Requirements for ECE Teacher Certification in Maryland
Students in one community college in Maryland are finding that it’s becoming easier to earn a degree in Early Childhood Education. If they take a 90-hour course, they will receive six college credits toward their Associate Degree in Early Childhood Education. The classes which offer this are Child Growth and Development and Curriculum Planning in Early Childhood Education.
By earning the six credits from this college, students can transfer to other training institutions in Maryland. If they take similar classes at other colleges, they will not transfer. Once the students transfer to another institution, they can go on and complete their associate degrees or one-year certificates.
Maryland Steps to Follow for Teachers
Step 1. Earn Your Degree
Begin by choosing a state-approved Early Childhood Education program. The approved programs are listed on the website of the State Department of Education. Look for a program that specifically offers ECE majors, which will then lead to a Maryland State certification. Once you have this certification, you’ll be equipped to teach preschoolers, and the degree will also equip you for teaching children up to third grade.
If you prefer to begin with a two-year associate degree, look for one that enables you to transfer to a four-year college or university so you can earn your bachelor’s degree in ECE. Ask each community college if their ECE degrees have articulation agreements that make transferring to a four-year institution simpler.
You’ll begin with your general education requirements, such as math, science and English. Next, you’ll move on to the Education courses specific to your degree. You’ll also need to complete a student-teaching experience, which should be included in your degree program. This will require you to complete a full year of student teaching or full-time teaching in front of a pre-k or kindergarten classroom.
Step 2. Pass Your Exams
Once you graduate, you’ll have to take the national Praxis Core Exam. It’s recommended that you take your Praxis exam once you have successfully completed 30 credit hours in your program. You’ll take 3 tests including: Core Academic Skills for Educators: Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; Early Childhood: Content Knowledge; and Principles of Learning and Teaching: Early Childhood.
However, Maryland is unique in that there are other tests they will accept in lieu of the PRAXIS Core Skills Exam. These include: an ACT with a score of 24, the GRE test with a score of 1000, and the SAT with a math and reading score of 1100.
You’ll also have to submit your transcripts and complete and pass a background check. NOTE: In Maryland, to hold a teaching license, you’ll have to take and pass three semester hours in the inclusion of special needs populations.
Step 3. Get and Maintain Your License
You must create an account on the State Department of Education website to apply for your teaching license. This will allow you to send in all material connected with your license and maintain and upgrade it as necessary.
You’ll have to continue to take Continuing Professional Development courses in order to maintain your licensure. The state requires at least 6 hours every 5 years. Your school district will help you develop a plan to accomplish this and approve the courses you choose. If you are working in the state of Maryland, they will renew your license for you, so you won’t need to worry about it. If you aren’t, then you’ll have to renew it yourself. The process will require you to log into the Education Department website and follow the instructions.
Popular Career Choices
Preschool Teacher
Kindergarten Teacher
Elementary School Teacher
Special Education Teacher
Accredited Maryland Programs
Maryland requires ECE programs for three- and four-year-old children to have different funding streams and staffing requirements.
Public school-based and private providers who are funded with Pre-K expansion funds have to have a lead teacher holding a BA with ECE certification. The assistant teacher should hold a high school diploma or Childhood Development Associate certification (CDA). Private providers who receive other state Pre-K funds or Child Care Block Grants must have a lead teacher with 6 semesters of college-level ECE coursework. Assistant teachers should hold a high school diploma.
Potential Credentials, Requirements and Certifications Needed in Maryland
Once you have completed your required coursework and graduated, you’ll have to send your unofficial or official transcripts to the preschools where you hope to work. They will accept your transcripts as documentation of formal training.
Specialization and Additional Certifications
To obtain additional verification as an ECE teacher, you have a few options.
To work in a family child care center, you need to:
Complete 24 hours of Family Child Care pre-service modules, OR
90 Hour Child Care Pre-School Certification - This includes two 45-hour courses. For the curriculum course, take at least one of these courses for this certification.
Lead Teacher certification requires you to complete 9 hours of Communication Skills for Child Care Providers. New students also take “All Children in the ADA.”
