2014-2015 Catalog

Dec 04, 2024

2014-2015 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Inclusive Early Childhood Education, BI

This new and innovative program is designed to prepare UCCS students to teach all children in early childhood settings. UCCS students in this program will become part of a newly emerging field of professionals in inclusive early childhood education who are called on to innovate in the area of curriculum development, individual learning supports, and technology.

Inclusive early childhood educators may have the opportunity to teach, run their own business, or invent, design, and market curriculum, technology, and applications. Inclusive early childhood educators will have preparation in the areas of innovation, business, and marketing and be able to take ideas developed while working with children and enhance them through business planning and implementation. A Bachelor of Innovation will prepare students to take advantage of the many opportunities that they will encounter throughout their careers.

The Bachelor of Innovation in Inclusive Early Childhood Education (BI:IECE) will combine both teacher preparation in Early Childhood Special Education (CDE license 9.08) and Early Childhood Education (CDE license 8.01) through a four-year, interdisciplinary professional degree. The term “professional degree” applies to this program because it meets the professional teaching standards established by the Colorado Department of Education for programs in early childhood and special education. The undergraduate program is design to meet a growing need in Southern Colorado for qualified education of young children, including those with disabilities or who are considered at risk and in need of early intervention.

Faculty

Christi Kasa, Ph.D., Department Chairperson and Associate Professor
Lissanna Follari, Ph.D., Director of Inclusive Early Childhood Education
Jennifer Tygret, M.A., Instructor

General Academic Information

Academic Policies

It is the responsibility of each student to know and follow all academic policies established by UCCS and the College of Education that are set forth in this catalog.

Course Prerequisites

Students are responsible for knowing and completing all course prerequisites. Course prerequisites are strictly enforced for all classes at UCCS.

Email Accounts

All students are assigned an official UCCS email address. Email is the official means of communication for UCCS, so it is imperative that students check their email accounts regularly.

Advising

Education students in good standing are not required to see their academic advisor before registering for courses in any semester, but it is recommended. Academic advising assists students in selecting their classes so that they can progress effectively through their degree program. Advisor contact information is above. To make an appointment with a College of Education faculty advisor, please contact the COE Student Resource Office, 3010 Columbine Hall, 719-255-4996 or education@uccs.edu.

Restrictions and Limitations

Students may apply for a maximum of 6 credit hours of independent study from courses listed in the program of study towards the bachelor’s degree. Students may not take any course with a pass/fail grading scheme.

Probation/Suspension

To remain in good academic standing within the College of Education, students must maintain a cumulative CU GPA of 2.5 or better. Students whose cumulative CU GPA falls below a 2.5 will be placed on probation for the next semester in which they are enrolled. While on probation students must raise their cumulative GPA to 2.5 within one semester. If the required semester GPA is not met, the student will be suspended from the College of Education for a full academic year (fall and spring semesters). PLEASE NOTE: While on probation, registration for the subsequent semester will be blocked until final grades are posted for the current semester. This is to verify that the minimum semester GPA for each student has been fulfilled.

Course Load

A full-time course load is 12 credit hours in a semester. The maximum course load is 18 credit hours in a semester. If a student wishes to take more than 18 credit hours in a given semester, special permission must be obtained through the Student Success Center. Students who expect to work while enrolled in university courses should register for course loads that they can complete without unusual difficulty. Recommended course loads based on work hours is listed below.

Employed Hours	Enrolled Credit Hours
40 hours per week	6-9 credit hours
30 hours per week	8-11 credit hours
20 hours per week	10-13 credit hours

Degree Requirements

A minimum of 121 hours must be completed with a cumulative CU grade point average of 2.5; at least 45 of these hours must be at the upper-division level (courses numbered 3000-4999).
A minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher must be maintained in College of Education courses to be awarded the BI in Inclusive Early Childhood Education.
A cumulative CU GPA of 2.5 or above must be maintained to remain in good academic standing in the program.
Students must complete all Block 1, Block 2, and Student Teaching or IECE Professional Internship courses as a student in the College of Education.
Students pursuing Teacher Licensure must complete student teaching.
Students pursuing the Non-licensure option must complete IECE Professional Internship.
Courses numbered below 1000 do not count towards degree completion.
Additional course options may be available for the Humanities and Natural Science requirements. Contact your academic advisor for more details.

