Connecticut Early Childhood Education

Connecticut State Teacher Certification

Teaching jobs in public schools require that you have at least a Bachelor's degree and Connecticut state teacher certification. The traditional path to certification is to complete a teacher preparation program at a college or university. These programs may be part of a Bachelor's or a Master's degree program. They include a sequence of courses and a student teaching placement. There are also "Alternative Routes" to becoming a teacher for people who already have a Bachelor's degree.

Endorsements: Teachers are certified in subjects and grade levels called "endorsement areas." In Connecticut there are two early childhood endorsements...
  1. Early Childhood Birth-to-Kindergarten -- With this endorsement you can teach regular and special education children from birth through kindergarten. It is endorsement number 112.
  2. Early Childhood Nursery-to-Grade 3 - With this endorsement you can teach regular and special education children ages 3 through kindergarten and regular education students in grades 1 through 3. It is endorsement number 113.
Testing Requirements: There are standard entry and exit testing requirements for teacher certification programs. These apply to both traditional and alternative route programs.
  1. Praxis I: This is a test of reading, writing and math skills. It is required before you enter a teacher preparation program.
  2. Praxis II: This is a test of your knowledge of your endorsement area. You typically take this test at the end of your teacher preparation program. Praxis II is currently required for the Nursery-to-Grade 3 endorsement, but not for the Birth-to-Kindergarten endorsement.
Alternative Route to Certification (ARC): There are two early childhood ARC programs in Connecticut.
  1. Early Childhood ARC for Birth-to-Kindergarten - Teachers with experience working with young children can obtain this endorsement through an accelerated pathway at Charter Oak State College.
  2. Early Childhood ARC Nursery-to-Grade 3 - Certified teachers with an elementary endorsement can obtain this additional endorsement through an accelerated pathway at Eastern Connecticut State University.
For more information see: Connecticut State Department of Education "How to become a Certified Teacher in Connecticut"

Teacher preparation programs that lead to teacher certification.