Entering the Program
Students are encouraged to enter the Early Childhood & Childhood Education program as freshmen. Those who enter as sophomores may need more time to graduation.
Transfer students, unless their coursework has closely followed New Paltz requirements, may also need more time to graduation.
A GPA of 3.0 is required, and some academic concentration departments have additional entrance criteria. The Mathematics department, for instance, requires students to have earned a B- or better in either MAT251 Calculus I or MAT260 Introduction to Proof. Concentrations in Spanish or French require some prior knowledge of the language and/or sufficient time to complete the required language sequences.
"Checkpoints" Along the Way to Graduation
There are three checkpoints -- the end of freshman year, the end of sophomore year, and midway through senior year -- when each student and their education advisor meet to assess the student's readiness to continue in the program. Checkpoint requirements include:
- 3.0 GPA and grade minimums for Freshman Composition and required Education courses
- Completion of EDI293 Education Seminar
- 30 hours of independent fieldwork
- Fingerprint clearance on a TEACH account
- Passing score on writing sample
- Completion of state mandated workshops and Child Protection Policy modules
- Satisfactory dispositions assessments and lesson/unit planning skills
