Cheryl Render Brown, Chair and Associate Professor
Catherine Donohue, Associate Professor
David Fernie, Professor
Ellie Friedland, Associate Professor
Patricia Hnatiuk, Instructor
Deborah Keefe, Instructor
Diane Levin, Professor
Amy Phillips Losso, Associate Professor
Karen Murphy, Associate Professor
Bobbi Rosenquest, Associate Professor
Susan Shainker, Instructor
Susan Zoll, Instructor

Available Programs of Study:

• Master of Science in Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) for Initial Licensure
• Master of Science in Care and Education in Early Childhood Settings

MS/Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) for Initial Licensure/34 credits

The 34-credit Early Childhood Education (PreK-2) Masters Program is designed to prepare professionals who wish to pursue careers in public schools, child care programs, Head Start programs, and community- or corporate-based early care and education settings. Students develop skills in curriculum design, observation and assessment, communication, collaboration, responding to diverse learning styles, and classroom management. Emphasis is placed on a commitment to equity in a multi-racial and multicultural society, working in partnership with families, fully integrating children with special needs into the learning environment, and collaboration with community agencies. This program leads to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Early Childhood: Teacher of Students With and Without Disabilities (PreK-2) Initial Licensure. This license enables educators to work in diverse settings, including inclusive pre-K-2 public school settings and early childhood programs serving children ages 3-8 in public and private settings. To be eligible for state licensure through this program, students must meet all program requirements, including successfully passing the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).

Requirements

Orientation to Education Programs

0 credit

Core Courses 9 credits

Take either of the following:

HDF 504	Child Development: The Early Years or
HDF 501	Lifespan Development: Birth through Adolescence	3 credits
EDU 505	Racial and Cultural Identities	3 credits
RES 651	Action Research I	1 credit
RES 652	Action Research II	2 credits

Program Courses 24 Credits

EDU 520	Introduction to Inclusive Early Childhood Education	3 credits
RDG 537	Teaching Reading	3 credits
EDU 535	Developing Numeracy for Diverse Learners	3 credits

Practicum Core I:

EDU 522	Curriculum for EC Social Studies & Arts (fall only)	3 credits
EDU 528	Impact of Special Needs: ECE (fall only)	2 credits
EDP 521	Practicum & Seminar: ECE PreK/K or	3 credits
EDP 526	Practicum & Seminar ECE 1st/2 nd	3 credits

Practicum Core II:

EDU 525	Curriculum for ECE Science, Technology & Health (spring only)	3 credits
EDP 521	Practicum & Seminar: ECE PreK, K or	3 credits
EDP 526	Practicum & Seminar: ECE, 1st/2nd	3 credits

Completion of Program:

RDG 530	Teaching Literacy to English Language Learners	3 credits
EDU 702	Capstone Course	1 credit

M.S./ Care and Education in Early Childhood Settings/30 credits

Care and Education in Early Childhood Setting, a 30 credit masters program is designed for students who will work with young children from 2.8 to 8 years of age in public, private and parochial care and education settings as care givers, classroom teachers, lead teachers, directors, and/or family liaison workers. This program prepares students to work with an increasingly diverse population of children, families and communities.

The Care and Education program has two different options: one for beginning early childhood education practitioners and one for continuing practitioners.

• Beginning practitioners typically are students without an academic background in early education who want to pursue careers outside of a public school setting. This program includes foundation courses in early childhood education including children with special needs, child development, early childhood curricula and multicultural issues.
• Certification: Students completing the Beginning Practitioner option can use their course experience to qualify for the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) lead teacher credential. This program does not lead to institutional endorsement for a PreK-2 teacher license issued by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (SES)
• Continuing practitioners are students who want to increase their breadth of knowledge of early childhood education and may have already obtained an initial teaching license or have an academic background in early education at one age level.

Certification: Students who have an initial license, the masters degree, and who complete a state approved 12-credit course cluster (in Special Education, Teaching English Language Learners or Reading) as part of their program, may advance their license to the professional level after teaching for three years. Depending on students’ prior experience and course of study at Wheelock, the Continuing Practitioner option may lead to DEEC Director I certification.

