No. of Credits: 64
Contact: P. Allen, Chair, Social Sciences, Human Services, and Teacher Education Division; E. 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 National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and 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 earning the AAT/ECE must achieve a 2.75 or higher Grade Point Average at graduation; complete at least 45 hours of supervised field experience in any of the following early childhood group programs: Public School Preschool or K-3, MSDE-approved independent nursery or Grades 1-3 schools, Head Start, or NAEYC- or MSDE-accredited Early Childhood centers; begin a teacher portfolio; and pass the PRAXIS I licensure exam.
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:
Students sucessfully meeting the requirements of this associate’s program can transfer the necessary credits to Bowie State to complete their degree in early childhood education. Contact an advisor for recommended course selection.