Early Childhood (Teaching Pre-K-2nd grade)/Childhood (Teaching K-6th grade) Program
Middle Childhood/Adolescence/Special Subjects Program (Teaching Middle/High School Grades)
Middle/Adolescence Education
Art and Business Education Minors
Literacy Teacher Program (leading to the degree of Master of Science in Education)

Early Childhood (Teaching Pre-K-2nd grade)/Childhood (Teaching K-6th grade) Program
Alfred University’s program is field-based, with two practicum placements, taken the semester prior to student teaching. These experiences give you an excellent opportunity to observe and model a variety of instructional strategies and practices at various grade levels.

In the semester of student teaching, you will gain a solid understanding of the scope and sequence of education in the K-6 classroom. You’ll apply current educational methodologies and develop lesson and unit plans under the guidance of cooperating teachers and university professors.

The courses in Education cluster in the following areas:

• Educational Foundations
• Content area instruction
• Literacy instruction
• Classroom management
• Goal setting
• Exceptionality

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Middle Childhood/Adolescence/Special Subjects Program (Teaching Middle/High School Grades)
If you’re interested in majoring in an academic or special subject area, and wish to work with middle school and high school students, you may be interested in obtaining a minor in Education. This program combines an academic major in a particular field, such as English or biology, with a minor in Education.

Middle/Adolescence Education Specialist subjects include:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• French
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Social Studies
• Spanish

All students completing the program receive certification in Adolescence Education. It is possible to receive an additional certification to teach Middle Childhood Education by completing additional course work.

Special subjects include art and business. If you major in art or business, you may complete course work in Education to receive certification to teach in those areas.

Major and Minor Requirements

Early Childhood/Childhood Education Certification
Students who major in Early Childhood/Childhood Education receive an integrated blend of professional education methods coursework and field-based opportunities in area schools. These opportunities enable them to apply theory to classroom situations. These field-based experiences expose students to a diverse number of educational environments. Students completing the program meet the academic requirements of the New York State Education Department for certification in Early Childhood/Childhood Education.

Requirements of the Major
Students majoring in Early Childhood/Childhood Education must complete coursework in the arts and sciences that is rich in breadth and depth. This coursework fulfills requirements in basic competencies and areas of knowledge in the following subjects: written communication, mathematics, computer, literature, foreign language, arts, social science, historical studies and natural science.

Students majoring in Early Childhood/Childhood Education must fulfill additional requirements in an academic area of concentration, Students select an academic area that is aligned with the current New York State Learning Standards. Possible academic areas include English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies (History and/or Political Science). Over half the coursework in the academic area of concentration must be taken at advanced (300-400) level.

Upon successful completion of the sophomore year, the student may apply for admission into the Early Childhood/Childhood Education Program. To be admitted, students must first interview with a member of the Education faculty, have an overall 2.75 GPA in their liberal arts coursework, and achieve a 3.0 GPA in the prerequisite education courses EDUC 230 and EDUC 231). In addition, each candidate for the program must have taken the Liberal Arts and Science (LAST) section of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations prior to admittance into the program.

The Education portion of the program starts in the spring semester of the student’s junior year, and includes field-based coursework in early childhood/childhood curriculum, orientation, literacy, integrated methodology of social studies, math, and science. The required concurrent field experience in two different placements in an area school system is designed as an opportunity to blend theory with experiential application. The following fall semester, students are placed in area schools for student teaching. Courses in literacy, methods applications, and classroom management and evaluation are designed to assist students to plan lessons that incorporate the New York State Learning Standards.

Prerequisite Courses
EDUC 230 Psychological Foundations of Education 3
EDUC 231 Social Foundations of Education 3

Spring Semester – Junior Year
EDUC 374 Integrated Methods: Social Studies, Science, Mathematics and Computer Applications 6
EDUC 375 Early Childhood/Childhood Practicum 3
EDUC 471 Methods of Teaching Literacy 6
EDUC 474 Orientation to the Early Childhood/Childhood Classroom 3

Fall Semester – Senior Year
EDUC 472 Competency Skills in Teaching Literacy 3
EDUC 473 Assessment in the Early Childhood/Childhood Classroom 3
EDUC 461 Student Teaching 12

Spring Semester – Senior Year
SPED 456 Human Development: Exceptionality 3

Total 45

Academic Area of Concentration
A student must complete 30 hours in an academic area of concentration, half of which must be completed at the upper level (300-400). The following are some possible areas of academic concentration, which show possible combinations of coursework.

• Social Science (psychology, sociology)
• Social Studies (history and/or political Science)
• Science (biology, chemistry, astronomy, physics, environmental science)
• Mathematics (computer science, math)
• Foreign Language
• English

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Middle/Adolescence Education
Preparation for a career in Adolescence Education (grades 7-12) combines an academic major in a particular field, such as English or Biology, with a minor in Education. Academic subjects include Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, English, French, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies and Spanish. All students completing the program will receive certification in Adolescence Education. It is possible to receive an additional certification to teach Middle Childhood Education by completing additional course work.

