Mar 28, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Elementary Education, BS


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The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Elementary Education is designed to prepare individuals to teach all subject areas grades K-6. The program provides an educational pathway for students who have earned an Associate in Arts degree to include EDF 2005 . It is also a good option for students with a child development focus. Upon graduation, students will meet the mandated state teaching requirements for certification in Elementary Education with ESOL and Reading Endorsements.  Students are strongly encouraged to complete EDF 2085  and EME 2040  as both courses remain Elementary Education program graduation requirements.

Program Highlights:

The BS in Elementary Education is a Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) approved program that culminates with both Reading and ESOL endorsements. The program includes courses in teaching students with English as a second language, students with exceptionalities, reading competency, classroom management, assessment, and integrated approaches to teaching methodologies at the elementary school level. Students will learn to facilitate lessons that integrate math and science, health, music and movement, as well as literature, fine arts, language arts, and social sciences. Field Experience requirements are progressive in nature, building upon previous semester experiences. Students will observe teachers in the field, teach lessons through the practicum courses, and complete a full-time teaching internship in their final semester. Courses are offered for full-time and part-time students, with blended and online courses where applicable.

Admission Requirements:

In addition to fulfilling the entrance requirements for Florida SouthWestern State College, applicants for the BS in Elementary Education degree program must meet the following requirements consistent with Florida Statute 1004.04:

Completion of the Associate in Arts (AA) degree or the equivalent, including all general education and required Florida mandated common course prerequisites. Students with a minimum of 60 transferable hours, with all general education requirements and prerequisites met, may apply for admission.

Completion of  EDF 2005 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession  with a grade of “C” or better.

Applicants must have an overall grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale from any college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association, as defined by State Board of Education rule, with a minimum of 60 credit hours.

Demonstrated mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute, by passing the General Knowledge Test of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination.

Applicants not meeting stated admissions criteria may petition for program admittance if they feel that there are mitigating circumstances. Applicants must submit an official petition form to the School of Education (forms are available online at http://www.fsw.edu/soe/forms).

Requirements to Enroll in Upper Division Courses:

Upon admission to the BS program, students must attend a mandatory orientation session prior to enrollment in upper division (3000 and 4000 level) courses.

To participate in the program, students must be fingerprinted and screened by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the FBI prior to entering any school.

Prior to enrollment in any upper division courses, students must complete ENC 1101 - Composition I , ENC 1102 - Composition II  and one general education math course.

To be eligible to enroll in EDE 4940 - Internship in Elementary Education , students must have passed all sections of the General Knowledge Test, the Professional Educator’s Exam and the Subject Area Exam; and attempted the Professional Educator’s Exam and the Subject Area Exam.

Cross-enrollment approval: Baccalaureate degree seeking students must obtain prior approval to cross enroll (as a transient student) in courses intended to fulfill upper division program requirements.  Approval will be determined by the appropriate dean in collaboration with program faculty.  Students initiate this process using www.floridashines.org/.

Upper Division Transfer Course Review: Students who have completed previous upper division coursework in an Education Program may present those courses for evaluation by the Elementary Education Department Chair. Students may transfer equivalent courses as determined by the State Common Course Numbering System. However, Florida SouthWestern State College reserves the right to deny common course number credit for courses in which practicum or internship components reside. Florida SouthWestern State College’s Office of the Registrar will ensure that previous coursework meets all relevant academic standards before acceptance for transfer. The Dean of the School of Education and the Credit Review Committee will ensure adherence to the above admissions criteria. Students must fulfill all required competencies, standards, skills and dispositions within the Bachelor of Science in Education Programs and may be required to submit additional documentation to support completion requirements.  25% of the 120 credits for the degree must be earned at FSW.

Students who have been fully admitted to the Elementary Education program, but do not enroll in at least one course for three consecutive semesters, are required to apply for readmission to the program.  Upon readmission, students are governed by the catalog requirements of the readmission year. Students with special circumstances preventing them from being readmitted to the program may make an appeal to the Dean of the School of Education for their enrollment to be reactivated.  Reactivation appeals must include a letter justifying the request, a letter of support from a faculty member, and any and all documentation to support the student’s appeal.  Reactivated students will be governed by the catalog in place during the year in which they were first admitted to the program.

