Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education for Grades P-5
(Teaching Certification)

Admissions Documentation, Financial Support & Testing Info.

Gainesville State College has been approved by the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia to offer the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education (grades P – 5) leading to certification. The Program is a cohort program, i.e., students accepted into the Program take all coursework together over a two year period.  Both the specific sequence of courses and time at which the courses are offered are designated.  The College’s first cohort began Fall Semester 2006. This program is similar to and replaces the Teacher Education Program presently offered by North Georgia College & State University (NGCSU) on the Gainesville Campus.  Graduate course work is not available through this program.

ADMISSION TO THE PROGRAM

Step 1: Admission to Gainesville State College

To be eligible to apply for this Program, a student must first be admitted to Gainesville State College. If you are not presently a student at GSC, please submit an application for admission to the GSC Admissions Office http://www.gsc.edu/admissions/main/.  Students who already have a bachelor degree would enroll at Gainesville State College as second degree or non-degree seeking students.

Step 2:  Admission to the Teacher Education Program

Gainesville State College’s Teacher Education Program is accepting applications for the Summer 2008 cohort (see below for admission requirements).  Those wishing an application package should contact:

Ms. Joyce Ferguson
Administrative Assistant
Division of Education, Health and Wellness
Gainesville State College
Hugh M. Mills, Jr. Physical Education Complex
3820 Mundy Mill Road
Room 103
Oakwood, GA  30566
(678) 717-3645   email: jferguson@gsc.edu

Completion Requirements
Students must meet the following requirements to receive the B.S. degree in Early Childhood Education.
       * Successfully complete all courses required in the degree program (minimum 120 plus semester credits), including the lower
         division associate degree requirements including three credits for physical education courses.
       * Successfully complete a minimum of 42 general education credits according to the distribution established by the College
         (Areas A-E) for its Associate of Science degree program.
       * Complete all courses in the academic major and professional education courses with an academic grade of "C" or better in each.
       * Achieve a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 (on a 4.0 scale) as required for program admission.  Students whose cumulative
         GPA drops below 2.75 or who receive "D's" in major course will be placed on teacher education probation the next semester.
          If the problem is not corrected within the next semester of enrollment, the student's admission to Teacher Education will be revoked.
       * Successfully complete all field experiences.
       * Successfully complete the clinical (student teaching) experience.
       * Successfully passing of GACE Content for ECE.
       * Complete at least 36 semester credit hours of major ECE courses and 12 semester credit hours of related education courses
          in residency at GSC.
       * Meet the Georgia Professional Standards Commission technology requirement.
       * Meet all other College graduation policies.

LOWER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS

Transferable General Education Credits
(GSC Catalog 2006-2008, Semester Core Curriculum Area A-E, pp. 117-119)                           42 hours
Major Core Credits (Area F)                                                                                                         18 hours
Total Lower Division Credits                                                                                                         60 hours

UPPER DIVISION REQUIREMENTS
Required Core Major Courses (48 hours)
EDUC 3010    Child and Adolescent Development                                                                           3 hours
EDUC 3020    Curriculum and Methods                                                                                            3 hours
EDUC 3030    Language and Cognition                                                                                            3 hours
EDUC 3040    Children, Families, and the Community                                                                       3 hours
EDUC 3050    Literature and Language Arts                                                                                    3 hours
EDUC 3060    Science Methods for ECE Teachers                                                                          3 hours
EDUC 3070    Social Studies Methods for ECE Teachers                                                                3 hours
EDUC 3080    Developmental Reading and Writing Methods                                                            3 hours
EDUC 4010    Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties                                                    3 hours
EDUC 4020    Classroom Management and Organization                                                                3 hours
EDUC 4030    Characteristics of Special Needs Students in Inclusion Classrooms                        3 hours
EDUC 4040    Creative Performance Based Activities                                                                    3 hours
EDUC 4050    Clinical Experience: Content and Curriculum                                                             3 hours
EDUC 4060    Clinical Experience: Student Needs and Learning Environment                                3 hours
EDUC 4070    Clinical Experience: Assessment, Planning, and Instruction                                     3 hours
EDUC 4080    Clinical Seminar: Professional Responsibilities                                                          3 hours
 

Required Related Courses (12 hours)
MATH 3100    Number Systems                                                                                                       3 hours
MATH 3110    Informal Geometry                                                                                                     3 hours
MATH 3116    Modeling and Algebra                                                                                                3 hours
PHED 3000     Health and Physical Education for ECE Teachers                                                     3 hours
 

Total Hours in Program (excluding PE)                                                                                120 hours

Physical Education: Two courses including PHED 1020 are required

COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

EDUC 3010 Child and Adolescent Development
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and use developmentally appropriate practices to meet all students'
physical, social, emotional, linguistic, cognitive, and aesthetic development.  Guided community-based field experience is required.
Prerequisite is admission into the teacher education program.

EDUC 3020 Curriculum and Methods
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and use developmentally and culturally appropriate curriculi,
materials, strategies, and assessments which are aligned with the GA Performance Standards to bring all students to higher levels
of learning.  Guided community-based field experience is required.  Prerequisite is admission into the teacher education program.

