Mar 29, 2024  
2022-2023 Academic Catalog 
    
2022-2023 Academic Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Undergraduate Program Approval and Unit Accreditation


The College of Education offers undergraduate teacher certification and non-certification programs. Programs are developed in collaboration with departments across the university and with professionals in the field of education. Each certification program has been approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education. All programs are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Certification Programs
  • Art Education - B.S. Teacher preparation program offered by the Betty Foy Sanders Department of Art with certification through the College of Education (Armstrong Campus)
  • Human Development and Family Science B.S. Concentration in Birth-Kindergarten (Certification Track) Teacher preparation program offered in collaboration with the School of Human Ecology (Armstrong Campus)
  • Elementary Education - B.S.Ed. with study concentrations in:
    • Elementary Education (Armstrong, Liberty, and Statesboro Campuses)
    • Elementary Education/Special Education Dual Certification (Statesboro Campus)
  • Health and Physical Education - B.S.Ed. (Statesboro Campus)
  • Music Education - B.M. Teacher preparation program offered by the Fred and Dinah Gretsch School of Music with certification through the College of Education (Statesboro Campus)
  • Middle Grades Education - B.S.Ed. (Statesboro Campus)
  • Secondary Education - B.S.Ed. with study emphasis areas in:
    • Biology Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • Chemistry Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • English Education (Armstrong Campus)
    • History Education (Armstrong Campus)
    • Mathematics Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • Physics Education (Statesboro Campus)
  • Special Education - B.S.Ed. (Statesboro Campus)
Non-Certification Programs
  • Human Development and Family Science B.S. Concentration in Birth-Kindergarten (Non-Certification Track) offered in collaboration with the School of Human Ecology (Armstrong Campus)
  • Elementary Education, Professional Studies (Armstrong, Liberty, and Statesboro Campuses)
  • Health and Physical Education, Professional Studies (Statesboro Campus)
  • Middle Grades Education, Professional Studies (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
  • Secondary Education, Professional Studies with study emphasis areas in:
    • Biology Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • Chemistry Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • English Education (Armstrong Campus)
    • History Education (Armstrong Campus)
    • Mathematics Education (Statesboro and Armstrong Campuses)
    • Physics Education (Statesboro Campus)

B.S.Ed. Degree Requirements

General requirements for the B.S.Ed. degree include fulfillment of the Core Curriculum, completion of all junior/senior level required courses in the teaching field and professional education coursework, and 4 credit hours in orientation and health and physical education. At least half of the courses required in the teaching field must be taken at this institution. Correspondence and extension credit hours may not be used to satisfy professional education and content requirements. In addition to these requirements, students pursuing a teacher certification program are required to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

Teacher Education Program

Undergraduate students and those seeking initial certification as non-degree/M.A.T. students must meet admission requirements for the Teacher Education Program. Criteria for retention in the program must also be met, as well as specific program requirements and clinical practice requirements. Candidate progress is monitored by program faculty and advisors to ensure that candidates are satisfactorily meeting program outcomes.

Admission and Retention in the Teacher Education Program

Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) is required for those students wishing to pursue a degree in any of the education undergraduate programs or in the M.A.T. degree or related non-degree program that leads to initial teacher certification. (See Graduate Catalog for M.A.T. requirements.) Undergraduate students pursuing a certification program must be admitted into the Teacher Education Program as a prerequisite for enrollment in junior/senior level education courses. Students must apply for and be issued a Pre-Service Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. This certification serves as formal admission into the Teacher Education Program. The Pre-Service Certificate application process occurs during enrollment in the Pre-Professional Block (PPB), a set of three, three-credit hour courses, which include a field experience totaling 51 clock hours taken concurrently during the sophomore year. Transfer undergraduate students who completed PPB courses and field experiences at another institution will complete the Pre-Service Certificate application at SOAR. During the PPB semester, undergraduate students begin using a data management system. This system supports the monitoring and assessment of students’ progress through the TEP.

In order to be admitted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP), an undergraduate student must have:

  1. Earned a cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better on all Georgia Southern coursework, as well as any transfer and transient credit hours which have been accepted by Georgia Southern. 
  2. Earned a minimum of 50 credit hours in Core Curriculum courses including Area F Professional Education Block courses.
  3. Completed Area A1, Area A2, and Area F coursework (including the Pre-Professional Block) with a minimum grade of “C”.
  4. Completed a MyPSC account with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and claimed Georgia Southern University as the program provider.

