Image
Who We Are
Since 1967, Pierce College has been a state leader in early childhood education certificates and associate degrees. Based on the need for accessible early childhood teacher certification in the south Puget Sound, Pierce College developed their Bachelor of Applied Science in Teaching (BAS-T) degree and in 2016 became the first accredited teacher preparation and licensure program offered at a community college in Washington State.
The BAS-T degree seeks to address equity obstacles for graduates of professional-technical associate degrees who do not have a clear pathway to teacher licensure, such as early learning paraeducators, preschool teachers, and child care providers who have earned an Associate in Applied Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Our program allows current practitioners to use their AAS-T in ECE as the foundation for a baccalaureate degree that leads to more job opportunities and higher wages. Through this accessibility, Pierce College’s BAS-T program is able to actively support the creation of a teacher workforce that represents the culturally, linguistically, and ability diverse communities that our students live in and serve.
What We Do
Degree and Licensure Awarded
Pierce College’s teacher certification program is a Bachelor of Applied Science degree. Students enrolled in this program are pursuing Washington State teacher certification with endorsements in Preschool through 3rd grade early childhood education and early childhood special education.
Length and Format of Program
The BAS-T program is a two (2) year program that follows a cohort model. Students spend their first year in the program in content/methods courses and spend their second year in residency (student teaching).
Number of Students Accepted Each Year
Each cohort can accept up to 24 students each year.
How We Are Different
Affordable Cost
The cost of tuition at community-technical colleges can be significantly less than that of larger public or private colleges and universities, making it so students are spending less to receive a quality education that leads them to the careers they want.
Creating Specialists
As a professional-technical program, Pierce College’s BAS-T degree focuses on specific skills and knowledge within the early childhood education field instead of general education requirements not directly related to careers as early childhood practitioners. The Preschool through 3rd grade Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education endorsements are also less typical teaching endorsements, adding to graduates’ marketability.
Full Year Residency
Since students in our program are pursuing endorsements in both early childhood education and early childhood special education, they must complete residency (student teaching) in both environments. Consequently, our students participate in residency for a full academic year (September through June) within a local school district. Many graduates have shared that this full year of residency has made them more marketable candidates in the job market and better prepared them for persistence through their first year of certificated teaching.
Cohort Model Success
As a cohort-based program, our students move through our program as a group and share the same schedule/courses each quarter. Cohort-based programs have been shown to foster more meaningful community building amongst students and students have expressed stronger connections and peer support within a cohort than traditional courses.
More Support
Pierce College’s BAS-T program boasts the same smaller class sizes that students have experienced throughout their time in their associates degree. This is a significant benefit to the community college experience and allows faculty to provide more individualized support in their classes. The BAS-T program also prioritizes wrap-around support throughout the residency (student teaching) experience by providing frequent check-ins between students and their faculty field supervisor, ensuring that students have what they need to be successful on their way to certification.
Experienced Program Faculty and Staff
As a professional-technical program, it is expected that faculty and staff have real-world work experience in the areas in which they teach; this is not always the case in other programs. Most BAS-T program faculty and staff have P-12 public school teaching experience, and all faculty and staff have experience educating and caring for children.