MS IN EARLY CHILDHOOD STUDIES Child Development (CD) C D001 - T h eo r ies of C h i ld D eve l opm e nt Demo ns t rate a n understand i ng of theories and concepts o f ch ild deve lo pme nt. C D002 - K n owled ge of t h e C h i ld D eve l opm e nt Co nt inuum Ap p ly k nowle d g e o f the chi ld develop ment conti nuu m to s uppo r t healthy ch ild deve lo pme nt an d lear n in g. C D003 - Cu ltu re a n d L a n g u age a n d I ts I nflue n ce o n D eve lopme nt E xp l a i n how c ul ture and l angu age i nflu ence chi ld ren's be h avio r an d deve lo pme nt. C D004 - Su p po r t i n g C h i ld re n w i t h E xcept io n alit ies Demo ns t rate a n understand i ng of p rocesses, l aws, an d re s o urce s to s uppo r t the deve lo pme nt o f ch ildre n w ith exce ptio na lit ies. C D005 - Obser v i n g, D ocu me nt i n g, a n d Ass ess in g Ch ild re n Eva luate mul t i p le s o u rces of i nformation to assess i ndividual ch ildre n in o rde r to plan deve lo pme ntally appro pr iate prac t ices t h at help chi ld re n p ro g re ss along the conti nuu m. Cultural Responsiveness (CR) C R001 - Cu ltu ra l ly Res pon s ive P ra ct ices Reco m me nd c ul tural ly responsive p rac tices to p romote s uppo r tive an d re s pe ctf ul par tne rs h ips w ith familie s an d po s itive outcomes for yo ung chi ld re n. C R002 - I m pac t of B i a s a n d D i s cr i m i n at io n o n Ch ild re n, Families, an d Co mmun it ies Demo ns t rate a n understand i ng of how bi as and d i sc rimin atio n impact ch ildre n, familie s, an d co mmun itie s.
CR003 - Access, Equity, and Promoting Change Apply strategies to promote access, equity, and positive social change for young children, families, and the early childhood field. Communication and Collaboration (CC) CC001 - Engages Families and Communities Use best practices to engage families and communities in early childhood programs. CC002 - Communicating and Collaborating with Colleagues Use effective communication and collaboration strategies to develop professional learning communities and engage with colleagues and other professionals. CC003 - Communicating and Collaborating with Families Use communication and collaboration strategies necessary to build effective partnerships with diverse families. CC004 - Communicating and Collaborating with Agencies and Government Officials Use communication and collaboration strategies to advocate and work effectively with agencies and government officials. Professional Identity and Values (PV) PV001 - History and Evolution of the Early Childhood Field Explain foundational research, history, and evolution of the early childhood field in the U.S. and globally. PV002 - Roles, Responsibilities and Relationships of Early Childhood Professionals Examine roles, responsibilities, and relationships among early childhood professionals in various sectors/settings within the field. PV003 - Leadership in the Early Childhood Field Apply principles of effective leadership to address challenges and opportunities in the early childhood field. PV004 - Impact of Current Issues & Trends On the Field Analyze the implications of issues such as socio-economic conditions, changing demographics, brain research, and technology on child development and the early childhood field. PV005 - Commitment to Lifelong Learning and Professionalism Maintain professional currency related to early childhood policies, issues, and trends. Research (RC) RC001 - Research and Advocacy Use research findings to advocate for children, families, and the early childhood profession.
RC002 - Foundations of Research Explain key principles and concepts in early childhood research. RC003 - Research Methodologies Apply research methodologies appropriate for specific research questions. RC004 - Evaluating Research Evaluate the quality of early childhood research studies. RC005 - Developing Research Proposals Create research proposals to address questions in the early childhood field. Effective Practices (EP) EP001 - Use a Systems Perspective to Understand the "Whole Child" Use ecological and family systems to understand the "whole child" and support positive outcomes for children. EP002 - Plan Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum Plan developmentally appropriate curriculum in alignment with professional standards. EP003 - Resources and Support in Early Childhood Identify funding sources and processes for obtaining funding to support early childhood programs and initiatives. EP004 - Evaluating Program Quality Apply professional standards, guidelines, and tools to evaluate the quality of early childhood programs and identify areas in need of improvement. Leadership (LD) LD001 - Ethical and Legal Considerations in Leadership Apply ethical principles and legal requirements to managing and leading diverse individuals and teams. LD002 -Leading and Developing Teams Plan strategies for managing, leading, and developing teams in early childhood contexts. LD003 -Organizational Culture Analyze organizational culture in early childhood contexts and its impact on staff, children, and families. LD004 -Recruiting, Developing, and Retaining Staff Apply best practices for the recruitment, professional development, performance evaluation, and retention of diverse staff in early childhood contexts.
LD005 - Effective Program Planning Plan elements of effective early childhood programs including mission and vision statements, a family handbook, a plan for family and community involvement, and a design for the indoor and outdoor physical environment. Managing Early Childhood Programs (MP) MP001 - Creating Grant Proposals Create grant proposals to secure funding for an early childhood program. MP002 - Marketing in Early Childhood Programs Apply effective strategies to market early childhood programs. MP003 - Allocating Resources to Effectively Manage Programs and Facilities Use appropriate tools and strategies to budget for and allocate resources in support of early childhood programs and facilities. MP004 - Creating Budgets Create balanced budgets for early childhood programs. MP005 - Regulations in Early Childhood Settings Identify state and federal regulations that apply to various early childhood settings. Capstone Project (CP) CP001 - Applying Professional Knowledge and Skills Synthesize and apply knowledge and skills to address real-world issues or needs in the early childhood field. Professional Skills (PS) WC Written Communication Demonstrate graduate level writing skills. OC Oral Communication Use effective oral presentation skills. T Technology Use technology tools effectively CB Collaboration Use collaborative skills and tools to work effectively with diverse stakeholders to achieve a common goal..
CT Critical thinking and Problem Solving Use critical thinking and problem solving skills to analyze professional issues and inform best practice. IL Information Literacy Apply appropriate strategies to identify relevant and credible information and data in order to effectively analyze issues and make decisions.