Preliminary Education Specialist Program Standards

Education Specialist (ES) Program Standard 1: Program Design and Curriculum

ES Program Standard 1 is met as follows: 

The ECSE program prepares educators who value the rich diversity in schools, while critically examining their practice, institutions, and society. Beginning coursework is structured to provide foundational knowledge and skill around both theory and practice of early childhood education. Major themes will be  introduced in the first semester, such as utilizing an anti-bias education and a strengths-based approach with children and families, which continue throughout the program (EDUT 6200 Cultivating Critical Consciousness in Practice).Each semester personal dispositions and instructional competencies are further developed through both coursework and field experiences, becoming increasingly complex and challenging.  All courses have a fieldwork component that aligns with course content.  In fact, candidates will be placed in an educational setting each semester. Faculty and staff carefully select fieldwork sites based on factors such as students’ race and ethnicity, socio-economic status, and native languages, as well as accessibility for candidates with disabilities. The School of Education will search for school sites that reflect our values of social justice and inclusion; we will utilize the  California Department of Education school profiles to gather information about each site.  

The theories and research that frame and guide the design, implementation, and continuous development of the ECSE credential program emerge from a critical perspective that questions inequities in schools, their nature and causes, and ways to utilize inquiry to address them. This framework helps candidates work through their positionalities to challenge systemic and institutionalized oppression, explicitly and directly countering prevailing deficit mindsets (Mejia, Revelo, Villanueva, & Mejia, 2018). The framework is informed by theories and research on critical race theory (Ladson-Billings & Tate, 1995), critical pedagogy (Freire, 1996), sociocultural learning (Jaramillo, 1996), culturally responsive pedagogy (Sleeter, 2011), humanization education (Camangian & Cariaga, 2022), lived experiences (Garvis, 2015), and an inquiry stance toward practice (Cochran-Smith & Lytle, 2015). Candidates will be expected to question assumptions and processes, to examine data, to reflect on actions and outcomes, and to develop effective approaches to teach and support the development of young children with disabilities.

The program utilizes a strengths-based approach, which teaches candidates to approach early childhood with an appreciation of the diverse capabilities and resources children and families offer. In particular, the program utilizes a Disability Studies approach (Baglieri, 2017; Davis, 2017) and relies upon the theory of Dis/Crit (Connor, Ferri, & Annamma, 2016), which examines the intersection of disability and other marginalized identities in our society. Candidates examine their own dispositions, both implicit and explicit. Students examine how societal systems set limitations based on “othered” identities, and how their instruction, interaction, and advocacy can create equitable and accessible opportunities.  Candidates learn and are expected to demonstrate skills and knowledge required to collaborate with families, caregivers, and communities, all  integral components of the education and care of young children with special needs. 

The ECSE program is grounded in child and human development, inquiry, early literacy, and collaborative approaches to learning that center the whole child.  Theories of learning and development, their relationship to practice, and the learning trajectory of young children will be explored during the first year of the program in courses led by the Head of the MCCS (EDUT 6203 Theory & Practice of Early Childhood Education: Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children and EDUT 6204 Theory & Practice in Early Childhood Education: Curriculum and Instruction for Infants and Children with Special Needs). The state-adopted CA Infant/Toddler and Preschool Foundations will be introduced in this course and are relied upon for  an assignment to design and implement a curriculum project  in a MCCS classroom.  

In the course EDUT 6202 Children with Special Needs, students will demonstrate their knowledge of disability characteristics and appropriate accommodations and modifications, in a variety of settings,  that result in more inclusive learning and social environments and improved outcomes for young children and families. Candidates will examine the educational and psychosocial implications of disability characteristics and identify the intersecting factors affecting student learning such as poverty, race, housing instability, and socioeconomic status, which are also examined in EDUT 6205 Family Systems & Cultural Diversity: Connections with Schools, Communities, and Hospital Settings. Candidates maintain an assets-based approach while learning of disability characteristics and additional influencing factors in order to establish and maintain a positive community and learning environment (EDUT 6207 Positive Behavior Supports and Intervention). Additionally, candidates learn to provide a variety of supports to prevent unwanted behaviors. In particular, candidates learn about the challenges associated with autism spectrum disorders (language, communication, social skills, behavior, and processing) to design curriculum and programs that respect and support the child.

