Early Childhood Special Education (B.S.)
The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program prepares the candidate to provide educational services for all students in grades P-5, including those with disabilities whose Individualized Education Program (IEP) indicates instruction using the general education curriculum. The program is offered as full-time program or evening program.
ECSE Admission Requirements
Admission into the Early Childhood Special Education Program is competitive and granted on a space available basis. Students must:
- Be admitted to Middle Georgia State University in good academic standing. Disciplinary action at Middle Georgia State University and/or any other institution that the student has attended or while in the military may prevent admission.
- Submit a program admission packet to the School of Education Administrative Secretary or to the Certification Officer. Program admission packets are found on the School of Education website. Prospective students may also contact the School of Education for an admission packet. Deadline for submission of packets is March 1st for fall semester. Packets submitted after the deadline will be considered after all applicants meeting the deadline are processed. Admission packets must be complete in order for the Pre-Service Certificate to be requested.
- Present a passing score on the GACE Program Admissions Assessment or show evidence of exemption from either of the following national exam scores: 526 composite score on Praxis I (if taken prior to March 5, 2007); SAT - combined score of 1000 on SAT verbal/math; ACT combined score of 43 on English/Math; or GRE (1030 Verbal and Quantitative; after 8-1-11, 297 Verbal and Quantitative).
- Provide a clear criminal background check and proof of completion of the Georgia Educator Ethics Entry Assessment (350G). Information regarding both will be provided in the admission packet.
- Complete the Core curriculum to include Area F (60 semester hours).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on all courses to include transfer, transient, or taken as a part of a prior degree. Students who have not met all requirements for admission but have a cumulative GPA between 2.50-2.74 may submit a letter of appeal as part of their application.
- Earn a grade of “C” or better in courses taken in Area A and Area F.
- Pass Area F Field Experience Evaluation.
- Provide three letters of professional recommendation.
- Be available during regular public school day hours for internship, clinical experiences, and program-based seminars.
- Transfer students may be eligible for admission without having satisfied the Middle Georgia State University Area B requirement. Exceptions will be made at the discretion of the Dean of the School of Education.
- Prospective candidates will be required to interview and write a sample essay as part of the admission process.
- Applicants applying to the evening track who are currently employed as a Paraprofessional must submit an individualized plan of study and a Principal Support Letter. Information regarding both will be provided in the application packet.
- The School of Education will request a Pre-Service Certificate from the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC) for the prospective candidate. The decision to issue the Pre-Service Certificate resides solely with the GaPSC.
- Upon receipt of a copy of the Pre-Service Certificate by the School of Education the prospective candidate will be notified in writing by the School of Education of their acceptance.
- Upon acceptance, students are referred to as “teacher candidates”.
- Upon acceptance teacher candidates must present proof of having liability insurance and a Livetext account.
- Teacher candidates must sign their program of study. Teacher candidates are required to follow the program of study as prepared by the School of Education. Deviations from that program without prior consent from the Dean of the School of Education will result in dismissal from the School of Education.
- Teacher candidates must complete the education course sequence to which they were admitted. Students cannot transfer between programs or campuses.
ECSE Academic Progress and Completion
Teacher candidates must meet the following requirements to remain in the ECSE program:
- Maintain an overall cumulative GPA of 2.75 or greater in all courses in the major. Students may be placed on probation within the School of Education during their junior year of the ECSE program. Students must be in good academic standing and have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 to progress to their senior year of coursework.
- Earn a grade no lower than a “C” in all upper division courses.
- A grade of “B” or better is required in all upper division field courses. (ECSE 3444, ECSE 3447, ECSE 3555, ECSE 3558, ECSE 4477 & ECSE 4588).
- Retake only one upper level course where a grade of “D” or “F” was earned. Students will not be allowed to progress into subsequent courses.
- Pass all key assessments with an 80% mastery.
- Student must meet end of semester Program Checkpoints to progress to the next semester.
- Maintain professional liability insurance, a Livetext account and hold a valid Pre-Service certificate for the duration of the program.
- Provide evidence of attempting Georgia Educator Ethics Exit Assessment (360G) prior to progression into Clinical Practice II (ECSE 4588).
- Provide evidence of attempting the GACE Content Assessment (resulting in an official score on all parts of the assessment) prior to the end of the semester while enrolled in ECSE 4588.
- Provide evidence of submitting the edTPA portfolio (resulting in an official score on all tasks within the assessment) prior to the end of the semester while enrolled in ECSE 4588.
- Complete all residency requirements for Middle Georgia State University.
- Adhere to all policies and codes of personal and professional conduct which originate with the School of Education, Middle Georgia State University, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and associated Boards of Education.
NOTE: Should a teacher candidate complete all program requirements and the EPP determines that a candidate needs to increase competency in any area--knowledge, pedagogy, or dispositions--the EPP can request the completion of additional work before the teacher candidate will be declared a program completer.
Certification Requirements
Upon receipt of the MGA Official Transcript with the degree awarded and earning passing scores on the following assessments, the School of Education will recommend the candidate for certification:
- Appropriate GACE content exams (003G & 004G);
- edTPA portfolio;
- Georgia Educator Ethics Exit Assessment (360G).
