Wyo. Code R. 019-0001-4
Teaching Standards Board, Professional
Chapter 4: Early Childhood/Elementary Programs
Effective Date: 08/26/2002 to 12/05/2005
Rule Type: Superceded Rules & Regulations
Reference Number: 019.0001.4.08262002
Section 1. Basic Programs Elementary. The basic program shall consist of training in the general education, professional education and teaching field or field of study. The teaching field or field of study shall require a planned pattern of courses and experiences designed by the faculty to produce the areas of knowledge or competencies identified by the elementary standards.
Section 2. Early Childhood Education Program Approval Standards Pre-Birth to Age 8 or Grade 3. The following standards pertain to programs preparing teachers for early childhood settings. These standards address the developmentally appropriate commonalities of content, skills, and competencies for teachers in educating the whole child.
(a) Standard I. The program shall require knowledge of the physical development of young children, during perinatal, neonatal, infant, toddler, pre-primary early primary years including variable growth and behavioral patterns.
(b) Standard II. The program shall require knowledge of cognitive development, including critical thinking skills, receptive and expressive language development, and how children's early experiences impact their individual differences.
(c) Standard III. The program shall require knowledge of emotional, social and moral development, including emergence of identity and development of self-esteem.
(d) Standard IV. The program shall require knowledge in the limitations, administration, interpretation, and utilization of assessments.
(e) Standard V. The program shall require demonstrated competence in facilitating play and active involvement in all areas of development.
(f) Standard VI. The program shall require demonstrated competence in observing and recording children's behavior, and recognizing individual differences.
(g) Standard VII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in basic health, nutrition, and safety management procedures.
(h) Standard VIII. The program shall require knowledge of the basic sociological concepts of the family, of parent/child/community/school dynamics and of a variety of approaches to achieve parent involvement.
(i) Standard IX. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the articulation of the rationale for developmentally appropriate education, including the concepts of developmental acceleration, developmental delay, and early intervention.
(j) Standard X. The program shall require demonstrated competence in working cooperatively and supportively with families, including providing information about health, safety, nutrition, and about community services or resources.
(k) Standard XI. The program shall require demonstrated competence in recognizing children and families with emotional distress, abuse, and neglect and in developing an appropriate program.
(l) Standard XII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in including families in assessing their children's development and the needs of their families and in supporting their role as primary care givers and teachers.
(m) Standard XIII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in curriculum development, selection, and implementation based on assessment results of individual children.
(n) Standard XIV. The program shall require demonstrated competence in planning and implementing learning environments, including the physical and psychosocial environments; management of time, space, and materials; and adjusting for individual children, their cultural background, and their special needs.
(o) Standard XV. The program shall require demonstrated competence in using developmentally appropriate methods that integrate all developmental domains.
(p) Standard XVI. The program shall require knowledge and skill in facilitating development in communication, inquiry, problem solving, creative expression and interpersonal relations.
(q) Standard XVII. The program shall require competence in integrating multi cultural/anti-bias themes, literature, and experiences in all curricular areas.
(r) Standard XVIII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in adapting curriculum content to meet the needs of all young children, including those who may be developmentally accelerated, delayed, disabled, or at-risk.
(s) Standard XIX. The program shall assure that each prospective teacher has adequate documented pre-student teaching/pre-internship experiences to include work with infant, toddler, pre-primary, and primary children.
(t) Standard XX. The program shall require a student teaching or internship experience with appropriately certified supervisors, which is of sufficient length concentration so as to experience the full range of teacher activities in at least two different early childhood settings. It shall serve children in two age groups; one setting must be perinatal, neonatal, infant, toddler, or pre-primary, and the other one primary.
(u) Standard XXI. The program shall require demonstrated competence in teaching language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, health, safety, and nutrition using developmentally appropriate strategies.
(v) Standard XXII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in procedures for early childhood program evaluation.
Section 3. Elementary Education Program Approval Standards. The following standards pertain to programs preparing competent entry-level teachers for elementary school settings. These standards address the commonalities of content, skills and competencies which are important for teachers in elementary education. A program that prepares elementary teachers shall provide an integrated approach to the liberal arts and education studies. The liberal arts provide a thoughtful plan of knowledge, skills, and experiences that prepare prospective teachers to teach the content areas represented in Wyoming Student Content and Performance Standards for primary grades. Education studies provide prospective teachers the knowledge, skills and experiences to facilitate student learning of standards, manage classroom activities, and make decisions to improve student learning in a standards-based environment. The integration of the liberal arts and education studies must prepare prospective teachers to teach effectively across the elementary content areas.
(a) Standard I. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of reading; how children learn to read; and designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in reading across the curriculum.
(b) Standard II. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of mathematics; how children learn mathematics; and designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in mathematics across the curriculum.
(c) Standard III. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of science; how children learn science; designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in science across the curriculum.
(d) Standard IV. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of social studies; how children learn social studies; designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in social studies across the curriculum.
(e) Standard V. The program shall require demonstrated knowledge of fine and performing arts concepts and skills and how to integrate fine and performing arts across the curriculum in collaboration with fine and performing arts specialists.
(f) Standard VI. The program shall require demonstrated knowledge of physical education concepts and skills and how to integrate physical education across the curriculum in collaboration with physical education specialists.
(g) Standard VII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of writing; how children learn to write; and designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in writing across the curriculum.
(h) Standard VIII. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of other communication skills, including listening and speaking; how children learn communication skills; designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in communication skills across the curriculum.
(i) Standard IX. The program shall require demonstrated competence in the knowledge and skills of health; how children learn health; designing, implementing, integrating, assessing, and evaluating developmentally appropriate learning experiences in health across the curriculum.