Requirements for certification of early childhood educators begins with a bachelor's degree in early childhood education and additional courses in the foundations of teaching, curriculum development, and developmental psychology. Graduates of the early childhood education program take classroom management courses and are supervised in school classrooms as student teachers. Student teachers on an alternative license perform all the tasks and assume the responsibilities of a certified teacher. Highly effective teachers have master's degrees.
All teachers, including early childhood educators, take Praxis examinations from the Educational Testing Service and have the scores sent to both the college or university providing the certification for licensing and the State Board of Education. Praxis I measures proficiency in language, written communication and reading skills, and analytical and computational mathematics. Praxis II examinations are in specialties. Teachers are responsible and required to maintain their own paperwork for licensing. Student teachers must take the Praxis II in early childhood education with or without the special education section.
An educator from the college providing the 12 credit hours in learning theory and classroom management supervises the student teacher in the classroom and critiques and signs reports of the student teacher's proficiency in the classroom. When the state-required hours of supervision are successfully completed, the supervisor signs that the student teacher is proficient in classroom management and reports the proficiency to the State Board of Education and the school district where the student teacher is teaching.
The State Department of Education issues an alternative license number to a student teacher, who is required to take the Praxis I and pass it during the first year of teaching. The teacher on the alternative license must complete the 12-hour teaching certificate within two years on the alternative license and take a Praxis II examination during the second year of teaching. The State Department of Education records each milestone in the licensing process with the teacher's license number. When all the requirements for licensing are met, the State Department of Education issues the official teacher certification or license.