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College of Education &
Human Development
Bicentennial Education Bldg.
Rooms 240-242
2000 Lakeshore Dr.
University of New Orleans
New Orleans, LA 70148
Phone: (504) 280-1278
Fax: (504) 280-6065
Email College Contact
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Program Overview | Conceptual Framework | Program Details | Plan of Study | Four Year Plan
Field Experience | Candidate Assessment Information | Program Faculty | Advising
The Early Childhood Education Program prepares candidates for teaching in Pre-school to 3rd grade settings leading to an initial Louisiana teaching certificate within a Bachelor of Science degree program.
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The program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and is affiliated with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). All of the undergraduate courses required for initial Early Childhood certification focus on nationally recognized knowledge of best practice as it pertains to children Birth to 8 years of age, integrate theory and practice through field activities designed to enrich both professional practice and student learning, and require field experiences that are conducted in metro-area schools under the mentorship of highly qualified teachers.
The theoretical foundation of the PK-3 program draws from the constructivist point of view pioneered by Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky and refined by modern develop mentalists including Jerome Bruner, George Forman, Constance Kamii, and Howard Gardner. Simply stated, children are active participants in constructing knowledge through interactions with ideas, objects, and individuals within a social context. Effective teachers create environments which foster positive relationships and interactions thus supporting children’s development of knowledge, reason, and competency across all domains: physical, cognitive, social-emotional, and aesthetic .
These core values and the constructivist philosophy is fostered through a spiraling curriculum that introduces related concepts through readings and discussions and subsequent field experience where candidates work with infants, toddlers and young children under the supervision of college instructors, program directors and mentor teachers who are also actively reconstructing their ideas and understanding of the learning process, thus providing a model for both the creations of rich, interactive environments, and reflective practice. Key concepts, presented in the context of roles and themes, together with opportunities for field experience and reflection are revisited throughout the program, thus supporting candidates’ consistent growth as professionals.
The coursework is aligned with state standards (Louisiana Components of Effective Teaching) and with the UNO College of Education and Human Development conceptual framework. Six professional roles are included in the conceptual framework for the teacher education program. These include:
- Designing and delivering instruction
- Managing time, tasks, and environments
- Using inquiry to inform practice
- Collaborating to support group practice
- Advocating for students, services, and supports
- Improving classroom and system practice.
Four themes run through the coursework in the teacher education program of study:
- Diversity
- Technology
- Assessment
- Communication
The conceptual framework of the College of Education and Human Development is designed to prepare candidates to become reflective practitioners who make sound decisions in diverse settings based on a comprehensive knowledge base related to child development and learning, content of academic disciplines, and pedagogical strategies. This framework guides the development of all school career programs at UNO and includes three key components: 1) a role focused program of study and 2) key themes related to effective practice, both compatible with The Louisiana Components of Effective Teaching, and 3), an emphasis on meeting the needs of all learners.
The following table shows the roles and themes that create the foundation for the unit’s conceptual framework and demonstrates their alignment with the expectations and standards for the preparation of early childhood educators as expressed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children.
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| Roles and Themes |
Alignment with NAEYC standards and key elements |
| Role: Designing and Delivering Instruction |
1. a, b, c
2. a, b, c
3. a, b, c
4. a, b, c, d
5. a, c |
| Role: Managing Time, Tasks, and Environments |
1. a, b, c
2. c
3. b
4. a, b
5. b, c, d |
| Role: Using Inquiry to Inform Practice |
2. a
4. b, c
5. c, d |
| Role: Supports Collaborative Practice |
2. b, c
3. d
4. a
5. a, b, c, d |
| Role: Advocating for Students, Services, and Supports |
2. a, b, c
5. b, e |
| Role: Improving Classroom and System Practice |
1. a, b, c
2. a, b, c
3. c
4. b, c, d
5. b, c, d, e |
| Theme: Diversity |
1. b
2. a, b, c
3. c, d
4. a, b
5. b, d, e |
| Theme: Technology |
1. b
2. c
3. b, c
4. b, d
5. c |
| Theme: Assessment |
1. a
2. c
3. a, b, c, d
4. a, b, c, d
5. a, d |
| Theme: Classroom Management |
1. a, b, c
2. c
3. b
4. a, b
5. b, c, d |
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The PK-3 program builds from the college’s framework and supports an outcome-based model of personnel preparation that is fully aligned with the expectations and standards for the preparation of early childhood educators as expressed by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. The core values of the PK-3 program are: 1) All children can learn but do learn in diverse ways. 2) Teachers support and collaborate with families of the infants, toddlers, and young children by working in respectful and ethical ways. 3) Effective learning activities for infants toddlers and young children are multidisciplinary in nature and reflective of the cultural and community contexts in which the children live. 4) Assessment is an ongoing process whose primary purpose is to inform teaching. 5) Teachers balance their attention to the development of children’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions, and 6) teachers are reflective practitioners who consciously and continually refine their understanding and learn from their experiences.
