Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with Reading Endorsement, M.A.T.

Scott Hewit, Ed.D., Director

Rollins College offers courses of study for the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement. The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) is designed for students pursuing initial teacher certification.

Students who complete the required academic course and field work, maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, and have their Expanded Teacher Education Portfolio (ETEP) approved before AND during Student Teaching will meet the requirements for the M.A.T in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6).

The M.A.T. in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement at Rollins College is approved by the Florida Department of Education. Florida requires that students have a passing score on the General Knowledge test (GK) of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) to be admitted to any state-approved program. Students who meet the requirements for the M.A.T in Elementary Education/ESOL/Reading (K-6) AND submit passing scores on the General Knowledge (GK) test, Professional Education (PED) test, and Subject Area Exam (SAE) prior to graduation will be Florida State Approved Program completers, and immediately eligible for Professional Teacher Certification in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement in the state of Florida.

Program of Study

Designed for those who wish to teach in elementary schools, the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement provides opportunities for students to pursue graduate studies and to meet professional certification requirements for teaching in Florida.

The M.A.T. program focuses on the mastery of content specialization, the teaching/learning process, and the application of educational research to classroom activities. The program requires a minimum of 36 graduate semester hours; however, additional hours are required to meet certification and program requirements. An individual plan of study will be developed for each student. Students who complete the Florida state-approved M.A.T. program are eligible for a Florida Professional Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement.

Program of Study

Professional Education Requirements

Required graduate courses include the following: *

EDU 501 - Sociological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3 *
EDU 504 - Psychological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3 *
EDU 512 - Strategies for Instruction, Learning and Classroom Management with Diverse Elementary Learners Credit(s): 3
EDU 513 - Curriculum and Assessment with Diverse Learners Credit(s): 3 *
EDU 533 - Student Teaching: Elementary Credit(s): 6
EDU 540 - Seminar in Classroom Management Credit(s): 3
EDU 580 - The Multicultural Classroom: Issues in Cross-Cultural Communication and Understanding Credit(s): 3 *

Elementary Specialization Requirements

Required graduate courses include the following:

EED 563 - Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School Credit(s): 3
EED 563L - Elementary School Mathematics Lab Credit(s): 1
EED 564 - Teaching Elementary School Science Credit(s): 3 *
EED 566 - Teaching Elementary School Social Studies Credit(s): 3 *

Reading Sequence Requirements

* Approved undergraduate courses may apply, but only for certification requirements. Undergraduate courses may not be used as credit toward the graduate program.

RED 509 - Foundations of Reading Credit(s): 3
RED 569 - Research-Based Practices in Reading and Language Arts Credit(s):
RED 575 - Diagnostic Techniques in Reading Credit(s): 3
RED 568 - Differentiation in Language Arts and Content Area Instruction Credit(s): 3
RED 577 - Demonstration of Accomplishment in Reading: Elementary Credit(s): 3

Clinical Education Experience

The clinical education experience consists of two phases: a pre-internship field experience of a minimum of 100 clock hours (RED 577 ) and the full-semester student teaching experience (EDU 533 ).

One term prior to Student Teaching, students must show evidence that all subject prerequisites will be met by completing Student Teacher Forms 2S (ETEP-Expanded Teacher Education Portfolio) and 3S (Approval to Apply for Student Teaching) in addition to the Application Form 1S (Admission to Rollins College Teacher Education Program Graduate Application). The application forms are available at the office of the Department of Education and on the department website. These forms are filed with and reviewed by the Director of Field Experiences. To ensure placement, the Application for Student Teaching (Form 4S) must be completed and submitted to the Director of Field Internships.

Student Teaching (EDU 533 ) consists of a one-semester field experience in an approved classroom setting. During the student teaching semester, the student must enroll in EDU 533 , Student Teaching-Elementary. The course is six (6) semester hours and is graded on a credit/no-credit basis. The student teaching experience consists of placement in an approved public school with a full-time teacher for a full semester. A weekly seminar, EDU 540 , is required as a part of the student teaching experience. Student Teaching represents the culminating experience in the professional preparation of teachers.

For current teachers with two or more years of public school teaching experience, the clinical requirement may be adapted to meet state requirements and program standards on a case-by- case basis.

To ensure placement, the Application for Student Teaching (Form 4S) must be completed and submitted to the Director of Field Internships by the following dates:

February 20: fall placement
September 20: spring placement

Any student not approved for Student Teaching has the right of appeal to the Education Review Committee.

Students admitted to the M.A.T. in Elementary Education/ESOL (K-6) with the Reading endorsement are encouraged to follow a five- or seven-semester program of study. Course availability during the terms listed is subject to change.

Students who wish to pursue an alternate schedule must contact Dr. Scott Hewit, program advisor, prior to being admitted to the program.