Early Childhood Education
Teacher Preparation Program
Our program stands out from other college programs - we are a teacher preparation program. At Santa Ana College, students will engage in coursework and fieldwork/clinical practice that will teach you how to teach.
- Our courses are aligned with the California Early Childhood Educator Teaching Performance Expectations (ECE TPEs).
- The ECE TPEs are researched based and aligned with the expectations set forth by the California Early Childhood Educator Competencies, California Infant/Toddler and California Preschool/Transitional Kindergarten Learning Foundations (PTKLF), and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) national program standards.
- Our program is aligned with the California Early Childhood Formative Teaching Performance Assessment (Cal FTPA), the performance assessment for students to become and Early Childhood Education Teacher. The Cal FTPA is designed based on the ECE TPEs.
Successful completion of this program will allow students obtain an Early Childhood Education Teaching Credential (child development permit) which is needed to teach in a state funded early childhood program or a federally funded early childhood program (Head Start). This program prepares students to learn how to teach and also prepares students to transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree and a higher-level teaching credential. Students will take specialized courses that provide opportunities to learn how to teach while using developmentally appropriate practices, as well as observe and work alongside early childhood education teachers in an Early Childhood Laboratory School setting. These specialized courses include:
- CDEV 108 (3 units) – Observation and Assessment for Early Learning
- Students complete child observations in an early childhood laboratory school setting
- CDEV 111A (3 units) – Principles and Practices of Teaching Young Children
- Students complete observations and assignments in an early childhood laboratory school setting
- CDEV 111B (3 units) – Introduction to Curriculum for Young Children
- Students complete observations and assignments in an early childhood laboratory school setting
- CDEV 298A/B (3.5 units) – Practicum: The Student Teaching Experience
- Students complete 108 hours of student teaching in an early childhood laboratory school setting or an approved California Mentor program site setting
Students will conduct all observations and assignments during the early childhood education laboratory school’s regular operating hours, Monday-Friday between 7:30am-5:00pm.
Potential Careers
- Child Care Administration
- Early Childhood Home Based Educator
- Early Childhood Education Special Education Teacher
- Family Child Care Home Based Provider
- Infant/Toddler Teacher
- Preschool-3rd Grade Teacher
Current Degree Programs
Certificate Programs: Add Specialized Training to the Degree
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher (Pre-Professional)
- For future educators interested in teaching special education
Child Care Administration
- For future educators interested in becoming an administrator of a center based child care center or a family child care home based center
Additional Add-On Teacher Training Certificates
STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math)