Accredited Early Childhood Educator Teacher Preparation Programs
Community colleges and universities in Maryland should be fully accredited, institutionally as well as programmatically. For example, Towson University’s professional education program is fully accredited by CAEP. The Teacher Education Accreditation Council has consolidated with NCATE, with the resulting agency being known as CAEP. Towson University received its re-accreditation in 2015, with another re-accreditation under CAEP standards set for Fall 2022. CAEP uses the same standards as a foundation for the accreditations of associate, bachelors, and initial-license master’s degree programs.
College Accreditation in Maryland
“Excellence in Care and Education” is the phrase that greets visitors to the Maryland Early Childhood website. Maryland’s accreditation standards were brought up-to-date in July, 2016. Currently, standards identify best practices for program policies in the family and community engagement efforts.
Accreditation is completely voluntary. Once an educational program chooses to become accredited, it completes a self-appraisal process, works to improve its program, and undergoes an external program review. This last effort publicly shows what the program has achieved and lets students know about its high-quality standards.
University of Maryland – Baltimore County
Degrees Offered:
Elementary Education and Teaching; Undergrad Certificate
Early Childhood education and Teaching; Undergrad Certificate
Education, General; MS. & Post-grad Certificate
ESL/Teaching English as a Second Language; MS.
Accreditation By:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CAEP
Towson University
Degrees Offered:
Early Childhood Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Education/Teaching of Individuals in Elementary Special Education Programs; BS.
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Autism; Post-grad Certificate
Elementary Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Reading Teacher Education; MS.
Special Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Accreditation By:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CAEP
McDaniel College
Degrees Offered:
Education/Teaching of Individuals with Hearing Impairments Including Deafness; MS.
Elementary Education and Teaching; MS.
Multicultural Education; Post-grad Certificate
Reading Teacher Education; MS.
Special Education and Teaching; MS.
Students Counseling and Personnel Services; MS.
ESL/Teaching English as a Second Language; MS.
Accreditation By:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CAEP
Morgan State University
Degrees Offered:
Elementary Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Reading Teacher Education; MS.
Special Education and Teaching; MS.
Accreditation By:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CAEP
Bowie State University
Degrees Offered:
School Counseling and Guidance Services; MS.
Educational Leadership and Administration; MS.
Elementary Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching; BS. & MS.
Reading Teacher Education; MS.
Special Education and Teaching; MS.
Superintendency and Educational Administration; Dr.
Accreditation By:
Middle States Commission on Higher Education
CAEP
Hopeful instructors seeking to operate in Maryland must first gain state certification. The qualification process is overseen by the Maryland Division of Education and also is detailed below for those looking to discover exactly how to become an educator in Maryland. Like a lot of US states, Maryland requires all educators to hold a bachelor's level from a recognized college or college.
Those that desire to educate must additionally pass the state-mandated tests for instructors, which are defined in additional information listed below. For those who hold a bachelor's level yet did not go to an educator prep work program as a component of the conventional route to teaching, there are different instructor accreditation options in Maryland. Maryland has actually taken on a tiered system for instructor accreditation.
Each license kind is legitimate for approximately 5 years. The licensing structure is as follows:. New teachers are qualified for the PEC once they have satisfied all Maryland educator certification demands and also only if they are not yet employed by a Maryland institution or area. Teachers are eligible for the SPC I after employment at a Maryland public college.
Prospects for this certificate have to also submit a preparation for attaining the Advanced Expert Certification. Educators are qualified for the APC once they have actually satisfied all the demands of the SPC as well as have actually made a master's degree, or completed a minimum of 36 term hrs of post-baccalaureate program job which must consist of at least 21 semester hours of graduate-level credit report.
You can also compare key metrics for these state-approved teacher prep work programs by utilizing the sortable table on our Maryland schools web page. When assessing prospective instructor programs, it's suggested to validate that the institution is certified by the matching regional accreditation firm.
