City Grant Helps Columbus State Better Prepare Early Childhood Teachers
Councilmember Elizabeth Brown Supports
Measures to Increase Access to Quality Early Education
[COLUMBUS,
OH] With demand for early childhood teachers continuing to increase, the
City of Columbus is providing a $90,000 grant to Columbus State Community
College to provide a unique educational program for current teachers.
Completion will help them meet more stringent standards being phased in at the
state level.
“Access
to high-quality prekindergarten is about not just today's children but also
tomorrow's economic growth,” said City Council Education Committee Chair Elizabeth Brown. “Our partnership with
Columbus State will help four dozen early childhood teachers who are already
working with Columbus children to be more effective in the classroom and,
ultimately, raise the bar for prekindergarten education in our City.”
The
grant allowed the college to develop a pilot program for 48 early childhood
teachers who are students in two identical cohort classes. Upon successful
completion, those participants will each earn nine credit hours toward their
Early Childhood Development and Education associate degree. It will also
prepare them to take an assessment to earn their Child Development Associate
credential, more commonly referred to as the CDA.
The
CDA is an entry-level credential for early childhood teachers. A state-wide
policy known as the Step Up to Quality (SUTQ) rating and improvement system
will require providers to meet stringent guidelines by 2020, including
employment of qualified teachers. All early childhood education programs funded
by the state are required to participate in SUTQ.
If
the Columbus State pilot program succeeds, it may be scaled up to serve up to
2,000 students over the next four years. The pilot classes, which began
this week, will run through May 25:
- Mondays, 6:30 – 8:30pm – CDA Prep (2 credits)
- Wednesdays, 5:30 – 8:30pm – Social Emotional
Development Curriculum (3 credits)
- Thursdays, 4:30 – 8:30pm – Early Childhood Curriculum
(4 credits)
Classes
will be held simultaneously at these two locations:
Reeb Avenue Center, 280 Reeb Ave. and St. Stephen’s Community House, 1500 E.
17th Ave.
Columbus
City Councilmember Elizabeth Brown will stop by to speak briefly with students
at each location on Wednesday, February 15. She will arrive at the Reeb
Avenue Center at 5:30pm and at St. Stephen’s Community House at 6pm.
For
additional information, contact:
David
Wayne
Media Relations Coordinator
614-287-2161
Matt
Smydo
City of Columbus Assistant Director for Education
614-645-1689
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