department to align with other colleges statewide using the 2007-2008 Curriculum Alignment Project Recommendations. Send to Patty Scroggins at CDTC (information at www.childdevelopment.org). This will give your department access to Technical Assistance support and the Alignment Tool Kit.
4. Technical Assistance
   Contact your regional California Community Colleges Early Childhood Educators Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP) Technical Assistance Lead. (See online map of regions) http://www.childdevelopment.org/cs/cdtc/print/htdocs/services_cap.htm
5. Identify the Work
   Review the alignment recommendations and the detailed Toolkit to guide you in identifying your alignment tasks. In a work-session format, review the CAP Sample Outlines in the toolkit and compare them category by category with your related course outlines. Determine which courses you will need to modify, revise, those that may need content or topics re-distributed and identify new courses that need to be developed. Review subsequent program, major, degree and certificate modifications that will influence catalogues, brochures and counseling updates.
6. Align the 8 Courses and Make Program Modifications
   Working in teams of faculty, share the alignment discussions and make any necessary adaptations to courses to reflect each component of the CAP Outlines. Consider current articulation agreements both ROP and institutions of Higher Ed. Engage them as relevant. Prepare new courses for submission to college committees as necessary and make program/degree and certificate changes. Each course must be offered for at least 3 semester units, but can be more as long as students are clear that CAP articulation agreements will transfer up to 24 units.
7. Complete the Alignment Tool
   After courses have been revised and submitted for curriculum approval, indicate how the revised course components meet each component in the CAP Outline. The aligned components of your courses can be cut and pasted or “typed” into the grid. You may find that a line-by-line, category-by-category comparison is not possible. In that case indicate where in your course outline the related component is addressed. You can submit college approved or approval - pending outlines. (not class SYLLABI) Attach the full outline for each course.
8. Submit your Application for Alignment
   Return the packet as detailed in the Tool Kit to CDTC, attention Patty Scroggins, where it will be reviewed for consideration by the CAP Alignment Committee. Once all courses are reviewed and accepted for alignment, you will receive an Alignment Certificate, your college deans and President will be notified and your department will be added along with other community colleges and aligned CSUs posted on the Website.
9. Stay Informed and Involved
   Maintain involvement in the Curriculum Alignment Project as our faculty-initiated agenda moves forward toward meeting our goals to engage all college EC/CD departments in alignment within the next 3 years and to develop several generous articulation and transfer agreements with California State Universities across the state for the entire 24-unit foundation.

Supports available to you and your faculty: Membership in the California Community Colleges Early Childhood Educators’ Association (CCCECE)-Include your voices to the on-going discussions and advocacy on behalf of faculty, program, curriculum and policy development. Attend Regional Meetings and Institutes to get updates on CAP, Lab School Advocacy, Supporting English Language Learners and exciting discussions about teaching and learning!