Middle Childhood through Early Adolescence

Admission

Requirements to Being Admitted to UW-Whitewater College of Education

1. Acceptance to UW-Whitewater.
2. Completion of the requirements for Admission to Professional Education. 

Briefly these include:

1. Pass all three portions of PRAXIS I, the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST)
   1. Information is available through the COE Advising Assistance Center, Winther Hall 2003 or by calling 262.472.1585
2. Attend Phase I: College of Education Program Requirements and Phase 2:  Orientation meetings
   1. Information is available through the COE Advising Assistance Center, Winther Hall 2003 or by calling 262.472.1585.  Current meeting times can be found at the COE Calendar or by contacting the COE Advising Assistance Center.
3. Pass each course of the Foundations Block (formerly Pre-Professional Block)
4. Earn a “C” or better in SPEECH 110 (or equivalent)
5. Complete a minimum of 40 credits
6. Have a cumulative 2.75 GPA based on 40 credits
7. Have had a minimum of 350 experience hours with learners beginning with freshman year in high school
8. Successful completion of Phase 2 Portfolio

Steps to Being Admitted to UW-Whitewater College of Education MC/EA Licensure Program

Admittance to the MC/EA Licensure Program is highly competitive.  Having completed all requirements for admittance to the COE does not guarantee admittance to the MC/EA licensure program.  The cumulative GPA is one of the major determining factors in the admission process.

1. Complete Requirements to Being admitted to UW-Whitewater College of Education
2. Apply to the specific MC/EA licensure program when applying to the COE.  Application occurs while enrolled in or after having completed the Foundations Block.

1. Requirements to enroll
   1. minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA on 12 units of coursework or have a baccalaureate degree
   2. attend a Phase 1 meeting
   3. passing scores on two (2) of the three (3) parts of the PRAXIS I
2. All three courses should be taken in the same semester
   1. EDFOUND 243: Education in a Pluralistic Society  (3 units)
   2. EDFOUND 222:  Child Development  (3 units)
   3. EDFNDPRC 210:  Introduction to Education and Testing  (3 units)
      
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Once Admitted to MC/EA Licensure Program

1. Declare a minor.  This is completed through the Curriculum & Instruction (C & I) Department office.
   
   
2. Make an appointment with the advisor assigned to you by the C & I Department.  At this appointment a Program Plan will be developed indicating courses to be taken each semester to complete the program and also will indicate which semester will be your anticipated Directed Teaching (student teaching) semester.  The Program Plan will also include any coursework needed to complete COE General Education and PI 34 General Education requirements.  If the anticipated Directed Teaching semester should change, see your C & I Department advisor immediately to complete an Authorization to Make Changes in Professional Education Status and to update your program plan.  Not doing so may result in your not being able to student teach. You should also make contact with your minor area department to review the progression of your course work. View the Program Plan for a listing of courses.
   
   
3. Make an appointment with the department of your minor area to develop a plan to complete your declared minor area requirements.  This is very important as some courses have limited offerings or are only offered on a rotating basis, which may increase the number of semesters needed to complete your program and degree.
   
   
4. Consult with your C & I Department advisor and with the department of your minor area on a regular basis.  While departments make every effort to understand the intricacies of each other’s programs, neither are experts in each other’s areas.  Therefore, it is your responsibility to make sure you have received the best advising in your licensure area and in your minor area.
   
   
5. Beginning Fall 2004, WI DPI established a PRAXIS II Content Knowledge Exam requirement that must be successfully completed to obtain a Wisconsin teaching license.  Students must meet this requirement for their major and for minors that will lead to additional teaching licenses.
   
   
   1. Information specific to the dates, requirements, costs, and study guides available for the PRAXIS II is available through the COE Advising Assistance Center, Winther Hall 2003, 262.472.1585.
   2. Students desiring to student teach in a Fall Semester should take and achieve a qualifying score by January of the same year.  Ultimately, passing scores must be reported to the COE Office of Field Experiences before a student teaching placement will be arranged.  No one will receive a student teaching placement without passing scores.
   3. Students desiring to student teach in a Spring Semester should take and achieve a qualifying score by August of the preceding year.  Ultimately, passing scores must be reported to the COE Office of Field Experiences before a student teaching placement will be arranged.  No one will receive a student teaching placement without passing scores.     

Enrollment Guide Sheet for Elementary Education:  Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence

The Enrollment Guide Sheet (pdf) for Elementary Education:  Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence is a listing of courses to be completed for MC/EA licensure.  This guide does not include any PI 34 or UWW general education coursework, deficiency coursework or minor coursework to be completed.  The guide sheet is only intended to assist in program planning and is not legally binding. 

