The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California. Technical Report

Teacher preparation in the field of early childhood education (ECE) has historically included a variety of higher education degree programs, in various child-related disciplines, all of which have generally been considered equally acceptable. And too often, these highly diverse degree programs are assumed to produce equivalent results. In contrast, programs to prepare teachers and administrators to work with older children reflect far greater uniformity and stringency related to specific preparation standards and certification requirements. In recent years, however, rising expectations about the knowledge and skills that early childhood practitioners need in order to work effectively with young children before kindergarten, along with the introduction of new ECE programs and standards, have led many to question whether the current wide array of ECE-related degree programs can be assumed to produce equivalent results. In California, despite progress over the last decade in aligning early childhood education courses at the community college level, there remains great variability among upper-division and graduate degree programs regarding what constitutes an appropriate course of study for teachers and administrators serving young children. To address this issue, the "Early Childhood Higher Education Inventory" was designed to gain a clearer picture of the early childhood-related offerings in a given state's higher education system. The Inventory describes early childhood degree programs offered in the state, focusing on variations in program content, age-group focus, student field-based learning, and faculty characteristics. The Inventory was implemented in California during the 2013-2014 academic year. This Technical Report presents detailed findings collected by implementing the Inventory's mapping, program, and faculty modules. The report also includes a full discussion of the findings, and offers recommendations for policy and practice. Tables are appended. [For the full report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California, 2015," see ED574291. For the highlights to the full report, "Teaching the Teachers of Our Youngest Children: The State of Early Childhood Higher Education in California, 2015. Highlights," see ED574292.]