Application and Admissions Requirements

Please visit our website for admissions information.

Course Requirements

The IECE program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours of College of Education course work.

All upper-division (3000+ level) IECE courses must have a grade of “B-” or better.

All other courses must have a grade of “C-” or better.

IECE Core Courses (57 Credit Hours)

Innovation Core Courses (24 Credit Hours)

Cross-Disciplinary Core Courses (15 Credit Hours)

Complete one of the Cross-Disciplinary Cores listed below. Each Cross-Disciplinary Core consists of 15 credit hours. See the BI website for specific courses.

Business
Creative Communication
Engineering Technology
Globalization

Composition Courses (3 Credit Hours)

ENGL 1310 - Rhetoric and Writing I: Academic Reading and Analytical Writing - must be completed with a “B-” or better grade.
PORT 3000 - Writing Portfolio Assessment

General Education Courses (16 Credit Hours)

All UCCS students are required to complete one course in each of three areas - humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.

Although any Gateway Program Seminar course can be completed, students are encouraged to choose “Head of the Class” for their topic area.

Humanities - choose one of the following

Social Science

LEAD 1000 - Historical, Philosophical, and Sociological Foundations of Education

Natural Science - complete one of the course combinations listed below

BIOL 1000 - Biology in the Modern World
AND

BIOL 1060 - Introductory Biology Laboratory

Gateway Program Seminar

GPS 1010 - Gateway Program Seminar

Quantitative Reasoning Skills

MATH 3010 - Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I

General Electives

3 credits in licensure program OR
3 to 7 credits in non-licensure program

Licensure/Endorsement Requirements

Students must successfully pass the PLACE ECE and ECSE tests before being given an institutional recommendation for licensure.

Post Baccalaureate Inclusive Early Childhood Education

The post baccalaureate licensure program is designed for students who already hold a bachelor’s degree, but would like to earn their teaching license in Early Childhood Education (ECE) and Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE).

Students wishing to earn teaching licensure in Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education can take the licensure portion post baccalaureate. The student would earn the licenses offered, but no degree would be awarded.

Licensure Coursework*

Initial Coursework (14 Credit Hours)

Block 1 - Offered in Spring (12 credit hours)

Block 2 - Offered in Fall (15 credit hours)

Student Teaching - Offered in Spring (12 credit hours)

*Up to 9 credits of course work can be transferred from equivalent courses. These transfer credits must be approved by a faculty member. The IECE post bacc program is not a graduate level program and credits will not apply towards a graduate degree.

**Students who are seeking an initial license in ECE and ECSE are required to take student teaching and student teaching seminar. Students who already hold a valid Colorado teaching license and are looking to earn an added endorsement in ECE and ECSE are NOT required to complete student teaching and student teaching seminar.

Additional Information on Licensure

The Inclusive Early Childhood Education Licensure Program is a dual licensure program. Students who successfully complete the post baccalaureate program will be recommended for an initial teaching license in Early Childhood Education (CDE License 8.01) and an added endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education (CDE License 9.08).

Upon completion of the program students should apply for the following:

Initial teaching license in Early Childhood Education (CDE License 8.01)
Added endorsement in Early Childhood Special Education (CDE License 9.08)

Students completing the post baccalaureate program as an added endorsement should apply for both Early Childhood Education and Early Childhood Special Education as added endorsements.

Exam Requirements

In order to receive an initial license or added endorsement students will need to complete the following exams:

Praxis Elementary Content Knowledge (0014/5014)
- Taken prior to degree program admission
PLACE Early Childhood Education
- During Block 2
PLACE Early Childhood Special Education
- During Block 2

For more information students should visit: www.place.nesinc.com/.

Students should take the exams during the Fall semester before student teaching.