Program Overview:
The Inclusive Early Childhood Education: Birth –Grade 2 major is a four-year program of study and practice that leads to a Bachelor of Science in Inclusive Early Childhood Education and prepares candidates for teaching in birth to grade 2 general education, special education, and inclusive settings that serve young children with a full range of abilities and needs. This uniquely designed program integrates perspectives from both general and special education through the use of blocked courses, alternative scheduling, co-teaching by college professors, and highly coordinated and supervised field experiences. The Inclusive Early Childhood Education program provides pre-service teachers with integrated course content across the disciplines of child development, special education, early childhood education, communication disorders, literacy, educational psychology, and instructional technology. The program prepares future educators to meet the cognitive, academic, social-emotional, and communication needs of a diverse population of young children. Candidates will collaborate with colleagues and exhibit leadership in their professional endeavors. By the junior and senior years, teacher candidates create a strong identity as an early childhood educator. The program is delivered by experienced faculty and supervisors who focus on the elements of diversity, instructional planning, individualizing instruction, reflective practice, technology, evidenced-based practices, and collaboration.
The program requires that students have an academic concentration in the liberal arts or sciences (see below for descriptions of academic concentrations), and complete the College’s 41-credit Liberal Education requirements. For this requirement, students need 3 credits of “further disciplinary study” in the liberal arts, selected in consultation with the advisor. The majority of the major and the academic concentration must be completed at The College of Saint Rose. The program exceeds the New York State requirement with over 200 hours of field experience prior to student teaching, Field experiences require students to observe, complete course-related assignments, and teach in a variety of settings across all age levels within the certification and complete experiences in high needs/urban schools and settings that serve learners with English Language Learning needs. Student teaching occurs at both the pre-kindergarten or kindergarten level and at the primary (1-2) grades across two semesters during the senior year serving the role as both the general educator and the special educator.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Frances Ihle
Co-Chair, Literacy & Special Education Department
Email: ihlef@.strose.edu
Dr. Sheila Flihan
Chair, Teacher Education Department
Email: flihans@strose.edu
Program Requirements:
Admission into the College does not ensure good standing in the program in Inclusive Early Childhood Education, nor does good standing in the Inclusive Early Childhood Education program ensure admission to student teaching. In order to maintain good standing through all stages of the Inclusive Early Childhood Education program, students are required to maintain the following academic standards: 2.5 cumulative index, 2.75 index in the education sequence, 2.25 index in the academic concentration and a minimum grade of C+ in each course of the major. Students are allowed to repeat courses in the major only one time. More than two repeated courses by a student will result in the student’s dismissal from the major. Students must apply for student teaching in accordance with program guidelines which includes satisfactory completion of all major courses and completion of most concentration courses.
In order to be eligible for initial teacher certification in New York State, students must pass required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. The School of Education offers preparation workshops for these exams. Information about test dates, sample questions, and scoring are available online at www.nystce.nesinc.com.
Major Courses Sequence:
Year 1
IEC 100
IEC 230
IEC 146
Year 2
IEC 231
CSD 235
EPY 245
Year 3
IEC 253
IEC 350
EPY 350
SED 340
SED 366
Year 4
IEC 360
IEC 385
IEC 492
IEC 491
IEC 328
IEC 490
SED 494
SED 495
Major in Inclusive Early Childhood Education (55 credits)
Academic Concentrations for Inclusive Early Childhood Education Majors (Birth-Grade 2)
All Inclusive Early Childhood Education students must fulfill the College’s Liberal Education requirements and must fulfill the requirements for an academic concentration to comply with New York State teacher certification regulations. The purpose of the academic concentration in a liberal arts or sciences discipline or an interdisciplinary field is to provide a focused depth and breadth of preparation and study, beyond the broad general education requirement, that will enable the Inclusive Early Childhood Education major to develop a degree of expertise in a chosen discipline or interdisciplinary field.
Inclusive Early Childhood Education majors are required to complete an academic concentration of 30-33 credits in one of the following disciplines: Biology, Computing and Logic, English Language Arts, General Science, Mathematics, Social Studies or Spanish. The requirements of the academic concentrations are listed below. Note: While students must complete the total credits necessary for graduation, 6 credits in a 30-credit concentration and 9 credits in a 33-credit concentration may be shared between the Liberal Education requirements and the academic concentration.
