Coordinators:  Drs. Walter Ryan and Gloria Murray
Campus Offices:  Dr. Walter Ryan (LF247) & Dr. Murray (HH20A)
E-mail: wryan@ius.edu or glomurra@ius.edu
Telephone: (812) 941-2539 or (812) 941-2448
Fax: (812) 941-2667

Program Description

Course work leading to the B.S. in Elementary Education has three components:

1. General Education—These requirements meet the campus-wide general education requirements.
2. Content—These requirements meet the need for elementary teachers to have a broad range of content knowledge
3. Professional and Pedagogical Studies—Students complete courses and experiences leading to successful demonstration of what elementary school educators need to know and be able to do.

Candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education should first review “General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees at IUS.” The bachelor’s degree in elementary education leads to an Indiana license to teach students in grades K-6. The program has four sequential fulltime semesters. Perspective candidates are encouraged to complete most of the general education and content requirements before applying to the program. Candidates accepted into the program can only register in the required education courses within their block during daytime hours (from 7:00 am to 4:00 pm).

Student Learning Goals

Candidates majoring in elementary education are expected to be professional at all times and demonstrate a commitment to the development of the whole child. The program has five broad outcomes that all candidates must demonstrate proficiency in:

1. The Candidate is knowledgeable in planning and preparation.
2. The Candidate is knowledgeable in creating an effective classroom environment.
3. The Candidate is knowledgeable of a variety of strategies for effective instruction.
4. The Candidate understands and carries out professional responsibilities.
5. The Candidate is knowledgeable of and applies all professional standards and all content standards for K-6 grades.

There are four major summative decision points for the Elementary Education Program. The first decision point is at application. The second decision point is at the beginning of block 2 of the program. The third is application to student teach. The fourth decision point is at the end of student teaching and degree completion. At each summative decision point, candidates are formally evaluated on specific criteria and a decision is made regarding each student’s status in the program. A candidate’s continuation status may be reevaluated at points other than summative decision points if significant difficulties are noted.

Degree/Certificate Requirements

For a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, students must satisfy all general rules for undergraduate education programs, rules for admission to the program, requirements for remaining in good standing, criteria for admission to student teaching, and eligibility for a degree described in the undergraduate general information section of the “School of Education” portion of this bulletin.  Degree completion is contingent upon students passing four summative decision points. Information about decision points can be found on the program Web site.  Completion of the degree, passage of state-mandated tests, CPR-Heimlich certification (Indiana only), and Suicide Prevention Training are needed to apply for an Indiana elementary (K-6) license.  Other requirements for licensing might be added dependent on state requirements.  Applicants will be accepted into the Elementary Undergraduate Program in cohorts and will progress through the program together. Candidates who do not move through subsequent method blocks with their original cohort may only enter a later cohort if space permits.

Application Process

All candidates applying for admission to the elementary education undergraduate program must complete the application for admission. Candidates must attend an application admission session, hosted by the education advisor, to obtain an application. Applications must be submitted to the School of Education main office (HH00200) by October 15 for spring semester cohort and by February 15 for fall semester cohort. Applications are reviewed by elementary education faculty. Formal letters notifying applicants of their application decision are mailed.

To apply for admission to the Elementary Education undergraduate program, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Have an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher.
2. Completed or be enrolled in all required Language Arts content courses
3. Pass the Indiana CORE Academic Skills Assessment (CASA: 220 minimum score for each—Reading, Writing, and Math) or an approved alternative: 1) ACT average score of at least 24 based on Math, Reading, Grammar, and Science; 2) SAT average score of at least 1100 based on Critical Reading and Math; 3) acceptable GRE score based on Verbal and Quantitative (at least 1100 if taken prior to 8/1/11 or at least 301 if taken on or after 8/1/11); 4) an earned Master’s degree; 5) passing scores on Praxis 1 earned prior to 8/31/13(Reading, Writing and Math, discontinued by IN on 8/31/13) will be honored, as well as 6) a composite Praxis 1 score of at least 527. Candidates who have passed portions of Praxis 1 prior to 8/31/13, but not all three tests, need only pass the part(s) of CASA not passed in Praxis 1
4. Including current application semester enrollment, candidates must have at least 55 credit hours towards their general education requirements as outlined by the Elementary Education Program check sheet.

A maximum of 50 candidates will be admitted to the cohort each semester (this includes both Special Education and Elementary Education candidates).  If more than 50 applicants meet the minimum criteria for admission, student acceptance will be determined based on a 12 point system:

• Average grade point average earned in the following:  ENG W131, SPCH S121, MATH T101, the highest grade in a required social science content course, the highest grade in a required science content course, and EDUC F200 (total GPA multiplied by 2 for a total of 8).
• Evaluation from F200 instructor (4 points).

All students are admitted conditionally until all grades are posted and a 2.5 minimum GPA is verified for the semester prior to starting Block I.

General Education Component - 30 credit hours

Program Admission Requirements - 35 credit hours

Additional Language Arts Content - 3 credit hours

Additional Math Content - 6 credit hours

Additional Social Science Content - 9 credit hours

Additional Science Content - 6 credit hours

Additional Fine Arts Content - 3 credit hours (NOTE: You must choose from the opposite content area of your selected Humanistic & Artistic Ways of Knowing course - i.e. you cannot have 2 MUS or 2 FINA courses)

Electives - 8 credit hours or enough to have a total of 120 credit hours

Major Specific Requirements

Pre-Education course (3 credit hours)

Block 1- Child as Learner -15 credit hours

Block 2 - The Literate Child - 11 credit hours

Block 3 - Integration Across the Curriculum - 14 credit hours

Block 4 - Teaching in an Era of Accountability - 12 credit hours

Concentrations

All elementary undergraduate education candidates must have a concentration in at least one of the four major content areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, and Science) to apply for a K-6 teaching license in Indiana. All candidates who complete the program as outlined will have a concentration in Social Studies. Candidates can add concentration(s) in one or more of the other three major content areas by completing the additional courses as outlined.

Language Arts Concentration (6 additional credit hours)

Mathematics Concentration (14 to 16 additional credit hours)

Science Concentration (6 additional credit hours)

Performance-Level Requirements 

In order to complete the degree, elementary education majors must:

1. pass the First-Year Seminar;
2. complete the degree with at least a 2.5 GPA;
3. have a grade of C or higher in each Professional Education courses;
4. have a grade of C or higher in each of the required Mathematics content courses;
5. have a grade of C or higher in each of the required Language Arts content courses
6. have a minimum GPA of 2.5 in each of the content area clusters (i.e. Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Science and Science)