Practicum Information
Practicum experiences are an integral part of the Early Childhood Development and Education Program. Associate of Applied Science students will complete three supervised practicum experiences in assigned early childhood settings:
- ECDE 2910 Infants and Toddlers
- ECDE 2920 Wonder School Preschool (Autumn and Spring availability) or Preschool in a partner childcare setting (Summer only)
- ECDE 2930 Preschool -or-
ECDE 2932 Administration (requires an application and acceptance by ECDE faculty) -or-
ECDE 2933 Community Settings (requires an application and acceptance by ECDE faculty)
While enrolled in a practicum experience, students will spend time in an early childhood classroom directly involved with children, supported by a mentor teacher, to develop professional skills for working in the field of early care and education. Practicum experiences provide students with opportunities to interact with young children in an early childhood setting; observe children and teachers; work with a mentor teacher to plan and implement activities in the classroom; practice skills of evaluation that integrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
If a student currently works at a high-quality early learning childcare center (as determined by the ECDE program), then under certain circumstances and with prior approval, the student may complete one of their three practicum experiences at their place of employment while being paid by their employer. In addition, if a student has five or more years of experience working with children in a licensed early learning childcare center, then under certain circumstances and with prior approval, the student may be awarded nontraditional (N) credit for one of their practicum experiences.
To be eligible for seminars and practicum placement, students must do each of the following:
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1. Complete ECDE 1101, ECDE 1105, ECDE 1108, ECDE 1109, ECDE 2010, ENG 1100, PSY 1100, and PSY 2261 with a grade of C or better. You must have a 2.0 GPA or higher at the time of orientation RSVP, course registration, and prior to the start of the semester. |
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2. Attend one of the in-person Practicum 1 Orientation meetings the semester before starting Practicum 1. Please be mindful of deadlines for turning in required paperwork and completing the Orientation. In order to participate in Practicum, all requirements must be completed in advance. |
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3. Submit the following documents to the ECDE Practicum Coordinator after your ECDE advisor has verified that all prerequisites have been met and you have attended a Practicum 1 Orientation (see above for dates and deadlines): Advisors by last name: A-D Melanie Adams (madams@cscc.edu) E-K Christine Creagh (ccreagh@cscc.edu) L-Q Charvella McKaye (cmckaye@cscc.edu) R-Z Tricia May-Woods (tmaywood@cscc.edu)
IMPORTANT: Follow the explicit instructions on the FBI/BCI Information form. Your background check results must be on file before you can be placed for Practicum 1. Background checks can take several weeks to process, so have this completed immediately after your orientation. If you delay in starting the process, it is possible your results will not come back in time for you to enroll in your first practicum. Please be aware that some, but not all, criminal convictions might jeopardize the securing of a practicum placement. Please contact practicum coordinator if you currently work in childcare and would like to know if you can use your current FBI/BCI check. IMPORTANT: Your Medical Statement must be dated no earlier than 12 months prior to starting practicums. All three parts must be completely filled out and signed by a physician or nurse practitioner. You cannot submit a Medical Statement that has any statements written by a doctor stating "No shot record" or "No shot record on file at time of physical" or "No shot record-can not verify immunizations". If any of these statements (or similar ones) appear on your Medical Statement, then your Medical Statement is not valid and cannot be accepted. If you do not have an approved shot record (your doctor will determine if your shot record is acceptable), your doctor will either have you take a blood test to verify you have the antibodies or they will administer the vaccinations to you. Make sure you are proactive in getting an appointment scheduled so you will have time to get your Medical Statement completed and submitted to be eligible for practicum. Practicum Placement Request Form IMPORTANT: Each time you register for a practicum you will submit this form to Practicum Coordinator. The information on this form is used to place you in the most conveniently located practicum site as possible. Please note that every effort will be made to accommodate your placement choice, however, there cannot be a guarantee that your request can/will be accommodated.
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