Early Childhood Licensure, B.S.

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University General Education Requirements

Licensure degree option requires the successful completion of the Early Childhood Content Area Test, and edTPA. Candidates who complete the Early Childhood Licensure degree earn an Illinois Professional Educator License with an Early Childhood Endorsement, an ESL Endorsement and an Early Childhood Special Education Letter of Approval. Candidates completing the licensure degree are accorded all rights and privileges of the Illinois Professional Educator 302 License with respect to practicing in public school systems and adding additional grade-level and/or content area endorsements.

Completion of the Early Childhood Non-Licensure degree prepares students to work with children and families in a variety of nonpublic school early childhood settings such as social service and governmental agencies, hospitals, parks and recreation departments, and charter and private schools. Students also prepare for a variety of leadership positions: lead teacher in a childcare setting, education/curriculum or parent coordinator, program director, child life specialist, child abuse specialist, early childhood advocate, family service provider in Head Start programs, and for agency positions such as state licensing representative or children and family service intern with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services or Department of Human Services.

General Education Courses (42 credit hours)

ENG 1270 - Composition I Credit Hours: 3
ENG 1280 - Composition II Credit Hours: 3
CMAT 1130 - Communication for Professionals Credit Hours: 3
ART 1100 - Introduction to the Visual Arts Credit Hours: 3
MUS 1134 - Hist/Apprec Music Credit Hours: 3

Humanities Elective

BIOL 1070 - Biological Science Survey I Lecture and Laboratory Credit Hours: 3
OR
BIOL 1080 - Bi Sci Survey II Credit Hours: 3
GEOG 1100 - Global Diversity Credit Hours: 3
HIST 1310 - US Hist Since 1877 Credit Hours: 3
MATH 1010 - Math for ELED Tch I Credit Hours: 3
OR
MATH 1020 - Math for ELED Tch II Credit Hours: 3
PH S 1100 - Practical Physics I Credit Hours: 3
PH S 1140 - Prac Earth/Spa Sci Credit Hours: 3
POL 1010 - Amer Natl Government Credit Hours: 3

Professional Courses (82 credit hours)

S ED 4301 - Char Except Children Credit Hours: 3
ED 4312 - Teaching with Technology Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4401 - Hist Phil of ECH Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4403 - Health Safety Nutrit Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4404 - Foundations Instruct Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4405 - Child Development II Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4406 - Chld Fmily Comm Relat Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4408 - Speech Lang Develop Credit Hours: 2
ECH 4410 - Child Lit. Infor Txt Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4411 - Meth/Dev Inf/Tod Curr Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4412 - Meth/Teach Fine Arts Credit Hours: 2
ECH 4413 - Meth/Teach Soc Stud Credit Hours: 2
ECH 4414 - Meth/Teach Science Credit Hours: 2
ECH 4415 - Meth/Teach Math Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4416 - Meth/Tch Read Lng Art Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4419 - Scrn Assess Eval Pk-2 Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4420 - Child Developmnt 0-8 Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4550 - Int Infnt Mntal Hlth Credit Hours: 3
ECSE 4407 - Chd Fam Com Rel ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4409 - Spch Lang Dev ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4417 - Meth Instruc ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4418 - Screen Assess ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ESL 4000 - Hist, Phil, & Equity of ESL Credit Hours: 3
ESL 4100 - Assessment & Eval in ESL Class Credit Hours: 3
ESL 4110 - Language & Linguistics Credit Hours: 3
ESL 4120 - Teaching ESL Credit Hours: 3
ESL 4130 - Cross Cultural Studies Credit Hours: 3
ESL 4270 - Methods & Mat Teaching ESL Credit Hours: 3

General Education or Professional Electives (6 credit hours)

ECH 4445 - Fld Practicum PreK Gr 2 Credit Hours: 3
ECH 4450 - Student Teaching PreK 2 Credit Hours: 6

Early Childhood Special Education Approval

The Early Childhood Primary Program is entitled by Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) for Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Approval. Teachers with an Illinois Professional Educator License with an Early Childhood Endorsement can earn the Early Childhood Special Education Letter of Approval. (Early Childhood Special Education Letter of approval according to the Illinois Administrative Transition Rules: Section 226.810 (f) Special Education Teacher Approval.)

The Early Childhood Special Education Letter of Approval can also be added to an Illinois Professional Educator License with an LBS1 Endorsement, which qualifies the teacher to teach special education below kindergarten level. It cannot be added to any other license grade level endorsement. The following 4 courses must be completed to earn the Early Childhood Special Education Letter of Approval:

Content Designations: ECSE

The courses must be passed with at least a grade of C.

Some courses (designated with an asterisk) are restricted to students admitted to the College of Education.

ECSE 4407 - Chd Fam Com Rel ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4409 - Spch Lang Dev ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4417 - Meth Instruc ECSE Credit Hours: 2
ECSE 4418 - Screen Assess ECSE Credit Hours: 2