Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education

The Birth through Kindergarten program was developed to prepare teachers to work with children in educational settings from infancy through five years of age. Candidates who complete this program will be able to work in infant, toddler, preschool, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten settings. The Elementary Education program is designed to prepare teachers to work in public elementary schools from Pre-kindergarten through fifth grade.

There are two pathways offered in the Birth through Kindergarten degree: certification or non-certification. The certification pathway leads to a state teaching certificate approved from the

Professional Standards Commission in the state of Georgia. The certification program allows graduates to teach PreK or kindergarten in the public schools. The non-certification pathway is the degree in Birth through Kindergarten without obtaining state certification to teach in public schools.

To be certified, candidates must hold specific Georgia Professional Standards Commission (PSC) requirements. These requirements are entrance, during program, and exit requirements. The certification pathway requires candidates to pass the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators (GACE) part 1 to enter the program and part 2 to exit the program. Part 1 of the GACE can be exempted if candidates have a high enough score on the SAT or ACT. The GACE 1 must already be passed at the time of enrollment to the program to be enroll in the certification pathway. The GACE 2 exam is taken towards the end of the degree program and candidates must be recommended to take the exam by the Bagwell College of Education. Candidates in the B-K program will only be recommended for the B-K certification exam (GACE 2). The certification pathway candidates must also pass the GACE Ethics assessment. This assessment must already be passed upon enrollment to the certification pathway of the B-K program. In addition, candidates in the certification pathway must obtain their criminal background check clearance through the PSC AND Bright from the Start. The certification pathway candidates are required to obtain their preservice teacher certificate from the PSC prior to or upon enrollment to the degree program. This is done through application to the PSC and includes the passing of GACE 1 or exemption, the ethics assessment, and the clearing of the state criminal background check through the PSC. All certification pathway candidates are required to complete their yearlong clinical experience in a public-school kindergarten classroom.

The non-certification pathway is different in the entrance requirements and the exit requirements. The non-certification pathway only requires the required GPA and clear Bright from the Start background check. They do not require specific test scores for entry to the program. The non-certification pathway does not require a yearlong clinical in public school but instead candidates in the non-certification pathway complete a yearlong internship in an early learning program.

Yes. Certification pathway candidates must clear both the PSC and Bright from the Start criminal background checks. Non-certification pathway candidates must clear the Bright from the Start criminal background check.

Candidates in the B-K program complete field experience requirements every semester. In the first semester of the program (referred to as Block 1) all B-K candidates are required to complete a 60-hour practicum (one full school day per week for 10 weeks) in and infant/toddler classroom. In the second semester (Block 2) all B-K candidates are required to complete a 60-hour practicum (one full school day per week for 10 weeks) in a preschool or PreK classroom. The senior year (blocks 3 & 4) certification candidates do a yearlong clinical experience in a public-school kindergarten. In the block 3 semester they complete a few full school days per week for the entire semester. In the block 4 semester, candidates complete full time field experience all day every day for the full semester. Non-certification candidates follow the same schedule for their senior year but conduct their placement in an early learning program rather than a public-school kindergarten.

Additionally, some courses require field-based requirements and assignments such as observation and teaching lessons. The administration course requires 15 hours of administrator shadowing. Whenever possible, these additional field requirements are to be carried out in the assigned practicum or internships experiences described in the previous paragraph.

This may be possible for some field experiences. The required age groups must be utilized, and prior permission must be obtained from the CEPP office and the administrator of the worksite.

Yes, candidates who successfully complete the certification pathway in Birth through Kindergarten are eligible to work as a certified kindergarten teacher. Candidate may also teach in the preschool special education classrooms usually housed in the elementary school setting, if they add the preschool special needs endorsement to their certificate (this is already embedded in the degree).

No, if a candidate is interested in teaching first through fifth grade, they should apply to the Elementary Education program.

Many of the graduates of the Birth through Kindergarten have gone on to work and pursue the following careers:

• Infant teacher
• Toddler Teacher
• Early Learning Administrator
• Preschool Teacher
• Lottery-funded Pre-kindergarten teacher
• Kindergarten Teacher
• Early Childhood Special Educator
• Early Childhood Education Consultant
• Early Childhood Education Trainer
• Early Childhood Technical Assistance trainer
• Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Practitioner

In addition, candidates have furthered their education and pursued the following careers:

• Child Life Specialist
• Early Childhood Speech Pathologist
• Child Advocacy Lawyer
• Teacher of Special Education
• Teacher of Early Childhood Special Education

The program may be completed in four years if candidates take a full load of course work. Please see the list of specific courses listed above for both the certification and non certification tracks.

Yes, many of our candidates work full time in childcare centers. Many of the course are offered in the evenings and online to help accommodate working schedules. Every effort is made in scheduling to reduce the number of days you would have to come to campus during the day so you can work (though some courses do occur during the workday). Some field experiences may be done at your work site especially if a candidate pursues the non-certification track. Because the certification track is connected to the GaPSC, field experience requirements must be done as specific placements connected to the public schools especially in the last year of the program.

Unfortunately, previous hours of work experience do not count towards course work or field experience at this time.

Yes, there are articulation agreements in place that will assist students who have a degree from a technical college in Georgia in substituting course work. Please contact the Education Student Services to set an appointment to speak with an adviser and to discuss possible articulated courses