Early Childhood Education (with licensure), M.Ed.

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Early Childhood Education

Specialization leading to a Master of Education degree.

(34 credits)

This specialization provides advanced study in early childhood education, a field that has an enormous impact on children, families and society. Students may complete a master’s degree, or a teaching license in early childhood education (PK-3) or both. It includes University and field-based experiences that focus on the development and education of children from ages three to eight, including typically developing children and those with mild and moderate disabilities.

While primarily intended to meet the professional development needs of practicing early childhood educators, a qualified applicant who possesses a baccalaureate degree in another teaching field or related discipline may apply required coursework toward a provisional teaching license in early childhood. Eligibility for this license requires 1) additional coursework beyond that needed for the master’s degree, 2) an electronic portfolio containing required artifacts, meeting specific criteria at checkpoints, and demonstrating proficiency in the college outcomes (http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/taskstream/taskstream.html) and the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (http://www.naeyc.org/ncate/standards), see below, and 3) successful completion of Pearson OAE exams.

Built around a common College Core, specialized course work in early childhood education is integrated with required offerings in educational research, social foundations, and human development as outlined below. 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 and learn emotionally, socially, physically, and intellectually.

For further information, contact the Department of Teacher Education at (216) 687-4600.

Admission

NOTE: Effective as of October 1, 2015, requirements for admission into a teaching liensure program at the undergraduate and graduate levels will change. If you wish to be considered for admission into a teaching licensure program under the requirements listed in this catalog, you must declare your intent to pursue teaching licensure and satisfy all current requirements prior to October 1, 2015.

Portfolio

All teaching licensure students are expected to maintain a portfolio while completing their professional coursework and field experiences. Students who begin a eaching licensure program in Fall 2012 or later are required to purchase a subscription to Taskstream, which they will use to submit all required portfolio components. At various checkpoints, students must meet specific criteria to be eligible to continue to the next phase of their program. For complete information on portfolios, students are advised to speak with an advisor and access the Student Portfolio Handbook available at the following: http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/taskstream/taskstream.html.

Program of Study College Core

(11 credits)

Educational Research and Technology

Social Foundations

Select one of the following courses:

Human Development

EDC 501 - Child Development

Specialization

(23 credits)

All seven courses listed below are required unless exempt due to prior coursework or experience

ECE 500 - Foundations Of Early Childhood Education
ECE 501 - Curriculum and Teaching Methods in Preschool and Kindergarten
ECE 502 - Teaching Methods In Early Childhood Education
ECE 503 - Teaching Children With Mild & Moderate Disabilities
ECE 695 - Seminar In Early Childhood Education
EDC 500 - Diversity in Educational Settings
EST 570 - Practicum in Early Childhood Education
(students with 2 years experience teaching in early childhood education may be eligible to waive the practicum)

Elective

The additional courses listed below represent those required to attain an Early Childhood Education license as a first teaching credential at the graduate level:

Exit Requirement

Select one of the four options: comprehensive examination, project, thesis, or advocacy or action research project (conducted as part of ECE 695 , which must be completed with a grade of B or better).