Childhood Education & Care

Associate Professors: Anneliese Worster, Chairperson

Professor: Pamela Ann Halpern, Francesca Pomerantz

Associate Professors: Christina Cassano, Megin Charner-Laird

Assistant Professors: Youn Jung Huh, Cami Condie, Dennis Rosemartin, Leigh E. Rohde, Kristina Scott

Faculty Emeriti

Professors: R. Clarke Fowler

The Childhood Education and Care Department prepares undergraduate students to become educators of early childhood and elementary-aged students. We offer a 4+1 program leading to a public school teaching license in early childhood (Prek to 2nd) or elementary education (grades 1-6) with the option of earning a second license in Teaching English as a Second Language or special education through summer coursework. The 4+1 programs are competitive and require a separate eligibility process during the second year.

The second program offered in the Childhood Education and Care Department is the B.S. in Early Care and Education. This is the major for students who are interested in pursuing a career in early education and care and private preschool programs. Graduates will earn their EEC lead teacher certification. They will also have the option to complete their Director 1 certification. Focus areas on topics such as early intervention or leadership will be available in the next year or two.

For information about graduate programs, consult the graduate catalog.

Programs Offered

Bachelor of Science in Education

Early Education and Care

Combined Bachelor of Science Education/Master of Education

Bachelor of Science Education/Master of Education Elementary Education

Bachelor of Science Education/Master of Education Early Childhood Education

Students seeking initial licensure to teach in the public schools in Grades PreK-6 must complete a major in Education and a major in the Arts and Sciences. Students will apply to the Early Childhood (PreK-2) or Elementary (1-6) licensure program in the spring of their second year and will begin the licensure program in their third year. Students who successfully complete the undergraduate portion will continue to a fifth year and will graduate with a Master of Education with eligibility for initial licensure at the conclusion of the fifth year of study, assuming all academic and licensure standards are met.

Early Childhood (PreK-2): Admission and Retention:
Admissions requirements to the licensure program include, but are not limited to:

A passing score on the Communication and Literacy portions of the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL);
3.0 minimum GPA in prior college course work;
Interview;
Recommendation from a college instructor; and
In-person writing sample from a prompt.

Retention in the program is based on satisfactory academic progress (maintenance of a 3.0 GPA), progress on professional attributes, and the passing of specific MTEL tests required for licensure in the chosen field. Students who do not meet these retention guidelines must exit the program and complete a degree without licensure.

Elementary (1-6): Admission and Retention:
Obtaining entry to the 4+1 elementary program is a competitive process. To be considered eligible, students must:

maintain a 3.0 GPA
have a major in education and a major in the College of Arts and Sciences
pass the Communication and Literacy MTEL and Math (Elementary) MTEL (53) or General Curriculum Math subtest (03) or Math (Middle School) MTEL (47) or Math (Secondary) MTEL (09) by the end of the first semester of their second year
obtain a faculty reference
complete an on-demand writing sample, and pass an interview.
To maintain enrollment in the program, students are required to pass the Foundations of Reading MTEL and the multi-subject MTEL before senior year fall semester.

Information about all requirements for educational licensure programs and resources for learning and educational practice may be found in the School of Education section of this catalog.

Requirements for Entry into the Early Education and Care Methods Courses

To be admitted into the methods courses (i.e., EEC301 , EEC302 , EEC303 andEEC304 ) in Early Education and Care, students must meet the following requirements:

a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all required education courses in the major;
a minimum grade of B- in each of the required education courses in the major;
a minimum overall GPA of 2.5; and
a completed application for admission to the program in Early Education and Care.

Requirements for Entry into the Early Education and Care Practicum Courses

To be admitted into the practicum courses (i.e., EEC401 , EEC401S , EEC402 , EEC402S ) in Early Education and Care, students must earn 1) a minimum grade of B or better in each of the methods courses (EEC301, 302, 303, 304) and 2) a favorable recommendation from the cooperating teacher of their methods placement classroom.

Lifespan of Elementary and Early Childhood Education Licensure Courses

No education courses that are part of or required for either the early childhood or elementary teacher licensure course sequence may be more than seven years old at the start of a student teaching practicum.

Students who wish to appeal this policy may file an appeal with the chair and/or coordinator of their program. Students who file an appeal should provide a course-by-course explanation of how they have kept current in the content area of each course (e.g., by working in a classroom that employs specific curricular approaches, taking professional development workshops, attending lectures, etc.).

Policy for Students Who Do Not Complete the Fifth Year of the 4+1 Program in Education

In unusual circumstances, a student enrolled in the combined BS/MEd program in education may petition the Dean of the School of Education to be awarded a BS in Education without the MEd and licensure endorsement. If the student’s petition is successful, course substitutions in lieu of field-based courses may be recommended and selected in consultation with the student’s program coordinator or chairperson. In such cases, the minimum number of education major credits for the BS in Education is 36.

Practicum Failure Policy

To review the School of Education Practicum Failure Policy, visit the Academic Policies section of the catalog.