CDA Program Open House During All Lunches

We are calling all freshmen! Are you curious about what the CDA has to offer? Join us at our Open House during all lunch periods for a sneak peek into the world of CDA!

We're here to help you with on-site applications, making the process a breeze. Don't miss out on this opportunity to kickstart your CDA journey.

Learn about the exciting opportunities that await you, meet our amazing team, and soak in our CDA community's good vibes.

Make sure to mark your calendar and spread the word to your classmates. Can't wait to see you there! Let's make your upcoming sophomore year memorable together.

Child Development Associate (CDA) Program FLYER

Career & Technical Education: Early Childhood Education

Child Development Associate (CDA) Program

Preschool CDA Program

The Preschool CDA Program of Study aligns with the Child Development Associate (CDA) competencies, Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), and National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards.

This program of study prepares students for further education and careers in early childhood education and care. The full program consists of four high school courses that cover child growth and development with an emphasis on preschool, preschool learning environment best practices, establishing a purposeful preschool child-care program and internship. Program of study completers will be prepared to pass the CDA exam, ready for a verification visit conducted by an employee of the Council of Professional Recognition (credentialing agency) and possess a complete CDA professional portfolio. There are four high school credits designed to articulate to a Maryland post-secondary early childhood education and care program. In addition, this program of study prepares high school students to enter the child-care workforce ready to assume a lead teacher position in a preschool program.

Upon successful completion of this program, students are expected to:

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of physical, intellectual, communication and creative competencies for preschool childcare aligned with CDA competencies and functional areas;
Establish and support safe, healthy learning environments that provide appropriate mealtime experiences and promote good nutrition;
Discuss and describe how to support social and emotional development and provide positive guidance;
Demonstrate a knowledge of various methods of program assessment;
Establish positive, productive and culturally responsive relationships with families;
Ensure a well-run purposeful program that is responsive to participant needs;
Demonstrate teacher planning to meet instructional goals;
Implement developmentally appropriate preschool lesson plans addressing a diverse population;
Explain current and emerging research on brain development;
Engage in critical thinking and problem solving in a variety of content areas;
Discuss and describe the effects of bias (e.g. gender, race, culture, ability level) on development;
Develop and write a professional philosophy of Early Childhood Education;
Assemble and present a professional CDA Preschool portfolio;
Prepare to take the CDA credentialing exam and;
Support a commitment to professionalism.

For more information, download the following documents:

https://www.cdacouncil.org/en/high-school-pathways/

https://www.pgcps.org/offices/career-and-technical-education/program-locations