The faculty and staff of the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) School of Education welcome you to the Early Childhood Special Education Nursery to Grade 3 program (N-3). This program is nationally recognized by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).  Our partnerships with USJ’s laboratory school—the School for Young Children and the Hartford School District Prekindergarten Magnet School provide our candidates with rich, research-based, practitioner-oriented learning experiences in diverse settings.

The Connecticut Department of Labor predicts a twenty-five percent increase in the need for early childhood educators in the next five years in Connecticut. In response to this growing need, the School of Education has created a 15-month cohort model that prepares candidates for the N-3 initial license. With the addition of a course in educational research and completion of the comprehensive exam, candidates can also earn a master-of-arts degree.  

The School of Education, in partnership with Hartford Public Schools, also offers full-time internships at the Hartford Prekindergarten Magnet School for interested candidates. This internship provides eighteen graduate credits of free tuition for USJ courses per year along with a $1000 stipend.  Interns work full-time, five days a week for the academic year (August 27- June 15) and participate in staff development opportunities, school-community events (including parent/teacher conferences) and two evening meetings per year. The early childhood licensure classes (6 credits per semester) are held on campus and at school sites in the evenings.

The dedicated curricular program provides candidates with preparation in 1) the development of young children with appreciation for their individual differences and the importance of their ecological context, 2) the developmental needs of young children in social and cultural contexts, 3) the integrated nature of academic and social competence in the early childhood years, 3) knowledge in working collaboratively with families, social service personnel, health care providers, and other professionals to meet the individual and comprehensive needs of all children, and 4) designing and implementing developmentally appropriate and contextually relevant learning experiences for young children. Candidates learn the historical, social, and political forces that influence policies and practices, and their impact on young children and families.  Further, candidates learn the factors that influence physical, psychosocial, communicative, and cognitive development and the role that family and community environments play in the development of young children. Ultimately, candidates become advocates for young children and begin to network with families, colleagues and community agencies on behalf of young children.

We are extremely proud of our Early Childhood Special Education initial licensure and Master of Arts candidates.  Please contact me, or the teacher licensure office, to answer questions about our program or interest in the Hartford Magnet School internship. Again, we welcome you to the University of Saint Joseph!

 

Advisor for Early Childhood/Special Education
School of Education
Email: bhartigan@usj.edu