Middle Childhood Education (B.S. in Ed.)
At-a-Glance

Degree Granted: Bachelor of Science in Education

Specialization Options: The undergraduate licensure program in middle childhood education provides for discipline-specific preparation in two to four content areas: language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies. The program is designed to provide undergraduates with formal course work in education for teaching adolescents aged 9-14 (grades 4 to 9). In addition to needed course work, a recommendation for Student Teaching requires taking PRAXIS examinations, with provisional licensure requiring the successful completion of any applicable PRAXIS examinations as mandated by the State Board of Education.

Minimum Hours Required for Degree: 120 to 154 semester hours

Teaching Credential: Ohio two-year provisional teaching license in Middle Childhood (ages 9 to 14 and grades 4 to 9).

Portfolio: All teaching license students are expected to maintain a portfolio while completing their professional coursework and field experiences. The portfolio will evolve from a working portfolio to a professional portfolio and finally to an employment portfolio. In it, students are responsible for housing various required and optional artifacts that demonstrate their level of competency in each of the outcomes of their program.

At various portfolio checkpoints, students must meet specific portfolio criteria in order to be eligible to continue to the next phase of their program. For complete information on portfolios, students are strongly encouraged to access the Student Portfolio Handbook available at:

http://www.csuohio.edu/coehs/students/portfolios/

As of Fall semester, 2007, all students entering teacher license programs are required to maintain their portfolios in the Cleveland State University ePortfolio System.

Accreditation: Having met current curriculum guidelines set by the National Middle School Association, the Middle Childhood Education Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Admission to Major: Must be admitted to the College of Education and Human Services (requires 2.50 cumulative grade-point average). Must also be accepted into a College of Education and Human Services program. This requires 2.50 cumulative grade-point average; grade of C or better on college-level English composition course; grade of C or better on college-level math course; an intake interview; and verification of good moral character.

Advising: Admission and program guidelines may be secured from the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower Room 1401, (216) 687-4625. Continuing academic, personal, and professional advising is available from assigned faculty advisers.

Evening Program: There is no evening program since students must be available for field placements in area schools during the day. However, those classes that do not require field work are frequently offered in the evenings.

Department Office: Teacher Education; 1319 Rhodes Tower, (216) 687-4600.

The Middle Childhood Education Program is intended to prepare candidates for teaching children from ages 9 to 14. Taken as a whole, the curriculum focuses on the nature and needs of early adolescents as they particularly relate to the design, delivery, and evaluation of culturally and developmentally responsive instruction. Throughout the program, the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills is aided by reflective practice and inquiry. To that end, the observation of middle- and junior-high school students and settings accompanies relevant study, is followed by on-site practice, and culminates in supervised student teaching. As previously noted, the program provides for concentrated study in at least two teaching fields.

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Major-Field Requirements

 

Required Courses:

A. General Education and Prerequisite Requirements (41-56 hours)

The courses listed in this section are designed to meet GenEd 2008 requirements and provide coursework prerequisite to the professional and major components of the program. In some cases, the listed courses exceed the University GenEd 2008 requirements. NOTE: At this time, not all courses have been approved for inclusion in GenEd 2008; program and department advisers should be consulted for updates.

1. Basic Foundation

   1. Intro to University Life (if required)
   • ASC 101 Introduction to University Life (1 hour)
   2. Writing/Composition
   • ENG 101 College Writing I (4 hours)
   • ENG 102 College Writing II (3 hours)
   1. Mathematics and Quantitative Literacy
      • If Mathematics is selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • MTH 328 Geometry for Middle School Teachers II (4 hours)
        • MTH 329 Data Analysis and Probability for Middle School Teachers III (4 hours)
      • If Mathematics is NOT selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • MTH 127 Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers I (4 hours)
        • MTH 128 Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers II (4 hours)
        • MTH 129 Mathematics for Elementary and Middle School Teachers III (2 hours)

   Breadth of Knowledge

   4. Natural Sciences
      • If Science is selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • (Check with Teacher Education Department for required courses)
      • If Science is NOT selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • EVS 206 Introduction to Environmental Science (4 hours)
        • Second Natural Science course selected from approved list and including a lab (4-5 hours)
   5. Social Sciences
      • If Social Studies is selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • (Check with Teacher Education Department for required courses)
      • If Social Studies is NOT selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • PSY 221 Adolescent Psychology (3 hours)
        • Second Social Science course selected from approved list, from department other than Psychology and focusing on a society other than U.S. (Africa, Asia, Latin American, or Middle East) (3 hours)
   6. Arts and Humanities
      • If Language Arts is selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • (Check with Teacher Education Department for required courses)
      • If Language Arts is NOT selected as a Middle Childhood content concentration
        • Arts and Humanities course selected from approved list (3 hours)
        • Second Arts and Humanities course selected from approved list, from department other than HPERD and focusing on a society other than U.S. (Africa, Asia, Latin American, or Middle East) (3 hours)
   7. Social Diversity
      • EDC 300 Diversity in Educational Settings (3 hours)
      • African American Course selected from approved list (3 hours)

