Mar 29, 2024  
Catalog 2015-2016 
    
Catalog 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Elementary and Middle School Education, B.A.


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The College of Education  undergraduate major in Elementary and Middle School Education prepares education majors to teach kindergarten through grade nine. Professional education courses provide preparation for teaching, and general education courses expand candidates’ knowledge of elementary school curricula and their understanding of pupils. This curriculum offers a combination of classroom instruction, pre-student teaching field experiences, as well as the supervised student teaching experience.

Admission to Teacher Education

After meeting the university admission requirements, students must meet the following requirements to continue in the Elementary Education program:

  • be admitted to Governors State University and be in good academic standing;
  • present transcripts showing a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher in all undergraduate work attempted;
  • present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) of the Illinois Certification Testing System;
  • complete the ETS Proficiency Profile;
  • earn a grade of “B” or better in the following two courses taken at Governors State University: EDUC - 3320 The Future of American Education (3)  and EDUC - 3321 Effective Teaching and Laboratory (4) ; and
  • receive a positive recommendation from the Elementary Education faculty to continue in the program.

Note: Candidates must provide proof of passing the ICTS Test of Academic Proficiency before enrolling in EDUC-3321 .

All candidates for Illinois teacher licensure at Governors State University are required to submit to an Adam Walsh fingerprint-based criminal background check by CertifiedBackground.com prior to their initial field experience in the schools. For more information on this testing, please visit www.certifiedbackground.com. Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GSU policies and procedures.

Candidate Progress

The faculty monitors and evaluates candidate progress continually. The section Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals  in this catalog provides a general description of the standards used to evaluate candidate progress. A more detailed statement of the standards and processes followed by the Elementary Education faculty is available in the Elementary Education Student Handbook.

Conditional Continuation

The faculty may permit a candidate to continue conditionally. In such cases, faculty reviews of the candidate’s records identify evidence that the candidate will likely be successful in the program. The status of all candidates allowed to continue under conditions is reviewed by the faculty each term, and the candidates are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When conditions are met, the candidate is informed in writing of the transfer to good standing status. A candidate may not be admitted to student teaching without being in good standing status.

Candidate Handbook

The Elementary Education Candidate Handbook referred to in this catalog is available at www.govst.edu/education.

Teacher Licensure

This program is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education for recommendation of the Initial Elementary License by entitlement. To be recommended for licensure by Governors State University, candidates must complete 72-73 hours in general education and the professional education requirements in Elementary Education. General education courses may include both lower and upper-division course work. Candidates must earn a grade of “B” or better in ELED-4999 Student Teaching .

Candidates must meet other requirements for licensure through approved programs listed in the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals section in this catalog.

Middle School Endorsement

Requirements for the middle school endorsement are discussed in the Licensure of Teachers and Other School Professionals  section in this catalog.

Program Portfolio

The Program Portfolio is a selection of examples of candidate work (artifacts) that is organized according to the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards and the Standards for Licensure in Elementary Education. Throughout the program, candidates choose artifacts to include in their portfolios, write reflections, and receive evaluations of their artifacts and reflections. At the conclusion of student teaching, candidates will submit portfolios that contain artifacts for each standard.

Admission to Student Teaching

All professional course work must be completed before enrolling in student teaching. For those students teaching in a content area at the middle-grades level, all endorsement requirements must also be completed.

To be admitted to student teaching, candidates must:

  1. complete the required course work with a grade of “B” or better in EDUC-3320  and EDUC-3321  and a grade of “C” or better in all other courses;
  2. complete the 69-73 hours of general education requirements with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher;
  3. complete all professional education requirements with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a “B” or better in EDUC-3320  and EDUC-3321 ;
  4. complete 100 clock-hours of pre-student teaching field experiences;
  5. complete at least 18-19 hours in the teaching specialization with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher;
  6. have completed all but nine credits in general education;
  7. receive a positive recommendation from the Elementary Education faculty; and
  8. verify successful completion of the Elementary Content Exam of the Illinois Certification Testing System.

An application certifying that the first six of these requirements have been met must be submitted to the coordinator of field experiences by January 31 for the following fall and spring terms. Student teaching is not offered during the summer term. In addition, candidates must pass the ICTS Elementary Content Test before student teaching.

Degree Requirements


Candidates must meet all university requirements for a bachelor’s degree, except candidates must complete the 72-73 hour General Education Requirement for Teacher Licensure (Initial Elementary License) below instead of the University General Education Requirement.

Candidates must also:

  1. complete all course work (56-58 hours of professional education and 72-73 hours of general education) with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
  2. maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in professional education courses;
  3. maintain a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in all general education courses taken at Governors State University with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
  4. complete at least one three-hour course in non-Western or Third World cultures;
  5. complete all course work at Governors State University within five calendar years;
  6. maintain satisfactory candidate progress as defined in the Elementary Education Candidate Handbook; and
  7. receive a positive recommendation from the Elementary Education faculty.

General Education Requirement for Teacher Certification, Initial Elementary Licensure (69-70 Hours)


Course work acceptable for meeting these requirements must be college level work and may not include remedial courses even if college credit is granted. Generally, this course work must be at the 1000-level or higher and applicable toward a degree at the institution providing the instruction. Courses with grades below “C” will not be accepted toward the degree.

The following course work must include at least one three-hour course in non-western or third world cultures.

The following course work may be completed at the lower-division level:

  • Written Communication (6)
  • Oral Communication (3)
  • Mathematics for Elementary Teachers (6)
  • Mathematics selective (select from courses equivalent to MATH-3331 , MATH 2137  , MATH 2290  , MATH-4133 , LAS-4127 ) (3)
  • Biological, Physical Science, and Earth Science (Including 3 hours of biology, a 3 hour physical science course (chemistry or physics), 3 hours of earth/space science (astronomy, geology, or meteorology) and a 1 hour lab course with one of these) (10)
  • Survey of American History (3)
  • Humanities (3)
  • Fine Arts (3)
  • Literature (3)
  • U.S. Government (3)
  • Psychology (3)
  • World or Cultural Geography (3)
  • Health/Nutrition (2-3)
  • Teaching Specialization (18-19)(Maximum of 9 hours of lower-division)

NOTE:


Select one of the teaching specializations listed in the Teaching Specializations section.

At least nine specialization hours must be in upper-division courses.

Professional Education Courses (61-62 hours)


Total - 130-132 Hours


Teaching Specializations


In consultation with a program advisor, candidates will select at least 18 hours (except for biology which may require 19) of course work within one of the following teaching specializations. At least nine hours must carry upper-division credit.

Total - 18 Hours

English


History


Mathematics


Students planning to teach mathematics at the junior high level should consult with an advisor.

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