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Early Childhood Education
Help children develop their skills emotionally, physically, and mentally with an Associate of Arts degree or certificate from Arapahoe Community College.
Do you have a passion for working with young children and their families? Early Childhood Education is a rich and rewarding career that demands well-prepared professionals. ACC and the Early Childhood Education Department faculty are committed to providing you with a wide variety of academic pathways, and a strong foundation that meets your career goals in early care and education as well as other related fields. Our programs are designed to help you master the proficiencies you need to become an effective Early Childhood Teacher or Director in Colorado. All of our certificate and degree programs include observations and hours in the classroom to provide you with a wide range of hands-on experiences with different ages and programs. Our courses will prepare you for wherever your educational journey takes you.
What You'll Learn
Getting your Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education will prepare you for an immediate career or the option to transfer to any Colorado 4-year university with ease. Once you graduate, you’ll be able to:
- Write a position paper on an ECE topic that integrates knowledgeable, reflective, and critical perspectives
- Observe, document, and assess the development of young children
- Develop an action plan that will improve social and emotional outcomes for children
- Create an Integrated Curricular Plan
- Create a learning environment that will foster a child’s development through age-appropriate and engaging activities
- Build family and community relationships
- Become a professional and advocate for our field
Are you wondering which course modality fits your learning and lifestyle? Check out the Course Schedules page for more details on class section numbers, codes and descriptions.
CIP 131210 (DECT)
The purpose of a statewide articulation agreement is to identify the courses a student at a Colorado public community college must complete as part of an AA/AS degree to be guaranteed to be able to complete the designated baccalaureate degree program at public four-year colleges and universities as designated by the Colorado Department of Higher Education (CDHE) transfer agreement.
For more information about this transfer degree please refer to the Colorado Department of Higher Education website.
Admission Requirements
- Admission to Arapahoe Community College
- Completion of a basic background check is required for all students entering this degree. The process is completed online with an associated cost. Contact Castle Branch.
Program Requirements
Students must choose two of the following courses:
AND
Note: Students must pass with a C- or higher BOTH SCI 1055 & 1056 to satisfy the GT Pathways science requirement.
Please Note: If these credits are not required for the major at a receiving 4-year institution, they will be applied to the Bachelor's degree as elective credit towards graduation. Please check with the receiving institution to determine in which way these courses will be applied.
Select 9 credit hours of qualifying courses as determined by the 4-year receiving institution:
- Adams State University: ECE 1111, ECE 1125, and ECE 2401 or ECE 2411
- Colorado Mesa University: ECE 1111, ECE 2051, ECE 2401, ECE 2411 and ECE 2601
- Colorado State University-Ft. Collins: MAT 1260, PSY 2440, and ECE 2051
- Colorado State University-Pueblo: ECE 1111, ECE 2411, and ECE 2051
- Ft. Lewis College: PSY 2440, ECE 2651, and ECE 2411
- Metropolitan State University of Denver: COM 1150, PSY 1002, and ECE 1111
- University of Colorado Denver: ECE 2051, ECE 2401, and ECE 2641 or ECE 2411
- University of Northern Colorado: ECE 1111, ECE 2401, and ECE 2411
All courses required for this degree must be completed with a "C" or better to be considered for transfer to another Colorado institution. Transferability of courses to colleges or universities outside of Colorado is determined by the receiving institution.
Graduation Requirements
- Apply for graduation online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation.
CIP 131210 (EAT1)
Early Childhood Assistant Teacher Certificate. Want to make a difference in a young child's life? Consider the field of Early Childhood Education. Research supports the importance of high quality, early childhood programs which impact children's development throughout their school years and on into adult life. One of the most importance influences is the teacher.
Arapahoe Community College and the Early Childhood Education program faculty are committed to prepare professionals to work with young children, birth through age 8 in a variety of settings. The Early Childhood Assistant Teacher Certificate will prepare students for early childhood teacher positions in early childhood care and education settings. Upon completion of these classes, you will have met academic requirements as an Early Childhood Assistant Teacher.
All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Admission Requirements
- Admission to Arapahoe Community College
- Completion of a basic background check is required for all students entering this certificate. The process is completed online with an associated cost. Contact Castle Branch.
