Board approves new early childhood/elementary education major

April 25, 2005

The Lyon College Board of Trustees approved a new early childhood/elementary education major at its spring meeting Friday at the college.

The new program will succeed the existing early childhood/elementary concentration and is intended for students interested in teaching pre-school through fourth grade (P-4).  Majors in the new program will also obtain a major in one of the traditional liberal arts. 

“Lyon has been offering high quality programs leading to teacher certification for the majority of its existence,” noted Dr. Walter Roettger, Lyon President.  “This new major will build upon the success of our ‘break-the-mold’ model that has distinguished teacher education at Lyon for more than a decade.”

The “break-the-mold” model requires students preparing for teaching careers to have subject matter expertise and a yearlong teaching internship in an area school.

Lyon’s current teacher education program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).  

The new major can be completed in four years of full-time study and includes courses in education, psychology and one in Arkansas history (a requirement for certification in the state).

The early childhood/elementary education major will be available to students beginning in the 2005-06 academic year.

Lyon will continue to offer concentrations in middle school and secondary education in conjunction with a liberal arts major.