ARC
Program Information
ALTERNATE ROUTE to CERTIFICATION: EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION
Charter Oak State College
PROGRAM OVERVIEW
Certification Offered
Charter Oak State College offers an alternate route to the Connecticut Birth through Kindergarten (N-K) teaching certificate (112 endorsement: Integrated Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education). This teaching certificate qualifies professionals to work in public preschools, Birth to Three Early Intervention services, and public kindergartens only.
Application Process
Acceptance into the program will be based on a variety of criteria and includes an interview process.
Minimum Qualifications
To be considered for the program, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:
- Have completed a bachelor’s degree with 15 credits in human growth and development in the areas of typical and atypical development, psychology of learning and family studies. Foreign degree students must have their transcripts evaluated by State Department of Education: https://portal.ct.gov/SDE/Certification/Foreign-Credentials
- Have attained a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Students with GPAs between 2.7 and 3.0 may petition in writing for consideration of a waiver based on a history of exceptional professional experience or recent academic excellence. Please contact the Assistant Director of Early Childhood Education via email for this request at ARC@charteroak.edu.
- Have full-time experience as an early childhood educator (with children ages birth through five) in a public school or community-based program or as a home visitor providing educational services to families with children between the ages of birth to five.
- Two professional references that have firsthand knowledge of your ability to work with children birth to age five.
Additional Considerations
All qualified students will be interviewed for the program. Final acceptance decisions will take into consideration candidates’ knowledge base in early childhood, strength of references, depth and breadth of work experiences, and capacity for academic inquiry as indicated by academic history and written and oral expression skills.
Program Overview
This program will consist of intensive and accelerated instruction by expert faculty. Accepted students must complete an orientation prior to the beginning of the program. All students will receive orientation in the use of on-line learning technology and Charter Oak State College resources. Students will complete on-line coursework throughout the program as well as meet for weekend classes on Saturdays via webex. Additionally, students must be able to complete multiple field-based projects throughout the duration of the program as well as complete a four-week internship. The internship may be completed over the summer and/or during vacation and school breaks. Field sites for the internship will be selected by the students with the help of the ECE ARC coordinator. Students must successfully complete all portions of the program as well as a final edTPA portfolio assessment in order to be recommended for teacher certification. Students who complete the ECE ARC program must pursue employment in a program or agency that requires the 112 certification to be considered a lead teacher. The first 90 days of employment, the candidate will hold a temporary teaching certificate. After the 90 days of full-time employment the candidate will receive an initial teaching endorsement from the State Department of Education.
Program Costs
Tuition for the program is $6,995.00 plus a $300 portfolio fee. Payment plans are available. Books and supplies for the program are extra.
For more information:
Please contact: Kate Griffin (Assistant Director, Early Childhood Education), Charter Oak State College, (860) 515-3876, ARC@charteroak.edu.