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Childhood and Adolescent Development / STARS

Program Video

Program Video

 

Teacher: Jenny Armas and Katelyn Alstot

 

Industry Sector: Education, Child Development and Family Services

Career Pathway: Child Development & Education

 

Email: jkarmas@rocklinusd.org or kalstot@rocklinusd.org

 
Social Media:
 
Program Description

Program Description

The Child Development & Education program offers courses designed to prepare students to pursue a career working with children, including Education. Students who enroll in the program will gain knowledge in the fields of child development, teaching, including hands-on experience working with students in a classroom setting, and career readiness. 

Entry-level courses will focus on the stages of development of children from birth to adolescence and the different milestones reached in order to prepare students for their internship in the classroom working in elementary, middle, or high school classrooms. In the final course, students will be paired with an experienced mentor teacher working at a local school. Students will learn teaching strategies, classroom management, and create and teach age-appropriate lessons in their classrooms.

Upon completion of the program, students will finish the year with over 75 hours of practical Early Childhood work experience and a portfolio with a resume, references, and work samples to be used. Those who achieve competency in the courses will be prepared to enter Child Development or Education courses at the college level.

Program Sequence

Program Sequence

CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT I
Grade Level: 9 (*other grade levels per teacher approval)
Prerequisite: None.
Project ownership requires monetary contribution of $40.
 
Requirements Met:
WHS Elective or WHS Technology
UC/CSU Approved “G”
Childhood and Adolescent Development is a Career Technical Education course, which provides students the opportunity to study the physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional developmental stages of children from conception through infancy. Students will study topics such as brain development, families and parenting, prenatal development, developmental milestones from birth through preschool-age, health and safety issues, guidance and discipline, cultural diversity, child care, education, children with special needs, and career decisions. This course provides a solid foundation for any career that involves working with children.

CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT II
Grade Level: 10-11
Prerequisite: Childhood and Adolescent Development I
Project ownership requires monetary contribution of $40.
 
Requirements Met:
WHS Elective or WHS Technology
Childhood and Adolescent Development II, is a Career Technical Education course, which provides students the opportunity to study the physical, perceptual, cognitive, personality, and language developmental stages of children from pre-school-age through adolescence. It includes the principle theories of development, their interrelatedness, and their application. In addition, students will study topics such as developmental milestones from pre-school-age through adolescence, health and safety issues, children with special needs, and career decisions. Students who enroll in Childhood and Adolescent Development II will gain knowledge in the fields of child development, child psychology and career readiness.
 
CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENT DEVELOPMENT III: PEER MENTORING
Grade Level: 11-12
Prerequisite: Grade of “A” or higher in Childhood and Adolescent Development II, and an application.
Project ownership requires monetary contribution of $40.
 

Requirements Met:

WHS Elective or WHS Technology

Childhood and Adolescent Development III: Peer Mentoring, is a Career Technical Education course, which provides students an opportunity to explore teaching in Special Education. This course serves as a capstone course option for students who are in their third or fourth year of the Child Development & Education CTE pathway. Students enrolled in the course will receive ongoing training and guidance to develop their skills as peer mentors in the Independent Living Skills program. This training and guidance will be developed and implemented by the Child Development and Special Education instructors and will include emphasis in professionalism and decorum, confidentiality, disability awareness, safety protocols, and classroom management, such as behavior and reinforcement strategies.

STARS - STUDENTS TEACHING AND REACHING STUDENTS
Grade Level: 11-12
Prerequisite: Childhood & Adolescent Development I, application, interview, and selection process. 
Internship Included: Yes (2 period class)
 

Requirements Met:

WHS Elective or WHS Technology

UC/CSU Approved “G”

STARS is a Career Technical Education course that is offered to Junior and Senior students and is the capstone course for the Child Development & Education Pathway. Students study positive interactions and guidance techniques and developmentally appropriate practices and curriculum activities. Students will also study education as a profession and a field of study, California content standards and frameworks, teacher performance standards, theories of human development and implications for a classroom, principles of teaching and learning, principles of team-building and creating a positive school climate, philosophies of education and leadership, exceptional student issues, controversial issues in education, and job-seeking skills. Once trained, students are assigned a classroom at a school within our district where they participate in an internship allowing students to apply their learning in authentic situations in order to deepen their ability to think critically and solve problems in real-life situations and reflect on their own teaching practices. Upon completion, students will finish the year with over 100 hours of practical Elementary Peer Teaching experience and a portfolio with a resume, references, and work samples. Students must provide their own transportation to and from the assigned school site.
 
Sierra College Dual Enrolled Course:
EDU 0010 - Introduction to Elementary Education with Field Experience        Hours: 90 (36 Lecture, 54 Laboratory)           Units: 3           Requirements of the course:  Negative TB test 
 
other program highlights

other program highlights

Students enrolled in the CTE Child Development pathway are also eligible to take a unique University of California Course Integration class their 10th grade year. The course fulfills the 10th grade English requirement and is designed for students in the CTE Child Development pathway.
 
LANGUAGE ARTS II Honors  – Exploration of Child & Adolescent Literature
Grade Level:  10
Prerequisite: Grade of “A” or higher in 9th grade Language Arts class or LA I Adv. with a grade of “B” or higher
-Enrolled in CTE Child Development
 
Requirements Met: WHS Language Arts UC/CSU Approved "B"
This course allows students to utilize Language Arts skills to investigate and evaluate the value and purpose of world literature for children and adolescents. Students synthesize their knowledge of the developmental stages of physical, intellectual, social, and emotional (PIES) development with their understanding of appropriate teaching materials and readings for each of the stages (will be addressed in each unit). In addition, students evaluate how familial and cultural influences affect the themes and development of child and adolescent literature and why those themes are crucial to the educational progress of children and adolescents. Students conduct research, closely read and analyze complex texts, evaluate the components of effective child and adolescent literature, create a digital portfolio (e-portfolio) of original work, and maintain a reflective log/notebook
Program Outcomes and Certifications

Program Outcomes and Certifications

  • Internship at local elementary, middle, or high school

  • Over 75 hours of practical, hands-on Early Childhood work experience

  • Portfolio, complete with a professional resume, professional references, and work samples

  • Develop leadership, time management, and critical thinking skills

 
CTE Child devlopment preview

CTE Child devlopment preview

View the slideshow for a preview of the courses offered in the CTE Child Development & Education program.
Student Testimonials

Student Testimonials

Childhood Development Students at Work

Childhood Development Students at Work