No. of Credits: 64
Contact: Stephen Johnson, Chair, Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Education Division;
Elizabeth Settle, Program Coordinator
The Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) Early Childhood Education program is designed for students preparing to transfer to a four-year institution to obtain a bachelor’s degree and teacher certification. The program incorporates foundation coursework in teacher education, field-based experience, and content coursework in a selected certification area. Like the AAT in Elementary Education, the educational objectives of the program are detailed in the document entitled Maryland Outcomes For Teacher Preparation: The First Sixty Hours. Two-year and four-year higher education faculty from Maryland colleges and universities collaboratively produced the document. The document represents a broad consensus of what a prospective classroom teacher should know and demonstrate upon completion of the first 60 credits of an undergraduate teacher preparation program. The AAT/ECE program encompasses the standards set forth by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), the Interstate Teacher Assessment & Support Consortium (INTASC), the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the Head Start Program Performance Standards, and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Students must complete at least 45 hours of supervised field experience in a public school setting and submit passing scores on a Maryland State Department of Education approved basic skills test (Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, GRE) as a graduation requirement. Student earning an AAT degree must achieve a 2.75 or higher grade point average at graduation.
The maximum number of credits accepted in transfer from other institutions to this program is 48.
Career Opportunities:
transfer in Early Childhood Teacher Education
Transfer Opportunities:
A complete list of all transfer opportunities can be found on the Transfer Services page
Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will…
- Identify and describe cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral characteristics of learners.
- Identify and implement ways to accommodate the needs of diverse learners in the classroom.
- Locate and synthesize current research on school and classroom environments that support active learning and student achievement.
- Plan and implement developmentally appropriate lessons that integrate effective strategies and assessments.
- Reflect on and analyze personal professional learning and practice to foster continued professional growth.
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