Requirements: Beginning Practitioner Option

Orientation to Education Programs

0 credits

Core Courses 9 credits

Take either of the following:

HDF 504	Child Development: The Early Years or
HDF 501	Lifespan Development: Birth through Adolescence	3 credits
EDU 505	Racial and Cultural Identities*	3 credits
	Research Selective	3 credits

Program Courses 15 credits

EDU 520	Introduction to Inclusive ECE	3 credits
RDG 537	Teaching Reaching	3 credits
EDU 528	Impact of Special Needs: ECE	2 credits
EDU 522	Curriculum for EC Social Studies and Arts or
EDU 525	Curriculum for ECE Science, Technology, & Health	3 credits
EDP 530	Field Experience & Seminar in ECE	3 credits
EDU 655	Capstone: Care and Education	1 credit

Focus of Study 6 Credits

All students must do a focus of study consisting of six credits in related area and drawing from an approved list of focus courses. A focus of study can be selected from the following options or can be constructed by the student in consultation with their academic advisor. All foci of study must be approved by and planned with the academic advisor. Individual courses cannot be used to meet more than one program requirement.

Suggested Areas of Focus

• Early Child Care Environments
• Family Communication and Support
• Expressive Arts
• Math, Science and Technology
• Child Development
• Early Childhood Curriculum Development
• Early Childhood Special Needs
• Early Childhood Leadership, Policy and Administration

Requirements: Continuing Practitioner Option

Core Courses 9 credits

Human Development Selective or
Specialization specific HD course	3 credits

EDU 505

Racial and Cultural Identities*

3 credits

*Racial and Cultural Identities is waived if already taken as a Wheelock undergraduate student

Research Selective

3 credits

Program Courses 15 credits

CFS 618	Cont. Issues in Ch and Fam Stud	3 credits
EDU 528	Impact of Special Needs: ECE	2 credits
EDU 522	Curriculum for ECE Social Studies/Arts or
EDU 525	Curriculum for ECE Science/Tech/Health (if student selects some specialization options a different curriculum course may be substituted)	3 credits

Language/Literacy Selective or Specialization Content Course

3 credits

EDP 531	Extended Field Experience in ECE	3 credits
EDU 655	Capstone: Care and Education	1 credit

Focus of Study

All students must do a focus of study consisting of six (6) credits in a related area. A focus of study can be selected to meet the requirements of a formal specialization or course cluster or can be constructed by the student in consultation with their academic advisor. All foci of study must be approved by and planned with the academic advisor. Individual courses cannot be used to meet more than one program requirement.

Students may wish to develop a self-constructed program that meets their own interests and professional needs or select a specialization or course cluster (see below).

Areas of Formal Specialization

• Birth to Three
• Child and Family Studies
• Certificate in Parenting Education
• ELL/ESL
• Gwen Morgan Certificate in Leadership and Administration of High Quality Early Education and Care Programs Reading
• Organizational Leadership
• Special Education

SPECIALIZATION IN BIRTH TO THREE

The graduate Birth to Three Specialization must be embedded within the Care and Education in Early Childhood Settings master’s program. This course of study prepares an educator for practice in infant-toddler settings. A graduate is eligible for provisional early intervention provider certification with advanced standing from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

Requirements 12 credits

HDF 560	Risk and Resilience in Infancy	3 credits
CFS 514	Curriculum Development B-3	3 credits
CFS 504	Assessment of Development B-3	3 credits
CFS 516	Curriculum/Program Planning in EI	2 credits

Gwen Morgan Certificate in Leadership and Administration of High Quality Early Education and Care Programs/12 credits

This Certificate program provides a comprehensive professional development certificate for directors, administrators, and leaders of early education and care programs (Birth-6) to enhance program quality, administration and practices. Emphasis is placed on effective communication and collaboration with diverse families and the workforce, inclusive partnerships and strategic alliance building. Leadership, organizational and change theory informs how and what directors do, including supportive supervision and evaluation, mentoring and reflective practices, using culturally competent approaches with children and adults, fiscal and legal accountability, and creating and sustaining healthy organizations and multicultural early learning communities. An undergraduate degree is a prerequisite for this certificate program.

Requirements 12 credits

LPA 807	The Human Side of Administration in Early Education and Care	2 credits
LPA 806	Financial and Legal Aspects of Program Administration in Early Education and Care	2 credits
LPA 824	Collaboration with Diverse Families in Early Education and Care	2 credits
LPA 782	Leadership in Early Education and Care	3 credits
LPA 852	Director Mentoring to Transform Programs	3 credits

Areas of Focus to Meet Requirements For Massachusetts DESE Professional License

If you wish to advance an Initial License to the Professional level, select a 12 credit course cluster approved by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for this purpose. The course clusters are:

• Teaching English Language Learners
• Reading
• Special Education

If you are not seeking to advance an Initial license to the Professional level, or pursuing a formal specialization, a broader selection of courses is open to you to use for your focus of study.