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The
Department of Early Childhood Education
Post-Baccalaureate
Program
The
Post-Baccalaureate Program in Early Childhood Education is
designed as a certification-only, non-degree granting
program for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree from
a regionally accredited institution and seek to become certified
to teach grades P-5. Students complete the Master of Arts
in Teaching (M.A.T.) program of study, for which they may
transfer comparable undergraduate or graduate coursework from
a regionally accredited institution pending transcript evaluation.
To view the M.A.T. Program of
Study, click here.
Note that admitted students will receive an individualized
program of study built upon transfer courses (if any) and
the requirements for certification.
By completing the Provisional Admission
application for the Post-Baccalaureate Program (please see
below), you are asking the College of Education to examine
your transcripts of all completed higher education coursework
and to prepare a program of study which must be completed
in order to be recommended for a clear, renewable T-4 teaching
certificate. Note that Post-Baccalaureate students seeking
initial teacher certification pay graduate fees for all courses
taken at AASU.
If you have any questions about this process,
please contact Dr. Elizabeth Crawford, Graduate Program Coordinator,
at Elizabeth.Crawford@armstrong.edu or (912) 344-2634.
Admission
Requirements
Provisional Admission (Initial Application)
Applicants to the Post-Baccalaureate 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
9 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 the designated application
deadlines.
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 the application
deadlines).
5. A signed and notarized Background
Check Consent form or a signed Employment
Verification Form if the applicant is a full-time Teacher
of Record in a public school. (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 (or the Employment Verification form) is
required for provisional admission.
6.
Two letters of recommendation from current or former supervisors
and/or colleagues 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. (Note: Only signed letters will
be accepted).
7. An original Letter
of intent written by the applicant.
Upon receipt of the prospective student's
application, transcripts will be analyzed and comparable undergraduate
or graduate coursework (if any) will be transferred to the
Post-Baccalaureate program of study. Additional documentation,
such as catalog descriptions and course syllabi, may be required
to complete the transcript evaluation.
The applicant will receive written notification
of the results of the transcript evaluation. The individualized
program of study will be valid for three years from the date
of preparation. If the program of study is not completed within
three years, any requirements implemented after the expiration
date must be met before a recommendation for a clear, renewable
certificate will be made. Any requirements implemented by
the Professional Standards Commission (PSC) during the completion
of the program of study must also be met before a recommendation
for a clear, renewable certificate will be made.
Note: Should no courses transfer from
the applicant's undergraduate or graduate coursework, the
applicant should apply to enroll as a student in the Master
of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) program during a prescheduled
cohort.
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Decision
Points
In the graduate teacher certification
programs, there are three decision points when teacher candidates
need to provide evidence of their knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
Departmental faculty will review the evidence and provide
support for candidates to move through the teacher certification
process at Armstrong Atlantic State University.
Regular Admission (Decision Point 1)
Students must be Regularly Admitted to
Candidacy in the Department of Early Childhood Education after
the successful completion of EDUC 6000, EDUC 3100/6100, and
EDUC 3200/6200 (or their approved substitutions) 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 3100/6100 with a B or
better, EDUC 3200/6200 with a C or better, and an overall
3.0 GPA for the student's three summer courses (i.e., EDUC
6000, EDUC 3100/6100, and EDUC 3200/6200 or their approved
equivalent courses).
6.Liability
insurance proof or a signed Employment
Verification Form if the applicant is a full-time Teacher
of Record in a public school. Purchase liability insurance
in University Hall Room 269 by the application
deadlines by joining an approved professional organization
in education. Please see Ms. Mary Ellen Donatelli in University
Hall Room 269, who will give the applicant a temporary, initialed
membership card. The cost is $12.00. If purchased or renewed
online, please attach the membership receipt to the application.
7. A signed and notarized Background
Check Consent form or a signed Employment
Verification Form if the applicant is a full-time Teacher
of Record in a public school. (Note: The Background Check
Consent form may be notarized in University Hall Room 250
or elsewhere, and submitted to University Hall 250 where a
staff member will initial and date the student's application).