  5. Successfully completed the Georgia Educator Ethics (360) Assessment.
  6. Successfully completed the Pre-Professional Block TEP Admissions Folio Review.
  7. Earned a passing evaluation on Area F field experience rubrics. Any student who does not successfully complete the field component of the Area F courses may apply through the Office of Field Experience and Clinical Practice to attempt this field experience again. This field experience will be repeatable as field placements are available and must be completed successfully within two attempts, including the original attempt.
  8. Submitted proof of liability insurance. 
  9. Apply for and receive a Preservice Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. https://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/advisement/certification/pre-service-certification/
  10. Maintain an active account with the College of Education’s electronic assessment and data management system.

All of the following requirements must be met for retention in the Teacher Education Program:

  1. Students must maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 2.50 or better.
  2. Students must earn a minimum grade of “C” in all professional education and all teaching field coursework. For Georgia Certification, a grade of “B” or higher is required in the program specific Special Education course (HDFS 3234, KINS 4432, SPED 3130, SPED 3331, SPED 3332, SPED 3333).
  3. Students must successfully complete all field experiences.
  4. Students must not have been found in violation of the Georgia Southern Student Conduct Code. Reviews will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the seriousness of the violation and with regard to consistency.
  5. Students must not have violated the Georgia Professional Standards Commission’s Code of Ethics for Professional Educators. Students must abide by this Code of Ethics and report any violations to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
  6. Students must be making satisfactory progress toward meeting program objectives. Program faculty will be responsible for monitoring student progress and providing guidance to students who may be having difficulty meeting retention requirements.
  7. Students must maintain a valid pre-service certificate.
  8. Must not have been found in violation of the Georgia Southern University Student Conduct Code.  Reviews will be made on a case-by-case basis based on the seriousness of the violation and with regard to consistency.
  9. Students must maintain liability insurance. 
  10. Students must maintain an active account with the College of Education’s electronic assessment and data management system.

Policies and Procedures for Field Experiences and Clinical Practice - Initial Teacher Preparation

Field Experience Placement Policies

Field placements are critical to the preparation of candidates in our teacher preparation programs. Georgia Southern University and its Partner Schools place great importance on field experiences.

  • All field experiences are coordinated between the Office of Field Experience and Clinical Practice; academic programs; and partner schools.
  • An attempt will be made to place two or more teacher candidates in a school. An exception to this clustering policy could be rendered by a program or department. This exception would be a result of specialization required of the clinical supervisor. (This does not apply to candidates in an online Master of Arts in Teaching program.)
  • One geographical area will serve Georgia Southern’s teacher candidate population.
    • For undergraduate teacher candidates, the primary area is approximately 70 miles from each Georgia Southern campus. Candidates can expect the maximum one-way travel to a school site to be 70 miles or less from each Georgia Southern campus.
    • For graduate teacher candidates, field experiences, including clinical practice, for students in the online M.A.T. in Elementary Education, Health and Physical Education, and Special Education will be considered in the Georgia region in which they are located.  Field experiences for the M.A.T. Spanish, including clinical practice, will take place within a 70 mile radius of the Georgia Southern Statesboro campus.  Field experiences for the M.A.T. in Secondary Education, or Middle Grades Education can occur anywhere in Georgia if the candidate is a teacher of record.  If not a teacher of record, field placements will take place within a 70 mile radius of the Georgia Southern Statesboro or Armstrong campus. 
  • All field placements and clinical practice assignments are identified and assigned by the program director/coordinator. Placements are non-negotiable.
  • Teacher candidates seldom receive a field placement at a school site where they have had a previous field experience placement. This policy provides candidates with diversity in placements and teaching experiences. The exception to this policy is year-long placements during the senior year.
  • Teacher candidates are not placed in schools where relatives are employed, where they have been enrolled as a student, or where relatives are enrolled as students.
  • Teacher candidates that have an identified disability requiring accommodations during a field experience or clinical practice must consult with the Student Accessibility Resource Center the semester prior to the field experience to discuss accommodations. All teacher candidates must successfully demonstrate their ability to meet, with or without accommodations, the standards and expectations of the teaching profession.
  • Teacher candidates are limited to enrolling in a maximum of 12 semester hours during the clinical practice semester. The exception to this is when a candidate is enrolled in TCLD 4235 and/or COED 3160.
  • Candidates enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching program can only accept employment in a Georgia school that meets the GaPSC requirements; see PSC Rule 505-3-.01, section 4 (iv).
  • Candidates enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching program and are hired by a school system as a Teacher of Record must be teaching in the content area of the certification they are seeking.
  • Candidates enrolled in a Master of Arts in Teaching program and are hired by a school system as a Teacher of Record must be teaching full-time in the content area of the certification they are seeking during their semester of clinical practice/internship.