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Professional Block (Methods Block)

The Professional Block is a group of methods courses and a field experience that is to be taken together during the same semester.  These include:

1. ELEMMID 422 Teaching Language Arts in the Elementary/Middle Grades (2 units)
2. ELEMMID 425 Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary/Middle Grades (3 units)
3. READING 360 Elementary/Middle School Reading Teaching Strategies (3 units)
4. CIFLD 492 Field Study  (3 units)
5. CIFLD 401 Alternate Directed Teaching, Elementary Grades (2 units) or CIFLD 402 Alternate Directed Teaching, Middle Grades (2 units)

ELEMMID 422, ELEMMID 425 AND READING 360 meet in the mornings for six to seven consecutive weeks at the beginning of the Professional Block semester.  Either of the Alternate Directed Teaching and Field Study will be completed in a school setting, which will be in place of the courses meeting every morning for six to seven consecutive weeks.  The Elementary Placement Coordinator determines the location of the field placement.  The remainder of the semester time is completed by returning to the classes for one to two weeks.  In selecting coursework and work schedules be certain not to schedule any other courses during the Professional Block semester before 12:30PM.  If you intend to complete the full-time Directed Teaching (student teaching) semester at the middle school level, enroll in CIFLD 401 Alternate Directed Teaching, Elementary Grades for the Professional Block.  If you intend to complete the full-time Directed Teaching (student teaching) semester at the elementary school level, enroll in CIFLD 402 Alternate Directed Teaching, Middle Grades for the Professional Block.

Some school districts require a criminal background check for individuals completing field placements in their schools.  Students are required to pay the cost of such background checks.

A Phase III Portfolio must be successfully completed during the Professional Block to be eligible for the Directed Teaching semester.  Scores of two (2) or higher on the Philosophy/Pedagogy Statement, narratives related to artifacts, and seven (7) of eight (8) of the Wisconsin Teacher Standards is considered to be successful completion. Please see Phase III Portfolio for specific information.

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Student Teaching

Directed Teaching (Student Teaching)

Directed Teaching is an 18 week all day every day placement in a school setting determined by the Elementary Placement Coordinator.  As with Field Study, you may choose whether you want to student teach at the elementary or middle school level.  However, the level must be at the alternate level of the Field Study placement.  The school’s semester calendar is followed, not the UWW semester calendar during the placement.  Please see the Student Teaching Handbook for specific information.

1. minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA
2. minimum “C” earned in all methods courses
3. successful completion of all clinical/field experiences
4. passing score on the Phase III Portfolio 
5. attending a Phase 3  Meeting 
6. recent negative reading on a TB test 
7. passing score on the PRAXIS II Content Knowledge Exam
8. satisfactory background check, if required by school district
9. passing score on PRAXIS II Content Knowledge Exam

CIGNERL 470: Student Teaching Seminar (2 units) is highly recommended during Directed Teaching.  Currently, it is optional.

International Student Teaching

International Student Teaching opportunities are available.  The program involves a placement in a school in Wisconsin for part of the semester of Directed Teaching and a placement in a school overseas for a part of the semester of Directed Teaching.  Students who are interested in learning more about International Student Teaching opportunities should contact the Office of Field Experiences, Winther 2038, 262.472.1123. 

Teacher Internships 

Teacher Internship opportunities are available for those who, in lieu of Directed Teaching, desire more than a traditional student teaching experience.  Teacher Interns receive a financial stipend for participating in the program.  A student interested in a Teacher Internship must apply and be accepted into the Teacher Internship program prior to their anticipated semester of Directed Teaching.  Not all students who apply to the Teacher Internship program are accepted and not all accepted into the Teacher Internship program receive internship placements.  Information may be obtained by contacting the Teacher Internship program office located in Winther 2036 or by calling 262.472.1935. 

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Graduation/Certification/Licensure

 To be eligible for graduation/certification the following must occur:

1. attend a Phase IV Licensure meeting
2. successfully complete a Phase IV Portfolio
3. successfully complete all UWW requirements
4. successfully complete all requirements of your major and minor
5. successfully complete Directed Teaching
6. recommendation of your cooperating teacher
7. recommendation of your university supervisor

Licensure Application 

The process of applying for a teaching license is explained during the Phase IV meeting. Applications for a Wisconsin teaching certificate/license can be found at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

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1. Review COE information presented in the Undergraduate Catalog 
   
   
2. Contact the COE Advising Assistance Center, 262.472.1585 or Winther Hall 2003, to determine the appropriate program coordinator to which you should be referred and to have your PI 34 and/or COE General Education requirements reviewed.
   
   
3. Those desiring information specific to the MC/EA licensure program should contact the MC/EA Licensure Program Coordinator Mrs. Susan Kidd, Winther Hall 3036, 262.472.5814 or by email at  kidds@uww.edu to set up an advising appointment. To expedite advising, please bring a current UWW AR and/or a PI34/UWW General Education evaluation form and/or all transcripts (need not be official) and/or all waiver/substitution forms and/or all teacher licenses and/or any other information/documents relevant to the appointment.

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The information presented is designed to assist student in understanding the Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence Licensure Program at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.  The information presented is not legally binding.  Students should consult the UWW Undergraduate Catalogue, their Academic Advisement Report (AR), advisors, faculty and other formal University-sponsored resources.