The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is home to two undergraduate, initial teacher certification programs: early childhood education (ECED) and elementary education (ELED). Students who matriculate in the early childhood program, upon completion of the program, will be certified to teach in Pre-K through third grade. Elementary education majors will be certified to teach first through eight grade.
All students are required to complete 45 general education requirement credits. Additionally, ELED majors will complete 81 program specific course requirement credits. ECED majors will complete an additional 83 program specific credits requirement.
Maryland State Department of Education requires that teachers in training participate in practical experiences in a classroom with a cooperating teacher. Most program specific courses have a practicum requirement that places the teacher candidate in an elementary school classroom. Teacher education candidates will complete 16 clock hours for each lower level education course; 24 clock hours for each three hundred level, non-method course; 30 clock hours for each upper level methods courses; and a semester of student teaching.
In order to be certified in the state of Maryland, all teacher education candidates must meet the State’s certification requirements. In addition to the specific program course requirements developed to meet the State’s standards; each candidate must also successfully complete the Praxis certification exams. There are two parts to the Praxis exam. PRAXIS I, needed to be successfully completed to enter teacher education, tests the teacher candidate’s general education preparation in three areas: Mathematics, reading, and writing. PRAXIS II, taken before student teaching, tests the candidate’s ability to apply pedagogical skills and theoretical foundations. All teacher education candidates must successfully complete both PRAXIS I and II to graduate with a degree in education from Coppin State University.
Each teacher education candidate is assigned an academic advisor who will provide the teacher education candidate with guidance through the teacher training process. The status sheet created for each program will guide the process for the students and the advisor. The advisor is also instrumental in establishing needed interventions for each advisee to make the progress through the program a smooth and successful process.