The certificate serves as a career ladder approach to a credential or permit or as a stand-alone entity to document that a student has taken coursework related to subject matter proficiency and has acquired skills for successful employment as a teacher's aide, after-school program assistant, tutoring or other paraprofessional level classroom career. 

The certificate is especially appropriate for students following various pathways to classroom teaching or an education-related career: 

• The paraprofessional or aspiring paraprofessional teacher aide
• Homeschooling parents 
• The aspiring paraprofessional or currently employed paraprofessional teacher- aide seeking a career ladder approach to a teaching credential and/or child development permit.
• The teacher- aide paraprofessional who has decided against pursuing an AA and/or credential or permit but would like to acquire knowledge and skills/ professional development relevant to serving as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom or school or related environment, concentrating on providing students support in mathematics.
• Teacher preparation for students on a transfer pathway for a BA and Credential who also desire certificate recognition in Educational Studies: General. 
• Independent tutors seeking a certificate to augment their training and expertise.

In order to provide an additional pathway to an education-related career, the certificate is for students interested in an education/ teaching-related career who prefer online classes and/or cannot always attend traditional face-to-face classes due to employment, marital status, family responsibilities, distance, and expenses incurred with traditional education schedules. All certificate classes are online.

Possible employment/ illustrative examples: teacher assistant, especially appropriate for transitional Kindergarten (TK) through grade 6, or higher grades remedial; tutor, homework assistant, assistant in academic enrichment programs; recreation specialist; nanny; entry-level position requiring practical skills and knowledge to work with persons with disabilities in a variety of educational settings (this certificate may support, depending on course selection, the requirements of federal legislation that all paraprofessionals/instructional assistants/aides in Title I  schools be “highly qualified”); work with k-12 students in an after-school setting; test preparation assistant or provider (CBEST, CSET SAT remedial, ISSE).

Program Level Student Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of this program, students will be able to:

1. Work effectively with students, teachers, parents, colleagues, and administrators in a school and classroom setting.
2. Apply knowledge, skills, and experience to make an informed choice to be employed or to continue study in the field of education.
3. Apply the certificate towards entry into a teaching credential or child development permit program, and/or the certificate may serve to document the acquisition of knowledge and skills relevant for employment as a teacher assistant or support staff in a classroom, school, or related environment.

Review Graduation Requirements.

Course List Units

Course	Title	Units
Required Core:
Complete the following:
EDUC C103	Introduction to Computers in Education: Technology Proficiencies for Teachers 1	2
EDUC C104	Introduction to Teaching and Learning in Diverse Contemporary Classrooms Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations	1
EDUC C180	Family, School, and Community Partnerships Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations	3
EDUC C200	The Teaching Profession Includes 45 hours of required fieldwork	3.5
PSYC C116	Child Growth and Development	3
or PSYC C118	Life Span Developmental Psychology
Elective Courses
Select minimum 5.5 units from the following: Students are advised to meet with a counselor or contact the TEACh3 office for assistance in course selection to ensure alignment with students’ career goals, educational plans, and /or credential requirements.		5.5
EDUC C101	Tutor Training Includes a three-hour service learning component
EDUC C210	Introduction to Special Education Includes 10 hours of required fieldwork/observations
ENGL C143	Children's Literature
HLTH C100	Personal Health
HSVC C100	Introduction to Human Services
MATH C103	Statistics for Elementary Teachers
MATH C104	Mathematics for Elementary Teachers
MATH C106	Geometry for Elementary Teachers
EDUC C211	Media Literacy Toolkit for Teachers
ARAB C180	Elementary Arabic 1
ARAB C185	Elementary Arabic 2
CHIN C180	Elementary Chinese 1
CHIN C185	Elementary Chinese 2
FREN C180	Elementary French 1
FREN C185	Elementary French 2
FREN C280	Intermediate French 1
FREN C285	Intermediate French 2
JAPN C180	Elementary Japanese 1
JAPN C185	Elementary Japanese 2
SIGN C180	American Sign Language 1
SIGN C185	American Sign Language 2
SPAN C180	Elementary Spanish 1
SPAN C180A	Elementary Spanish 1A
SPAN C180B	Elementary Spanish 1B
SPAN C185	Elementary Spanish 2
SPAN C280	Intermediate Spanish 1
SPAN C285	Intermediate Spanish 2
VIET C160	Vietnamese For Vietnamese Speakers
VIET C180	Elementary Vietnamese 1
VIET C185	Elementary Vietnamese 2
Total Units		18