The Early Childhood Education major will prepare you to enter the field of early education and care so you can work in areas such as early intervention, Head Start, private preschool, and group day care. The program integrates studies in liberal arts and sciences with guidelines and standards presented by the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. Fieldwork accompanies most education courses and is a necessary component of the program. A course waiver process is available for transfer students and articulation agreements are in place with regional community colleges.
WHAT YOU WILL DO
Note: This program does not lead to Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education public school licensure. Students who complete this program and apply to the WSU post-baccalaureate non-degree initial licensure program must provide evidence that they have worked in the field for three years. Any departure from the prescribed program of study must have approval from the Department Chair or Dean.
The mission of the WSU/WPS Professional Development Schools Partnerships is to uphold a learning community with the shared goals of improving and enriching the professional preparation of teacher candidates, providing ongoing professional development of teachers, enhancing faculty development, applying inquiry directed at the improvement of practice, and improving P-12 student achievement and learning.
Our Professional Development Schools (PDS) partnerships are collaborative endeavors between 8 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools in Worcester, Massachusetts and Worcester State University. The stakeholders in the partnerships share a commitment to enhancing education and student achievement in the region through quality teacher education, in-service teacher training, shared inquiry, and innovative methodologies. Worcester State University established its first PDS partnership with Chandler Magnet School in 1995 and the partnerships have evolved and expanded to include 12 schools in the Worcester Public Schools. These partnerships were developed based on recommendations from the Holmes Group, a consortium of teacher preparation universities, in 1995 and now follow guidelines established by the National Association of Professional Development Schools.
Belmont Street Community School
Chandler Elementary Community School
Chandler Magnet School
Columbus Park Preparatory Academy
May Street School
Norrback Avenue School
Tatnuck Magnet School
Woodland Academy
Forest Grove Middle School
Dr. Arthur F. Sullivan Middle School
South High Community School
North High School
Explore a wide range of rewarding professional opportunities with your Education degree from Worcester State.
I am currently an assistant professor in the School Psychology program at Worcester State. Prior to joining the faculty at WSU, I worked for 10 years as a school psychologist and special education coordinator in a public school setting. My research [...]
As an educator, I believe in connecting theory and practice. I believe anyone can learn anything, given the right support and opportunity. I strive to teach in a way that engages future teachers and provides them with examples of practices grounded [...]
