Adolescence Science Education Master of Arts in Teaching degree

Program Purpose

This masters program is intended for students who have earned a bachelor's degree in biology, chemistry, geosciences, or physics (or equivalent) and who wish to earn a certificate to teach in grades 7-12 in N.Y.S. public schools. This accelerated (15 month) program will provide all of the required course work, field experiences and student teaching as well as selected courses in the content areas so that graduates will be eligible for both initial and professional certification in the science disciplines in their first degree, as well as General Science 7-12 and science in grades 5-6. This provides an opportunity to fulfill a regional need for qualified science teachers from nontraditional sources such as content majors or individuals considering a second career.

Program Structure and Content

The academic content contains a pedagogical core, literacy and language acquisition courses, method courses specific to the teaching of science, use of technology to enhance learning and assist student with special needs, assessment, teaching scholarship and science content courses.

Program Requirements for the Adolescence Science Education Master of Arts in Teaching degree (44 credit hours)

Pedagogical Core:

EDU 502	Psychology of Adolescence	3
EDU 508	Teaching Exceptional Learners in Inclusive Settings	3
EDU 301	Safe Schools/Healthy Students: Child Abuse and Child Abduction	1
EDU 302	Safe Schools/Healthy Students: Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Abuse	1
EDU 303	Safe Schools/Healthy Students: Safety Education/Fire and Arson/School Violence	1

Literacy:

EDU 536	Adolescent Literacies, Literature and Technology	3
EDU 506	Introduction to Literacy Instruction	3
EDU 586	Literacy in the Content Areas	3
EDU 587	Psychological Foundations of Literacy	3

Methods:

SCED 560	Foundations of Teaching Science to Adolescent Learners	4
SCED 660	Developing Expertise in Science Teaching	4
SCED 680	Inquiry into Science Teaching in Context	3

Content:

BIOL, CHEM, GEO, PHY, SCI, SCED: 6 credit hours of electives upon advisement

Supervised Teaching:

SCED 670	Student Teaching - Middle School Science	6
SCED 671	Student Teaching - Secondary School Science	6

Required course for 5-6 extension:

EDU 321

Teaching in the Middle School

Additional requirements for General Science 7-12 extension:

Candidates are required to have completed at least 18 credit hours of study in two sciences outside the area of initial certification.

Criteria and Procedures for Admission

Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in Biology, Chemistry, Geosciences, or Physics or the equivalent and have an overall GPA of 2.75 in their undergraduate program; two recent (within last six months) letters of recommendation are required. General admission requirements can be found at the Application Procedures section of the Graduate Studies website (http://www.fredonia.edu/gradstudies). In general, students are expected to apply by January 15 to begin the program the next summer. The program is designed for students to take a sequence of courses starting one summer and through to the end of the next summer. Some allowance, upon advisement, may be given for certain courses to be taken out of sequence or on a part time bases. Students will be admitted to the program based on the assessment of GPA and letters of recommendation by the Science Education Partnership (SEP) Graduate Committee. A transcript screen tool will be employed to determine content course deficiencies and requirements for any dual certifications or the general science 7-12 extension.

Admission to the Program

B.S. degree in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, Physics, or equivalent; 2.75 GPA overall and in the discipline. Evaluation of transcript by the M.A.T. Coordinator to identify the certification area(s) and any deficiencies that must be addressed through further course work. Identified deficiencies will be outlined in a contract along with a timeline for their completion.
Passage of the Content Specialty Test (CST) in the disciplinary area. If candidate has not taken/passed the CST, then candidate must pass exam and have results in hand during the fall semester. Students should see the following for links to certification examinations (http://www.nystce.nesinc.com/NY_viewSG_opener.asp).
Evaluation by the M.A.T. Coordinator of knowledge of research and investigation in science. Candidate must demonstrate knowledge in this area by one of the following four methods:

Candidate has taken a graded course that addresses the competencies required:
1. Statement of research problem
2. Literature review
3. Experimental design
4. Data Collection and organization
5. Analysis and Interpretation of data
6. Final Conclusions
7. Discussion
8. Report
  (For instance, Fredonia B.S. science majors often participate in undergraduate research experiences that gives them experiences that meet the knowledge of research competencies.)
Candidate describes in detail ONE research project where all of the requirements (A-H above) were addressed. Candidate will provide evidence (e.g. a research report, notebook, published paper, etc.) in support of meeting this requirement.
If candidate’s current occupation involves experiences that address the requirements (A-H above), then the candidate provides a narrative explaining how s/he has met those requirements. At least one writer of a letter of recommendation should address this explicitly in their reference letter.
If no experience/course meets this requirement then candidate will be required to take a research course/experience as part of their curriculum in the M.A.T.

Candidates in all education programs are required to demonstrate competence in a foreign language. This requirement must be satisfied in any one of the following ways:

Score of 85 percent or higher on New York State Regents Exam. Requirement is fulfilled.
Scores of 65 percent - 84 percent on High School N.Y.S. Regents Exam: Student needs to take an Elementary I level course or an Elementary II level course of a language or equivalent course(s) or successfully complete an equivalent SUNY Fredonia proficiency exam.
Scores below 65 percent on High School N.Y.S. Regents Exam or if student did not take a N.Y.S. Regents Exam: Student needs to take an Elementary I level course and an Elementary II level course of the same language or equivalent.