About the Department

Professor Lynne Pachnowski works with children at the STEM Middle School

Our Department 

The Department of Curricular and Instructional Studies includes the areas of early childhood, middle childhood, secondary (adolescent to young adult), preschool to grades 12 (P-12) education and the areas of special education as an intervention specialist for early childhood (P-3 mild/moderate/ intensive), mild to moderate (K-12) or moderate to intensive (K-12). Initial teacher preparation programs are available at the undergraduate, post-baccalaureate and master’s degree levels.

• The early childhood program prepares teachers to teach age three to grade three.
• The middle childhood program prepares teachers to teach grades four through nine with specialization in each of two areas selected from reading/language arts, mathematics, science and social studies.
• The secondary program prepares teachers of grades seven to twelve to teach language arts, mathematics, science, social studies or family and consumer science (grades 4-12).
• The P-12 program prepares teachers of foreign language, music, dance, drama, or visual arts.
• The special education options prepare undergraduates as intervention specialists/teachers for children with special needs and graduate students to be master teachers.
• Endorsements are available in reading and teaching English as a second language.

The University Center for Child Development, a collaboration between the College of Education and the School of Family and Consumer Science, provides childcare for children while serving as a preservice learning site for teacher education students.

Our Mission

We believe educators open minds to history, culture, creativity, exploration, adventure, and invention. Educators prepare students for knowledge, diversity, technology and ethics, which have become important and expanding features of modern society. Therefore, the mission of the Department of Curricular and Instructional Studies is to prepare professional educators to work effectively in diverse settings such as urban, suburban, and rural learning environments. We achieve this by preparing candidates to think critically, educate all learners, continuously reflect on their practices, and apply national, state, and local standards.