UC’s School of Education renames early childhood education program

The College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services’ (CECH) early childhood education program (ECE) has a new identity, rebranding as the elementary education program. The program’s name change reflects an expansion to the license achieved by the program, which now covers grades PreK-5th grade.

The decision to rebrand from ECE to elementary education, finalized in February 2023, was made in response to a few factors, including:

Accurately reflecting the program’s grade bands: The new name, elementary education, more accurately reflects the grade bands covered by the program - PreK-5th grade.
Clarification between ECE and ECE Online: Many students and prospective students have been confused between the early childhood education program (ECE) and the early childhood education online (birth-age 5) program. This has been attributed to the similarity in names, as well as to the fact that both programs offer teacher training.

Elementary education students work together on a lesson plan. Photo/provided.

“The new title of elementary education appropriately captures what we do as a teacher preparation program, as we develop, advance, and recommend teacher candidates for Preschool through 5th grade licensure,” said program directors Beth Kouche and Julie Walson in a joint statement.

CECH’s elementary education program is committed to providing students with a rigorous and comprehensive education that will prepare them to be effective teachers in primary schools and beyond. The program offers a variety of courses and experiences that will help students develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to be successful educators.

Elementary Education students smile together during a group project.

Elementary education students smile together during a group collaboration. Photo/provided.

“We are proud of the wide range of rich field experiences and high-quality instruction our program offers and hope the new name will help potential students in connecting to the University of Cincinnati’s elementary education program,” Kouche and Walson said.

After seeking input from our faculty, students, and community partners, our faculty felt it was important to move forward with this program name change.

Beth Kouche and Julie Walson, Elementary Education Program Directors

Featured image at top: Elementary education student reads a book to children during an experiential learning opportunity. Photo/provided.

CECH’s School of Education is highly regarded for preparing the next generation of educators. The program is led by a team of experienced and qualified faculty who are dedicated to teaching students to meet the demands of modern classrooms and address the educational needs of diverse student populations. The program offers a variety of courses and experiences that will help students develop their understanding of child development, instructional methods, and classroom management.

For more information about the School of Education, please visit the school’s website.

Contact the College of Education, Criminal Justice, Human Services, and Information Technology.

UC’s School of Education renames early childhood education program

Related Stories