Blended Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education

Program Prerequisites

To apply to the Teacher Education program, you must have the following three things completed:

1. All lower division courses, including the 200-level pre-professional Teacher Education courses, must be either complete or in progress
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 3.0 or higher GPA in all Teacher Education courses
3. A passing score of 150 or higher on the Core Academic Skills for Educators: Math Praxis test, which is test #5733

After Admission

Once admitted to the Teacher Education program, you complete the upper division Teacher Education courses. During the Teacher Education year, you must also complete the required Praxis 2 tests in order to apply to the Professional Year.

Required Praxis Tests

The required Praxis 2 tests are:

• Praxis 2: Early Childhood Education test #5025
• Praxis 2: Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood #5691

Application Deadlines

Program Admissions

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the first Friday in February if you apply in the spring and the third Friday in September if you apply in the fall.

The admission process includes an interview which is scheduled after the application deadline.

Professional Year

The deadline to apply for Professional Year is also either the first Friday in February if you apply in the fall or the third Friday in September if you apply in the spring.

After admission to Professional Year, you complete two semesters of student teaching. One semester is an Early Childhood Practicum, and the other semester is in Early Childhood student teaching.

Click here for more information about Teacher Education applications.

Pathway to Proficiency – An Advising Roadmap

Download printable Advising Roadmap (PDF)

To apply to the Teacher Education program, you must have the following three things completed:

1. All lower division courses, including the 200-level pre-professional Teacher Education courses, must be either complete or in progress
2. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 3.0 or higher GPA in all Teacher Education courses

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the first Friday in February if you apply in the spring and the third Friday in September if you apply in the fall.

The admission process includes an interview which is scheduled after the application deadline.

After Admission to the Program

Once admitted to the Teacher Education program, you complete the upper division Teacher Education courses. During the Teacher Education year, you must also complete the required Praxis 2 tests in order to apply to the Professional Year.

For this major, the required Praxis 2 tests are:

• Praxis 2 Early Childhood Education test #5025 / score 156
• Praxis 2: Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood test #5691 / score 159
• For Elementary Ed option only: Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching #7811
  1. Reading & Language Subtest #7812 / Score: 161
  2. Mathematics Subtest #7813 / Score: 150
  3. Social Studies Subtest #7815 / Score: 161
  4. Science Subtest #7814 / Score: 154

*Do not proceed until you successfully complete ALL Praxis exams!

Applying to Professional Year

The deadline to apply for Professional Year is also either the first Friday in February if you apply in the fall or the third Friday in September if you apply in the spring.

After admission to Professional Year, you complete two semesters of student teaching. One semester is in an Elementary Education classroom and the other semester is in an Early Childhood/ Early Childhood Special Education setting.

Pathway to Proficiency – An Advising Checklist

Download Printable Advising Checklist (PDF)

Courses required for entrance into program

All of the following courses are required for graduation and entrance into the teacher program.

• FW ENGL 101 – Writing and Rhetoric I (3 credits)
• FW ENGL 102 – Writing and Rhetoric II (3 credits)
• UF 100 – Intellectual Foundations (3 credits)
• UF 200 – Civic and Ethical Foundations (3 credits)
• MATH 157 – Foundations of Number and Operations (4 credits)
• Math 158 (prerequisite: MATH 157) – Geometry and Probability for Teachers (4 credits)
• FN Natural, Physical, & Applied Science – Science course with lab (4 credits)
• FN Natural, Physical, & Applied Science Science course (must be in a second field; lab optional) (3-4 credits)
• FA Arts Course (3 credits)
• FC COMM 101 – Foundations of Oral Communication (3 credits)
• FH Humanities Course (3-4 credits)
• FS Social Sciences Course (HIST 111 or 112 is required for Elementary Ed option) – Foundations of Social Sciences (must be in a second field) (3 credits)
• ED-LLC 201 (lab included) – Cultural Diversity in the School (3 credits)
• FS ED-CIFS 201 – Education, Schooling and Society (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 221 ( fall only) – Foundations of Professional Practice (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 223 – Child Growth and Development (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 250 – Exceptionality in Schools (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 255 – Educational and Assistive Technology (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 260 – Special Education Policies and Procedures (3 credits)

Courses that may be taken prior to admission to program

• ED-LLC 340 (field experience included) – Idaho Comprehensive Literacy (4 credits)
• ED-LLC 345 – Writing Process and Assessment for K-8 Classrooms (3 credits)
• Electives – for a list of recommended/approved electives, refer to your Education Academic Advisor. Some Electives will require admission to Teacher Education (9-11 credits)

Courses that require admission to the program

• ED-CIFS 331 – Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
• ED-CIFS 333* – Elementary Science Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 321 (fall only) – Family and Community Relations (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 322 (lab included; fall only) – Inclusive Methods: ECE/ECSE (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 327 (spring only; co-requisite: ED-ESP 328) – EI/ECSE Assessment (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 328 (lab included; spring only; co-requisite: ED-ESP 327) – Intervention Methods: ECE/ECSE (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 329 (spring only) – Behavior Support in Early Childhood (3 credits)

*Note: ED-CIFS 333 is missing from the catalog, but is required for certification

Elementary Education Option

• FS HIST 111 or 112 – United States History I or II (3 credits)
• ED-LLC 300 – Foundations of Linguistics and Language Acquisition (3 credits)
• KINES 305 or 355 – Adapted Physical Education or Elementary School Health and Physical Education Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)
• ED-CIFS 430 – Fundamental Frameworks for Supporting Teaching and Learning (4 credits)
• ED-CIFS 459 – Teaching Experience in Elementary Education (8 credits)

Courses that require admission to the Professional Year

Professional Year A – Early Childhood Practicum

You will be in the school all day three days a week. You may take elective courses during this semester.

• ED-ESP 326 – Natural Environments, Birth to Three (3 credits)
• ED-LLC 442 – Integrated Disciplinary Language Arts in the Social Sciences (3 credits)
• ED-ESP 461 – Early Childhood Practicum (5 credits)
• ED-ESP 466 Reflective Practices in Teaching (1 credit)

Professional Year B – Early Childhood Intervention Student Teaching

You will be at a preschool program the equivalent of four days a week. You may take an elective course this semester.

• ED-CIFS 400 – Professional Inquiry, Reflection and Capacity for Change (1 credit)
• ES-ESP 463 – Teaching Experience in Preschool Programs (8 credits)

Professional Year for Elementary Education Option

Admission to Professional Year is required before continuing in teacher education.

Professional Year A – Elementary Education Student Teaching

You will be in the school all day 4 days per week.

• ED-LLC 442 – Integrated Disciplinary Language Arts in the Social Sciences (3 credits)
• ED-CIFS 459 – Teaching Experience in Elementary Education (8 credits)
• ED-CIFS 430 –  Fundamental Frameworks for Supporting Teaching and Learning (4 credits)

Professional Year B – Early Childhood Education Student Teaching

You will be at a preschool program the equivalent of four days per week.

• ED-ESP 326 (fall only) – Natural Environments Birth to Three (3 credits)
• ED-CIFS 400 – Professional Inquiry, Reflection and Capacity for Change (1 credit)
• ED-ESP 463 – Teaching Experience in Preschool Programs (8 credits)

Note: Your fall semester will be your Early Childhood student teaching semester, and spring will be your Elementary Education student teaching semester. Students who start professional year in the fall will do Early Childhood their first semester, and Elmentary Ed their second semester. Studetns who start professional year in the spring will do Elementary Ed their first semester, and Early Childhood their second semester.