The Learner and Learning -
Candidates design instruction and learning environments that take into account young children’s characteristics, needs, and readiness for learning, as well as the multiple influences on early development and learning. They understand the teacher’s role in developing shared values, expectations, appreciation for cultural diversity, and reciprocal relationships with learners, colleagues, and families for promoting healthy, respectful, supportive, and challenging learning environments for young children. (AAQEP 1; EI/ECSE 1, 6; NAEYC 1, 2; InTASC 1, 2, 4, 5, 7)

• Explore theories and philosophies of early learning and development to make developmentally appropriate decisions to respond to each child through assessment, curriculum, intervention, and instruction. [MC2]
• Identify each child's unique and varied characteristics, including development, learning styles, strengths, abilities, challenges, and capacity to make choices in order to respond to each child with developmentally appropriate instruction and interactions. [MC2]
• Use data to identify readiness for learning while taking into account the multiple influences on early development and learning. [MC2]
• Utilize multiple perspectives relevant to learners’ personal, family, and community experiences and cultural diversity to promote student outcomes. [MC5]
• Identify how language, culture, and family background can influence the normative sequences of early development and learning of young children. [MC5]
• Intervene safely and appropriately with individuals with and without exceptionalities in crisis. [MC2]
• Identify language barriers and language-based disabilities, including dyslexia, to guide intervention and remediation to support young learners. [MC2]

Content Knowledge -
Candidates apply in-depth content knowledge, appropriate curriculum, content standards, early learning standards, and learning resources to promote developmentally meaningful, engaging, and challenging learning opportunities for all children. (AAQEP 1; EI/ECSE 5, 6; NAEYC 5; InTASC 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)

• Apply in-depth content knowledge and learning resources, including technology, in the academic disciplines to create meaningful and engaging pedagogical practices for students to learn, practice, and master content. [MC2]
• Apply appropriate curriculum, content standards, and early learning standards to plan and evaluate developmentally appropriate and challenging learning opportunities for each child. [MC2]
• Develop meaningful, developmentally appropriate learning progressions adapted to meet the needs of individuals with and without exceptionalities based on central concepts, methods, and tools of inquiry of the content within appropriate environments. [MC2]
• Adapt meaningful, developmentally appropriate learning strategies to extend instruction beyond the classroom to meet the needs of individuals with and without exceptionalities and their families. [MC2]
• Modify teaching practices by adjusting curriculum and instruction to meet the learning needs of individuals with and without exceptionalities and promote positive outcomes. [MC2]
• Use strategies to enhance language development and communication skills of individuals with and without exceptionalities, including the use of augmentative and alternative communication systems. [MC1, MC2]
• Develop and implement specific evidence-based instructional strategies and supports for social emotional learning in the classroom for students with and without exceptionalities. [MC2]

Instructional Practice -
Candidates use evidence-based practices and strategies related to planning, implementing, and managing standards-based content instruction. They also use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance the learning of all individuals, including those with exceptionalities. They integrate technology as well as choose and adapt classroom resources appropriate for individuals and groups. (AAQEP 1,2; EI/ECSE 3, 5, 6, 7; NAEYC 1, 4, 6; InTASC 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8)

• Plan instruction that uses effective strategies and resources, including the equitable and appropriate use of technology, adapted to meet the needs of young learners with and without exceptionalities. [MC2]
• Develop a wide range of developmentally, culturally, and linguistically responsive teaching and learning strategies to achieve individual learning outcomes, including differentiating instruction. [MC5]
• Use data to reflect upon and evaluate personal practice, and appropriately modify instruction to meet each child’s learning needs and promote positive outcomes. [MC2]
• Use responsive interactions, interventions, and instruction across activities, routines, and environments to promote child learning and development and facilitate access, participation, and engagement. [MC2]
• Collaborate with families and other team members to use data to select, develop, and adapt learning experiences for individuals with and without exceptionalities that are reflective of their abilities, interests, and cultural and linguistic factors. [MC2, MC4]
• Use data to develop and implement a variety of education and transition plans for individuals with exceptionalities across a wide range of settings and different learning experiences in collaboration with individuals, families, and teams. [MC1, MC2, MC4]
• Create evidence-based instruction to teach critical thinking and problem solving that enables learners with and without exceptionalities to advance and accelerate their learning and growth. [MC2]
• Recognize and utilize play as a core teaching practice and a foundational learning strategy designed to support and respond to the unique learning trajectories and support the development of executive function skills critical for young children. [MC2]
• Collaborate with families and other professionals to create developmentally appropriate and evidence-based instruction that is culturally responsive and supports young children's learning across all academic and developmental domains. [MC2, MC4, MC5]

