About this program
Gain a Minnesota Teaching License in Early Childhood Education (birth-grade 3). Share your passion for learning with young students. You will accomplish these goals with a degree in Urban Early Childhood Education. Empower yourself with the content knowledge, teaching skills, urban field experiences, and professional poise you need to give urban students a high-quality education.
The Urban Early Childhood Education major in the School of Urban Education (UED) is designed to meet the needs of urban early learning settings for teachers who can promote young children's development from birth to age 8 and improve their educational achievement up to grade 3 with positive impact lasting a lifetime. Our approach to teacher education focuses on preparing diverse, reflective, and resilient teachers who are outstanding in their commitment to teaching urban youth and creating equitable educational opportunities. More than any other program in Minnesota, we attract more teacher candidates who are of color, multilingual, low-income or "first generation" into teaching careers who can relate to the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse urban youth and their communities.
You will also:
- Learn with the most diverse student and faculty population of any teacher preparation program in Minnesota.
- Get a high quality education at the most affordable cost of any university in Minnesota.
- Learn in friendly classes that allow you to know instructors and fellow students well.
- Create a flexible schedule with courses that meet once per week, often in the evening.
- Participate in direct field experience in urban classrooms and courses focusing on urban education.
Program accreditation
This program is accredited by the Minnesota Professional Education and Licensing Standards Board (PELSB) to meet the Standards of Effective Practice for Beginning Teachers as part of the requirements for being licensed to teach in a specific subject area.
Student outcomes
Students completing this program will meet the following 10 learning outcomes aligned with the Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice for Beginning Teachers:
- Subject matter: Urban teacher candidates will “understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the disciplines taught and be able to create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.”
- Student learning: Urban teacher candidates will “understand how students learn and develop and must provide learning opportunities that support a student's intellectual, social, and personal development.”
- Diverse learners: Urban teacher candidates will “understand how students differ in their approaches to learning and create instructional opportunities that are adapted to students with diverse backgrounds and exceptionalities.”
- Instructional strategies: Urban teacher candidates will “understand and use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.”
- Learning environment: Urban teacher candidates will “be able to use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create learning environments that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.”
- Communication: Urban teacher candidates will “be able to use knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.”
- Planning instruction: Urban teacher candidates will “be able to plan and manage instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.”
- Assessment: Urban teacher candidates will “understand and be able to use formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the student.”
- Reflection and professional development: Urban teacher candidates “will be a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of choices and actions on others, including students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community, and who actively seeks out opportunities for professional growth.”
- Collaboration, ethics and relationships: Urban teacher candidates will “be able to communicate and interact with parents or guardians, families, school colleagues, and the community to support student learning and well-being.”