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 approved companies: https://portal.ct.gov/sdecertification/knowledge-base/articles/educators-from-other-states-and-countries/how-do-teachers-from-other-countries-apply-for-certification-in-ct

• Have taken the Praxis I Core Academic Skills.
  To sign up to take the test with ETS: https://www.ets.org/praxis/register/?WT.ac=praxishome_praxisregister_180911

• 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 program administrators via email for this request at ARC@charteroak.edu.

• Have at least three years of experience as an early childhood educator (with children ages birth through 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 consists of intensive and accelerated instruction by expert faculty and leads to eligibility for the Connecticut teacher certification endorsement 112 (Integrated Early Childhood/Special Education Birth to Kindergarten). Successful program completers are eligible to work as Birth to Three Developmental Therapists and public-school preschool and kindergarten teachers in integrated settings. Program orientation will take place before the start of the semester's classes. Candidates will complete online coursework and will meet for required, virtual Saturday sessions, as scheduled. Additionally, candidates must be able to complete multiple field based projects throughout the duration of the program and must have regular and on-going access to groups of young children in a variety of settings. All candidates must complete a 140-hour internship (at least 70 hours must be completed in a Birth to Three/Early Intervention setting) prior to being recommended for certification. Candidates are responsible to identify internship placement sites. Candidates must successfully complete all portions of the program, including key assessments and completion of the edTPA portfolio assessment, in order to be recommended for teacher certification. No letter grades are posted to the official transcript for this program. Transcripts will display a, ‘pass,’ or, ‘fail,’ grade. The threshold to receive a passing grade is a, ‘B-,’ or higher. ARC students are required to repeat an ARC module  if they receive a course grade lower than a, ‘B-.’ Students who complete the ECE ARC program must obtain employment for 90 days with a temporary teaching certificate prior to receiving their initial teaching certification 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 not included in tuition. 


For more information:
Please contact: ARC administrators, Charter Oak State College, (860) 515-3771, ARC@charteroak.edu.