Early Childhood Education Major

The Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education is a non-certification major that prepares students to work as lead teachers or administrators in licensed child day care centers. These centers might include Head Start, CT School-Readiness Programs, licensed Family Child Care Homes, and some school-based programs. Students in this program are not eligible to teach in certified positions within public schools. However, the program prepares students to enter teacher certification programs.

Charter Oak State College uses the Professional Standards and Competencies for Early Childhood Educators in all of its early childhood education courses. Students must demonstrate competencies in early childhood theory and practice through key assessments, field experiences and practicum experiences. Students know, understand, and apply child development theory to their work with young children. They understand how to work with families, how to use observation and assessment to inform their teaching, and how to use effective develomentally appropriate teaching strategies in their work.  Further, graduates from this program have committed to their own professional development as early childhood educators serving families and young children.

All major and concentration requirements must be completed with a grade of 'C' or higher.  Students earning a grade of C- may earn credit for the course.  However, the credits cannot be used towards the major requirement. 

In order to earn a Bachelor's degree at Charter Oak, all Major, General Education, Liberal Arts , elective, and Upper Division credit must equal 120 or more credits.

Program Requirements

This degree requires a minimum of 120 credits. 30 of these credits must be upper level credits.

Categories of credit include the Cornerstone Seminar, General Education Credits, credits within the major and concentration, and elective credits. All categories must be met for a student to be eligible for graduation.

Students should note that due to the nature of online education, courses may require videotaping to fulfill requirements where student evaluations must be completed by a course instructor.

Field Experience and Practicum Requirements:

• Student must complete field experience and practicum hours that are determined by the concentration.
• Practicum hours must be approved in advance by the Clinical Field Placement Coordinator.
• Students must successful complete 6 Key Assessments that are included as course assignments.  A final grade of 'C' must be earned for the student to pass each of the  key assessments.
• Background checks are required for all internship placements.

Students in the Early Childhood Education Bachelor's Degree program also qualify to earn the Office of Early Childhood Teaching Credential (ECTC) at the Level B (CT resident's only).

Major Requirements

Note: Core requirements must be taken by all students in this degree program. Additional concentration requirements are listed below.

Prerequisites:

Students must complete the following prerequisite requirements for all concentrations:

• PSY 101: Psychology
• SOC 101: Sociology

Concentrations:

Early Childhood Education reflects ages Birth-Age 8.  While this program covers child development birth-age 8, the primary focus for teaching methods is for work with children ages birth-age 5.

Students enrolled in the Early Childhood Major must choose one of the three concentration tracks below (15 credits):

1. Teaching Concentration

This concentration is for those who desire to teach or already work as teachers in community-based early childhood programs, including child day care centers or family child care homes. Two 6-credit field experience/practicum courses are required for this option. Students completing this option will qualify for the ECTC, Level B for bachelor’s degree recipients. The ECTC is a CT-based early childhood credential and is awarded by the Office of Early Childhood at the completion of the degree. The following additional Early Childhood Education courses are required for students enrolled in this concentration.

2. Program Administration and Leadership Concentration

This concentration is for students who currently work as program directors or assistant directors; or, for teachers or other professionals that would like to advance to program director positions. By taking courses in this concentration, students will qualify to work as NAEYC Pedagogical and Operational Administrators for accredited early childhood programs serving children ages birth-age 8.

In this concentration, students will understand the many facets of leadership that encompass the work of the early childhood program administrator. Students will gain an understanding of early childhood curriculum and how to work with families, as well as the human resource and fiscal responsibilities of program directors. One 3-credit culminating practicum and one 3-credit Capstone course is required for this concentration where students work under the guidance of a mentor leader. Students who already qualify as NAEYC administrator’s, or directors that have at least four years of administrative experience, will be able to document their experience to have the practicum requirement waived.  Course instructors will work with students to create a practicum experience that is respective of the student’s time, current work obligations, as well as prior experiences in early childhood administrative or leadership roles. The following additional Early Childhood Education courses are required for students enrolled in this track.

*Students without approved NAEYC administrator experience will take the 3-credit practicum course.

      3. Montessori

This concentration is designed for students who work in Montessori Programs. Students may specialize in either Infant and Toddler or Early Childhood Education training. All students in the Montessori track must take the core courses required for all early childhood education majors.  However, 30 hours of transfer credit from the Montessori Credential must be recorded on the official transcript. Students in this concentration may not transfer the equivalency of courses from other colleges unless they are approved as Montessori specific.

In addition, students in the Montessori concentration must take additional courses related to the major.

Montessori training is not offered at Charter Oak State College. Students in this concentration transfer the AMS or AMI Credential for which college credit is provided. Credits for Montessori training differs based on the Montessori credential earned and are awarded based on credential approvals from the CT Credit Assessment Program reviews of each Montessori credential. The following additional Early Childhood Education courses are required for students enrolled in this track.

Note: Capstone Courses must be completed at Charter Oak State College.  Practicum courses must also be completed at Charter Oak State College unless the course transfers in from another institution or as part of a credentialing program. 

**This course generally transfers in with verification of the AMS credential. 

Prerequisites:

Students must complete the following prerequisite requirements for all concentrations track:

• PSY 101: Psychology
• SOC 101: Sociology

Program Learning Outcomes

Students who graduate with a major in Early Childhood Education will be able to:

• understand child development and how children learn and use this knowledge to design developmentally appropriate experiences for young children (Standard 1);
• know and understand the value and diversity of families, collaborate with families as partners, and use community resources to support young children's learning and development (Standard 2);
• understand the purposes and uses of assessment, how to observe & document children’s development, and how to use this information to inform work with young children (Standard 3);
• demonstrate positive dispositions for working with young children and their families and understand how to use teaching strategies that meet the needs of individual learners, are inclusive, linguistically relevant and supportive of anti-bias teaching practices as well as principles of universal design for learning (Standard 4);
• understand content knowledge related to the academic disciplines and how to use child development to support children's learning in each content area.  (Standard 5); and
• identify as reflective practitioners in the early childhood field, follow ethical principles, communicate effectively as a professional and engage in continuous, collaborative learning (Standard 6).