Biology Concentration (30 credits)
Computing and Logic Concentration (33-35 credits)
Studying fundamental computer science lays the groundwork for a career of applied computational thinking applicable to any field. Computer science emphasizes algebra and mathematical reasoning, hence strengthening the overall preparation of a future teacher. A concentration in Computing and Logic goes far beyond providing knowledge of a computer-based toolset to use in the classroom. Students in this concentration will become better equipped in conceptualization, problem-solving and abstract thinking. This concentration supports the STEM coalition efforts to improve the way our students learn science, mathematics, technology and engineering.
CSC 202 and CSC 252 may each be taken only twice without faculty permission.
Computer Science Courses (20-22 Credits)
Required Courses:
Choose two of the following courses:
Mathematics Courses (13 Credits)
Required Courses:
Additional Courses:
MAT 180 and MAT 185: Students who transfer in MAT 185 or MAT 190 or who score 36 on the math placement test are not required to take MAT 180 and may substitute the higher-level MAT course with advisor approval. In these cases, the higher level MAT course satisfies the MAT 180 pre-requisite for the MAT 270 or MAT 295 course requirement.
English Language Arts Concentration (33 credits)
English Language Arts concentrators may not transfer in courses to fulfill their ELA requirements after they have matriculated at the College of Saint Rose.
Required Courses:
| ENG 105 | Expos Wrtg, Spkng, Rsrch Tech | 4 |
| ENG 114 | Intro Literary Genres/Traditns | 4 |
One 200-level early literature course:
One 200-level later literature course:
One diverse literature course:
Writing/Language course(s) - 4 credits:
One communication course:
One performance arts course:
Two credits in teaching topics courses OR one additional literature course from those listed above (2 or 4 credits):
General Science Concentration (30 credits)
Mathematics Concentration (30-32 credits)
Required Courses:
Choose one course from the following:
Depth of Study (9-11 credits)
Choose two courses from the following:
Choose one from the following:
Social Studies Concentration (32 credits)
Social Studies concentrators may not transfer in core courses after they have matriculated at The College of St. Rose; six out of eight of the content courses in the concentration must be completed at Saint Rose.
Core Courses:
Students must pass HIS 215 or HIS 227 in their first year with a C grade or better. HIS 215 may only be repeated once and serves as a pre-requisite for HIS 204.
Additional Coursework:
Choose one additional 100- or 200-level POS course (4 credits)
Choose one 100- or 200-level non-US HIS course (4 credits)
Spanish Concentration (30 credits)
Required Courses:
Three years of high school Spanish, or SPA 101 and SPA 102, are prerequisite to a concentration in Spanish.
If SPA 203, SPA 204, and SPA 216 are waived, the student needs to replace each of them with 3 hours of upper-level elective courses.
SPA 300 was SPA 265 prior to Fall 2020.
One additional course chosen from:
| SPA 305 | Survey Spanish Literature 1 | 3 |
| SPA 306 | Survey Spanish Literature 2 | 3 |
| SPA 307 | Survey Spanish-American Lit | 3 |
Two Spanish 300-400 level elective courses (6 credits)
Internship/Field Experiences/Service:
As part of the unique blocking of courses, time is spent in early childhood settings and classrooms. Teacher candidates may be required to complete a field–based assignment that integrates concepts across multiple courses. These field experiences begin in the freshman year and become increasingly more sophisticated as candidates progress into the junior and senior year.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Most of the senior year, across two semesters, is spent in general and special education settings. Candidates start each semester engaged in compressed course design and field observation in a setting where they also conduct their student teaching. After an intense observation period, candidates seamlessly integrate into their culminating student teaching experience. Accompanying this experience is the presentation of a e-portfolio of work completed throughout the program.
Suggested 4 Year Course Plan:
This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 8 semesters and to graduate within 4 years. Most students will need to take a minimum of 30 credits each year in order to meet the graduation requirement of a minimum of 122 overall credits. It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement.
