Undergraduate Teacher Preparation for Early Childhood Education (Birth-Grade 2)

Bachelor of Arts. The undergraduate early childhood education program leads toward New York state initial teacher certification in early childhood (Birth-grade 2). The early childhood program is designed to blend on-campus preparation with field experiences in a variety of school settings, culminating in full-time student teaching. Literacy, multicultural education, and information technology are integrated throughout all aspects of this program. The program conforms to the standards and guidelines of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the New York State Learning Standards for Early Childhood Education.

Program Requirements

Students select a B.A. degree program from Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences  (excluding fine arts, dance, drama, music and speech-language-hearing sciences) or a B.A. degree program in Rhetorical Studies  from The Lawrence Herbert School of Communication . After completing 45 semester hours of college course work, students choose early childhood education as a co-major. This education program is designed to blend on-campus preparation with field experiences in a variety of school settings, culminating in full-time student teaching. Literacy, multicultural education, and information technology are integrated throughout all aspects of the programs. Hofstra’s undergraduate program in early childhood is a New York state-registered program. Students who successfully complete the program and who obtain passing scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) will qualify for New York State initial teaching certification.

Admission Criteria for the Early Childhood Education Program

After completing 45 semester hours of college course work, students may apply for admission to the School of Education through the Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

• A passing score on the Hofstra Writing Proficiency Exam.
• An overall GPA of 2.75 or higher in overall course work and liberal arts and sciences course work.
• Two letters of reference addressing the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession.
• A written personal statement of professional intent and rationale.
• An interview with the program director.

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a student’s potential for success in the program. Students may consider applying even if they fail to meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience might compensate.

Required Course Work for the B.A. in Early Childhood Education  

The Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership strongly recommends emphasis on course work dealing with multi-cultural issues and social contexts of education. In order to ensure that prospective teachers have a broad education in the liberal arts and sciences, all students in the B. A. degree programs with co-majors in early childhood education must complete course work from each of the content areas below. When programs are planned carefully, these requirements may be satisfied while completing the Hofstra Distribution. Specific courses and minimum credits required for prospective teachers are indicated.

Whereas satisfaction of the Hofstra Distribution may require more credits in the indicated areas than those stipulated below, the designated courses within the following areas must be included in the B.A. degree program of the early childhood and elementary education major.

Areas to be included in partial fulfillment of the Hofstra Distribution and New York State Education Department requirements:

Transfer Students

Pedagogical Core Requirements for Early Childhood Education

• ELED 041 - Mathematics Concepts for Elementary School Teachers Semester Hours: 2

• or a passing score on the Departmental Mathematics Proficiency Exam (Both ELED 41 and the exam may only be taken once), 0-2 s.h.

• ELED 104A - Educational Computing Issues, Trends and Practices Semester Hours: 1
• ELED 111B - Young Children’s Movement, Music, Rhythmic Activities and Play for the Classroom Semester Hours: 1
• ELED 122 - Art in the Elementary School Semester Hours: 1
• FDED 111 - The American School Semester Hours: 3

• or

• FDED 127 - Introduction to Philosophy of Education Semester Hours: 3
• SPED 101 - Inclusion: Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, and K-6 Children Semester Hours: 3

Core Requirements for the Early Childhood Education Program (Birth-Grade 2)

Student Teaching Prerequisites

Program Phases 1 and 2 must be completed prior to student teaching. Application forms for student teaching are available in the Office of Field Placement and are due by May 1 for the succeeding spring semester and February 15 for the succeeding fall semester. Admission criteria are as follows:

1. a cumulative GPA of 2.75 on overall course work;
2. a GPA of 2.5 or higher in liberal arts and sciences course work;
3. a grade of C- or higher in each ELED course completed and
4. no unresolved INC grades in professional education course work.

Graduation Requirements for the Early Childhood Education Program

Graduation from an undergraduate early childhood education program requires:

1. completion of all graduation requirements for the appropriate B.A. degree in the liberal arts and sciences;
2. completion of all course requirements for the co-major in early childhood education;
3. the successful completion of at least 131 semester hours. (Military Science courses may not be counted toward this total semester hour requirement.);
4. completion of at least 93 semester hours in liberal arts and sciences course work (FDED 111 and 127 may be counted toward this requirement);
5. a minimum GPA of 2.75 in overall course work;
6. a minimum GPA of 2.5 in liberal arts and sciences course work;
7. an electronic portfolio, illustrating the student’s education course work and professional accomplishments.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Upon the successful completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’s recommendation for New York state certification. A request for recommendation must be submitted to the Office of Educational Support Services the semester in which the student is graduating. There will be opportunities to attend a certification workshop during the student’s final semester, to receive all the necessary information regarding applying for certification. Individuals who apply directly to New York state for certification are responsible for learning about and satisfying the certification requirements set by the state. It should be noted that such requirements may differ from those in Hofstra’s registered programs.

All prospective early childhood (Birth-Grade 2), childhood (Grades 1-6), adolescent (Grades 7-12) and special subject, students with disabilities, gifted, TESOL, bilingual, literacy, speech and language disabilities teachers, as well as school leadership candidates, are required to pass the New York State Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc., For state certification requirements, students should consult with the Office of Educational Support Services regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study.

We anticipate that teacher and school building leader candidates applying for certification on or after May 1, 2014, will be required to take certain new exams. Candidates who graduate and apply for certification on or before April 30, 2014, but do not meet all the requirements for an initial certificate on or before April 30, 2014, will also be required to pass the new exams. Candidates will not be permitted to mix and match examinations from the old and new tests. Please contact the Office of Educational Support Services at Hofstra University at 516-463-5747 or consult the state website.

In addition to fulfilling the required courses of study, the Commissioner’s Regulations mandate that all prospective teachers, pupil personnel and education leaders receive instructions regarding:

1. Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
2. Fire and Arson Prevention
3. School Violence Prevention and Intervention
4. Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Abuse
5. Highway and School Safety/Prevention of Child Abduction
6. Training in Harassment, Bullying and Discrimination Prevention and Intervention required under the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)

New York state legislation also requires all persons seeking certification in special education, speech and language disabilities or school administrators working in special education, to have training in the area of children with autism.

Hofstra University offers the above listed educational law seminars through the Office of Educational Support Services. All of these seminars must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Forms for applying for certification can be found at the Office of Educational Support Services Web page under the certification tab.

Fingerprinting
Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE), requires that applicants for teaching and administrative and pupil services personnel certification and perspective employees of covered schools (school districts, charter schools and BOCES) must undergo fingerprint supported criminal history background check. However, many school districts and institutions across the metropolitan New York area are now requiring that all student teachers, observers, interns or externs receive fingerprint clearance before they are placed in educational settings that are required for this degree program. Therefore, we recommend that you apply for fingerprint clearance upon acceptance to the program. Fingerprinting can be completed through Hofstra University using LIVESCAN technology, arranged by the Office of Educational Support Services each semester. You may contact us at 516-463-5747 or visit Hagedorn Hall, Room 129. You may also register online. Fingerprint clearance is also required for New York state certification.