August 11, 2022
EARLY CHILDHOOD CERTIFICATION FOR CURRENT ELEMENTARY EDUCATORS
(in accordance with ACT 8270 and in collaboration with the VIDE (Expires October 1, 2023)
OPTION 1
Certification in ECE may be issued to experienced certified elementary educators who are teaching on the prek- third grade level in the VI but who do not have early childhood certification. These teachers must present evidence of having met all of the following requirements by December 2022 to receive Certification in Early Childhood Education for 5 years.
- Current elementary educator certification (not conditional) issued by the VIBE
- A minimum of 5 years documented teaching experience on the primary (preK-3) level in the Virgin Islands
- Satisfactory end of year evaluations for at least 5 of the most recent years.
- Letter of Recommendation from current principal (or former principal for the past 3 years)
- One of the following four options completed:
- Successful completion of ECE Praxis II with an approved ECE Praxis score (minimum of 152)
- A minimum of 30 professional development hours in early childhood education related areas
- Completion of one of the following courses (3 credits=30 hours): Intro to Early Childhood I Basic Principles & Practices in ECE; Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Environments; Positive Socio-Emotional Foundations of Early Leaming;
- Completion of a specialized program /pathway designed by the Department of Education and approved by the Board of Education. This may be online program. (equivalent to 30 hours PD)
OPTION2
Certification in ECE may be issued to certified teachers who teach on the elementary level in the VI, if all of the following requirements are met by August 2024.
- Current elementary educator certification issued by the VI Board of Education
- Successful completion of ECE Praxis II with an approved ECE Praxis score (minimum of 152).
- One of the following four options completed within five years of applying:
A minimum of 90 professional development hours in early childhood education related areas.
- Completion of three of the following courses in early childhood education (9 credits=90 hours): Intro to Early Childhood I Basic Principles & Practices in ECE; Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Environments; Positive Socio-Emotional Foundations of Early Leaming; Early Literacy & Language Development;
- Completion of a specialized program /pathway designed by the Department of Education and approved by the Board of Education. (This may be an online program.) (Equivalent to 90 hours)
- Certificate in Early Childhood Education from an accredited institution
GENERAL ECE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
(For new applicants beginning with the 2022-2023 School Year)
- Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Early Childhood Education from an accredited institution including a minimum of 15 course credits in early childhood related fields. Courses must include at least 5 courses from among the following areas: Intro to Early Childhood / Basic Principles & Practices in ECE; Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Environments; Curriculum, Teaching & Assessment in ECE; Positive Socio-Emotional Foundations of Early Learning; Early Literacy & Language Development; Instructional Technology/ Creative Visual Arts; Family & Community Relationships; Educational Psychology, Classroom Management, Ethics; AND
A minimum of 5 credit hours of student teaching in early childhood setting or a minimum of 400 hours of documented supervised work or other field experience in early childhood setting; AND
Praxis II Early Childhood Assessment with an approved ECE Praxis score (minimum 152).
OR
- Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Elementary Education from an accredited institution including a minimum of 15 semester credit hours from among the following early childhood courses: Intro to Early Childhood/Basic Principles & Practices in ECE; Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Environments; Curriculum, Teaching & Assessment in ECE;-Positive Socio-Emotional Foundations of Early Learning; Early Literacy & Language Development; Instructional Technology/Creative Visual Arts; Family & Community Relationships; Educational Psychology, Classroom Management, Ethics
OR
- Bachelor's Degree or Higher in Elementary Education from an accredited institution plus an Associate's degree or Certificate in Early Childhood from an accredited entity; AND
A minimum of 5 credit hours of student teaching in early childhood setting or a minimum of 400 hours of documented supervised work or other field experience in early childhood setting; AND
Praxis II Early Childhood Assessment with an approved ECE Praxis score (minimum of 152).
I, Kyza A. Callwood, the duly appointed and qualified Chair of the governing board of the Virgin Islands Board of Education, do hereby certify that the above revisions to the Early Childhood Education certification requirements were adopted by the Virgin Islands Board of Education on December I 0, 2021 and the Executive Director is authorized to effectuate the completion of the publication process.
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Online Teacher Certification - V.I. Board of Education