Assessment -
Candidates know about and understand the goals, benefits, and uses of assessment, assessment technology, and assistive technology as instructional planning tools, diagnostic screeners, and two-way communication devices to promote development, learning outcomes, and collaborative partnerships for the benefit of young children. (AAQEP 1, 2; EI/ECSE 2, 4; NAEYC 3; InTASC 1, 5, 6, 7)

• Examine formal and informal, formative and summative assessments to make ethically and legally informed choices about instruction to select appropriate goals, curriculum, and teaching strategies to promote positive outcomes for young children. [MC2, MC3]
• Collaborate with families and other professionals to identify appropriate assessment tools and approaches, including technology, to observe, document, and collect data, and monitor progress. [MC2, MC4]
• Collaborate with families and other team members to use assessment data to determine eligibility and identification of students with exceptionalities, including medical conditions. [MC5]
• Identify valid and reliable assessment tools that are ethically grounded and developmentally, ability, culturally, and linguistically appropriate in order to document developmental progress and promote positive outcomes for each child. [MC2, MC3, MC5]
• Develop partnerships with families and professional colleagues to interpret and share assessment results to document developmental progress and guide educational decisions for individuals with and without exceptionalities. [MC2, MC4]
• Collaborate with families and other team members to develop child-centered goals, and plan for interventions to promote positive outcomes for each child. [MC2, MC4]

Professional Responsibility -
Candidates engage in ongoing professional development; model the expectations of the profession by upholding ethical, professional, and legal standards; inform their practice through relevant, research-based perspectives; and engage in informed advocacy to optimize the learning opportunities for young children, while advancing the early childhood profession. (AAQEP 1, 2; EI/ECSE 2, 7; NAEYC 6; InTASC 5, 9, 10)

• Explore collaborative professional development from the early childhood education/special education field to inform practice in order to maximize learning outcomes for all students. [MC2]
• Demonstrate the expectations of the profession by upholding ethical standards, professional standards of practice, and relevant laws and policies. [MC3]
• Analyze ethical decisions that promote the common good for students, families, and colleagues that are consistent with the Christian worldview. [MC3]
• Engage in informed advocacy for young children, families, and the profession to optimize the learning opportunities for young children, strengthen the inclusive learning environment, and advance the early childhood profession. [MC1, MC4]
• Explain legal and ethical policies and procedures in the use technology, including communicating information appropriately. [MC1, MC2, MC3]

Collaboration -
Candidates collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with and without exceptionalities, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with and without exceptionalities across a range of learning experiences. (AAQEP 1, 2; EI/ECSE 1, 2, 3, 6; NAEYC 2, 4, 6; InTASC 1, 3, 7, 9, 10)

• Collaborate with learners and colleagues to build a safe, positive, inclusive learning environment to foster a culture that encourages children’s early development through interventions and instruction. [MC1, MC4, MC5]
• Collaborate with families to develop trusting, respectful, affirming, and culturally responsive partnerships that demonstrate positive and supportive relationships based on family systems theory and their knowledge of family-centered practices. [MC1, MC4, MC5]
• Provide guidance and direction to paraeducators, tutors, and volunteers appropriate to the task, culturally and linguistically responsive, and take into consideration the environment and delivery approach. [MC1, MC3, MC4, MC5]
• Describe teaming models and professional communication skills, including appropriate uses of technology, when collaborating with families; professionals representing multiple disciplines, skills, expertise, and roles; and community partners and agencies. [MC1, MC4]
• Use collaboration to promote the well-being of individuals with and without exceptionalities across a wide range of settings and collaborators. [MC1, MC4, MC5]
• Use community resources to support young children’s learning and development and to support families, and build partnerships between early learning settings, schools, and community organizations and agencies. [MC1, MC4, MC5]