Teacher (original) (raw)

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Minimum Education Requirements

Child care licensing regulations require members of the DC early childhood workforce to meet minimum education requirements based on their position. Effective Dec. 20, 2023, a teacher can meet the education requirement by meeting any one of the following:

Associate degree (or higher) in early childhood education or a closely related field; OR
Completion of at least 60 credit hours or an associate degree (or higher) in any subject area with at least 12 credit hours in early childhood education; OR
Enrollment in a degree program provided that the teacher holds a Child Development Associate (CDA) and earns an associate degree (or higher) within four years of their initial date of hire as a teacher at a child development center licensed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE).

More information on the regulations that outline the education requirement for teachers can be found here.

Programs

The following is a list of associate degree programs, including on-campus, online and/or hybrid degree programs and resources available in the Washington, DC area. This list is neither exhaustive nor an indication of endorsement by OSSE.

College/University	Information on Associate Degree Program	Program Point of Contact
University of the District of Columbia-Community College	Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education	Professor Scott King Director, Division of Education (202) 274-6981 [email protected]
Trinity Washington University	Associate of Arts in Early Childhood Education	Monee Bentley Enrollment Recruiter (202) 884-9411 [email protected]
Howard Community College	Early Childhood Development - A.A.S. Degree	(443) 518-1620 [email protected]
Montgomery College	Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) in Early Childhood Education	Dr. Levena De La Rosa Chair of the School of Education (240) 467-4168 [email protected]
Prince George’s Community College	Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Early Childhood Education	Dr. Theresa Magpuri-Lavell Department Chair of Education (301) 546-PGCC (7422) – Ext. 60445 [email protected]
NOVA Community College-Alexandria Campus	Associate of Applied Sciences (A.A.S.) in Early Childhood Education	Christine Pegorraro Schull, Ph.D. Professor & Assistant Dean (703) 845-6224 [email protected]
Rasmussen University	Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (online)	Mackenzie McFadden Sr. National Account Manager (320) 761-4625 [email protected]
University of the Potomac	Associate degree in Early Childhood Education (online)	Marcia Holmes Office of Admissions (202) 274-2335 Ext. 6135 [email protected]

Resources Available

Program	Information	Program Point of Contact
DC Tuition Assistance Grant (DCTAG)	DCTAG is a student-level grant program that provides grants of up to $10,000 toward the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition at public colleges and universities to eligible DC residents.	Kenneth McGhee DC TAG Director (202) 481-3946 [email protected]
DC Futures Program	The DC Futures Program helps DC college students complete their first associate or bachelor’s degree by providing a last-dollar scholarship (tuition, fees and cost of attendance) at three local universities in addition to college coaching and support services that will address personal and financial barriers to completion for all participants.	DC Futures Team (202) 727-2824 [email protected]
Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program	The DC Mayor’s Scholars Undergraduate Program provides need-based funding for eligible DC residents earning their first associate or bachelor’s degree at select area colleges and universities.	Melanie Fleming Program Analyst (202) 741-6406 [email protected]
DC Leading Educators toward Advanced Degrees (DC LEAD) Program	The DC LEAD program provides scholarships and incentives to child care educators in the District of Columbia to complete coursework toward an associate and/or bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.	Emmett Irby Program Manager, DC LEAD (202) 561-5500 [email protected]
Advancing Early Education Collaborative	The Advancing Early Education Collaborative (AEEC) is an initiative between the American University School of Education, Trinity Washington University, LIFT-DC and Martha’s Table. The partnership provides Black and Latinx women who live or work in wards 7 or 8 with an academic pathway across institutions and wrap-around supports that help students navigate, graduate and enter careers in early learning.	Gabrielle Harris Assistant Director, CDA Program of Studies American University (202) 885-8830 [email protected] Michael Rowe Director, Early Childhood Education Trinity Washington University (202) 884-9643 [email protected]