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THIS IS A DELAWARE APPROVED LICENSURE/CERTIFICATION PROGRAM WITH CONTENT KNOWLEDGE AND PERFORMANCE ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS. Candidates taking courses to satisfy certification requirements are personally responsible for verifying with the Delaware Department of Education (or the appropriate licensure/certification authority in another state) that such course work is applicable and acceptable. Students are also responsible for meeting all state-mandated testing requirements and for applying for credentials. Â鶹ÊÓƵ has not made determinations for licensure in states outside of Delaware. For state-by-state contact information for inquiring about individual state licensure requirements, please visit
State-approved degree programs contribute to eligibility for licensure/certification as an educator in Delaware public schools. As such, all applicants for a Delaware Initial Teaching License must meet the content and performance assessment requirements described in DE Administrative Code.
Content Assessment
By regulation, “Where a content readiness exam is applicable and available in area, subject, or category of specialization sought, the Candidate shall achieve a passing score on an examination as established by the Professional Standards Board, in consultation with the Department and with concurrence of the State Board.”
The assessments and minimum passing test score requirements established by the Delaware Department of Education for this degree program and for Birth- Grade 2 certification are:
Test
Score
ETS test #5024, Education of Young Children
160
is also a pathway to certification for candidates who miss the required Praxis exam passing score by a small margin, but who have completed all other requirements.
Please note that state-mandated licensure/certification exams and minimum score requirements are subject to change by the Delaware Department of Education. Any changes mandated by the Department of Education will be implemented as required by state regulation.
Performance Assessment
The College of Education and Liberal Arts at Â鶹ÊÓƵ requires students pursuing teacher preparation degrees to take the Praxis Performance Assessment for Teachers (PPAT) in order to qualify for program completion and degree conferral. The performance assessment is not scored by any employees of the University. It is scored by Nationally Certified ETS Reviewers not associated with Â鶹ÊÓƵ. Completing this assessment is a student teaching requirement. Candidates must check with their supervisors, program advisors or program chairs to obtain current and accurate information related score expectations.
Program Requirements
Teacher Candidates must register for EDU 102 E-folio when enrolling as a student. EDU 102 will give candidates access to Watermark, which is a resource for students to create portfolios of professional work that will be used to collect data on student performance for accrediting agencies.
Teacher candidates must complete all requirements associated with the Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood, including all course work and clinical experiences. The College of Education and Liberal Arts sets a required minimum grade of “C-” for all Education core courses (ECE, EDU, RDG, and EPY) and an overall cumulative GPA (grade point average) of 3.0 or higher.
The College of Education and Liberal Arts at Â鶹ÊÓƵ reserves the right to modify requirements to comply with any licensure/certification changes mandated by the Delaware State Department of Education
Teacher candidates must pass Praxis II, test #5024 (Education of Young Children), prior to receiving a student teaching/internship placement and must be passed in order to register for ECE 450. The Praxis II Content Knowledge test must be taken by ECE 391, Practicum II. Taking the Praxis II Content Knowledge test is a requirement of registration into ECE 392, Practicum III.
Teacher candidates must designate Â鶹ÊÓƵ and the Delaware Department of Education as score recipients at the time the tests are taken.
Fieldwork Requirements
All fieldwork placements are arranged by the Office of Clinical Studies in accordance with education entities and/or school district partnership agreements and placement protocols. However, final placement decisions are made by education entities and/or school district officials in coordination with placement specialists and are based on school and district needs and the availability of school-based mentors who are rated as highly qualified and effective. Candidates are not permitted to seek their own placements.
Practicum Courses (Practicum I, II, III)
Each of these three courses require 60 hours of field experience in an approved school setting plus 30 hours of required seminars. Although Practicum courses only require candidates to register and pay for one (1) credit for each course, the courses are actually structured as three (3) credit courses. The reason for this approach is to keep the total credit hours required for the degree as low as possible and still meet state certification requirements. Otherwise, candidates would have to register and pay for an additional 6 credits. This benefit represents a tuition cost savings of more than $2,000.
All practicum placements are arranged by the Office of Clinical Studies in accordance with school district partnership agreements and placement protocols. Final placement decisions are made by school district officials. Candidates are not permitted to seek or make arrangements for their own placements. The 60 hours of field experience required for each practicum will usually take place in the county where the candidate attends the seminars, although this may vary depending on availability of practicum placement classrooms.