Furthermore, certification from the Council for the Certification of Teacher Prep Work (CAEP) is taken into consideration a pen of high quality instructor prep work standards in the education and learning sector. The state of Maryland requires that potential educators gain a bachelor's degree from an approved university or university. In enhancement to a bachelor's degree, candidates need to additionally finish a state-approved teacher prep work program.
Prospects have to likewise finish minimal coursework in reading. Those seeking certifications in PRESCHOOL via the elementary qualities should complete 12 term hours in reading. Those who are licensing in a secondary material location or in the center to second qualities should complete 6 term hrs in reading. Qualifying ratings on the Praxis Topic Analyses, as reviewed additionally listed below, may exempt candidates from this coursework demand.
The initial exam needed is passing a standard abilities test. Passing scores on the Praxis Core will certainly be accepted as meeting this requirement. The state enables replacement of remarkable scores on the SAT, ACT, or GRE examinations in place of a basic skills examination. The second examination requirement is the Praxis Topic Analysis.
You can see a malfunction of required tests by licensure area via the Maryland State Division of Education And Learning. Teachers will typically likewise need to take the teaching abilities examination, the Practice Concepts of Discovering and Mentor, that lines up with the quality level( s) they desire to educate (Early Youth, K-6, 5-9, or 7-12). For those who wish to educate foreign languages, Maryland utilizes the American Council on Mentor of Foreign Languages (ACTFL) effectiveness examination, which is carried out by Language Testing International (LTI).
To become qualified for Maryland educator certification, all training candidates must submit to a state and government history check via a fingerprinting procedure. The teacher preparation program attended will normally offer prospects with updated info on finishing this procedure. Upon conclusion of all the requirements stipulated by the Maryland State Division of Education And Learning (MSDE), the important paperwork has to be sent in to sustain the prospect's application.
The ordinary yearly wage of primary school educators in Maryland is $71,060, while intermediate school instructors make a typical yearly income of $69,710 as well as high school educators make a typical yearly wage of $72,610.4 The Maryland State Education Organization offers information and present details appropriate to academic specialists in Maryland.
As you deal with your pupils, you'll find that you're working with a good mix of youngsters from numerous cultures. Maryland, a small state bordering the Chesapeake Bay, leads the country in several educational categories. It has made the leading national ranking for 5 years in a row by Education Week and also continuously obtains high scores for its financial investment in.
It provides six certifications based on experience, degree of education and learning, and also professional development. Professional Eligibility Certification( PEC )Requirement Professional Certificate I( SPC I) Criterion Professional Certificate II( SPC II) Advanced Professional Certification (APC) Homeowner Educator Certificate( RTC) Conditional Certification( COND) To request a credential, you need to hold a degree.
There are numerous companies for education and learning majors, consisting of the Living Understanding Area, Education And Learning Club, as well as Kappa Delta Pi. It additionally uses a Master of Arts in elementary education and learning( qualities one via six). There are a number of various avenues you can take in pursuing an occupation in very early youth education in Maryland. Public colleges employ the substantial bulk of individuals seeking jobs early.
To be able to teach at a preschool, you must meet certain requirements. You will need to have a high school diploma and an Associate's degree, or another certificate course that teaches elementary, special education, or life skills for children. In addition to your education degree, you will also need to take an approved teacher training program. The state Department of Education requires that any teaching candidates for preschool positions be certified in early childhood education.
The first two education courses you should take include Mathematics 101 and Psychology 101. These classes will give you a foundation in learning the educational foundations of mathematics, which is used to teach all subjects in the early grades, as well as cognitive development, and social skills. If you have taken these courses in high school, you may have already completed them on your own, but you will want to make sure they are still part of your curriculum.
Another requirement for being able to teach at a preschool is passing a state exam. This exam is called the Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Test (MCT). You must pass this test if you want to teach at the early childhood center. You will also need to complete the written portion of the exam. The written portion is also referred to as the MCAT.
When you are ready to apply for preschool jobs, the state tests are the first step in your application process. Once you are qualified to teach at an early childhood center in Maryland, you will be sent a short list of applicants to interview.
