Program Description
The Bachelor of Science pre-professional program in Inclusive Early Childhood Education enables students to gain knowledge and understanding of early childhood inclusion (Birth-3rd grade) and practices that promote access, participation and support for young children and their families. Students completing the four-year degree program, when combined with the teacher dual licensure option, are prepared to serve as teachers of students with and without disabilities in a variety of inclusive educational placements.
The licensure program is designed to prepare resilient, culturally responsive educators who are advocates for young children and youth with and without disabilities that are not only qualified for the complexity of their professional roles but also are reflective problem-solvers. This program offers a dual licensure in PreK-3rd grade and Early Childhood Special Education (birth-5 years)
The program includes extensive field experiences which occur each semester beginning in the student’s sophomore year. Assessment of candidate performance includes evaluation of performance in individual courses and practicum, as well as other criteria. Students are required to demonstrate satisfactory performance, which includes a minimum grade of “C” in all major and concentration coursework and a “satisfactory” score on all practicum evaluations (i.e. all indicators on the evaluation are within the satisfactory range). Key assessments will be used to identify those candidates who are not making satisfactory progress towards advancement to the next sequences of courses and experiences. At various points throughout the program, there are formative and summative assessments where faculty committees review the overall performance of each candidate. Formative assessments will be used to advise candidates and develop a plan of action for addressing any concerns that have been identified by the faculty. Summative assessments will be used to identify those candidates who are not making satisfactory progress toward advancement to the next sequences of courses and experiences. If progress is unsatisfactory, the candidate will not be allowed to continue until any identified issues are corrected. In some cases, a candidate will be allowed to continue in the next semester, but there will be a plan of action for addressing any concerns that have been identified by the faculty.
Every student is assigned an advisor. Students should plan on regularly consulting their advisor.
It is important for students to understand that the undergraduate major in Inclusive Early Childhood Education does not lead to teacher-education licensure unless licensure requirements are completed. To qualify for a recommendation for licensure in Inclusive Early Childhood Education [Early Childhood Special Education (Birth-5 years) and general education curriculum (PreK-3rd Grade)], students must complete licensure requirements in addition to requirements for the Inclusive Early Childhood Education undergraduate major. These requirements include 22 credit hours of practicum and student teaching experiences. Please note that these credit hour requirements are included in the 120 credit hour requirements for the Bachelor of Science in Inclusive Early Childhood Education degree.
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