Middle Grades Science Education, BS

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The Bachelor of Science (BS) in Middle Grades Science Education is designed to prepare individuals to teach life and physical science in grades 5-9. The program provides an educational pathway for students who have earned an Associate in Arts degree to include specific science and education prerequisites. Upon graduation, students will meet the mandated state teaching requirements for certification in Middle Grades Science Education.

Program Highlights:

The Middle Grades Science Education degree is a Florida Department of Education (FLDOE) approved program. The program includes courses that prepare teacher candidates to understand the nature of the adolescent learner and the middle grades philosophy. Content courses cover general ecology, scientific processes, and physical and biological sciences. In addition, teacher candidates will take courses to prepare them to teach English as a second language, students with exceptionalities, and reading competency. Throughout the program, teacher candidates will develop classroom management and assessment strategies for working with a diverse population of students. Field experience requirements are progressive in nature, building upon previous semester experiences. Students will complete field experience, 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 technology and online courses where applicable. Students may complete two upper division courses (6 credit hours of science course work) through Florida Gulf Coast University.

Admission Requirements:

In addition to fulfilling the entrance requirements for Edison State College, applicants for the BS in Middle Grades Science 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 Core Requirements and required Florida mandated common course program prerequisites. Students with a minimum of 60 transferable hours, with all General Education requirements and prerequisites met, may apply for admission.
Completion of the lower-division education prerequisite courses: EDF 2005 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession , EDF 2085 - Introduction to Diversity for Educators- (I) , and EME 2040 - Introduction to Technology for Educators with grades of “C” or higher.
Completion of [(BSC X010/X010L & BSC X011/X011L) OR (CHM X045/X045L & CHM X046/X046L) OR (PHY X053/X053L & PHY X054/X054L) OR (BSC X010C & BSC X011C) OR (CHM X045C & CHM X046C) OR (PHY X048C & PHY X049C) OR (PHY X053C & PHY X054C)] AND (GLY XXXX/GLY XXXXL OR GLY XXXXC) AND OCE XXXX.
Applicants must have a grade point average of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale for the General Education component of undergraduate studies 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 (GK) of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination, the College Level Academic Skills Test (CLAST) (prior to July 1, 2009), a corresponding component of the National Teachers Examination series, or a similar test pursuant to rules of the State Board of Education.
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 Office of the Registrar Applicants must submit an official petition form to the School of Education (forms are available online at www.edison.edu/soe/resources/forms/Appeal%20Form.pdf).

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.
Students must disclose background information that may preclude them from becoming certified at the time of admission. For continued enrollment in the program, students must be fingerprinted and screened by the Florida Department of Law Enforcements 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 SCE 4943 - Internship in Middle Grades Science Education , students must have passed all sections of the General Knowledge Test, 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.facts.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 Discipline Chair for Education. In some cases, students may be required to submit portfolio icons or assignments to demonstrate competency in the required Florida Educator Accomplished Practices, reading or ESOL standards. The student is urged to provide the Discipline Chair for Education with corresponding syllabi, samples of student work, and textbook/assignment information related to each upper division course. Students may transfer equivalent courses as determined by the State Common Course Numbering System. However, Edison State College reserves the right to deny common course number credit for courses in which practicum or internship components reside. 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.

The Edison State College Registrar’s Office will ensure that previous coursework meets all relevant academic standards before acceptance for transfer. The Dean of the School of Education and the Education Admissions Committee will ensure adherence to the above admissions criteria.

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

Priority Application Deadlines:

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

Degree Requirements: 120 Hours

General Education Core Requirements: minimum of 36 credit hours

Communication- 9 credit hours
ENC 1101 - Composition I 3 credit(s)
ENC 1102 - Composition II 3 credit(s)
and
SPC 1017 - Fundamentals of Speech Communication 3 credit(s)
or
SPC 2023 - Introduction to Public Speaking 3 credit(s)
Humanities- 6 credit hours (refer to the Associate in Arts Degree General Education Program Guide, AA )
One HUM writing intensive course (Part A)

One additional humanities course
Mathematics- 6 credit hours (refer to the Associate in Arts Degree General Education Program Guide, AA )
Any general education mathematics course

Any general education mathematics course
Natural Sciences- 6 credit hours to include associated labs - can be fulfilled with Required Program Prerequisite courses (refer to the Associate in Arts Degree General Education Program Guide, AA )
One natural sciences course with associated lab

One additional natural sciences course with associated lab
Social Sciences- 9 credit hours (refer to the Associate in Arts Degree General Education Program Guide, AA )
One WOH writing intensive course (Part A)
PSY 2012 - General Psychology I 3 credit(s)
or
DEP 2004 - Human Growth and Development 3 credit(s)
One additional social sciences course