Intervention Policies for Field Experiences and Clinical Practice

  • Candidates are allowed a maximum of two (2) Professional Support plans (A/B) (each for different areas of difficulty) per field experience or clinical practice.
  • Candidates are allowed a maximum of one (1) Probationary Status per field experience or clinical practice.
  • Candidates may repeat each field experience or clinical practice one (1) time.
  • Withdrawing without academic penalty, withdrawing failing, or withdrawing at the recommendation of the program faculty from a field experience or clinical practice will be considered one (1) attempt at that field experience.
  • When a school personnel requests that candidates be removed from the school for performance or professional reasons the placement will end immediately. A new field placement will rarely be identified until the following semester.

Requirements for Admission to Clinical Practice

Clinical practice is required in all teacher preparation programs at the initial preparation level. In order to participate in clinical practice, a teacher candidate must:

  1. Meet all admission requirements for the Teacher Education Program.
  2. Have earned an overall cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher on all college coursework attempted.
  3. Complete all professional education program courses in the teaching field with a grade of “C” or higher.
  4. Prior to clinical practice complete all coursework in the program of study. Exceptions are TCLD 4235 and COED 3610.
  5. Attempt the GACE Content Assessment appropriate to the field.
  6. Possess valid liability insurance.
  7. Pass the Georgia Educator Ethics (360) Assessment.
  8. Possess a Preservice Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Note: School districts may have additional requirements for student teachers/interns placed in their schools. Student teachers/interns must meet these additional requirements.

International Study Opportunity

International student teaching exchanges may be available. Information can be obtained from the Office of Field Experience and Clinical Practice.

Certification

The programs offered by the College of Education at the undergraduate level are designed to prepare teachers for Level Four Induction teacher certification in the state of Georgia. For more information on Georgia teacher certification see the Georgia Professional Standards website, www.gapsc.com.

All College of Education candidates completing programs that qualify and plan to seek initial certification in Georgia must claim enrollment with Georgia Southern University as the program provider through their MyPSC account.  This will involve creating a MyPSC account with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.  Candidates who do not hold a valid non-renewal induction certificate must apply for a pre-service certificate.  This process is completed by submitting the online pre-service application and completing the Personal Affirmation Questions (PAQs) through MyPSC.  Candidates are also required to complete the GACE Ethics 360 Assessment and submit a notarized Verification of Lawful Presence (VLP) to include a copy of U.S. citizenship documentation (forms are available at www.gapsc.com) that must be submitted to the Certification Officer, Angela Mills-Fleming, via amills@georgiasouthern.edu.  Upon the completion of the program, the candidate must complete the required GACE content assessment in the field they are seeking initial teaching certification.  The Certification Officer will verify and electronically submit the TPMS program completion through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Contact information for the certification process is Angela Mills-Fleming, 912-344-2552 or amills@georgiasouthern.eduhttps://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/advisement/certification/.

Post-Baccalaureate and M.A.T. Teacher Certification Process and Procedures

The College of Education offers the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) degree or a similar graduate non-degree program option for those who hold bachelor’s degrees in a related teaching field. Certification in Art Education is offered at the undergraduate level and Post Baccalaureate.  Those who hold a bachelor’s degree and are interested in Music Education certification must complete program requirements at the undergraduate level. For each of these options, students must have their transcripts evaluated by Georgia Southern University’s College of Education Graduate Academic Services Center at the time of application.  They must meet all Teacher Education Program (TEP) admission and retention requirements, including an overall GPA of 2.50 or higher on all college course work attempted, in addition to all other program admission requirements.   (See the Graduate Catalog for M.A.T. procedures and further information.) 

For further information please contact:

College of Education Certification Officer
Ms. Angela Mills-Fleming
11935 Abercorn Street
Savannah, GA 31419
amills@georgiasouthen.edu
(912) 344-2552
https://coe.georgiasouthern.edu/advisement/certification/