certification in both early childhood education (birth to age 8 or grade 3) and early childhood special education (birth to age 8 or grade 3).

This is a premier program taught by nationally renowned faculty who emphasize community connectedness, technology infusion, and policy and advocacy related to young children with and without disabilities or developmental delays.

The program teaches child development, research-based instructional and assessment practices in early childhood education and the skills to assess, monitor and report the progress of children with and without disabilities. It provides techniques and approaches to collaborate and partner with family members in the growth and development of young children.

This program is designed to prepare highly competitive graduates. The teacher certification program in early childhood and early childhood special education is embedded during the junior and senior years. The primary goal of all professional experiences is to provide interns and residents with multiple opportunities to apply knowledge learned in coursework to practice with infants, toddlers, preschoolers and children in preK-3 classrooms.

Students complete internships during their junior year that require a minimum of two days per week in a preschool classroom. In their senior year, students complete a full-time, year-long teaching residency. Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College faculty and certified lead teachers from partner schools coach interns and residents during required professional experiences. Students also develop their own instructional practices and skills for effective collaboration and reflection through teaming with their peers in addition to faculty and educators in the field. The professional experiences provided by the program are unmatched in Arizona. It provides students an opportunity to work directly with children and make an immediate impact on classroom achievement.

This program also prepares graduates to qualify for the structured English Immersion endorsement.

Graduates earn an institutional recommendation for their teaching certificate. Those desiring to teach in a public school must pass the appropriate Arizona educator exam (National Evaluation Series or Arizona Educator Proficiency Assessments) to be certified to teach in the state of Arizona.