Post-Baccalaureate Endorsement Elementary Education, Middle School (Grades 6-8) Post-Baccalaureate Endorsement

3101 Education Building
757-683-3284

Judith Dunkerly-Bean, Graduate Program Director

This post-baccalaureate endorsement program in elementary education with a middle school concentration (grades 6-8) is designed for prospective teachers who want to obtain an initial middle school teaching license.  Available to students who have a non-teaching BS or BA degree or to those having a teaching license in another area and are seeking an additional teaching license; the program requires students to take courses that meet the Commonwealth of Virginia's stated academic competency requirements and leads to two undergraduate endorsement areas selected from the following:

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Mathematics *		23-29
English *		21
Science *		21
Social Studies *		21
Education Courses taken at the graduate level		38

*

 Minimum hours to satisfy requirement.

           
Please note:  Advisors in the Career and Advising Resource Center will evaluate an individual’s undergraduate transcript to determine which, if any, undergraduate academic content courses are needed to meet state requirements for licensure. No courses in the academic major classes in which the student has made below a C will be accepted toward licensure in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies.

Admission

All students must apply for and be admitted into the approved post-baccalaureate endorsement program for Elementary/Middle School Education (grades 6-8). The following criteria must be met:

1. A bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college/university is required in the liberal arts and sciences (or equivalent) to meet Virginia’s stated coursework competencies for middle school education (6-8) subject areas, including  a minimum of 21 semester hours (which meet Virginia’s stated coursework competencies) in two content areas (English, mathematics, science, and history/social studies) which will be listed on the license. 
2. Students must meet the required criteria for admission by passing the Virginia Board of Education prescribed assessments and earning the minimum required Grade point averages (GPA).  For the most current information on the prescribed Virginia Board of Education admission assessment, visit the Office of Clinical Experiences website, http://www.odu.edu/oce and review the Teacher Education Handbook.
3.  A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.75 is required for admission.
4. No courses in the academic major in which the student has made below a C will be accepted for admission in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies. 
5. An application for non-degree admission must be submitted by the appropriate deadline for admission. Under certain circumstances, applicants who do not fully meet the requirements for regular admission to the program may be admitted on a provisional basis subject to conditions specified by the graduate program director for elementary/middle education.

Program Requirements

Students seeking initial licensure for grades 6 - 8 must meet the academic concentration requirements in two of the following content areas with a minimum grade of "C". Transcripts will be evaluated by the education advisor to determine whether the academic requirements have been met by previous course work. Subject area specific course work that was not met in previous course work must be completed prior to Teacher Candidate Internship (student teaching) orientation session.

English: English content must include coursework in language (history, structure or grammar), literature, advanced composition, and interpersonal communication or speech; 21 credit hours.

Mathematics: Mathematics content must include coursework in college algebra, probability and statistics, pre-calculus I and II, calculus I, number systems & discrete math, geometry, linear algebra and computer programming to satisfy the requirements for the Algebra I endorsement; 23-29 credit hours

Science: Science content must include courses in each of the following: biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space science (a laboratory course is required in two of the four science areas); 21 credit hours.

History/Social Science: History/social science content must include courses in American History, world history, economics, geography, international affairs, and current events; 21 credit hours.

All students, regardless of which two content areas selected, are required to take a Government/Civics course or complete the state and local civic education module.

Curriculum

Course List

Code	Title	Credit Hours
Prerequisite Courses
TLED 568	Language Acquisition and Reading for Students with Diverse Learning Needs
TLED 608	Foundations of Education and Instructional Assessment
TLED 617	Digital Age Teaching and Learning
SPED 613	Human Growth and Development
Graduate Professional Education Courses
READ 680	Literacy Across the Curriculum	3
SPED 620	Advanced Foundations of Special Education: Legal Aspects and Characteristics	3
TLED 583	Seminar in Teacher Education	1
TLED 615	Teaching in the Middle School	4
Select two of the following:		6
TLED 551	Developing Instructional Strategies for Teaching in the Middle/High School: English
TLED 555	Developing Instructional Strategies for Teaching in the Middle/High School: Social Studies
TLED 552	Developing Instructional Strategies for Teaching in Middle/High School: Math and Science
TLED 666	Internship/Student Teaching and Seminar	9
Total Credit Hours		26

Due to changing University requirements, national standards, and the Virginia Board of Education licensure regulations, the programs in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies are under constant revision. Any changes resulting from these factors supersede the program requirements described in this Catalog. Students are encouraged to obtain current program information from their advisors and from the Office of Clinical Experiences website.

Additional Requirements

Continuance

1. Students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in the graduate professional education courses.
2. A grade of “B” or higher is required in all practicum coursework.  A grade of "B-" is required for the remaining graduate professional education courses.
3. Students must complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) modules during the first twelve graduate credit hours at Old Dominion University.
4. Students must take and pass the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) and the Praxis subject assessment examination for the appropriate Middle School content area prior to or while enrolled in the instructional strategies course.
5. All assessments must be passed prior to the start of the Teacher Candidate Internship Orientation session.
6. A clearance background check must be completed prior to placement in a field experience required for practicum courses and for the teacher candidate internship. For more information please review the policy on the Office of Clinical Experiences website.
7. Students must obtain certificate of completion in First Aid/AED/CPR, Dyslexia Awareness Training, Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition and Intervention Training, Regulations Governing the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in Elementary and Secondary Schools, and Cultural Competence Training.

Virginia Board of Education prescribed professional assessments:

• Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) – a passing composite score of 470 is required on this reading and writing assessment
• Praxis Subject Assessment (formerly Praxis II) Middle School English/Language Arts
• Praxis Subject Assessment (formerly Praxis II) Middle School Mathematics
• Praxis Subject Assessment (formerly Praxis II) Middle School Science
• Praxis Subject Assessment (formerly Praxis II) Middle School Social Studies

To review more information on the Virginia Board of Education prescribed assessments visit the Office of Clinical Experiences website. 

Exit

Requirements for completion are as follows: 

1. a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA
2. a grade of “B” or higher is required in all practicum coursework,
3. a grade of "B-" is required for the remaining graduate professional education courses,
4. a minimum grade of "C" in all academic major courses to be accepted toward licensure requirements in the Darden College of Education and Professional Studies,
5. successful completion of the Teacher Candidate Internship,
6. completion of all course requirements, and
7. submission of an application for Virginia licensure.