A clear criminal background check (or the Employment Verification
form) is required for regular admission.
8. An earned 3.0 GPA (overall) in the last 60 hours of undergraduate
work. To be Admitted to Candidacy and to continue taking coursework,
the student must have an earned 3.0 GPA (overall) for the
last 60 hours of his or her 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 classes (i.e., EDUC 6000, EDUC 3100/6100, and EDUC
3200/6200), but must appeal prior to Admission to Candidacy.
Please contact Dr.
Elizabeth Crawford for information about appeals.
Submit all required papers in one packet
to Dr. Elizabeth Crawford, Graduate Program Coordinator, by
the following deadlines. (Note: If the date falls on the weekend,
the deadline will be the subsequent Monday by 5:00 p.m.) Students
will receive written notification of acceptance to Candidacy.
| Deadlines |
Semester of
Admission to Candidacy |
| April 15 |
Summer |
| July 15 |
Fall |
| November 15 |
Spring |
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Admission to Internship (Decision Point
2)
1. Submit an application for Graduate
Internship by the posted deadline to UH 269. The application
is available from the Office
of Field Experiences, Clinical Practices, & Partnerships
website.
2. Evidence of passing the GACE Content Assessment in Early
Childhood Education [Test I (001) and Test II (002)] (effective
Fall, 2009).
3. Submit electronically two professional disposition assessments
from Education faculty different from those used for Decision
Point 1. Written requests to faculty members through LiveText
must be submitted at least two weeks before the application
due date.
4. Evidence of successful completion of the Professional Teaching
Portfolio as measured by a "basic" or better level
on all four Domains of the Performance Outcomes Assessment
Instrument. Submit in LiveText the Professional Teaching Portfolio
by April 1st or November 1st in LiveText if completing internship
in Fall or Spring, respectively (effective Fall, 2009).
5. Current Infant, Child, and
Adult CPR and First Aid certification (effective Fall, 2009).
6. 10 hours of documented professional development (effective
Fall, 2009).
7. Register for ECMT 6750 during open registration.
Note: A $325 fee will be charged by the
Registrar's Office when one registers for ECMT 6750.
Please note the Internship Application
has been revised as of September 15, 2008 and that no former
versions of the application will be accepted. Candidates should
also attend the informational meetings as posted on the website.
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Program Completion (Decision Point 3)
Students admitted prior to January, 2009:
1. Application
for Program Completion.
2. Submit electronically two professional disposition assessments
from Education faculty different from those used for Decision
Point 1 and 2. (Note: If one is not a Teacher of Record, one
Disposition Assessment must be submitted by the candidate's
Cooperating Teacher during Graduate Internship). Written requests
to faculty members must be submitted at least two weeks before
the application due date.
3. Submit a current, unofficial AASU transcript. (Note: The
Candidate's program completion will be contingent upon the
student's cumulative GPA after all coursework is completed).
4. Evidence of successful completion of the Professional Teaching
Portfolio as measured by a "basic" or better level
on all four Domains of the Performance Outcomes Assessment
Instrument.
5. Evidence of taking the GACE Content Assessment in Early
Childhood Education Test I (001) and Test II (002). (Note:
Please print and attach assessment results to this application.
Evidence may include a copy of the GACE score report, GACE
results posted on a transcript, or one's state record available
at http://www.teachgeorgia.org.
To be eligible for Georgia T-5 certification, the Candidate
must pass this assessment).
6. Successful completion of Graduate Internship as measured
by "basic level" or better on all four domains of
the Performance Outcomes Assessment instrument. (Note: Internship
results are maintained in the student's permanent file and
do not need to be attached with this application).
Students admitted January, 2009 or later:
1. Application
for Program Completion.
2. Submit electronically two professional disposition assessments
from Education faculty different from those used for Decision
Point 1 and 2. (Note: If one is not a Teacher of Record, one
Disposition Assessment must be submitted by the candidate's
Cooperating Teacher during Graduate Internship). Written requests
to faculty members must be submitted at least two weeks before
the application due date.
