MEd Elementary Education candidates for Initial Licensure will complete a 36-credit program in a manner that satisfies the state regulations. All students seeking elementary initial licensure (grades 1-6) take the 36-credit sequence of courses that is currently followed by the Teach Next Year Elementary program of study. Accepted candidates can follow this sequence that begins during the summer and includes a full year residency in a partner school. There is an option for some candidates to do a 75 hour, one day a week pre-practicum followed by a 300 hour full semester practicum in a partner school. These courses were developed to aid students in their graduate level learning process. Courses include an introduction to a developmental perspective on education, research and current understandings about the methods of teaching specific fields of knowledge, classroom management, inclusive practices for meeting the needs of students with moderate disabilities and sheltering instruction of content for English Language Learners. The capstone of the program for the Initial Licensure is the supervised practicum and accompanying portfolio. Candidates demonstrate readiness for the initial elementary licensure by a passing score on the MA CAP (Candidate Assessment of Performance).