   Additional Components

   8. Writing/Speaking Across the Curriculum
   • The three-course Writing-Across-the-Curriculum requirement will be met by program requirements, including EDB 301, EDB 302, EDM 313
   9. Capstone Experience
   • (Check with Teacher Education Department for course requirement)
   10. Wellness
       • HPR 101 Wellness as a Lifestyle (1 hour)
   11. Foreign Language (if required)
       • 2 semesters of foreign language or 2 semesters of American Sign Language (ASL) and 1 foreign culture course (0-12 hours)

B. Professional Education Requirements (44 hours)

Core course work in education and related professional experiences are included in this area for a total of 44 hours. Because certain courses in this sequence must be taken concurrently or in a prescribed order, students are strongly advised to seek assistance from the College Advising Office (RT 1401) before registering for classes.

1. Group A — Foundations
   • EDB 200 Teaching as a Profession (2 hours)
   • EDB 300 Educational Technology (2 hours)
   • EDB 301 Social Foundations of Education (3 hours)
   • EDB 302 Psychological Foundations of Education (3 hours)
2. Group B — Literacy
   • EDL 300 Phonics Assessment and Instruction (3 hours)
   • EDL 301 Beginning and Intermediate Reading Instruction and Assessment (3 hours)
   • EDL 305 Content Area Literacy (3 hours)
   • EDL 313 Literature-Based Reading Methods for Adolescents (3 hours)
3. Group C — Curriculum & Methods
   • EDB 303 History and Philosophy of Middle School: Teaching and Management in Context (4 hours)
   • ESE 404 Teaching Students of Varying Abilities (3 hours)
4. Group D — Culminating Experiences
   • EDB 400 Classroom Assessment (2 hours)
   • EST 371 Practicum in Middle Childhood Education (3 hours to be taken concurrently with two of the following content area methods courses: EDM 313, EDM 315, EDM 316, or EDM 317)
   • EST 481 Student Teaching in Middle Childhood Education (10 hours)

C. Licensure/Concentration Requirements (35-54 hours)

Concentrated course work in at least two teaching fields is included in this area for a total of 35 to 54 hours. Eligibility for enrollment in these courses demands the prior completion of any prerequisites.

1. Language Arts
   (19 to 20 hours)
   • COM 225 Media Writing or ENG 304 Creative Writing for Teachers (4 hours)
   • COM 242 Public and Professional Speaking or DRA 225 Principles of Acting (3 to 4 hours)
   • ENG 206 Literature and American Culture or ENG 342 Survey of American Literature (4 hours)
   • ENG 310 Traditional Grammar or ENG 311 Elements of Linguistics (4 hours)
   • EDM 313 Teaching and Assessing Language Arts in the Middle School (4 hours to be taken concurrently with EST 371, Practicum)
2. Mathematics (16 hours)
   • MTH 326 Numbers, Patterns and Operations for Middle School Teachers (4 hours)
   • MTH 327 Algebra and Functions for Middle School Teachers (4 hours)
   • MTH 330 Conversational Calculus for Middle School Teachers (4 hours)
   • EDM 315 Teaching and Assessing Mathematics in the Middle School (4 hours to be taken concurrently with EST 371, Practicum)
3. Science (24 hours)
   • BIO 380 Biology Content for Middle School Teachers (5 hours)
   • CHM 380 Principles of Chemistry for Middle School Teachers (5 hours)
   • EVS 380 Earth System Science for Middle School Teachers (5 hours)
   • PHY 400 Conceptual Physics for Middle School Teachers (4 hours)
   • EDM 317 Teaching and Assessing Science in the Middle School (4 hours to be taken concurrently with EST 371, Practicum)
4. Social Studies (30 hours)
   • ECN 201 Principles of Macroeconomics (3 hours)
   • ECN 202 Principles of Microeconomics (3 hours)
   • HIS 200 Introduction to Geography (4 hours)
   • HIS 111 United States History to 1877 (4 hours)
   • HIS 112 United States History since 1877 (4 hours)
   • HIS 306 History of Ohio or HIS 400 Local History Seminar (4 hours)
   • PSC 221 Comparative Politics or  PSC 231 International Politics (4 hours)
   • EDM 316 Teaching and Assessing Social Studies in the Middle School (4 hours to be taken concurrently with EST 371, Practicum)

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