EDUC 3030 Language and Cognition
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and understand the development and nature of language, language
varieties, and the phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and discourse of English and use this knowledge to bring all students
including those learning English to higher levels of learning.  Guided field experiences in grades pre-kindergarten/kindergarten and
observation in a middle or high school are required.  Prerequisites are admission into the teacher education program and EDUC 3010
and 3020.

EDUC 3040 Children, Families, and the Community
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn about the diversity of families in its cultural contexts, communicate
and collaborate with families, and support students through community resources.  Guided field experience in grades pre-kindergarten/
kindergarten is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3010 and 3020.

EDUC 3050 Literature and Language Arts
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and use methods, materials, and resources to bring all P-5 students
to high levels of writing, listening, speaking, viewing, and thinking and to integrate the language arts throughout the content
curriculum which is aligned to the GA Performance Standards.  Guided field experience in grades one and two is required.  Prerequisites
are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3030 and 3040.

EDUC 3060 Science Methods for ECE Teachers
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and understand how to teach the characteristics and processes of
science and the concepts and principles of earth, physical, and life sciences that are aligned to the GA Performance Standards.
Guided field experiences in grades one and two is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and
EDUC 3030 and 3040.

EDUC 3070 Social Studies Methods for ECE Teachers
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and understand how to teach the important events, concepts,
principles, and methods of inquiry related to history, civics, geography, and economics that are aligned to the GA Performance
Standards.  Guided field experience in grades one and two is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program
and EDUC 3030 and 3040.

EDUC 3080 Developmental Reading and Writing Methods
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to use developmentally appropriate practices and materials to teach reading
and writing to diverse P-5 students.  The content is aligned to the GA Performance Standards.  Guided field based experience in grades
one and two and observations in middle/high schools are required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and
EDUC 3030 and 3040.

EDUC 4010 Diagnosis and Remediation of Reading Difficulties
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn, use, and interpret informal and formal assessment data to diagnose
reading difficulties and plan appropriate remediation strategies.  Guided field experience in grades, three, four, or five and observations
in middle/high schools are required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3050,3060,3070, and 3080.

EDUC 4020 Classroom Management and Organization
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and understand how to manage and organize students' behaviors
and classroom environments to meet the needs of all P-5 students in diverse settings.  Guided field experience in grades, three, four,
or five is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3050, 3060, 3070, and 3080.

EDUC 4030 Characteristics of Special Needs Students and Inclusion Classrooms
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn and understand how to teach and modify environments and
experiences to maximize the learning of students with disabilities, developmental delays, and special abilities and to collaborate with
other educations, families, and community resources.  Guided field experience in grades, three, four, or five is required to meet GA
Rule 505-3-01 4f.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3050, 3060, 3070, and 3080.

EDUC 4040 Creative Performance Based Activities
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to design, teach, and assess discipline based art, music, and theater
education across the curriculum.  The content is aligned with the GA Performance Standards.  Guided field experience in grades
three, four, or five is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3050, 3060, 3070, and 3080.

EDUC 4050 Clinical Experience: Content and Curriculum
This capstone clinical experience provides candidates the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of content, curriculum, and the
GA Performance Standards while student teaching in a P-5 classroom under the guidance of a clinical teacher.  Prerequisites:
Completion of all Area F and upper level courses with grades of "C" or higher, minimum 2.75 GPA, completion of the Georgia
Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Early Childhood Education Examination, passing the GSC Teacher Education
Program pre-professional portfolio, current CPR-First Aid Certification, and a notarized permission form for a criminal background
check.  Co-requisites: EDUC 4060, 4070, and 4080.

EDUC 4060 Clinical Experience: Student Needs and Learning Environments
This capstone clinical experience provides candidates the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge of students, the learning
environment, and the GA Performance Standards while student teaching in a P-5 classroom under the guidance of a clinical teacher.
Prerequisites: Completion of all Area F and upper level courses with grades of "C" or higher, minimum 2.75 GPA, completion of the
Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Early Childhood Examination, passing the GSC Teacher Education
Program pre-professional portfolio, current CPR-First Aid Certification, and a notarized permission form for a criminal background
check.  Co-requisites: EDUC 4050, 4070, and 4080.

EDUC 4070 Clinical Experience: Assessment, Planning, and Instruction
This capstone clinical experience provides candidates the opportunity to demonstrate the skills of assessing, planning, and teaching
using the GA Performance Standards while student teaching in a P-5 classroom under the guidance of a clinical teacher. 
Pre-requisites: Completion of all Area F and upper level courses with grades of "C" or higher, minimum 2.75 GPA, completion of the
Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Early Childhood Education Examination, passing the GSC Teacher
Education Program pre-professional portfolio, current CPR-First Aid Certification, and a notarized permission form for a criminal
background check.  Co-requisites: EDUC 4050, 4060, and 4080.

PHED 3000 Health and Physical Education for ECE Teachers
This course provides opportunities for teacher candidates to learn the basic principles and practices related to health, safety, and
physical education.  The content is aligned with the GA Performance Standards.  Guided field experience in grades pre-kindergarten/
kindergarten is required.  Prerequisites are admission to the teacher education program and EDUC 3010 and 3020.