The mission of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction is to prepare and support effective professional educators who can meet students' diverse academic, social, and personal needs. Department faculty members also contribute to education by generating and disseminating high-quality research, developing innovative programs to meet education needs, and through providing meaningful professional service. The Elementary Education Program prepares candidates to become effective teachers in EC-6 classrooms. It also provides elementary school teacher candidates with strategies for providing instruction to students whose native language is not English. This on-campus, four-semester program provides courses on child development, foundations of education, and instructional methods in the core curriculum areas. Coursework is closely linked to field experiences and student teaching in elementary partner school classrooms.