3. Submit a current, unofficial AASU transcript. (Note: The
Candidate's program completion will be contingent upon the
student's cumulative GPA after all coursework is completed).
4. Successful completion of Graduate Internship as measured
by "basic level" or better on all four domains of
the Performance Outcomes Assessment instrument. (Note: Internship
results are maintained in the student's permanent file and
do not need to be attached with the application).
Submit all required papers in one packet
to Dr. Elizabeth Crawford, Graduate Program Coordinator, by
the posted deadlines.
| Deadlines |
Semester of
Program Completion |
| November 15 |
Fall |
| April 15 |
Spring |
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Program
Requirements
Program
of Study
The
Post-Baccalaureate Program in Early Childhood Education is
designed as a certification-only, non-degree granting
program for individuals who hold a bachelor's degree from
a regionally accredited institution and seek to become certified
to teach grades P-5. Students complete the Master of Arts
in Teaching (M.A.T.) Program of Study, for which they may
transfer comparable undergraduate or graduate coursework from
a regionally accredited institution pending transcript evaluation.
The Post-Baccalaureate
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 2009 M.A.T. Program of Study, click here.
Note that admitted students will receive an individualized
program of study built upon transfer courses (if any) and
the requirements for certification.
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.
Deadlines for submitting one's portfolio
in LiveText are in accordance with one's Program of Study.
For Candidates admitted January, 2009 or later, the deadlines
are as follows:
| Deadlines: |
April 1st by 11:59
p.m. if completing Graduate Internship (ECMT 6750)
in Fall |
|
November 1st by
11:59 p.m. if completing Graduate Internship (ECMT
6750) in Spring |
To view a screen movie concerning how
to create the portfolio in LiveText, please click here.
To view an exemplary portfolio created
by Ms. Sarah Wostbrock (Class of '09), please click here.
Please note that workshops
are held several times per semester to review the portfolio
requirements. If you were unable to attend a formerly held
session, please click here.
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Graduate
Internship
At the completion of one's Program of
Study, candidates complete a full-time, semester-long, supervised
field-based Graduate Internship. Following Admission to Internship
(Decision Point 2), candidates register for ECMT 6750 and
complete requirements under the tutelage of a University Supervisor.
Note: As of August 1, 2008, the Early
Childhood Education Department will place initial certification
candidates in Graduate Internships only in traditional
P-5, self-contained classrooms. The Department will not
place interns in departmentalized 4th and 5th grade classrooms.
For more information, please contact Dr.
John Hobe, Department Head, at (912) 344-2619.
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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.
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Important Notes:
1. This program of study is considered valid only when it
is signed by the student and the student's advisor. It is
the student's responsibility to meet with the advisor at program
entry.
2. Students assume primary responsibility for knowledge of
and compliance with program requirements. Questions should
be directed to the student's advisor and/or to the Graduate
Program Coordinator.
3. Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average
of 3.0 or better throughout their Post-Baccalaureate Program
of Study with a C or better in all coursework. (Exception:
Must earn a B or better in EDUC 6000 and EDUC 3100/6100 or
their approved equivalent courses).
4. Students are bound by the AASU Academic Honor Code. Further,
coursework may be submitted in one course only. Any duplication
of submitted work must include the written permission of all
instructors involved.
5. Students are responsible for applying for graduation two
semesters prior to one's anticipated semester of program completion.
Forms are available in UH 269 and in the School of Graduate
Studies, 2nd floor Victor Hall.
6. Upon completion of the program requirements, the student
is responsible for applying for Georgia licensure at https://www.gapsc.com/Download/Application.pdf.
The student must also send an official AASU transcript to
Ms. Kathy Driggers, Certification Officer, UH 250, who makes
the recommendation to the Georgia Department of Education
that the student be licensed. (Note: A meeting is held to
explain this process).
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Contact
Information
Elizabeth
O. Crawford, Ph.D.
Graduate
Program Coordinator
Email: elizabeth.crawford@armstrong.edu
Phone: (912) 344-2634
Top
Documents
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