Elementary Teacher Certification Sequence

Scott Hewit, Ed.D., Director

Rollins College offers courses of study for teacher certification and recertification, and the following graduate degree programs: 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 in Education, the Master of Education (M.Ed.). The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) is designed for students pursuing initial teacher certification. The Master of Education (M.Ed.), with an emphasis in Elementary Education, is designed for professionally certified teachers who desire the professional enrichment represented by a master’s degree. For specifics regarding these programs, see the appropriate program descriptions.

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) or Music. The M.A.T. in Education provides the Education coursework required for Florida teacher certification in secondary education.

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) or Music (K-12) 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.

Nondegree Programs

Graduate Studies offers coursework that meets the Florida Department of Education certification requirements for Reading, Elementary Education, and selected areas of secondary teacher certification, coursework for experienced teachers seeking recertification, and coursework for special students who wish to take only one or two courses in education.

Teacher Certification

Students seeking only teacher certification at Rollins must request a Statement of Eligibility from the Florida Department of Education. This can be done online at www.fldoe.org/edcert/level3.asp. The Statement of Eligibility describes academic content and tests the student must pass to be eligible for both a Temporary and a Professional Certificate in his/her intended area of certification. Students will be assigned a faculty advisor who will review their transcripts to determine a course of study.

Passing scores on the General Knowledge Test and either the Professional Education (PED) or Subject Area Exam (SAE) section of the Florida Teacher Certification Exam (FTCE) must be submitted prior to Student Teaching. To register for classes, students seeking certification must have their registrations approved by an advisor.

The courses listed below will vary for each certification-only student, depending on what is required on their Statement of Eligibility.

Professional Education Requirements

Undergraduate and graduate courses (or their equivalents) to include the following:

EDU 501 - Sociological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3
EDU 504 - Psychological Foundations of Education Credit(s): 3
RED 509 - Foundations of Reading 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

Elementary Specialization Requirements

Undergraduate and graduate courses (or their equivalents) to include the following:

EED 519 - Integrated Arts in the Elementary School Credit(s): 3
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
EED 567 - Health and Physical Education Programs in Elementary Schools Credit(s): 2
RED 568 - Differentiation in Language Arts and Content Area Instruction Credit(s): 3
RED 569 - Research-Based Practices in Reading and Language Arts Credit(s): 3

Additional Information

Elementary Teacher Certification Sequence Additional Information