Candidates are required to take 129 hours that includes content courses in English, Math, Social Studies, Science, and the Arts as well as the focus on courses in Curriculum and Instruction in Early Childhood Education. The program represents a performance-based model of personnel preparation and is divided into four tiers (undergraduate) each defined primarily by the type of field experiences associated with the attendant coursework.
Tier I focuses on making a decision to enter the field of education. Tier II includes field experiences primarily focused on observation of practice and individual student learning. Tier III includes field experiences designed to teach small groups of students. In Tier IV, candidates complete the student teaching experience focused on whole class instruction.
The program of study includes all coursework necessary to attain an additional teaching certificate in special education – mild/moderate disabilities. Candidates who wish to exit the program with this additional certification must address additional candidate assessment requirements and complete a student teaching experience in an inclusive education setting. More information on this option is available in the Undergraduate Candidate Handbook.
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The PK-3 teacher education program represents a performance-based model of personnel preparation and is divided into four tiers, each defined primarily by the type of field experiences associated with the attendant coursework. There are two types of field assignments associated with the PK-3 program, embedded and assigned. Courses with a theoretical base have an embedded field work component. Candidates are given specific assignments that require application of knowledge of development, creating learning environment, and/or application of teaching strategies and select from multiple sites, prescreened by course instructor and the Director of Field Experience, in which to fulfill those assignments. Criteria for selection of sites include diversity of student population, inclusiveness of setting, accreditation by state and/or NAEYC, implementation of best-practice strategies and thematic instruction, qualifications and the willingness of program administrators and teachers to mentor candidates and work with course instructors. Qualifications of site personnel (teachers and/or program administrators) include a master’s degree in education, certification in early childhood education, college course in supervision, and training as a Louisiana Teachers Assistance and Assessment Program (LaTAAP) mentor. Although the college instructor is not present as candidates complete assignments, he/she monitors their progress by responding to written assignments and reflections, viewing video-tapes, course-based discussions, and corresponding regularly with teachers and other school personnel at the site. Site personnel are regularly involved in program review.
Courses related to pedagogical methodology have been divided into two parts; a content portion, receiving 2 college credits, and an assigned field-based portion which receives one college credit. During the assigned field-based component of the course, candidates report to specified area schools or early childhood programs, selected using the previously described criteria, where they are assigned to specific classrooms. The college instructor is on-site during all assigned fieldwork and monitors candidate’s work through observation, written feedback, and subsequent discussions.
The focus of Tier I courses and field work is on making a decision to enter the field of education and learning general principles related to diversity, development, and learning. Candidates observe classrooms and programs that represent a wide range of age levels and settings, reflect on their experience, and refine or, in many cases, redefine their interests in teaching. Candidates in Tier I spend approximately 7 hours in field settings.
Tier II candidates have made a commitment to early childhood education, therefore field experiences focus primarily on observing best practice, planning for and delivering instruction to individuals, assessing results of that instruction, and reflecting on their effectiveness. Candidates work in classrooms and programs that serve children birth-8 years of age and assignments are designed to support candidate’s development of skills related to differentiation of instruction and meeting the needs of diverse learners. Candidates in Tier II spend approximately 45 hours in field settings, 20 of which are specifically in settings serving infants and toddlers.
In Tier III, field experiences are designed to provide the candidate with experience planning, teaching, and assessing small groups of students in programs serving children 0-8. Candidates also shadow teach; assisting teachers as they lead whole group activities and supervise children during school routines and classroom transitions. Candidates in Tier III spend approximately 195 hours, 45 of which are in settings serving infants and toddlers in field settings. In Tier IV, candidates student teach by taking total responsibility for classroom instruction. Student teaching placements may be in pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, or grades 1-3.
Throughout the program, candidates record site and grade level placements of field experiences in their electronic portfolio. These records are reviewed at each portal by program faculty to insure that candidates are developing a balanced set of field experiences that includes significant work with all age levels and in a variety of program settings. The following chart describes field experience activities in the Early Childhood, PK-3 Certification Program. Core early childhood courses, taught by early childhood faculty, which include assignments dedicated to the development of skills related to infant and toddlers, are indicated by an asterisk in the chart-link below*.
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Program assessments and their relationship of the program assessments to units assessments.
The Undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education program includes both unit-wide assessments and unique assessments aligned with program standards and created specifically for the program . These assessments are described and listed in the charts below:
The unit assessment system provides ongoing information related to how candidates are developing knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to the conceptual framework and it provides a structure for the PK-3 program assessment system. The unit assessment system includes four portals or gates: admission to the program, exit from Tier II, exit from Tier III, and exit from the program. A fifth portal is being developed to provide information related to completers of unit programs. Unit assessments take place at all portals. The Disposition review, a unit assessment, takes place at three portals but represents a developmental assessment of candidates across time and experiences in the program. The PK-3 program utilizes 7 assessments. Five are shared with the unit and two are unique to the program. The unique assessments are administered and scored at Portal III and Portal IV. Passing scores on these assessments are required for progression in the program.
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Dr. Judith Kieff, Early Childhood Education and Children’s Literature
Dr. Sheehan McHugh, Early Childhood Education
Contact the Program Coordinator for more information
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