Entrance Criteria
To be admitted into the middle/adolescence (grades 7-12) and special subjects education minor programs, students must have the recommendation of their major division, together with a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 average in EDUC 230 and EDUC 231. Applicants must also take the appropriate New York State Teacher examinations. These state exams are to be completed during the semester the student is enrolled in EDUC 231.

Requirements
General Pedagogical Core
EDUC 230 Psychological Foundations of Education 3
EDUC 231 Social Foundations of Education 3

Specific Pedagogical Core
EDUC 345 Education Fieldwork 3
EDUC 405 Literacy in the Content Areas 3
EDUC 413 Adolescent Literature 3
EDUC 489 Current Teaching Methods: Secondary Subjects 3
EDUC 460 Seminar in Teaching & Professional Development 3
EDUC 461 Full Semester of Student Teaching 12

Initial Certification Requirements

• Completion of Basic Competencies and Areas of Knowledge required for Liberal Arts and Sciences
• Completion of academic major
• Completion of 6 to 8 credit hours (or its equivalent) of college level study in a language other then English
• Completion of the following three (3) New York State Teacher Examinations:
  
  Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (L.A.S.T.)
  Assessment of Teaching Skill (A.S.T.- W.)
  Content Specialty Tests (C.S.T.)
  
• Completion of a Child Abuse Identification and Reporting workshop offered through the Division of Education
• Completion of a Safe Schools Against Violence in Education workshop offered through the Division of Education

The program also requires an extensive amount of field-based experience. Students must spend an equivalent of 2.5 hours per week in grades 7-12 classrooms (grades K-12 for art education minors) during the semester prior to the student teaching semester.

In the student teaching portion of the program students will be placed full-time in a school setting (grades 7-12 for secondary and business education students, and K-12 for art education students) for the entire semester.

Middle Childhood (grades 5 and 6) Certification
Those students who wish to complete additional certification in Middle Childhood must successfully complete all requirements for Middle/Adolescence certification. Students must additionally complete EDUC 488 – Current Teaching Methods: Middle Childhood Subjects.

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Art and Business Education Minors
Students minoring in art or business education will be enrolled in the appropriate baccalaureate programs in either the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Business, or the School of Art and Design of the New York State College of Ceramics, in addition to completing the minor requirements of the middle/adolescence education program. A student preparing to teach in one of these areas should consult a faculty member in the art and business education program before planning a program of major studies. Students may complete the appropriate course work in Education to receive certification to teach in these areas.

To be admitted into the program, applicants must have the recommendation of a faculty member from their major division, together with a 2.75 cumulative GPA and a 3.0 average in EDUC 230 and EDUC 231. In addition, candidates must have taken the appropriate teacher examinations.

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Literacy Teacher Program (leading to the degree of Master of Science in Education)
Graduates of the Literacy Program have completed the academic requirements for professional certification in all teaching areas, (including Early Childhood/Childhood, Art, and Middle and Adolescent subjects) regardless of the subject area of their initial certification.

Initial Certification
Students who have a bachelors or masters degree desiring provisional (initial) certification in Early Childhood/Childhood or Middle/Adolescence Education should contact their local BOCES certification officer, a faculty member from Alfred will work with individuals to insure that the requirements have been met for receiving provisional (initial) certification through BOCES.

Purpose of the Degree
The graduate program in literacy is designed to prepare master teachers of literacy as consultants, program coordinators, specialists and classroom teachers (birth through grade 6). The program’s emphasis is placed on the practical application of current reading approaches and strategies, materials, methodologies, goal assessment, techniques, evaluation, and professional responsibilities of the literacy teacher. Upon completion of the program, the student is expected to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of both developmental and remedial literacy.

Admission to the Literacy Program
Prior to entering the Literacy Program, applicants must have fulfilled all requirements for teacher certification and completed all three sections of the New York State teacher examinations, including the Content Specialty Tests (CST). Applicants should send copies of these scores, along with official undergraduate transcripts and letters of recommendation to the Graduate Admissions office.

Certification
The degree in Literacy meets the criteria for, and may be used in partial fulfillment of, the requirements for permanent and professional certification in New York. Additionally, students completing the Literacy Program fulfill the requirements for certification in Literacy.

Schedule of Courses
Required Courses
EDUC 503 Competency in the Teaching of Literacy 3
EDUC 504 Diagnostic & Remedial Techniques in Literacy 3
EDUC 505 Literacy in the Content Areas 3
EDUC 507 Literacy Seminar & Field Experience 6
EDUC 513 Children’s Literature in the Classroom 3
SPED 556 Human Development: Exceptionality 3
or
EDUC 528 Human Development: The Lifespan 3
EDUC 695 Masters Project 3

Elective Credits: 6

Students must complete a total of 30 credit hours.

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