To be considered for placement in a Birth to Grade 2 setting, teacher candidates must complete the Practicum Fieldwork application in SL&L (Student Learning and Licensure) by the deadlines of February 1 for placement in Fall (September) and August 1 for placement in Spring (January). At the time of application, a sealed Federal and Delaware CBC (Criminal Background Check) Report, a recent TB/PPD (less than a year old) and a completed CPR (Child Protection Registry Form) are required.
Capstone Clinical Experience (Student Teaching/Internship)
The capstone clinical experience is a full-time, full-day, Monday through Friday placement of 80 school days in an approved setting and in a content area/grade level that corresponds to a candidate's program concentration. A full immersion, Yearlong Residency option may also be available. Check with a Program Advisor or Program Chair for more information.
Teacher candidates must apply to the Office of Clinical Studies for a Student Teaching/Internship placement for the Fall semester (September) by February 1 or for the Spring semester (January) by August 1. Student Teaching/Teaching Internship applications are to be submitted electronically in Taskstream/Watermark. Applications do NOT take the place of registering for Student Teaching/Internship. Registration and payment of all fees, including laboratory fees for Student Teaching/Internship, are still required. At the time of application, a new and sealed Federal and Delaware CBC (Criminal Background Check) Report, a new TB/PPD, a completed health form, and a completed CPR (Child Protection Registry Form) are required.
Placement and registration requirements include the following: Passing OR qualifying scores on the relevant PRAXIS II exam, a 3.0 grade point average, completion of all teacher preparation and content coursework, and a completed application in Taskstream/Watermark and all required clearance items. All placements are arranged by placement specialists in the WilmU Office of Clinical Studies in accordance with school district partnership agreements and protocols. However, final placement decisions are made by school district officials and are based on school and district needs and the availability of school-based mentors who are rated as highly-qualified and effective. Candidates are not permitted to seek or make arrangements for their own placements.
NOTE: Registration for ECE 450, Student Teaching/Internship, requires a 3.00 grade point average, successful completion of all other coursework, passing scores on all required Praxis exams, and an approved application from the Office of Clinical Studies.
Computer Applications
First Year Experience Seminar
Fundamentals of Economics
Introductory Survey of Mathematics
English Composition I
English Composition II
Advanced Composition
American History
Introduction to Critical Thinking
American Politics
Introduction to Psychology
Biology I (with Lab)
Select 2 courses from:
Art Appreciation 1
Non-Western Art
Basic Design
Drawing and Painting
Drawing
Painting
Watercolor Painting
Media and Society
Introduction to the Theater
Acting
Fundamentals of Drawing
Basic Photoshop
History of Art and Design
Music Appreciation
Practical Spanish I
Basic Photography
Infant and Toddler Development
Psychology of the Exceptional Child
Child Development
Introduction to Trauma-Informed Approaches
Trauma and Self-Care
Practical Implications of Trauma-Informed Approaches
E-Folio
Leadership and Collaboration
Developmentally Appropriate Practice
Health, Safety, and Nutrition
Professional Issues in Early Childhood
Differentiated Methods of Teaching Infants and Toddlers
Differentiated Methods of Teaching Pre-Schoolers
Differentiated Methods of Teaching Kindergartners – Grade 2
Family, Community, and School Partnerships
Integrating the Arts into Early Childhood Education
Numeracy and the Acquisition of Number Fluency in Early Childhood Education
Development and Implementation of IEPs
Differentiation of Instruction for Young Children
Educating Preschoolers with Special Needs
Assessment of Young Children
Learning Differences and Assessment of Exceptional Children
Learner Development and Early Literacy
Literature for Children
Practicum I
Practicum II
Practicum III
Early Childhood Education Student Teaching
Transfer Credits: Accreditation requires our program to collect data on student performance in a variety of courses. For that reason, students will not be able to transfer in courses to cover the following coursework.
ECE 105, , ECE 207, ECE 208, ECE 209, ECE 302, ECE 315, EPY 316, EPY 317, ECE 217, RDG 203, ECE 390, ECE 391, ECE 392, ECE 450, EDU 452
Certification
This is a state-approved degree program which contributes to eligibility for a State of Delaware Initial Teaching License and Certification as an Early Childhood Education – Birth-Grade 2. The program also includes all the coursework necessary for Delaware certification as an Early Childhood Exceptional Children Special Education teacher (ECE 315, EPY 316, EPY 317, ECE 217, RDG 203).
It is highly recommended that candidates obtain certification in special education, as this is required by many schools and school districts
This information applies to students who enter this degree program during the 2024-2025 Academic Year. If you entered this degree program before the Fall 2023 semester, please refer to the academic catalog for the year you began your degree program.
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