Students in Early Childhood Development receive a comprehensive understanding of the needs of young children and are trained to implement quality preschool programming. They will learn growth and development principles, teaching methods, understanding and working with special needs children, safety, first aid, CPR training, discipline techniques and methods for working effectively with parents. Students prepare for the job market by participating in developmentally-appropriate practices in language arts, creative experiences, math and science concepts. This program meets ECE TEACH Credential and Headstart CDA requirements.

Requirements

Graduation Plan

Fall Start

Spring Start

Summer Start

Application and Advising

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Advising Information

The following information provides a guide for advisors who are helping students enroll in this program.

Program Notes

Students are encouraged to enter the ECD program as early as possible.  Most ECD courses require ENG 101 or ENG 165 as a prerequisite; therefore, ENG 101 or ENG 165 should be taken in the first semester. ECD 101, ECD 109, ECD 132, and SAC 101 can be completed while students are taking ENG 101 or ENG 165.

A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 is required for all ECD coursework. Student must complete all program required coursework with a “C” or higher.

A clear tuberculosis test at the student’s expense may be required for field placement experience sites.

Students should have a current acceptable background check and drug screen (see notes about individual classes below for more information).

Notes About Individual Classes

Some ECD coursework is offered online and at PTC county campuses.  Methods courses are not offered online as these courses are predominantly offered at the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood. It is not possible for a student to complete either degree or certificate completely online or at a county campus. Students may be required to travel to the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood for some of the courses in the program.

For field placement experiences (ECD 243, ECD 244, ECD 251), students will be required to travel to the Lex Walters Campus-Greenwood or the Newberry campus monthly. Every effort will be made to place field experience students at childcare centers or schools near their home.

Students should have a current acceptable background check and drug screen. A criminal record and/or positive drug screen could make you ineligible for enrollment or participation in a supervised field experience, creating an inability to graduate from the program. These screenings will be completed in ECD 243, 244, and ECD 251.

Candidates are responsible for transportation to and from any class, practicum, lab or clinical site.

Students may only take ECD 243 two times and must receive a grade of “C” or higher on the second attempt for the course to count towards graduation.

Courses with a prefix of ECD or SAC must be less than 8 years old in order to count toward a certificate, diploma or degree program.

Candidates are required to complete a minimum of one summer session of coursework.

CPR and first aid certifications are required as part of ECD 135. There is an additional fee associated with these certifications

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Purpose Statement

The mission of the Early Care and Education Program of Piedmont Technical College is to provide the community with professional early educators who are knowledgeable, competent, committed and capable of providing quality professional care for all children. The program’s graduates are able to evaluate and assess children and make quality developmentally appropriate decisions for children’s learning. Through the extensive study of NAEYC standards and the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct our students are provided the knowledge needed to support advocacy for children and the profession of early educators.

Student Learning Outcomes

Students completing the Early Childhood Development Certificate will be able to:

1. Apply knowledge of early childhood development from birth through age eight while valuing each child’s uniqueness and recognizing the many factors that affect their growth and development.
2. Use appropriate assessment approaches and tools to inform instruction and planning.
3. Employ a variety of teaching skills and strategies that are responsive to each child’s unique learning styles and needs.
4. Understand the content of the academic disciplines and pedagogical methods for teaching each discipline.