School of Education

The Early Childhood & Childhood Education program is ideal for people who wish to begin fulfilling careers as educators in pre-school, kindergarten, or elementary school settings. 

Admission Requirements to the Program

Eligibility for ECCE declaration is contingent upon completion of the following requirements:

• An overall GPA of 3.0 or greater.
• B or better in 4 credits of Basic Communication (ENG160 and ENG170)
• Students intending on the Math concentration must also have received a C- or better in MAT251 (calculus 1)

If you have met these requirements, please schedule an appointment with the advisor for Early Childhood & Childhood Education programs, Collin Cusack (cusackc2@newpaltz.edu).

Requirements for Student Teaching*

• Grade of B or better in Methods Course
• Approval of Coordinator and Chair

Student Teaching is a capstone experience for all undergraduate teacher candidates seeking a bachelor's degree. It is a full-time commitment extending for an entire semester with placements in two different settings. The School of Education requires that all required coursework is completed BEFORE the capstone experience begins, and it restricts candidates from taking any other course(s) while registered for Student Teaching except the Student Teaching Seminar.

A Strong Foundation 

The program includes instruction in educational studies, developmentally appropriate practices, content pedagogy, research, and one semester of full-time student teaching. 

Applied and Accredited 

Real-world fieldwork experience is a key component of the accredited teacher preparation programs at SUNY New Paltz. The program includes a final semester spent student-teaching at one of our many partner districts in the Hudson Valley, where students can apply what they’ve learned alongside professional mentors with decades of teaching experience. 

Powerful Credentials 

The program yields Initial Teacher Certification in both Early Childhood (grades Birth-2) and Childhood Education (grades 1–6) from New York State. 

Admission to the Undergraduate Early Childhood & Childhood Education (ECCE) program requires a 3.0 GPA in college course work, and a B or better in Composition I & II. The ECCE program includes the following Education courses (61 credits): 

Required Courses

ECCE Content and Educational Foundations Courses (30 credits) 

• EDS340 Sociological & Philosophical Foundations 
• EDS371 Child Psychology & Development 
• SPE350 Creating Inclusive Classrooms 
• MAT140 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers I 
• MAT240 Mathematics for Elementary Teachers II 
• GEO202 Physical Geography 
• EED370 Education of Diverse Populations 
• EED415 Development of Symbolic Representation 
• EED412 Preschool and Kindergarten Curriculum 
• EED371 Developmentally Appropriate Practices 

ECCE Pedagogy & Practice Courses (15 credits) 

• EED375 Teaching Reading I 
• EED376 Teaching Reading II 
• EED379 Teaching Social Studies 
• EED380 Teaching Math, Science, & Technology 

To prepare future Early Childhood & Childhood teachers, our candidates get real-world, hands-on experiences through the following clinical experiences: 

Clinically Rich Experience Courses  

(16 credits) 

• EED301 Fieldwork I 
• EED302 Fieldwork II 
• EED403 Fieldwork III 
• EED404 Student Teaching in the Primary Setting 
• EED405 Student Teaching in the Intermediate Setting 
• EED406 Student Teaching Seminar 

In addition to these educational foundations, pedagogy, and clinical practice courses, the program requires the completion of one of the following program concentrations: 

• Art History (30 Credits) 
• Biology (29-31 Credits) 
• Black Studies (30 Credits) 
• Earth Science (34-35 Credits) 
• English (31-33 Credits) 
• French (30 credits) 
• Geography (31-33 Credits) 
• History (30-34 Credits) 
• Math (32-34 Credits) 
• Political Science (36 Credits) 
• Spanish (31 Credits) 

Transportation

Students are responsible for their own transportation to field and student teaching placements and must be prepared to commute up to 45 miles, one way, to these placements. 

Additional Requirements

Additional requirements for New York State Teaching and Leadership Certification can be found at the SUNY New Paltz Certification Advising web site. This site includes information on mandatory workshops, fingerprinting, certification exams, and more.

Moral Character

Students must have good moral character. Applicants for admission are asked to provide information about past convictions, misconduct, etc. on the application for a certificate, and the New York State Education Department is authorized to investigate complaints regarding an applicant's past convictions which raise a reasonable question as to the individual's moral character.

Program Information: 

Lindsey Russo, Associate Professor 

Program Coordinator 

russol@newpaltz.edu or 845-257-3116 

Contact Us:

Office: Old Main 115
Phone: 845-257-2860

Email: ecce@newpaltz.edu

Mert Uras, Administrative Assistant

Dr. Lindsey Russo, Program Coordinator (Spring 2024)

Dr. Laura Dull, Professor & Department Chair, Teaching & Learning