The request to revise the B.A. in Elementary Education by removing concentrations and adding the requirement of a minor

Date: January 23, 2014
To: College of Education
From: Office of Academic Affairs
Approved On: December 18, 2013
Approved by: Undergraduate Course and Curriculum Committee
Implementation Date: Summer 2014

Note: Deletions are strikethroughs. Insertions are underlined.

Catalog Copy

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education

The B.A. program in Elementary Education qualifies graduates for an entry-level (“A”) license to teach grades K-6.

Graduates of the program are prepared to meet the 10 INTASC standards for new teachers in Content Pedagogy, Student Development, Diverse Learners, Multiple Instructional Strategies, Motivation and Management, Communication and Technology, Planning, Assessment, Reflective Practice, School and Community Involvement.

Degree Requirements

The major in Elementary Education leading to the B.A. degree requires at least 120 semester hours as follows:

General Education (35-48 hours)

Course options are listed on the program’s Academic Planning Worksheet. Course selections must be initially approved by the student’s Pre-Education advisor in the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure (TEALR) Office and finally approved by the student’s major advisor after admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. General Education requirements may also be met through the “Articulation Agreement” with North Carolina Community Colleges.

Minor

Students must complete an approved minor in an Arts and Sciences discipline. The minor selection must be initially approved by the student’s Pre-Education advisor in the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office and finally approved by the student’s major advisor after admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. With advisor approval, a full second major may be approved for this requirement.

Academic Concentration

Students must complete a concentration of 18 semester hours in an area of study to obtain North Carolina licensure in K-6 grades. The academic concentration includes both required courses and optional course selections in order to complete the concentration. An approved minor will also meet this requirement.

The required and elective courses in each Academic Concentration are listed on the program’s Academic Planning Worksheet. Course selections must be initially approved by the student’s Pre-Education advisor in the Teacher Education Advising and Licensure Office and finally approved by the student’s major advisor after admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education. With advisor approval, a full second major or a bona fide minor in an Arts and Sciences discipline may be substituted for the academic concentration.

Related Licensure Courses (3 hours)

Three hours of a creative arts activity course, with a different area of emphasis from the LBST Arts and Society course (e.g., ARTB 1206, ARTE 2121, MUSC 1160, MUSC 2191, THEA 1100, THEA 1160, and others approved by the advisor.

Professional Education Courses

  • EDUC 2100 An Introduction to Education and Diversity in Schools (3)*
  • SPED 2100 Introduction to Students with Special Needs (3)*

Suggested Curriculum

Note: Admission to Teacher Education and advisor’s approval are required in order to register for any of the following courses.

Semester 1

  • ELED 3111 Instructional Design and the Use of Technology with Elementary School Learner (3)
  • ELED 3120 The Elementary School Child (3)
  • READ 3224 Teaching Reading to Primary Level Learners (3)
  • KNES 3221 Elementary Physical and Health Education (3)
  • MAED 3222 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, K-2 (3)

Semester 2 (Methods Semester)

  • ELED 3221 Teaching Science to Elementary School Learners (3)**
  • ELED 3223 Teaching Social Studies to Elementary School Learners (3)**
  • ELED 3226 Teaching Language Arts to Elementary School Learners (3)**
  • MAED 3224 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School, 3-6 (3)**
  • READ 3226 Teaching Reading to Intermediate Grade Learners (3)**

Semester 3 (Yearlong Internship)

  • ELED 4121 Measuring and Evaluating Learning in the Elementary School Curriculum (3)***
  • ELED 4122 Research and Analysis of Teaching Elementary School Learners (3)***
  • ELED 4220 Integrating Curriculum for Elementary School Learners (3)***
  • ELED 4292 Multicultural Education: Modifying Instruction for Urban Learners (3)***
  • EDUC 4290 Modifying Instruction for Learners with Diverse Needs (3)***

Semester 4 (Student Teaching)

  • ELED 4420 Student Teaching/Seminar: K-6 Elementary Education (15)****

*Corequisite courses EDUC 2100 and SPED 2100 may be taken during a student’s Freshman or Sophomore year; both must be completed with a grade of C or above to qualify for admission to the Teacher Education Program.
**ELED 3221, ELED 3223, ELED 3226, MAED 3224, and READ 3226 must be taken during Semester 2.
***All 4000-level courses must be taken in the last semester of coursework (Yearlong Internship).
****Enrollment in ELED 4420 requires admission to student teaching through the College’s Office of Field Experiences.

Electives

The number of free electives varies, depending upon how General Education and related licensure requirements are fulfilled. Students must complete at least 120 hours to meet the University graduation requirement.

Additional Requirements

The successful completion of a degree in Elementary Education includes meeting the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction’s licensure requirements for K-6 certification. Consequently, additional requirements must be completed during the student’s program and are listed below. Since state licensure requirements often change, additional work may be required to complete the program with a teaching license.

Grade and Registration Requirements

All Elementary Education (ELED) students must maintain a 2.5 GPA overall and a 2.75 GPA in their professional courses. All professional courses must be passed with a grade of C or above, and students may repeat a professional course once. Students may be dropped from a course if they register out of sequence.

Dispositions

Dispositions are consistent patterns of behavior or habits that may impact teaching effectiveness. At the time of entry to the program, all elementary education majors are asked to sign a dispositions statement that fully identifies and describes behavior patterns that are appropriate and inappropriate in professional conduct. Elementary education students are expected to demonstrate professional dispositions in all of their university activities (courses, clinicals, etc.).

Planning Sheet

All elementary education students are tracked through their program with a Program Planning Sheet. The original planning sheet is kept in the student’s folder and lists all courses taken, transfer hours, General Education and concentration minor requirements met, and courses remaining in the program. Note that the university requires that the minimum number of credits in a degree program is 120 credit hours.

Clinicals

All courses in the professional program include a clinical requirement where students complete specific activities or designated hours in an elementary school. Clinicals are designed to expose students to diverse school demographics, locations, and programs.

Yearlong Internship

Teacher education candidates participate in the yearlong internship during their final year of the program. During the first semester, students spend one day per week in an assigned classroom while completing coursework on campus. During the second semester of the internship, students complete full-time student teaching in the same classroom. Applications for this yearlong internship are due two semesters before student teaching.

Technology Requirements

Students admitted to the College of Education in Fall 2010 or later are required to complete the licensure portfolio (consisting of six (6) Evidences in TaskStream. Students begin this licensure portfolio while completing their coursework and finish the licensure portfolio during the student teaching semester. Candidates WILL NOT be allowed to proceed with the student teaching experience if the Evidences are not completed before the student teaching semester.

Academic Advising

Freshmen and Sophomores who intend to major in Elementary Education are classified as Pre-Education students in Elementary Education. They are assigned an advisor in the College’s Office of Teacher Education Advising, Licensure, and Recruitment (TEALR), who helps them select appropriate General Education and Academic Concentration courses, and also helps them meet the requirements for admission to teacher education. Upon admission to the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education, which typically occurs at the end of the Sophomore year, students will be advised in the Elementary Education Advising Center.

Note: Elementary education courses are available on a very limited basis in the summer.