Program Requirements
- ECE - Elective Course of Choice 3 Credits
Graduation Requirements
- All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- Apply for graduation online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation.
- As a graduate of a Career and Technical Education program you will be contacted by an ACC employee in approximately six months to verify your employment information. This information gathering is a federal requirement to ensure that ACC receives certain federal funding.
CIP 131210 (DIRE)
Want to make a difference in a young child's life? Consider the field of Early Childhood Education. Research supports the importance of high quality, early childhood programs which impact children's development throughout their school years and on into adult life. One of the most important influences is the teacher.
Arapahoe Community College and the Early Childhood Education program faculty are committed te prepare professionals to work with young children, birth through age 8, in a variety of settings. The Early Childhood Director Certificate will prepare students for early childhood director positions in early childhood care and education settings. Upon completion of these classes, you will have met academic requirements as an Early Childhood Director. In addition to the academic requirements, the Colorado Department of Human Services requires at least six months (910 hours) of verifiable work experience.
All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Admission Requirements
- Admission to Arapahoe Community College
- Completion of an FBI background check is required for all students entering the program. The process is completed online with an associated cost. Contact Castle Branch
Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements
- All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- Apply for graduation online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation)
- As a graduate of a Career and Technical Education program you will be contacted by an ACC employee in approximately six months to verify your employment information. This information gathering is a federal requirement to ensure that ACC receives certain federal funding.
CIP 131210 (ECI1)
Want to make a difference in a young child's life? Consider the field of Early Childhood Education. Research supports the importance of high quality, early childhood programs which impact children's development throughout their school years and on into adult life. One of the most important influences is the teacher.
Arapahoe Community College and the Early Childhood Education program faculty are committed to prepare professionals to work with young children, birth through age 8, in a variety of settings. The Early Childhood Infant/Toddler Supervisor Certificate will prepare students for early childhood teacher positions in early childhood care and education settings, with an emphasis on caring for infants and toddlers. Upon completion of these classes, you will have met academic requirements as an Early Childhood Teacher and an Infant Nursery Supervisor. In addition to the academic requirements, the Colorado Department of Human Services requires at least nine months (1365 hours) of verifiable work experience.
All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Admission Requirements
- Admission to Arapahoe Community College
- Completion of an FBI background check is required for all students entering the program. This process is completed online with an associated cost. Contact Castle Branch.
Program Requirements
Graduation Requirements
- All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- Apply for graduation online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation.
- As a graduate of a Career and Technical Education program you will be contacted by an ACC employee in approximately six months to verify your employment information. This information gathering is a federal requirement to ensure that ACC receives certain federal funding.
CIP 131210 (ECTE)
Want to make a difference in a young child's life? Consider the field of Early Childhood Education. Research supports the importance of high quality, early childhood programs which impact children's development throughout their school years and on into adult life. One of the most important influences is the teacher.
Arapahoe Community College and the Early Childhood Education program faculty are committed to prepare professionals to work with young children, birth through age 8, in a variety of settings. The Early Childhood Teacher Certificate will prepare students for early childhood teacher positions in early childhood care and education settings. Upon completion of these classes, you will have met academic requirements as an Early Childhood Teacher. In addition to the academic requirements, the Colorado Department of Human Services requires at least three months (455 hours) of verifiable work experience. All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
Admission Requirements
- Admission to Arapahoe Community College
- Completion of a FBI background check is required for all students entering the program. this process is completed online with an associated cost. Contact Castle Branch.
Program Requirements
Choose one three-credit elective from the following:
Graduation Requirements
- All Early Childhood and general education coursework must be completed with a grade of "C" or better.
- Apply for graduation online at www.arapahoe.edu/graduation.
- As a graduate of a Career and Technical Education program you will be contacted by an ACC employee in approximately six months to verify your employment information. This information gathering is a federal requirement to ensure that ACC receives certain federal funding
ACC academic plans will help guide you through your chosen program. The academic plan will provide you with important information, like which semesters courses are offered if there are any prerequisites or co-requisites for courses, program outcomes, course sequence recommendations, notes for the program, graduation requirements, and other important information. These are updated annually, so we recommend downloading a copy of yours to keep on track to graduation.
