B.S.Ed. in Early Grades Preparation (PreK-4)

Overview

Welcome to Early Grades Preparation!  It is our mission to prepare candidates to be professional educators excited about teaching and committed to life-long learning.  We provide programs that are based on principles of developmentally appropriate practice and research-based decision making. The Department prepares teachers to serve the needs of diverse populations of children through the development of active, constructive, and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning. Many co-curricular clubs and service opportunities complement the Department’s programs; candidates are encouraged to explore the many opportunities the campus offers. 
  
Many graduates of the Early Grades Preparation program teach in Pennsylvania. In addition, West Chester University’s graduates have obtained teaching assignments in schools across the nation and are well prepared for teaching in American schools abroad, for work with agencies such as the Peace Corps, and for rewarding careers in a variety of settings that serve the needs of children and young adolescents. 

Early Grades Prep (EGP), Early Childhood, and Elementary Education alumni: Please click on this link to share your career updates with our department. 

Highlights

Teacher Candidacy

Early Grades Preparation majors must apply for teacher candidacy status once they have met the Undergraduate Requirements. Teacher candidacy status is required for upper-level education courses.  

Field Information

Field experiences begin during the candidate's first semester and culminate in a semester-long, student-teaching experience.  Candidates have opportunities to participate in supervised field experiences in urban, suburban, and rural school districts-all within one hour of our campus.

Clearance Information

Students must obtain clearances for each course containing field experience in accordance with Pennsylvania statutes. These include: 

  • Pennsylvania Criminal Record Checks
  • FBI fingerprinting
  • Pennsylvania Child Abuse Record checks - required for all who enter a school.
  • TB Test

View More Clearance Information for specific details about your program.

All clearances must be completed prior to the first day of the field course in which you are enrolled and updated every year. Please contact the Office of Candidate Services at 610-436-2999.  Some school districts hosting early field students and student teachers require a TB test issued within the year they begin their school district assignment.

NOTE: School district requirements take precedence over university policy. Failure to maintain a current set of clearances will prevent you from enrollment and/or may require your dismissal from field-based courses, blocked classes, and student teaching. 

Apply for Student Teaching

EGP majors must apply for student teaching one year in advance of their student teaching semester. The Office of Clinical Experiences facilitates the student teaching application process. All coursework other than EGP 400 must be successfully completed prior to the beginning of student teaching. EGP 400 may be taken just prior to, or during student teaching.