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2020-2021 Undergraduate Bulletin [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Middle Level Education, B.A.E.
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Program Description
The Middle Level Teacher Education Program supports the UK educator preparation unit’s theme of Research and Reflection for Learning and Leading. The program emphasizes the development of professionally trained specialists in teaching early adolescents. As such, the program models team teaching and collaborative learning. Active learning experiences are emphasized, as are real-world connections. Throughout the program, students are encouraged to consider their present position and make plans for improvement. Students are urged to gather data continuously and to use this data in planning effective instruction. Students are required to provide questions for reflection when writing lessons they do not teach and to provide reflective summaries as part of lesson plans which are delivered to students. Students are provided time and resources to revise and improve curricular materials they develop within the program. Students assess their own progress through the program’s curriculum, preparing them for the continuous self-assessment required of practicing professionals.
To receive the B.A. degree in Middle Level Education, students must: (1) complete the UK Core requirements; (2) complete all required program-related studies and the professional education course sequence; and (3) complete the content area requirements in each of two areas of specialization. Available content specialization areas are: English and Communication, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies.
Continuous Assessment
- All middle level education students are expected to meet the standards and rules for Admission, Retention and Completion from Teacher Education Programs as set forth in the section “Admission, Retention and Completion from Teacher Education Programs”.
- Assessment at the Point of Entry to the Middle School Program. The admission process provides the first point for formal assessment of the competencies outlined by the standards documents which guide the middle level education program. Basic skills standards must be met and students must be making satisfactory progress towards professional and content area proficiency.
- On-going Assessment. Once a student is admitted to the program, he/she meets with an advisor to plan the remainder of the program. The focus of this initial advising session is to begin a professional development plan which ensures that all standards will be met by program completion.
- Completion Assessment. At the completion assessment, students must show competency in all relevant standard areas. This is done through a final review of the eligibility portfolio, review of information provided by the cooperating teacher and university supervisor, and documentation of remediation of any weaknesses noted at the formal review in the methods semester.
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Statement on Student Teaching
Middle level certification requires students to
be certifiable in two academic subject areas,
which requires two student teaching placements
spread across the final two semesters: 6 hours in
the second-to-last semester, and 9 hours in the
final semester. Students seeking Middle Level
certification will register for: I. Intellectual Inquiry in Arts and Creativity
II. Intellectual Inquiry in the Humanities
III. Intellectual Inquiry in the Social Sciences
IV. Intellectual Inquiry in the Natural, Physical, and Mathematical Sciences
V. Composition and Communication I
VI. Composition and Communication II
VII. Quantitative Foundations
VIII. Statistical Inferential Reasoning
IX. Community, Culture and Citizenship in the USA
Graduation Communication and Composition Requirement (GCCR)
Graduation Composition and Communication Requirement hours (GCCR): 3
Program Related Studies: 4
Professional Education Courses: 40
The National Middle School Association (NMSA) describes six broad areas of competence for middle grades teachers. These are: (1) early adolescent development, (2) middle grades curriculum, (3) middle grades instruction, (4) middle grades school organization, (5) families and community relations, and (6) middle grades teaching roles. With the support of a liberal arts foundation provided by the UK Core requirements and the content area knowledge provided by the requirements detailed above, the professional education requirements of the program endeavor to provide a firm foundation in each of these six areas.
*A total of four courses - two in each of the two selected content areas - must be completed from this group.
All of the following courses require admission to the Teacher Education Program:
Content Area Courses: 18-27
Students wishing to become certified in middle level (grades 5-9) must select two of the following content areas of specialization. Course requirements, particularly in the areas of English and Communication and Mathematics, have been prioritized to reflect prerequisite knowledge. Students should plan course work in these areas with the assistance of an advisor.
English and Communication: 24
Mathematics: 25
The requirements for students choosing mathematics as a content area of specialization are based on standards developed by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, KERA Goals and Academic Expectations, and the Core Content for Assessment. The NCTM standards for middle grades include four common threads (reasoning, communication, problem solving, and connections) as well as content area standards of number, computation and estimation, probability, statistics, algebra, geometry, and measurement. Kentucky’s Goals and Academic Expectations and the Core Content for Assessment focus mathematics instruction on seven core areas: number, mathematical procedures, mathematical structure, measurement, space and dimensionality, change, and data.
Science: 27
The content area preparation required for students in the middle school education program is based on the standards adopted by the National Science Teacher’s Association as well as Kentucky’s Core Content for Science Assessment and the New Teacher Standards. It is important that science teachers have strong content preparation in the sciences. This is needed to communicate modes of scientific inquiry, select appropriate learning experiences, guide students in their early scientific efforts, and help students apply scientific knowledge and skills in their daily lives.
Social Studies: 24
The middle level social studies content area teacher preparation program is guided by two principles: first, a commitment to continuous improvement based on reflection, evaluation, and on-going research; second, a commitment to peer collaboration as a source of professional growth. The program is guided by the National Council for Social Studies document, Expectations of Excellence, and the Kentucky New Teacher Standards.
plus one of the following:
Electives
Electives for 120 total credit hours chosen with the help of
an advisor. |
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