Degree Granted: Bachelor of Science in Education
Minimum Hours Required for Degree: 133 to 146 semester hours
Teaching Credential: Ohio four-year Resident Educator teaching license in early childhood (ages 3 to 8 and grades pre K-3, including children with mild/moderate disabilities). Requires successful completion of all program requirements and acceptable scores on applicable PRAXIS II examinations as mandated by the State Board of Education.
Portfolio: All teaching license students are expected to maintain a portfolio while completing their professional coursework and field experiences. The portfolio will evolve from a working portfolio to a professional portfolio and finally to an employment portfolio. In it, students are responsible for housing various required and optional artifacts that demonstrate their level of competency in each of the outcomes of their program.
At various portfolio checkpoints, students must meet specific portfolio criteria in order to be eligible to continue to the next phase of their program. For complete information on portfolios, students are strongly encouraged to access the Student Portfolio Handbook available at: http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/portfolios/.
As of Fall semester, 2007, all students entering teacher license programs are required to maintain their portfolios in the Cleveland State University ePortfolio System or TaskStream for CSUTeach students.
Accreditation: Having met current curriculum guidelines set by the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the Early Childhood Education Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
Admission to Major: Must be admitted to the College of Education and Human Services (requires 2.50 cumulative grade-point average). Must also be accepted into a College of Education and Human Services program. This requires 2.50 cumulative grade-point average grade of C or better on college-level English composition course grade of C or better on college-level math course an intake interview and verification of good moral character.
Advising: Admission and program guidelines may be secured from the Education Student Services Center, Julka Hall 170A, 216-687-4625. Continuing academic, personal, and professional advising is available from assigned faculty advisers and the College Advising Office.
Evening Program: Classes that do not require field work are frequently offered in the evenings; some are offered during the day. Students must be available for field placements in area schools during the day.
Department Office: Teacher Education; Julka Hall 302A, 216-687-4600.
The Early Childhood Education Program prepares candidates for teaching children from ages 3 to 8 (pre K- grade 3), including typically developing youngsters and those with mild and moderate disabilities. Taken as a whole, the curriculum focuses on the development of teaching and learning practices associated with high-quality early childhood education for young children representing diverse cultures and abilities. These practices respect all children and provide them with equal opportunity to develop emotionally, socially, morally, physically, intellectually, and aesthetically and to extend their learning in all content areas. The development of professional knowledge and skills is aided by reflective practice and inquiry. To that end, the observation of children and early childhood settings accompanies relevant study, is followed by on-site practice, and culminates in supervised student teaching.
The courses listed in this section are designed to meet GenEd 2008 requirements and provide coursework prerequisite to the professional and major components of the program. In some cases, the listed courses exceed the University GenEd 2008 requirements. NOTE: The list of approved GenEd 2008 courses is continually updated; program and department advisers should be consulted for the latest list.
- Intro to University Life (if required)
- One course selected from approved list (1 hour)
- Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy
Breadth of Knowledge
- Natural Sciences
- Social Sciences
- Arts and Humanities
- Social Diversity
- Writing/Speaking Across the Curriculum
- The three-course Writing-Across-the-Curriculum requirement will be met by program requirements, including EDB 301, EDB 302, ECE 300, EDL 301, and EDL 312
- (Check with Teacher Education Department for course requirement)
- HED 210 Personal Health (3 hours taken as part of major)
Foreign Language (if required)
- 2 semesters of foreign language or 2 semesters of American Sign Language (ASL) and 1 foreign culture course (0-12 hours)
B. Professional Education Requirements (13 hours)
Core course work in education and related professional experiences are included in this area for a total of 13 hours. Where applicable, all prerequisites must be met prior to enrollment in these courses. In addition, EDB 301 and EDB 302 must be taken concurrently. The professional education foundation courses must be completed first in the education sequence as they are prerequisites for many of the remaining Professional Education courses.
- EDB 200 Teaching as a Profession (2 hours)
- EDB 300 Educational Technology (2 hours)
- EDB 301 Social Foundations of Education (3 hours)
- EDB 302 Psychological Foundations of Education (3 hours)
- ECE 300 Introduction to Early Childhood Education (3 hours)
C. Concentration Requirements (62 hours)
Specialized course work in early childhood education and related professional experiences are included in the following areas for a total of 62 hours. Because certain courses in this sequence must be taken concurrently or in a prescribed order, students are strongly advised to seek assistance from the College Advising Office (RT 1401) before registering for classes.
Curriculum and Methods
- ECE 401 Developmental Curriculum for Early Childhood Education (4 hours)
- ECE 402 Teaching Methods in Early Childhood Education (4 hours)
- ECE 403 Teaching Young Children with Mild and Moderate Disabilities (3 hours)
- EDL 300 Phonics Assessment and Instruction (3 hours)
- EDL 301 Beginning and Intermediate Reading Instruction and Assessment (3 hours)
- EDL 311 Emergent Literacy (3 hours)
- EDL 312 Literature-Based Reading Methods for Children (3 hours)
- ESE 415 Assessing Young Children (4 hours)
- ECE 412 Collaboration with Families and Professionals in Early Childhood Settings (4 hours)
- ECE 415 Mathematics Instruction in Preschool and the Primary Grades (3 hours)
- ECE 416 Social Studies Instruction in Preschool and the Primary Grades (3 hours)
- ECE 417 Science Instruction in Preschool and the Primary Grades (3 hours)
- EDC 309 Art Methods for the Classroom Teacher (2 hours)
- MUS 301 Music Fundamentals and Methods for the Classroom Teacher (4 hours)
- PED 316 Health and Physical Education for the Classroom Teacher (3 hours)
D. Culminating Experiences (13 hours)
- EST 370 Practicum in Early Childhood Education (3 hours)
- EST 480 Student Teaching in Early Childhood Education (10 hours)