Theories of and practices to support language development, multilingualism, and early literacy are taught in EDUT 6213 Language Development: Literacy, Communication, and Multilingualism. The state-adopted CA Dyslexia Guidelines and ELA/ELD Framework will be introduced and utilized in this course. Candidates will learn strategies of effective case management and collaboration with other educators, service providers, and families. In EDUT 6201 Legal Aspects and Program Design of Special Education, candidates will collaborate to develop legal documents that guide the services and supports for young children with disabilities and their families, such as Individual Education Programs (IEPs) and Individual Family Service Plans (IFSPs).

Candidates learn to use an asset-based approach to identify strengths of young children to improve learning and development, despite diagnosed disabilities (EDUT 6206 Assessment and Intervention for Children with Special Needs). The need for culturally and linguistically appropriate assessments will be taught so that candidates understand that English Language Learners with speech/language disabilities are often unidentified and are therefore not provided appropriate support, while simultaneously their multilingual learning may be seen by others as a deficit and an assumption made that the child needs special education.

The assessment of candidates' growth is an ongoing, integral process in both coursework and fieldwork placements. The program utilizes research-based projects to deepen theoretical knowledge while advancing practical skills for success as a leader in education.  These  projects are formative in order to facilitate further growth and skill development. Courses have detailed rubrics outlining the expectations and competencies required for exemplary work.  Assignments will include projects such as  observations, interviews, mini-lessons, curriculum mapping, and individualized educational projects. As collaboration with educators, families, and service providers is essential, candidates will most often  engage in assignments in pairs or small groups instead of individually. Assignments require engagement in varied educational settings, such as preschools, homes, and hospitals and with general, inclusive, and special education learning opportunities. In addition, assignments require engagement with necessary legal elements of early childhood education, including Individual Family Service Plans, Individualized Education Programs, and Positive Behavior Plans. Instructors provide an overview of these legal documents in draft format for small group collaboration.  Candidates will compile a digital portfolio throughout their time in the program, which will include course assignments such as reflection pieces, presentations, lessons, papers, and projects. The portfolio provides evidence of varied experiences, depth of knowledge, and critical reflection around instruction gained during the program. In addition, candidates will be  provided the course sequence as well as the documentation that will be necessary to apply for a CA preliminary credential in ECSE. 

The ECE Department faculty meet regularly as part of the formal assessment and evaluation system. Rubrics for assignments are reviewed by the ECE department to reduce the subjectivity of interpretation. Course instructors then assess student work based on the stated expectations in the rubric.  Candidate performance on assignments is recorded and strengths and weaknesses are used to inform individual course and program curriculum.

Multiple opportunities for assessment are embedded within the student teaching experiences. During field placements in the MCCS, which fulfill the requirements for experience in general education settings, candidates participate in at least weekly reflective circles with team members, where they discuss instructional decisions and interventions, receive feedback, and identify next steps for supporting children. During student teaching placements in ECSE programs, candidates are observed by their field supervisor, using an observation form integrating the TPEs. At the end of each student teaching placement, a summative evaluation takes place in a triad meeting between the cooperating teacher, the student teacher, and the field supervisor to evaluate progress towards the TPEs. 

Courses are offered one time per year; students must successfully complete courses to advance to the next semester (See ECSE Programmatic Sequence Graphic). The ECSE is a 2-year graduate level course sequence culminating in a master’s degree. Graduates will leave the program inspired to use teaching and leadership to improve the lives of young children and families, deepen student learning, increase their own knowledge, transform schools, and increase educational equity. 

Continue to Program Standard 2: Preparing Candidates to Master the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs)

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