The Initiatives and Publications

California Community College and California State University systems are key players in pre–service preparation of early childhood professionals. The CDE/ECE Faculty Initiative Project offers opportunities for faculty in these systems to examine CDE initiatives and publications as they relate to coursework at the community college and state university levels.

Currently we are focusing on the following initiatives and publications:

Desired Results Developmental Profile © (2010)

The DRDPR is a naturalistic observation–based assessment tool developed for use by childcare providers, preschool teachers, family child care network specialists, and case managers in state–sponsored programs. The purpose of the instrument is to help teachers determine how each child is developing within the developmental domains of the state’s learning foundations for early care and education and the California Department of Education’s (CDE) Desired Results for Children and Families. The desired results for children encompass seven developmental domains, including: Self and Social Development; Language and Literacy Development; English Language Development; Cognitive Development; Mathematical Development; Physical Development; and Health.

Prekindergarten Learning and Development Guidelines (2000)

The Guidelines provide information for program administrators and teachers about appropriate educational practices for young children and preparation of learning environments.

Preschool English Learners: Principles and Practices to Promote Language, Literacy, and Learning – Resource Guide

The resource guide was developed to provide information based on current research about the various aspects of the development, abilities, and everyday experiences of preschool English learners. Ten principles and related implementation practices provide guidance to teachers to promote language, literacy and learning for preschool English learners.

The Preschool English Learners Resource Guide has been translated into Spanish and is available through CDE Press.

California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1

The purpose of the preschool learning foundations is to provide early childhood educators, parents and the public with a clear understanding of the research-based competencies—knowledge and skills—that we can expect most children to exhibit in a quality program as they complete their first or second year of preschool.

California Preschool Learning Foundations, Volume 1 focuses on four developmental domains: Social-Emotional Development; Language and Literacy; English-Language Development; and Mathematics. Visual and Performing Arts, Physical Development, and Health foundations are being developed, with History/Social Science and Science to follow.

California Preschool Curriculum Framework, Volume 1

This curriculum framework provides an overall approach for teachers to support children’s learning through environments and experiences that are:

• developmentally appropriate,
• reflective of thoughtful observation and intentional planning,
• individually and culturally meaningful, and
• inclusive of children with disabilities or other special needs.

The framework presents ways of setting up environments, encouraging and building upon children’s self-initiated play, selecting appropriate materials, and planning and implementing teacher-guided learning activities.

We invite you to explore each of these initiatives!