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2014-15 Catalog (Archived Catalog)

Early Childhood Education: Advanced

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Academic Programs

Early Childhood Education: Advanced - Certificate (F16)

(F16) Certificate

The Early Childhood Education certificate program will assist individuals in securing the education and credentials needed to obtain employment in child care facilities and/or schools. The advanced certificate allows individuals to obtain greater proficiency in the areas of study required in the field of Early Childhood Education, satisfies course requirements needed to serve as a teacher aide in the state of Illinois, and provides some educational course requirements for paraprofessional qualifications as defined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. The Advanced Certificate is also developed to meet the minimal requirement for approval as a qualified child care director at a freestanding facility.

The Department of Children and Family Services requires a director to be at least 21 years old, have completed two years of college and 18 hours of approved credit dealing with the very young child or have equivalent experience and credentials.

Work and Employment

The employment of elementary and secondary paraprofessionals is dependent upon publicly-funded resources. Most employment opportunities in this occupation will result from fairly high attrition or turnover. Many employment opportunities include part-time positions but full-time employment is available on a limited basis. These positions usually merit entry-level pay.

Advancement to other occupations related to child and adolescent care is possible with further education, training and experience.

Special Considerations

The Early Childhood Education Basic certificate must be completed prior to enrolling in the Early Childhood Education Advanced certificate.

Anyone interested in employment in the education field needs patience, a strong sense of service and the ability to relate well to children. Good interpersonal and communication skills are essential. Creativity and good problem-solving skills are desirable, as is a love of learning.

To be a Teacher Aide in Illinois, students must hold state approval based on 30 semester hours of college work. Students are required to file an Illinois State Board of Education Form 73-28 with their Regional Office of Education.

To be a Title I Paraprofessional, students must hold state approval as a Teacher Aide AND meet the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) requirements. NCLB requirements can be met in one of three ways including completion of an associate's degree (or higher), completion of two years of post-secondary study at an institution of higher education, or pass a State Paraprofessional Certification Exam.

For more information, refer to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) website at <http://www.isbe.net/nclb/htmls/paraprof.htm>.

Program Contacts at Sauk Valley Community College
Counseling Office, 815/835-6354;
Janis Jones, Assistant Professor of Education, 815/835-6410.


Early Childhood Education Basic Certificate (Completion Required Prior to Enrollment in Advanced Certificate.)


  • ECE 114 - Child Care and Development 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ECE 115 - Principles of Early Childhood Education 3 Semester hour(s)

Total Hours for Basic Certificate: 6



Professional Core Requirements

  • ECE 202 - Language Development in Young Children 3 Semester hour(s)

  • or

  • ECE 206 - Mathematics and Science for Young Children 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ECE 208 - Guidance Principles for Children 0-13 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ECE 275 - Curriculum Development for the Early Childhood Classroom 3 Semester hour(s)

  • or

  • EDU 220 - Students with Disabilities in School 3 Semester hour(s)
  • EDU 275 - Educational Psychology 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ENG 101 - Composition I 3 Semester hour(s)
  • HSV 101 - Introduction to Human Relations 3 Semester hour(s)
  • PSY 103 - Introduction to Psychology 3 Semester hour(s)

Total required beyond the Basic certificate: 21


Related Requirements:

5-6 semester hours to be selected from the following list:


  • ACC 100 - Basic Accounting 4 Semester hour(s)
  • BUS 205 - Principles of Management 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ECE 200 - Art and Music for Young Children 3 Semester hour(s)

  • or

  • EDU 227 - Music for Elementary Teachers 3 Semester hour(s)
  • ECE 228 - Child Health, Nutrition and Safety 3 Semester hour(s)
  • EDU 101 - Introduction to Education 3 Semester hour(s)
  • EDU 102 - Computer Education for Teachers 3 Semester hour(s)
  • EDU 221 - Children's Literature 3 Semester hour(s)
  • MAT 110 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I 3 Semester hour(s)
  • PED 213 - First Aid 2 Semester hour(s)
  • PED 220 - Rhythms and Games for Children 2 Semester hour(s)
  • PSY 200 - Human Growth and Development 3 Semester hour(s)

  • or

  • PSY 214 - Child Psychology 3 Semester hour(s)

Total Hours Required for Certificate: 32-33


Note:

*Dependent upon course choices from the related requirements area, students may need to submit to the Criminal History Background check as required by Illinois law. See policy below.

Criminal History Check Policy

Illinois law requires Illinois school boards to conduct a criminal background investigation on applicants for employment. This law also prohibits the employment of a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any one or more of a number of offenses. At present, offenses include first degree murder; any Class X felony; juvenile pimping; soliciting for a juvenile prostitute; exploitation of a child; obscenity; child pornography; harmful material; criminal sexual assault; aggravated criminal sexual assault; offenses set forth in the Cannabis Control Act; and crimes defined in the Illinois Controlled Substance Act. Employment must be denied whether the offenses and/or conviction occurred inside or outside the state of Illinois.

All students entering the initial observation course must first submit to a criminal background check (CBC). You will be notified by the College of the fees, date, time and location of the finger printing process. In addition, students listed on the Illinois Sex Offenders Registry, Illinois Violent Offender Against Youth Registry and the National Sex Offenders Registry will be denied entrance into these programs.

If any of the above returns with an incident "hit", you will be notified and need to see a designated counselor who will review your results and review how it might affect your ability to participate in these programs. An adverse decision may be appealed through the institutional academic appeal process.


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