ECE 189: CDA Preparation

Course Description

This non-credit course is open to students that have completed 9 credits of college level coursework and 480 field experience hours required for the CDA Credential. Students in this course will prepare their professional portfolios prior to applying for the CDA in either infant/toddler, preschool or family child care. Through active weekly discussions and submission of assignments, students will prepare the resource collection, the competency statements and the professional philosophy statement for the professional portfolio. At the end of this course, students are prepared to apply for the CDA Credential through the Council for Professional Recognition in Washington, D.C.

Field Experience Requirement: 480 hours of experience working with children specific to the ages for which you are applying for the credential.

Prerequisite

  • None

Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs)

At the Associate of Science level, students will: 
  1. Promote Child Development and Learning- understand how young children develop and learn and how to use developmental knowledge to create healthy, respectful, supportive and challenging learning environments inclusive of all young children (NAEYC, Standard 1).
  2. Establish Family and Community Relationships- understand and support diverse family and community characteristics and engage with families and communities through respectful, reciprocal relationships (NAEYC, Standard 2).
  3. Observe, document and Assess- utilize a variety of assessment tools to observe and document development and to plan for future instruction respective of each child’s developmental needs (NAEYC, Standard 3).
  4. Utilize Developmentally Effective Approaches- develop positive relationships and supportive interactions with young children and using effective strategies and tools for teaching and learning in early education, (NAEYC, Standard 4). NAEYC, Standard 3).
  5. Use Content Knowledge to build Meaningful Curriculum- develop experiences within environments that are safe, healthy, inclusionary and culturally pluralistic and reflect understanding of developmentally appropriate practices, (NAEYC, Standard 5).
  6. Develop as a Professional- engage in continuous reflective and collaborative learning and identify oneself as an emerging professional within the early childhood field (NAEYC, Standard 6). 7.
  7. Engage in Field Experiences to support learning with various age groups and across multiple early childhood settings (NAEYC, Standard 7).

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

Students who successfully complete this course will be able to:

  1. Creating a safe, healthy and purposeful learning environment;
  2. Advancing children’s physical and intellectual development;
  3. Promoting children’s self and social development as well as providing positive guidance;
  4. Establishing productive relationships with families;
  5. Managing and effective program;.
  6. Maintaining a commitment to professionalism.

Course Activities and Grading

AssignmentsWeight

Discussions (Weeks 1-8)

19%

Resource Collection Items and Competency Statements (Weeks 2-7)

10%

Professional Philosophy Statement; Applying for the CDA; & Next Steps

10%

Total100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's Book Bundle

  • The CDA National Credentialing Program and CDA Competency Standards Handbook (2018).  (Students will purchase only one of the following CDA textbooks based on their endorsement area). 

    • Council for Professional Recognition. Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program and CDA Competency Standards, Family Child Care Edition. Council for Professional Recognition, 2013. ISBN-10: 0-9889650-2-X or ISBN-13: 978-0-9889650-2-7

    OR

    • Council for Professional Recognition. Child Development Associate National Credentialing Program and CDA Competency Standards, Preschool Edition. Council for Professional Recognition, 2017. ISBN-10: 0-9889650-0-3 or ISBN-13: 978-0-9889650-0-3

    OR

    • Council for Professional Recognition. Infant Toddler CDA 2.0. Council for Professional Recognition, 2013. ISBN-10: 0-9889650-1-1 or ISBN-13: 978-0-9889650-1-0

 

Course Schedule

WeekPLOsSLOsCompetenciesAssignments

1

1,4

1-6

Introduction to the CDA:

  • History
  • The Process
  •  Developing your Portfolio
  • Resource Collection Items
  • Competency Statements
  • Statement of Philosophy
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Read and print out the course syllabus and course assignment schedule;
  • Read assigned pages in CDA book;
  • Review the lecture material;
  • Submit assignments;
  • Set-up binder to create portfolio

2

1,3,4

1-4

Competency Standard 1: Maintaining a Safe, Healthy Learning Environment
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Competency Standard 1 assignments

3

1,4

1,2,4

Competency Standard 2: Advancing Physical & Intellectual Competence
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Competency Standard 2 assignments

4

1,4

1,3,4

Competency Standard 3: Supporting Social & Emotional Development and Proving Positive Guidance
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Competency Standard 3 assignments

5

1,3

1,4,5,6

Competency Statement 4: Establishing Positive and Productive Relationships with Families
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Competency Standard 4 assignments

6

1,6

1,4,5,6

Competency Statement 5: Ensuring a Well-Run, Purposeful Program that is Responsive to Participant Needs
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Competency Standard 5 assignments

7

4,5

1-6

Competency Statement 6: Maintaining a Commitment to Professionalism
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit competency Standard 6 assignments

8

1-5

1-6

Professional Philosophy Statement

Applying for the CDA
  • Participate on the discussion board;
  • Submit Professional Philosophy Statement;
  • Apply for the CDA

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.