In addition to adherence to the Florida SouthWestern State College Student Code of Conduct, policies, and procedures, teacher candidates must adhere to disposition policies, unit policies and procedures as published in the School of Education Handbook.

Priority Application Deadlines:

Fall term - August 1; Spring term - December 1; Summer term - April 1

Degree Requirements: 120 credit hours


General Education Courses: 36 Credits


According to Florida Administrative Code Rule 6A-14.0303 and 6A-10.030

Each student must successfully take twelve (12) semester hours of writing intensive coursework demonstrating college level writing skills with a grade of ”C” or better.  Six (6) credits must be taken in English Composition and Communication, and six (6) credits in the Social Sciences and/or Humanities

Refer to the FSW General Education Program Guide  for further details.

 

COMMUNICATIONS CATEGORY: 9 Credits Required


HUMANITIES CATEGORY: 6 Credits Required


  • Humanities General Education Courses16 credits

SOCIAL SCIENCES CATEGORY: 9 Credits Required


      or

MATHEMATICS CATEGORY: 6 Credits Required


  • Core Mathematics General Education Course, must complete with a “C” or better 3 credits
  • Any Mathematics General Education Course, must complete with a “C” or better 3 credits

NATURAL SCIENCES CATEGORY: 6 Credits Required


  • Natural Sciences General Education Course 3 credits
  • Natural Sciences General Education Course 3 credits
  • Natural Science Laboratory Course3

 

1Must include (1) Humanities Core Course

2Must include (1) Social Science Core Course.

3The lab course must correspond to either of the two selected Natural Science General Education courses;  it may be a standalone course (courses with an “L” suffix, e.g. CHM 1045L) or combined within a course (courses with a “C” suffix, e.g. BSC 1051C).

Required State Mandated Prerequisite Courses required for admission (grades of “C” or better):


College Mandated Courses required for Graduation (grades of “C” or better):


Service Learning Requirement (30 hours)


All Education baccalaureate degrees have a 30-hour service learning requirement. Ten hours will be completed each semester, leading up to final internship. The requirement begins to be met with completion of EDG 4004 , and the final culmination and validation of hours will be part of the final internship portfolio for each student.

General Electives (any courses numbered 1000-4999)


Students must complete a minimum of 120 credit hours to earn the B.S. degree. Typically, general electives are fulfilled with lower division coursework taken for completion of the Associate in Arts.

Total Credit Hours: 120


School Based Hour Requirements (720 total hours)


Teacher candidates must submit an application for Practicum I and II as well as for Final Internship to the Field Experience Office. All required benchmarks must be met prior to being approved for Field Experience placements. All practicum courses must span a minimum of ten weeks. During Internship, teacher candidates are expected to attend all duty days and assume all responsibilities as required of the K-12 mentor teacher.

Refer to individual course descriptions for additional information about school based hour requirements.

B.S. in Education Graduation Requirements


  1. Students must earn a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
  2. Foreign Language Competency Requirement:
    • 2 years of the same High School Foreign Language, or
    • Documented foreign language proficiency through testing, or
    • 2 semesters of the same College Level Foreign Language (level II proficiency), or
    • Level II proficiency - this criterion occurs when a student has completed the second course of a sequence of college foreign language without completing the first course.  For example, if a student has successfully completed a college-level Spanish II but not Spanish I, then the student has met the Foreign Language Competency requirement.
  3. Students must pass all required sections of the Florida Teachers Certification Examinations (FTCE) for certification within the State of Florida.
  4. While Florida SouthWestern State College governs a student’s program requirements, changes to a program emanating from the Florida State Board of Education will take precedence over the College catalog and may alter a student’s program of study.
  5. The Florida State Board of Education requires all education students to demonstrate competency in all of the revised Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAPs), Florida Subject Area Competencies (FSAC), and Professional Educator Competencies and Skills (PECS) as a condition of graduation, including completion of a professional portfolio. Elementary and Middle Grades Language Arts students must demonstrate achievement of all State required ESOL Competencies and Performance Standards and Reading competencies as a condition of graduation.
  6. Following graduation, students must apply to the FLDOE for their teaching license.
  7. Students must indicate their intention to attend commencement ceremony, by completing the Commencement Form by the published deadline.

Information is available online at www.fsw.edu/academics/ or on the School of Education Home Page at www.fsw.edu/soe.

BS in Elementary Education (K-6) Coursework Sequence Sheets

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