There are some preschool teaching jobs available in Baltimore and some in Baltimore City. Baltimore City offers the most preschool teachers. The Baltimore City Department of Education has over four hundred teaching positions open at early childhood centers. These centers are located in neighborhoods across the city and provide programs for children in preschool to sixth grade. They are open twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, making sure that everyone is able to get time off for children who need extra care.
The Baltimore City Early Childhood Education Centers offers several preschool teaching positions, from a preschool teacher to an educational assistant. The teaching positions at the centers are available full time, part time, or through the summer months. Some of the center programs are academic, and some are not. Some centers are able to help students prepare for state testing, while other centers provide tutoring services. Some centers offer programs for children after the initial year of teaching, and after the state tests for kindergarten, and first grade.
Other positions are available at various Early Learning Centers in Baltimore City such as classroom teacher, aide to the teacher, and teacher's aide. You will need to be hired based on your experience, certification, and qualifications, as well as the needs of the preschool.
Most Early Learning Center in Baltimore City will require you to have your work tested and certified before you can work there. If you do not have the appropriate credentials, the centers will not hire you. To find out more about preschool teaching jobs in Maryland, contact the Department of Education.
A Maryland preschool teacher may be a great option for you. If you love children, love helping children, and want to help build a child's self confidence and self esteem, then this may be a great career for you. Many pre schools hire teachers in the spring, because the demand for these jobs is so high.
There are many different positions available at the centers in Baltimore. Some schools offer early childhood teachers that work one or two hours per week in classrooms and other centers provide tutoring services. Some centers have one teacher, while others have a group of teachers. While there are several positions available at the early childhood centers, each individual school has its own set hours for each teacher, and the teacher's schedule. Some schools will hire just one teacher, while others will hire a combination of teachers to ensure that students have the same number of hours.
When searching for preschool teaching jobs in Maryland, you should research every school that offers such positions. Contact the Department of Education for more information and the job descriptions.
Career Options and Salary Info for Teachers
Public Schools –
As an ECE teacher in the public-school system, you’ll teach young children from kindergarten through 3rd grade. If you already hold a bachelor’s degree in another field, but you want another certification to gain a license to teach in a Maryland public school, then you’ll take additional education classes.
As a public-school teacher, you’ll teach all subjects, using your knowledge of pedagogy and curriculum development.
Private Childcare –
To provide childcare in a private setting, you do need a continuing education certificate as a child care provider. You’ll be able to work with children in a private household, as well as in child care institutions, schools, and businesses. No matter what setting you’re employed in, you’ll be required to take responsibility for the wellbeing and safety of the children you’re caring for. You may also be required to work as a team member if you are working with more than one teacher.
Private Schools –
Private schools are covered by their own rules, policies and regulations. The state of Maryland will impose safety regulations for the wellbeing of the children in the school. You will be able to apply for the appropriate certification for your education (Early Childhood Education, Pre-K-3).
Head Start Programs –
Working in a Head Start program, you’ll be working with disadvantaged children. If you are in an associate’s program, once you graduate, you can work as a teacher, teacher’s assistant, or as a staff member of a child care center. Expect to take the same classes as ECE students who will be teaching in public or private schools. You will also be expected to know the same material as other teachers in other educational settings.
Community-Based Programs –
Working in a community-based program, you’ll be assigned to students who need more than just child care. While this will be a large component of their presence in a community-based program, you’re also expected to provide learning experiences for them. You’ll work on different subjects, such as math, English, social studies, and science, so you should be well-versed in these topics.
Faith-Based Programs –
If you aim your search for an ECE program toward a religious institution you’ll be expected to give some Bible instruction to your young students. You’ll teach children in pre-kindergarten through 3rd grade. You may also teach liberal arts topics to your students, so look for a liberal arts program at the school you choose.
Military Programs –
Teaching young children in a military program (Department of Defense Dependents Schools, or DoDDS), means you’re going to be learning the same material that a student who plans to work in a public-school setting would learn.
You’re most likely to work overseas with the children of service members who have been stationed overseas accompanied by their families. As you work with your students, you’ll find that you’re working with a good mix of children from several cultures.