Program Details

School of Education and Teacher Preparation
212 Correll Center
912-279-5843
Program Coordinator:
Dr. Sarah Hartman  279-5988
shartman@ccga.edu

Blending traditional and non-traditional approaches to teacher preparation with a focus on content knowledge expertise, effective teaching strategies and classroom management, graduates will enter the teaching profession poised to meet the challenges of current and future middle grades classrooms. Teacher candidates complete professional education coursework, content coursework in two areas chosen from mathematics, science, social science and English/language arts as well as structured, supervised field experiences in schools.

The Bachelor of Science in Middle Grades Education meets standards established by the University System of Georgia, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. Teacher candidates successfully completing this program will be certified to teach in two content areas, grades 4-8.

Core Curriculum

The middle grades education program requires 120-129 credit hours of which 60-65 are to complete the USG Core Curriculum in Areas A through F. Due to the fact that prospective teacher candidates will focus on two content areas, early and regular advising beginning in the freshman year is strongly encouraged to ensure that course selection is geared toward increasing content knowledge related to students’ teaching concentrations.

Admission to the Teacher Education Program

Prior to enrolling in the semester that begins the teacher candidate’s professional education sequence of course work, students are required to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program. Applications for admission to the Teacher Education Program are due on or before February 1 prior to the Junior Year, Fall Semester. Admission is competitive in nature and successful prospective teacher candidates must meet the following minimum criteria:

1. a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on all coursework.
2. successful completion of the GACE Program Admission Assessment or an exemption based upon satisfactory scores on the SAT or ACT*.
3. completion of the GACE Georgia Educator Ethics Assessment (Program Entry [350])
4. a grade of C or better in all Area F courses
5. completion of Areas A-G in the core curriculum
6. successful submission of three Teacher Candidate Disposition Evaluations (at least one from an EDUC professor)
7. proof of insurance for tort liability purposes while
8. GaPSC issued Pre-Service Certificate
9. A successful criminal background check (conducted by the GAPSC)

Students may be exempt from GACE if they:

1. Score 1000 or higher on the SAT (verbal, math)
2. Score 43 or higher on the ACT (English, math)
3. Passed the CBEST, CLAST, or FTCE (California/Oregon/Florida)
4. Passed the Praxis I prior to 3/6/2007

* For more information, see an education advisor.

Continuation in the Teacher Education Program

Once admitted to the Teacher Education Program, teacher candidates must earn a minimum 2.75 GPA or higher each semester and earn a C or better in all professional education and content concentration coursework. Periodic monitoring by program faculty with regard to teacher candidate progress on their knowledge, skills, and dispositions is conducted to ensure that teacher candidates meet high standards. Completion of professional education course work includes lecture courses, practicum courses where teacher candidates’ work with children in public schools under the supervision of a certified teacher and a college supervisor, seminar courses that provide overview information about upcoming course work, and professional development seminars that provide supplemental knowledge and skills beyond lecture courses.

Graduation Requirements
For graduation, all teacher candidates are required to take the edTPA, to successfully complete the Capstone Integrated Internship, and to pass the GACE content tests required for certification by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Professional Education Curriculum
The professional education course of study is composed or comprised of 61-64 credit hours with courses in middle grades education, special education, reading and literacy, psychology, and two content concentration areas. For the professional education courses listed below, the following guide provides the basis for content: MGED - course content focuses primarily on middle grades education; RDNG - course content focuses primarily on literacy and reading education; SPED - course content focuses primarily on special education; and PSYC - course content focuses on psychology.

Click to hide the core curriculum and see only the program specific curriculum.