Elementary Teacher Assistant Special Education Certificate of Achievement

This course of study prepares the student with basic competencies to serve as an assistant in an elementary school classroom under the supervision of a credentialed teacher. Teacher assistants are also called: teacher aides, instructional aides, paraprofessionals, education assistants and paraeducators. This certificate of achievement is designed to provide a foundation of introductory but essential skills for students preparing for a career in education. Students completing this certificate may work as assistant teachers and can also continue on towards more advanced degrees to become credentialed teachers.

Learning Outcomes

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

  1. Apply educational and developmental theories to elementary school classroom practices.
  2. Continue towards the AA-T Elementary Teacher Degree.
  3. Serve as an assistant in an elementary school classroom under the supervision of a credentialed teacher.
  4. Take the paraeducator exam.

Program Requirements 

Course Code Title Units
Required Courses
CDE 101Child Growth & Development3
CDE 102Child, Family, & Community3
CDE 227Child Guidance3
CDE 230English Language Learners in ECE3
CDE 233Introduction to Young Children with Special Needs3
CDE 234Inclusion Strategies for Children with Special Needs3
CDE 237Inclusion Practicum3
BI 004Elements of Biology4
CIS 010Computer Literacy4
EDUC 001Introduction to Elementary Classroom Teaching3
ENG 001AEnglish Composition4
ENG 002Argumentative Writing and Critical Thinking through Literature4
HIST 017US History through Reconstruction3
PS 001Introduction to Government3
SOC 003Fundamentals of Statistics3
CERTIFICATE TOTAL49