CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM
(available on the Pleasantville campus)
Students preparing to teach children in elementary schools major in Childhood Education. This program is recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI) and leads to a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) and the Initial Teaching Certificate in New York State for Childhood Education (Grades 1-6). In additon, candidates may opt to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) and Masters of Science Education (MSEd) in our 5th year Combined Degree program simultaneously.
In addition to majoring in Childhood Education, students also complete a 30-credit Concentration, chosen from one of the following areas:
* LOTE Concentration includes Spanish or Italian on the Pleasantville campus, with approval by the chair of the Modern Languages Department.
The Childhood Education program is considered a full time program and students progress through the program as a cohort, with required education courses offered only in specific semesters. This means that the School of Education has a very high on-time graduation rate; and conversely that students may not reduce their education program to fewer than four years of study by “doubling up” on education courses. Transfer students seeking to major in Childhood Education should meet with the Director of Student Support Services prior to admission to the University.
Entry into the School of Education
Upon acceptance to Pace University, students who indicate their interest in Childhood Education are designated as Pre-teach students. In their first semester, most Childhood students take a special section of UNV 101: Introduction to the Pace Community, taught by an education staff or faculty member. In the Pre-teach phase of the program, students also complete three Professional Seminars (TCH 111, TCH 211A and TCH 211B) and TCH 201: Understanding Schools. Before students progress into the Teach phase of their program, they must apply and be formally admitted to the School of Education. For most students, this is the second semester of the sophomore year. Once the student has progressed to the Teach phase of the program, the student becomes a teaching candidate.
Progressing through the School of Education
Candidates who progress to the Teach phase of the program are required to remain in good academic standing until they complete their program(s) and graduate. Good academic standing is generally defined as an overall GPA of 3.0, with the grade of B or better earned in each education course, and a P (pass) grade earned in fieldwork. In addition, candidates are expected to exhibit professional behaviors and dispositions both in and out of the classroom. The School of Education believes that all future teachers should take their academic experience seriously. To assist with your success, we offer a variety of different support opportunities. Each student, is assigned a faculty advisor once s/he is admitted to teacher candidacy. In addition, we have a Director of Student Support Services on both campuses to assist with any needs that may arise during the course of your study at Pace. Through the Center for Academic Excellence , Pace provides quality, free tutoring in most subjects, with evening and weekend hours available.
Fieldwork and Student Teaching
Pace University takes a unique approach to preparing future teachers by requiring field work in public school very early in the program. In the first semester of sophomore year, Childhood students are assigned to do fieldwork for one half-day per week in a local public elementary school. Fieldwork is limited to observation of good teaching, with course assignments in TCH 201 linked to the fieldwork in the public schools. Once candidates have progressed to the Teach phase of the program, they are assigned to a specific elementary school, called the Center for Professional Development (CPD), where they will remain throughout the completion of the B.A. degree, and sometimes the MS.Ed., if they opt for the Combined Degree Program. As candidates progress through the program, they spend an increasing amount of time each semester in their CPD, culminating in a full-time student teaching experience at the end of their program.
Student Teaching Portfolio Requirement
All candidates must successfully complete a portfolio as part of the teacher preparation program. The portfolio requirements will be introduced to the candidates early in the program, and the portfolio itself will be due prior to program completion. Rubrics defining successful completion of the portfolio are available in the SOE portfolio guidelines document.
Pforzheimer Honors College
The School of Education is proud of the high number of Honors College students who are also Childhood education majors. We believe very strongly in the value of a broad liberal arts education, and that exposure to the extracurricular activities in the Honors College creates a better prepared Childhood teacher in today’s complex society. Childhood majors who have been invited to join the Honors College at Pace will work with their School of Education advisor, as well as the Honors College advisor, to prepare their academic schedules each semester.
Study Abroad
The School of Education is an advocate of the Study Abroad experience and strongly encourages students to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities to study abroad. We believe this will advance students’ understanding of the world and provide them with an extraordinary opportunity to experience a different part of the world first-hand. It is our belief that students who are considering the teaching profession should pursue any opportunity to enhance their understanding of the world around them. Childhood education majors who are interested in studying abroad are encouraged to do so within the first two years of their education program. It is still possible to study abroad in the junior or senior summers.
Fifth Year Combined Degree Program
The Combined Degree Program is a popular choice among our education majors because it offers each student the opportunity to graduate with both a Bachelor’s (B.A.) degree and a Master’s (M.S.Ed.) degree, and a minimum of two teaching certificates after just 5 years of study. Students who are considering the Combined Degree program have until the first semester of their senior year to make that decision. Candidates in good academic standing and with the requisite number of undergraduate credits are automatically eligible for admission to the graduate portion of their program at that time. Childhood Education majors who select the Combined Degree option choose one of the following graduate specialty areas:
- Special Education
- Literacy
- Educational Technology
Certification
Upon completion of the program candidate are eligible for recommendation to New York State for an initial Chilldhood(1-6) teaching certificate. New York State requires that candidates for all teaching certificates successfully complete New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). For Initial certification, students must pass the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Elementary Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W), and the Multi-Subject Content Specialty Test (CST). The passing score for each NYSTC exams is 220. Pace University integrates information about, and preparation for, these exams throughout each of our programs. We strongly recommend that candidates in our Childhood program complete the NYS teacher examinations according to the following schedule, so that any problems can be addressed prior to student teaching:
- LAST: completed by second semester of sophomore year
- Elementary ATS-W: completed by or before the semester of student teaching
- CST-Multi-Subject: completed by the first semester of senior year
Candidates must also:
Certificate Extensions
A certificate extension allows the holder of a teaching certificate to teach an additional student population, grade or subject.
Childhood candidates complete a 30-credit Concentration in a Liberal Arts & Science. They may also be eligible for the Middle School Extension. Students who complete their Concentration in an academic subject area like English or History or Spanish, for example (but not the Language & Cognition Concentration), and who are also willing to take two additional courses TCH 455 and TCH 456, and take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in their subject area, are eligible for a certificate extension to teach that subject area in Grades 7-9. Doing so means that a Childhood Education candidate who completes the Combined Degree Program will be eligible for a minimum of 3 teaching certificates: the Initial Certificate, the Graduate Specialty Area Certificate, and the Middle School Extension Certificate—which makes the candidate much better prepared for success in the classroom, and more marketable as a teacher.
Childhood candidates are eligible to pursue the Certificate in Bilingual Education Extension. The candidate must take two additional education courses TCH 351 and TCH 453 and complete field-based experiences in bilingual classrooms. The candidate must also take and pass the NYS examinations in both English and the target language.
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