Early Childhood Education

To apply for admission to the Early Childhood Education program at UW-Parkside, you must

1. Be admitted to UW-Parkside
2. Document completion of University Skills Requirements (ENGL 101 and MATH 102 or 111 with a grade of C or better in these classes)
3. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 in all classes, with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 in all Early Childhood courses
4. Meet one of the Communication Skills requirements (see below)
5. Complete the A.A.S. in Early Childhood from a WTCS school with a grade of C+ or better in all Early Childhood courses.
6. Successfully complete (grade of C+ or better) or be currently enrolled in EDU 210 and 212 at time of application.
7. Complete the Educator Preparation Program Application for Admission and Education Program Disclosure Form prior to deadline listed on application (see below)
8. Complete and pass a criminal background check

Communication Skills Requirements (select one)

• Praxis CORE: passing scores in reading (156), writing (162), and math (150). When registering for the test, indicate UW-Parkside as a score recipient (1860). You may apply for admission if you have registered to take the Praxis CORE and provide documentation of registration; admission will be conditional on a passing score.
• ACT: composite score of 23 with minimum score of 20 on English, Math, and Reading, and the score is within the previous 10 years.
• SAT: composite score of 1070 with a minimum score of 450 on Math and Verbal sections, and the score is within the previous 10 years.
• Alternative Option: grade of C+ or better in both ENGL 101 and MATH 102 or 111, and the grades are within the previous 10 years.

APPLICATION DEADLINES FOR ADMISSION TO EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAM
For Spring semester admission: October 15
For Fall semester admission: April 15

Educator preparation advising is a collaborative process. The advisor and student work as a team to develop a successful advisor/advisee relationship. Both the advisor and the student have important responsibilities in developing and maintaining this teamwork.  The educator preparation advisor is responsible for meeting with the student as soon as possible. The advisor will determine what other team members should be assigned to the advising team based on the teacher candidates’ chosen major and/or pathway. All admitted UW‐Parkside teacher candidates, in good standing, can indicate their intent to enter the educator preparation program by filling out a plan declaration form with the educator preparation advisor. Advising each semester is mandatory in this program.

IMPORTANT: All students must meet with the educator preparation advisor for curricular and program requirement.  Advising from anyone but the educator preparation advisor will not be deemed official for the EDU program.  Rules and regulations for the EDU program change often by the State of Wisconsin and any other source of advising cannot be guaranteed to be correct.

STUDENT TESTING AND ASSESSMENT

Communication Skills
Students applying for admission to the Institute of Professional Educator Development must satisfy the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requirement for Communication Skills as defined in PI 34.021(1)(a) by meeting one of the following requirements:

1. Praxis Core - If required, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators must be taken and all three sections (Reading, Writing, and Mathematics) must be passed prior to applying for admission to the program. It is recommended that students register for the exam at least two months ahead of the desired test date. IPED must have an Official Score Report in order to process applications for admission; without an Official Score Report, your application for admission will be returned to you and you will have to wait to apply until the next semester.

The Praxis Core is only delivered by computer. Computer based tests are offered almost every month during a two-week period. Score reports take approximately four weeks to arrive (keep this in mind when scheduling your test and your anticipated date for application for admission to the program).

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction has set the pass rate scores for the Praxis Core as follows:

• Core Reading (5712) Passing Score: 156
• Core Writing (5722) Passing Score: 162
• Core Math (5732) Passing Score: 150

When registering for Praxis Core, use the UW-Parkside four digit code of 1860 to ensure a timely delivery of the Official Score Report to IPED. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the program has a copy of the test results. Please note it is the student's responsibility to keep their copy of the original score report; the program will not archive score reports.

NOTE: The Praxis CORE Academic Skills for Educators assessment is NOT the same as the Praxis I exam. Praxis I is no longer accepted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction after August 31, 2014.  

2. ACT - Teacher candidates applying for admission may use their ACT test scores if they received a composite score of 23 with a minimum score of 20 on English, Math and Reading AND the score is within the previous 10 years.

3. SAT - Teacher candidates applying for admission may use their SAT test scores if they received a minimum score of 510 on Critical Reading, 480 on Writing, and 520 on Math AND the score is within the previous 10 years.

4. GRE Revised General Test - Teacher candidates applying for admission may use their GRE Revised General Test scores if they received a minimum score of 450 on Verbal Reasoning, 3 on Analytical Writing, and 540 on Quantitative Reasoning (prior to August 1, 2011) or a minimum score of 150 on Verbal Reasoning, 3 on Analytical Writing, and 145 on Quantitative Reasoning (after August 1, 2011) AND the score is within the previous 10 years.

5. Alternative Option - Successful completion of ENGL 101 and MATH 102 or MATH 111 with a grade of C+ or better. 

Content Knowledge Assessment

Students must successfully complete an assessment of content knowledge prior to progression to Residency. Some license areas have alternative options for this assessment; please speak to the teacher education advisor for more information on these options.

For all license areas, the Praxis Subject Assessments is an option to demonstrate content knowledge in the licnse area. If required, the Praxis Subject Assessment for your license must be taken and passed prior to progression to Residency. It is recommended that students register for the exam at least two months ahead of the desired test date. IPED must have an Official Score Report in order to process applications for Residency; without an Official Score Report, your application for Residency will be returned to you and you will have to wait to apply until the next semester.

When registering for Praxis Subject Assessments, use the UW-Parkside four digit code of 1860 to ensure a timely delivery of the Official Score Report to the Educator Development Program. It is the student's responsibility to ensure that the program has a copy of the test results. Please note it is the students responsibility to keep their copy of the original score report; the program will not archive score reports.

Wisconsin uses the Praxis Subject Assessments as an option for all licenses except world languages. The following are the test code, name and passing scores applicable to the individual license the student is seeking:

Foundations of Reading Test (FoRT 90)

Candidates submitting an Initial Educator License application for Middle Childhood-Early Adolescence, Elementary/Middle School (K-9), Early Childhood Education, and Special Education (all levels) are required to pass the Foundations of Reading Test, a test of reading instruction knowledge and skills administered by Pearson. This is a computer based test with 100 multiple choice questions and two short answer questions. Testing is available by appointment, Monday through Saturday (excluding holidays) at testing centers. The test results take approximately five weeks to be returned to you. 

The Foundations of Reading Test must be taken and passed prior to endorsement for licensure, but is not a requirement for admission to Residency. We recommend that you attempt the Foundations of Reading Test immediately after taking EDU 332. Review sessions are offered for students at the 300 level or above, along with Parkside alumni, at the end of fall and spring semesters.

Practice test materials, registration information and policies to better understand the Foundations of Reading Test can be found at www.wi.nesinc.com.

Pedagogical Knowledge Assessment

Candidates are required to complete and pass an assessment of pedagogical knowledge prior to being endorsed for licensure. At UW-Parkside, this assessment includes successful completion of the Pre-Residency Portfolio and evaluations of real-time teaching during Residency. The edTPA is no longer a requirement for teacher licensure at UW-Parkside.

Mary Henderson
University Services Program Associate
hendersm@uwp.edu
(262) 595-2180