Goal 1: Graduates will be competent in critical thinking and clear communication, written and spoken.

  • SLO 1: Demonstrate insight and skill at logically parsing and clearly explaining complex topics in the early childhood field
  • SLO 2: Develop and present accurate and comprehensive explanations of the history and current best practices in early care and education
  • SLO 3: Use multiple types of media to present research findings and service learning outcomes in a capstone course context

Goal 2: Graduates will have an understanding of child development including ways in which the topic relates to family, community, and educational contexts.

  • SLO 4: Develop and articulate a comprehensive overview of the field of Early Childhood Education, especially as it impacts child development
  • SLO 5: Explain the sequences of affective, physical, and intellectual development of children, linked to current educational practices which support best practices in developmentally appropriate education for children from birth to age eight
  • SLO 6: Recognize and explain individual, family, school and community risk and protective factors that may serve to either support or constrain appropriate growth and development in young children

Goal 3: Graduates will understand salient ways in which culture, language, and socioeconomic status and circumstances impact the developmental trajectory of each and every child.

  • SLO 7: Define and describe culture at a global scale, and explain the impact of culture on society, families, and children, especially vis-à-vis cross-cultural exchanges
  • SLO 8: Define and explain core linkages between physical, cognitive, social, and emotional domains and specify ways in which their interactions impact children’s development in complex yet comprehensible ways
  • SLO 9: Analyze and explain the historical and contemporary perspectives guiding optimal service delivery to young children with special needs and their families

Goal 4:  Graduates will be informed about and prepared for the wide range of careers in the early care and education field.

  • SLO 10: Explain why a code of ethics is important to the early care and education field
  • SLO 11: Articulate the vital role that accurate and comprehensive assessment and documentation plays in contemporary early childhood care and education
  • SLO 12: Describe the remarkable array of competencies that young children possess, and define and explain an array of effective strategies for identifying, supporting, and enhancing these inherent capabilities