Lead Faculty: Dr. John Carta-Falsa
The Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education (BAECE) has been designed to include the competencies and guidelines as established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC); the Child Development Associates National Competency Standards (CDA); and the National Head Start Association (NHSA). The completion of the BAECE degree program meets the educational requirements needed for the Child Development Associates National Licensing program and meets the requirements of the State of California Child Development Permits. Non-residents of California; military personnel or their dependents; and international students should contact the Department of Education of the state in which they reside or intend to reside, or the Ministry of Education of the country in which they live, to determine specific requirements for employment. State or country specific coursework, in addition to the BAECE degree program, may be required to obtain a permit, license or credential necessary for employment. Candidates assume the responsibility for determining and meeting these requirements. The program is based on a conceptual framework of current theory, contemporary perspectives and sound research findings. Focus is on knowledge, attitudes, skills, practice, reflection and field experiences needed to become efficient, competent, and effective professionals in the field of early childhood education. Emphasis is on designing appropriate learning environments, individual and adaptive curricula, and instructional strategies and techniques to maximize learning outcomes. Topics demonstrated, both in writing and discussion, provide a broad-based foundation of child development in the areas of familial and socio-cultural influences on learning and brain development, parent empowerment, peer cooperation and collaboration, early cognition, emerging literacy (listening, speaking, reading and writing), ongoing participant observation and approprThis program is available online.