At-a-Glance
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: www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/eportfolio/docs/PortfolioHandbook.pdf .
As of Fall semester, 2007, all students entering teacher license programs are required to maintain their portfolios in the Cleveland State University ePortfolio System. As of Fall semester 2012, all students entering teacher licensure programs are required to maintain their portfolio in TaskStream.
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.