Year 1:
Fall (16 credits)
IEC 100: Introduction to the Inclusive Early Childhood Program and Developmental Portfolio – 0 credit
ENG 105 (L01) – 4 credits
Lib Ed (L07) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L08) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L03) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L05) – 3 credits
Spring (17-18 credits)
IEC 230 Foundations of Early Childhood Education – 3 credits
IEC 146 Individuals with Exceptionalities in Schools and Communities – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L04) – 4 credits
Lib Ed (L09) – 4 credits
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Year 2:
Fall (16-18 credits)
EPY 245 Child Development and Health (L11) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L02) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L06) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L12) – 1 credit
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Complete online module for communicable disease awareness
Spring (16-18 credits)
CSD 235 Language and Literacy Typical and Atypical Development, Birth to Age Five – 3 credits
IEC 231 Infant, Toddler and Preschool Development and Instructional Practices – 3 credits
EDU 111 Dignity For All Students Workshop – 0 credit
Lib Ed (Second language course, L02, Further Disciplinary Study) – 3 credits
Lib Ed (L12) – 1 credit
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Concentration – 3-4 credits
Year 3:
Fall (15-17 credits)
IEC 253 Inclusive Curriculum Design – 3 credits
IEC 350 Developmental Assessment of Young Children – 3 credits
EDU 102 Violence Prevention – 0 credit
EPY 350 Educational Psychology – 3 credits
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Concentration course 3-4 credits
Spring (16-18 credits)
SED 340 Assessing and Teaching Young Children with Significant Disabilities – 4 credits
SED 366 Effective Practices to Promote the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Competence of Young Children – 3 credits
EDU 103 Child Abuse Prevention – 0 credit
Lib Ed (L10) – 3 credits
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Concentration course – 3-4 credits
Year 4:
Fall (13 credits)
IEC 360 Language and Literacy Instruction, Ages 4-8 – 3 credits
IEC 385 Methods of Inclusive Early Childhood Education – 3 credits
IEC 492 Early Childhood Student Teaching (Kindergarten, 1st, or 2nd grade) – 5 credits
IEC 491 Early Childhood Student Teaching Seminar – 2 credits
Spring (12 credits)
IEC 328 Collaboration and Families – 3 credits
SED 494 Special Education Student Teaching (Preschool) – 5 credits
SED 495 Early Childhood Special Education Student Teaching Seminar – 2 credits
IEC 490 Transitional & Capstone Portfolio in Inclusive Early Childhood Education – 2 credits
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.msche.org/
Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, a specialized accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation. http://www.ncate.org/
Career Opportunities and Graduate Study:
In order to be eligible for initial teacher certification in New York State, students must pass required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. The School of Education offers preparation workshops for these exams. Information about test dates, sample questions, and scoring are available online at www.nystce.nesinc.com. The pass rate on New York State Teacher Certification Examinations for students at The College of Saint Rose was 97% for the 2008-2009 academic year. Within five years, teachers with initial certification must apply for professional certification, which is contingent upon earning a relevant master’s degree and obtaining teaching experience that includes mentoring.
Upon the successful completion of this program, the achievement of passing grades on examinations required by the New York State Education Department and fingerprint clearance, students are eligible for New York State initial teaching certification in both early childhood (Birth-Grade 2) and early childhood special education (Birth-Grade 2). Graduates who prefer special education have gone on to teach in early intervention settings, preschool special education, or a public school special education teaching position in inclusive or special class settings. Other graduates have opened their own nursery or preschool, coordinated community before and after school programs, or taught in Universal Pre-K or general education in grades K-2.
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
The Undergraduate Admissions Office begins review of First-Year applications each fall in late September for the following Fall. Students are encouraged to submit a complete application as early as October. The Admissions Team will return a decision on complete applications within just three weeks. The College awards academic scholarships at the same time.
What Makes an Application Complete
- Online or Paper application (fee waived for all applicants!)
- Official High School Transcripts
- Official Transcripts for any College Level Courses
- SAT or ACT scores (See Test Optional FAQ's)
- Letter of Recommendation from a Counselor or Teacher
- Essay or Graded Paper
- Applicants may also apply via the Common Application Online.
- Art applicants are required to complete a portfolio review.
- Music applicants are required to complete an audition.
Admissions contact information (telephone number, admissions web pages)
Scholarships and Financial Aid
See Tuition, Fees, and Financial Aid section for more information.
The Bottom Line
The total cost of The College of Saint Rose (including tuition, fees, room and board) is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast, and we award more than $34 million in Saint Rose scholarships, grants and financial aid.
Take a look at our bottom line, and view a cost comparison with a four-year public institution.
More about Financial Aid
Financial Aid is defined as any grant, scholarship, loan, or employment opportunity given with the express purpose of assisting you with education-related expenses to make your education affordable. Financial Aid is awarded on the basis of student need and the availability of funds.
The Admission and Financial Aid teams have designed a Guide to Scholarships and Financial Aid to help prospective students and families get to the bottom line and find that The College of Saint Rose is one of the lowest of any private college in the Northeast--while maintaining powerful academic opportunities.
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