Curriculum Alignment Project (CAP)

The California Community Colleges Curriculum Alignment Project has engaged faculty from across the state to develop a lower-division program of study supporting early care and education teacher preparation. The Lower Division 8 represents evidence-based courses that are intended to become a foundational core for all early care and education professionals. Offering a consistent educational core throughout California's Community College EC/CD Programs will better prepare students with the skills and abilities that best support the success of young children.

With efforts supported by California Community College Early Childhood Educators (CCCECE), alignment project members and colleagues began discussions in early 2005. Motivated by impending legislation that would provide preschool for all of California's four-year olds, faculty took the initiative to work on a shared core of courses for entry level professionals. These discussions led to a formal recommendation supported by over two hundred faculty to develop coursework that maintained the unique qualities of the early care and education profession while improving the teaching and care practices for young children in California. Project funding was provided by WestEd's E3 Institute in Santa Clara County in 2006; and subsequent years funding provided primarily by the David and Lucile Packard Foundation with additional financial support secured by CCCECE from multiple sources.

EC/CD faculty from Community Colleges and California State Universities joined course work groups to develop the competency-based courses. A group of 32 representatives met monthly for the first year involving over 200 additonal faculty members in these discussions. A Steering Committee and an Advisory Council of statewide teacher preparation partners offered outside perspective to plan the content of eight, 3-unit courses. By the end of the 2007 academic year, the CAP 2007-2008 Recomendation for "The EC/CD Lower Division 8" as a shared and essential portion of a lower division program of study was disseminated. Another key effort of the Curriculum Alignment Project is to facilitate the transfer of these eight courses as an integrated course of study to the California State Universities, promoting access to ongoing education and degree attainment. CAP continues to collaborate with California State Universities and work toward the integration of the Lower Division 8 into Baccalaureate programs.

In 2007-2008, in collaboration with CCCECE and the Child Development Training Consortium, the 2007-2008 Recommendation was sent to 103 Community Colleges, an Alignment Process was developed with Technical Assistance Leads in each region and in 2008 the Alignment Verification Process was completed. To date 81 colleges have submitted their Statement of Intent to align with the CAP Recommendation.

Project Activities

PHASE 1: DEVELOPMENT

• Surveyed colleges, researched, selected courses and developed content outlines for 8 sample courses: 2005 through 2007
• Refined the Recommended 8 Lower Division Courses: October, November 2007, February 2008
• Identified Technical Assistance Regional Leads within Five Areas of California: November 2007
• Created the Technical Assistance Component to Support Faculty in the Alignment Process Across the State: November, December 2007, January 2008
• Designed the Alignment Tool Kit: January 2008
• Distributed the 2007-2008 Curriculum Alignment Project Recommendation: February 2008

PHASE 2: IMPLEMENTATION

• Developed Alignment Submission Documents and Procedures: April 2008
• Created Alignment Verification and Review Processes and Protocol: September 2008
• Verified CAP Official Alignment Submission documents and scheduled 2009 Verification Review Meetings: January 16, 2009 and April 25, 2009
• Advocated for consistent statewide Transfer Agreements with California State Universities: throughout Project
• Collaborated with the California State University Baccalaureate Pathways in Early Childhood Education Project (BPECE) on issues of transfer and integration: Fall 2007 - Summer 2009