AASU Department of Early Childhood Education Programs

The Department of Early Childhood Education
Master of Arts in Teaching

The Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program in Early Childhood Education is designed as a full-time, co-hort based 15-month graduate program leading to a master's degree and eligibility for initial State of Georgia teaching certification for grades P-5. Organized in a four-semester course sequence, students complete all requirements in a cohort group. The M.A.T. program of study includes 11 semester hours of foundation coursework, 19 semester hours of departmental/program coursework, and a semester-long graduate internship.(Note: While the option to complete the program on a part-time basis is supported, it is strongly encouraged to complete coursework in blocks as scheduled. Should a student be unable to take a course when offered, it may delay his or her program completion.)

Admission Requirements

The Department of Early Childhood Education is currently accepting applications for the 2008 cohort. Enrollment is limited; when capacity is reached, eligible applicants will be provided information about enrollment in the 2009 cohort. (Note: If enrollment has reached capacity and the applicant wishes to begin promptly a Masters program with initial certification, contact Dr. Michael Mahan at (912) 961-3070 to inquire about the Middle Grades M.A.T. program or Dr. Pamela Harwood at (912) 961-3066 to inquire about the Special Education M.A.T. program.)

Provisional Admission

Applicants to the M.A.T. program in Early Childhood Education must first be provisionally admitted to Graduate Studies and the Department of Early Childhood Education. Provisional admittance allows students to take 8 hours of course work only. Application requirements for provisional admission include:

Submitted to The School of Graduate Studies:
1. School of Graduate Studies Application. All application papers, including transcripts, must be in the Graduate Studies Office by April 15, 2008.
2. $30 non-refundable application fee.
3. Certification of Immunization.
4. Two official transcripts (request form) in a sealed envelope from the institution attended granting the baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution and from each institution where graduate credit was earned. A minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.50 is required for provisional admission. (Note: It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure the transcripts were sent and arrived in the School of Graduate Studies Office by April 15, 2008).
5. A signed and notarized Background Check Consent form . (Note: The Background Check Consent form may be notarized in University Hall Room 250 or elsewhere, after which the student submits the notarized form to The School of Graduate Studies). A clear criminal background check is required for provisional admission.

Submitted to The College of Education:
6. Liability insurance proof. Purchase liability insurance in University Hall 269 by May 1, 2008 by joining an approved professional organization in education. Ms. Donatelli will give the applicant a temporary membership card and initial it. Copy this card and place the card in the mailbox on Dr. Elizabeth Crawford's office door, University Hall 258, by May 1, 2008, or enclose it with your application materials to the School of Graduate Studies. If renewed online, please attach the membership receipt to the application. The cost is $12.00.

Regular Admission

Students must be Regularly Admitted to Candidacy in the Department of Early Childhood Education after the successful completion of EDUC 6000, EDUC 6100, and EDUC 6200 to continue taking coursework. (Note: If a student is denied Regular Admittance to Candidacy, his or her program completion will be delayed). In order to be Regularly admitted to Candidacy, students must complete and submit as one packet the following by the designated due date:

1. Application for Candidacy (available in the Department of Early Childhood Education, UH Room 269).
2. Evidence of an activated LiveText account.
3. Successfully pass GACE Basic Skills [( Test I—Reading (200); Test II—Mathematics (201); and
Test III—Writing (202)] or meet exemption requirements. The printed GACE Basic Skills scores, or the printed exemption scores, must be included with the application by the application due date.
4. Two professional disposition assessments from Education faculty. Written requests to faculty members through LiveText must be submitted at least two weeks before the application due date.
5. Completion of EDUC 6000 and EDUC 6100 with a B or better, EDUC 6200 with a C or better, and an overall 3.0 GPA for the student's three summer courses (i.e., EDUC 6000, EDUC 6100, and EDUC 6200).
6. Two letters of recommendation which address personal demeanor with peers and/or students and parents. The letters should also address personal disposition regarding the student's initiative and responsibility for his/her own learning. The letters must clearly identify these ideas.
7. Insurance liability proof. If renewed online, please attach the membership receipt to the application.
8. An earned 3.0 GPA (overall) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. The student can be provisionally admitted to Early Childhood Education and Graduate Studies with a 2.5 overall GPA and take the three required summer classes. To be regularly admitted and continue taking classes in the fall semester, the student must have an earned 3.0 GPA (overall) for the last 60 hours of his or her undergraduate work.

Top

Program Requirements

Program of Study

The M.A.T. program entails a 33-semester-hour Program of Study, including coursework in child development, curriculum, instruction, and assessment, technology applications, educating students with disabilities, classroom management, and core content areas. Students also gain invaluable field experience in school settings during their coursework, followed by a culminating, semester-long graduate internship. To view the 2008 Program of Study, click here.

Top

Professional Teaching Portfolio

As evidence of beginning mastery of effective teacher qualities emphasized throughout the program, candidates create a Professional Teaching Portfolio submitted electronically in LiveText prior to graduation. Based upon the work of Charlotte Danielson, the professional standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), and the College of Education's Performance Outcomes Assessment (POA) Instrument, the Professional Teaching Portfolio outlines research-based indicators within four Domains: Planning and Preparation; The Classroom Environment; Instruction; and Professional Responsibilities. Included are a total of 27 indicators of effective teacher qualities. The AASU Early Childhood Education Professional Teaching Portfolio offers an opportunity for teacher candidates to submit reflections and original artifacts that show beginning mastery of the four aforementioned Domains. To view the requirements of the Professional Teaching Portfolio, click here.

Top

Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators

To satisfy the state of Georgia's educator assessment requirements for initial teacher certification, two exams are required: Georgia Assessment for the Certification of Educators (GACE) Basic Skills [( Test I—Reading (200); Test II—Mathematics (201); and Test III—Writing (202)] and the GACE Content Assessment in Early Childhood Education [Test I (001) and Test II (002)]. GACE Basic Skills is an academic skills assessment of reading, mathematics, and writing, and must be passed prior to admission to Candidacy. The GACE Content Assessment in Early Childhood Education is a content knowledge exam that must be attempted prior to program completion. Candidates are responsible for providing copies of their results on the GACE Basic Skills (or exemption scores) and the GACE Content Assessment in Early Childhood Education in their Candidacy and graduation application packets, respectively. Click here to learn more about GACE and Georgia certification requirements at the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.

Top

Contact Information

Elizabeth O. Crawford, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Coordinator
Email: elizabeth.crawford@armstrong.edu
Phone: (912) 344-2634
Summer office hours: By appointment

Top

Documents enclosed are in PDF format. If you do not have the free Adobe Reader, you may download and install it from the Adobe website.