2007-2008 CAP Recommendation

In December 2007, CAP formalized the following recommendation for consideration by all California Community Colleges that offer education and training for early care and education professionals. It is recommended that all college EC/CD departments consider aligning with one another in offering a shared core of coursework which includes: ¹

Eight, 3-unit, lower-division transfer level courses
and
An EC/CD Major Transfer Degree in which the above 24 units is nested

The 2007-2008 Recommendation represents one aspect of the important discussions among Community College EC/CD faculty and is intended to guide the first steps in supporting a broader system change, uniting us as we continue program and faculty development into the future.

Eight, 3-Unit, Lower-Division Transfer-Level Courses

Course development began with a faculty steering committee and course work groups in October of 2006. Explicit content was determined by prioritizing and limiting the scope to that which seems foundational for entry-level teachers of young children. Outlines were edited, revised and modified several times during 2007 by hundreds of faculty at statewide meetings, work sessions and during small group discussions. The project adopted NAEYC, A.S. Degree Program Standards along with California’s Child Development Permit Competencies and current research on EC/CD practice and workforce development and outcomes for young children. Alignment with the CAP recommendation requires that the department offer a minimum of 24-units, in 8 courses with like names, with at least a 3-unit load for each course that include the components reflected in the sample outlines.

The eight sample outlines are not intended to be adopted as complete course outlines, rather to function as a guide representing essential components for across-colleges alignment. Alignment serves to support fluidity among colleges easing the acceptance of credit for coursework between aligned programs. These courses will never be finished nor “set in stone”. Curriculum development is a dynamic process and into the future will change with the profession and in response to community needs. In their current form, the eight course outlines represent some of our best collegial and collective thinking. They arose from current practice, folded in emerging needs and content and are intended to support all of us in offering a shared set of foundational coursework leading to on-going study. Completion of the Lower-Division 8 represents one pathway for students toward higher degrees and forms 24 units of an articulated transfer package to participating universities and private institutions. Details of the course development processes and the background of CAP are available at www.childdevelopment.org.

Alignment instructions will be distributed to faculty completing the Statement of Intent and is also available online. A Regional CAP Technical Assistance Lead will make contact following the submission of the signed Statement and a Course Alignment Tool Kit will arrive in the mail. The essential components for alignment as recommended by CAP are present in the sample Course Descriptions, Student Learning Outcomes, Objectives and further elaborated in Examples of Content and Topics for each course.

1 Other topics that moved into focus during the past two project years that we may want to continue to discuss in our individual college districts and are not part of the recommendation at this time are: A related 24-unit Certificate of Achievement, and Specialist Certificates addressing areas of specialized knowledge and age-range focused courses utilizing 6 unit bundled coursework in special topics (i.e., Dual-Language Learning), Transfer agreements for the full 24 units of coursework with statewide CSUs, and lastly, the importance of Advising and Counseling with materials updates reflecting program modifications and changes in offerings.