Early Childhood Education students are required to complete a national criminal background check through Castle Branch. This requirement is for lecture-based, hybrid, remote real time, and online classes. This background check is a requirement of the Colorado Community College System and is implemented and monitored by ACC’s Human Resources Department. Background checks from employment sites will not be accepted.
You are responsible for completing the criminal background check with Castle Branch. You will set up a personal account with this company and will have access to your information. The check will take 3-5 days to complete. You must show your instructors a screenshot of your account which indicates the check has been “completed.”
Background checks are valid from the date of clearance as long as you are continuously enrolled at ACC in a CCCS-approved program with no more than a 2-semester lapse in enrollment. The Department Chair or Dean has the discretion to request additional background checks at any time, and you will be responsible for the associated costs.
Should any required record indicate that you are unable to work with children, you will not be eligible to complete the courses requiring interactions with children. See the Disqualifying Events list (at the top of the document). You may file an appeal with the Colorado Department of Human Services should the findings indicate ineligibility to work with children. If your background check prevents you from working with children or being hired by an educational facility, the department chair will work with you to determine an alternative education plan and career path.
Qualifications for an ECE Teacher
The Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood, determines the coursework and experience needed to be early childhood teachers. Please view their Early Childhood Teacher Chart.
Qualifications for an ECE Director
The Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood, determines the coursework and experience needed to be early childhood teachers. Please go to their website to view the Director and the credential equivalency charts.
Colorado Rules and Regulations for ECE Programs
You can find the most updated version at The Colorado Department of Human Services, Office of Early Childhood website.
Vision
To be the center of excellence for EC professionals by providing dynamic and sustaining opportunities for them to grow in their knowledge, understanding, and implementation of best practices thus empowering them to think critically and be advocates for young children and their families.
Mission
To be the resource for innovative learning by exceeding the standards for the education of early childhood professionals.
At ACC we provide Early Childhood Professionals with a variety of opportunities to grow and develop in our field. We do this by being an open enrollment community college; offering a variety of credit-bearing and professional development courses; scheduling classes at 3 campus locations and throughout our service area; providing students will support services; assessing student outcomes with NAEYC’s Standards; offering high-quality instruction, partnering with area early childhood councils and other ECE agencies; and responding to the needs of our community.
Number of Program Completers
| Academic Year | Number of program completers | % of program completers who were attending full-time (at the time of completion) | % of program completers who were attending part-time (at the time of completion) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 10 | 30% | 70% |
| 2018-19 | 4 | 0% | 100% |
| 2017-18 | 10 | 30% | 70% |
| 2016-17 | 5 | 40% | 60% |
Program Completion Rate
| Academic year in which a Fall cohort of full-time candidates enrolled in the program (select three sequential years) | Percentage of those candidates who completed the program within 150% of the published timeframe | Percentage of those candidates who completed the program within 200% (twice) of the published timeframe. |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2019 Cohort | ** | ** |
| Fall 2018 Cohort | ** | ** |
| Fall 2017 Cohort | 0% | 0% |
| Fall 2016 Cohort | 40% | 0% |
| Fall 2015 Cohort | 25% | 25% |
| Fall 2014 Cohort | 0% | 0% |
| Fall 2013 Cohort | 33% | 33% |
** The published time for completion is 2 years and the earliest cohort Fall 2017 2 years lapsed last fall and so far there are no gradates. The fall cohort includes New students only in order to calculate the program completion length accurately.
Fall-to-fall retention rate for each of the three most recently completed academic years
| Academic Year | % of Part-Time Candidates Enrolled in the Program (% of Total Enrollment) | Retention Rate among Part-Time Candidates | % of Full-Time Candidates Enrolled in the Program (% of Total Enrollment) | Retention Rate among Full-Time Candidates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-20 | 84.5% | 42.1% | 15.5% | 62.5% |
| 2018-19 | 78.6% | 59.1% | 21.4% | 66.7% |
| 2017-18 | 84.5% | 55.1% | 15.5% | 66.7% |
| 2016-17 | 75.9% | 54.5% | 24.1% | 57.1% |
To learn more, please review the licensure information provided for the program of interest on our Professional Licensure page.
Job Opportunities in Early Childhood Education