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

EDF 2005 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession 3 credit(s)
EDF 2085 - Introduction to Diversity for Educators- (I) 3 credit(s)
EME 2040 - Introduction to Technology for Educators 3 credit(s)
The following courses can satisfy the General Education Natural Sciences requirement:
* BSC 1010 - Biological Science I 3 credit(s)
and
BSC 1010L - Biological Science I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
* BSC 1011 - Biological Science II 3 credit(s)
and
BSC 1011L - Biological Science II Laboratory 1 credit(s)
GLY 1XXX Geology
OCE 1XXX Oceanography
* Students may opt to fulfill the BSC sequence (BSC 1010/1010L and BSC 1011/1011L) with one of the three following options:
CHM 2045 - General Chemistry I 3 credit(s)
and
CHM 2045L - General Chemistry I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
and
CHM 2046 - General Chemistry II 3 credit(s)
and
CHM 2046L - General Chemistry II Laboratory 1 credit(s)
PHY 2048 - General Physics I 4 credit(s)
and
PHY 2048L - General Physics I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
and
PHY 2049 - General Physics II 4 credit(s)
and
PHY 2049L - General Physics II Laboratory 1 credit(s)
PHY 2053 - College Physics I 4 credit(s)
and
PHY 2053L - College Physics I Laboratory 1 credit(s)
and
PHY 2054 - College Physics II 4 credit(s)
and
PHY 2054L - College Physics II Laboratory 1 credit(s)

Upper Division Education Requirements (53 credit hours):

EDF 3214 - Human Development and Learning 3 credit(s)
EDF 4782 - Ethics and Law 2 credit(s)
EDG 3410 - Classroom Management and Communication 3 credit(s)
EDG 4004 - Special Topics in Education I 1 credit(s)
EDM 3230 - Middle & Secondary Curriculum and Instruction 3 credit(s)
EEX 3012 - Educational Needs of Students with Exceptionalities 3 credit(s)
ESE 4323 - Educational Assessment 3 credit(s)
ISC 3120 - Scientific Process (FGCU course) 3 credit(s) (under development at ESC)
PCB 3043C - General Ecology with Lab 3 credit(s) (FGCU course)
RED 3324 - Teaching Reading in the Middle School Curriculum 3 credit(s)
RED 4335 - Teaching Reading in the Content Areas 3 credit(s)
SCE 3320C - Teaching Biology & Other Life Sciences in Middle School with Practicum 4 credit(s)
SCE 3420C - Teaching Physical Science in Middle School with Practicum 4 credit(s)
SCE 4943 - Internship in Middle Grades Science Education 12 credit(s)
TSL 4140 - ESOL Methods, Curriculum and Assessment 3 credit(s)

General Electives (7 credit hours):

Students are encouraged to select additional science courses to complement their major and/or

EDG 4935 - Special Topics II in Middle and Secondary School Education 2 credit(s)
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.

School Based Hour Requirements (685 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.

Graduation Requirements:

Students must satisfactorily complete 120 credit hours. For residency purposes, a minimum of 30 upper division major credit hours required for graduation must be completed at Edison State College. All other specific degree requirements must also be met. Credit awarded for Developmental Studies instruction may not be counted toward fulfilling the total number of credits required for residency purposes or graduation.
Students must fulfill all requirements for their program major.
Students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in all upper and lower division program requirements.
Students must complete the General Education Core Requirements of the Associate in Arts Degree, including any assessment of General Education Outcomes that are required by the College. Transfer courses will be reviewed for equivalency. Students who transfer to Edison State College with a previous Associate in Arts degree from a Florida community college or bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution are considered to have met the General Education component of the degree.
Students must have completed Florida’s foreign language requirement prior to the completion of the bachelor’s degree. Students may meet this competency in one of two ways:
1. Successful completion of two years of a single foreign language while in high school (official high school transcripts must be submitted to the College Registrar), or
2. Successful completion of two semesters (8-10 credit hours) of a single foreign language in college (or through corresponding College Level Examination Program CLEP exams). Edison State College may determine standards for review of non-traditional foreign language competence for languages not available through CLEP (in languages other than French, German, and Spanish).
Students must meet program criteria prior to enrollment in the capstone or internship experience.
Students must pass all sections of the Florida Teachers Certification Examination (FTCE) for certification within the State of Florida.
While Edison 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.
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.
Students must apply for graduation/internship the semester prior to enrollment in the final internship. Fall graduates must apply no later than February 1st of the preceding Spring semester. Spring graduates must apply no later than October 1st of the preceding Fall semester.
Students must successfully complete all school based hours to include two minimum ten-week practicums and one fifteen-week final internship experience as a condition of graduation.

Students must complete an Application for Graduation through the Office of the Registrar and enroll for GRD 4000 the semester in which they intend to graduate. Students must apply for graduation by the published deadline to be assured of final clearance for graduation, timely receipt of diploma, and participation in the graduation ceremony. Individual programs may identify graduation application deadlines.

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