Vanguard University

Helping to answer California’s call for 12,000-15,000 early childhood education teachers by 2025-26, the program will enable VU undergraduates to earn a specialized PK-3 teaching credential in just four years alongside their bachelor’s degree; candidates can also complete the credential at the graduate level

 

Costa Mesa, Calif. — Aug. 15, 2024 — Vanguard University (VU) is one of just five institutions in the state to receive approval from the California Commission on Teaching Credentialing to start offering the PK-3 Early Childhood Education (ECE) Specialist Instruction Credential program during the coming 2024-25 academic year, which begins later this month. VU undergraduate students will now be able to earn a credential to teach pre-kindergarten (PK) to third grade classes in just four years while pursuing their bachelor’s degree, saving the additional one to three years typically needed to complete a credential program, while receiving specialized training to shape the academic, social and emotional development of young learners. Candidates can also complete the PK-3 credential at Vanguard as graduate students. VU is the first PK-3 program in the state to be offered completely online to accommodate the needs of adults and mid-career professionals like paraeducators as well.

As pre-kindergarten expands across California in 2025-26 for all four-year-olds, the need for early childhood education teachers is estimated to increase by 12,000 to 15,000 teachers according to EdSource^[1]. With 85% of students coming from within a 100-mile radius of its campus in Costa Mesa, Vanguard University is answering the state’s call for additional teachers, while setting its students up for a welcoming job market and an open path to a rewarding career in education.

The PK-3 ECE credential program, led by ECE Chair Dr. Seon Chun-Burbank, will complement the integrated multiple subject (elementary) and single subject (secondary) accelerated credential programs already offered by Vanguard University’s School of Education, led by Dean Jeff Hittenberger, Ph.D.

“At Vanguard University, we are centered on preparing teachers to make a positive and lasting difference in the lives of children through our philosophy of education for love and wisdom,” said Dr. Hittenberger. “Being selected as one of the first universities to offer the new PK-3 accelerated program is not only an honor, but also demonstrates the wisdom of our faculty to pioneer this new program for the state while empowering our students and addressing the acute shortage of teachers in our region.”

In 2023, the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing awarded VU a $233,099 grant for early childhood education, enabling VU to fast track the development of the curriculum of the PK-3 Credential program, addressing a major need within Orange County’s higher education landscape. Other institutions offering the program include California State University, Fresno; San Jose State University; Riverside County Office of Education and San Diego County Office of Education.

For more than 50 years, Vanguard University has built a strong reputation for providing effective teacher education programs, and demand for its graduate education credential offerings has grown consistently. In the four years since Vanguard launched its Integrated Teacher Education Programs in elementary education and secondary education in the content areas of English, STEM and Social Science, enrollment in the accelerated program has tripled in size. Now, with the addition of the early childhood education credential and a special education credential also to become available shortly, the university anticipates a similar demand.

 

About Vanguard University

Founded in 1920, Vanguard University (Costa Mesa, CA) is a private, Christian, comprehensive university of liberal arts, sciences and professional studies that encompasses more than 2,200 students from every region in the country, over 33,000 alumni worldwide, 100 full-time faculty, over 30 undergraduate programs and six graduate degree programs. A hallmark of a Vanguard education is collaborative scholarship in the arts and sciences, which foster the intellectual development, moral maturity, and spiritual vitality of its students for the public good. Rooted in a strong academic tradition and commitment to student success, Vanguard University is recognized by the U.S. News &; World Report 2023 rankings as a first-tier regional university in the West, a Top Performer on Social Mobility, a Best College in the West for Veterans, a Best Value School, and a Best Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) Program. Vanguard University represents a diverse student population, with 63 percent students of color, 44 percent Hispanic and nearly half of students the first in their family to attend college. Please visit www.vanguard.edu. 

 

 

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^[1] https://edsource.org/2022/california-to-create-teaching-credential-covering-pre-k-through-3rd-grade-that-requires-literacy-training/674316

 

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