The decision to issue the Certificate of Eligibility resides solely with the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
ECSE Probation Policy
The School of Education reviews each student’s record at the end of each semester. When a student’s cumulative GPA falls below 2.75, the student will be placed on probation within the School of Education. The office of the Dean of the School of Education informs the student and mentor of this action in writing. Placement on probation means that the student is scholastically deficient and is continuing his or her education with the understanding that he or she must improve the level of work and meet the conditions of probation set by the School of Education. Students on probation shall meet with their academic mentor to devise a plan of action to be approved by the Dean of the School of Education to include monthly meetings with their academic mentor. The term of academic probation is one semester.
The student is removed from probation in the School of Education if he or she is making satisfactory progress at the end of the probationary semester. The office of the Dean of the School of Education informs the student and mentor of this action.
If a student has not met the terms of satisfactory academic progress at the end of the probationary semester, the student will be dismissed from the School of Education. A student who is dismissed from the School of Education may choose to petition the Dean of the School of Education.
ECSE Dismissal Policy
Failure to meet progression requirements will result in dismissal from the School of Education.
A teacher candidate may also be dismissed from the School of Education for disciplinary reasons. Behavioral concerns can/would be addressed through the Office of Student Affairs of Middle Georgia State University. In addition, students may be dismissed from the School of Education for inappropriate behaviors as outlined in the School of Education Student Handbook. Behaviors that are grounds for removal from the clinical experiences include, but are not limited to: confidentiality breeches, harassment, absenteeism or tardiness, malpractice/negligence, failure to follow School of Education or clinical site policies and procedures, failure to fulfill responsibilities, or other activities that the supervisor deems unsafe or inappropriate. Ongoing patterns of unsafe/unprofessional behavior may be grounds for dismissal from the School of Education.
Code of Ethics Violations
Pre-Service Certificate holders are certified individuals, and they are expected to uphold the Code of Ethics for Georgia Educators. Both Educator Preparation Providers (EPPs) and school districts are equally responsible for reporting suspected violations of the Code of Ethics to GaPSC. All educators are mandated reporters and are required to report alleged misconduct. For the educator, failure to report could result in a sanction of the educator’s certificate, and for an EPP, failure to report could impact the EPP’s approval status.
ECSE Re-Entry Policy
Students who meet all present criteria for readmission to the Teacher Preparation Programs, must submit a completed readmission application, a criminal background check, and must submit a letter of intent by the application deadline. Prior to readmission, a student must hold a valid Pre-Service Certificate. Readmission occurs on a space available basis.
Curriculum for the Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Special Education
Core Curriculum (Credit: 42 hours)
Area A: Essential Skills (Credit: 9 hours)
| ENGL 1101 | English Composition I | 3 credits |
| ENGL 1102 | English Composition II | 3 credits |
| Area A Math Elective Credit 3 hours | |
Courses recommended for Area A Math Elective are: MATH 1101 OR MATH 1111
Note: Courses required for Area A must be completed within the first 30 hours.
Area B: Institutional Options (Credit: 4 hours)
| Perspectives Elective | 4 credits |
Area C: Humanities/Fine Arts (Credit: 6 hours)
| Literature Elective | 3 credits |
| Area C Elective | 3 credits |
Area D: Science, Math and Technology (Credit: 11 hours)
| Lab Science | 4 credits |
| Lab Science | 4 credits |
| Area D Elective | 3 credits |
Course recommended for Area D elective: MATH 1112 or MATH 1401
Area E: Social Sciences (Credit: 12 hours)
| HIST 2111 | United States History to 1865 | 3 credits |
| OR | |
| HIST 2112 | United States History since 1865 | 3 credits |
| | |
| AND | |
| | |
| POLS 1101 | American Government | 3 credits |
| Area E Elective | 3 credits |
| Area E Elective | 3 credits |
Course recommended for Area E Elective: PSYC 1101
Area F: Lower Division Major Requirements (Credit: 18 hours)
Major Field
| EDUC 2110 | Investigating Critical & Contemporary Issues in Education | 3 credits |
| EDUC 2120 | Exploring Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Diversity in Educational Contexts | 3 credits |
| EDUC 2130 | Exploring Learning and Teaching | 3 credits |
| ISCI 2001 | Integrated Science - Life and Earth Science | 3 credits |
| ISCI 2002 | Integrated Science - Physical Science | 3 credits |
| MATH 2008 | Foundations of Numbers and Operations | 3 credits |
Required Upper-Level Courses (Credit: 54 hours)
| ECSE 3200 | The Art of Language and Literature | 3 credits |
| ECSE 3400 | Technology in the Classroom | 2 credits |
| ECSE 3410 | Development of the Whole Child | 3 credits |
| ECSE 3430 | Literacy Acquisition | 4 credits |
| ECSE 3520 | Organizing an Effective Learning Environment | 2 credits |
| ECSE 3530 | Literacy Assessment & Intervention Strategies | 4 credits |
| ECSE 3540 | Educational Assessment for Learning | 4 credits |
| ECSE 3800 | Social Studies: Designing Interdisciplinary Curriculum | 3 credits |
| ECSE 4200 | Mathematics Teaching and Curriculum in Grades Pre-K-5 | 3 credits |
| ECSE 4430 | Content Area Literacy | 2 credits |
| ECSE 4500 | Designing Instruction for All Learners | 3 credits |
| ECSE 4520 | Positive Behavior Supports | 3 credits |
| MATH 3106 | Foundations of Algebra | 3 credits |
| MATH 3110 | Informal Geometry | 3 credits |
| MATH 3156 | Introduction to Data Analysis | 3 credits |
| SCIE 3000 | General Science for Elementary Education | 3 credits |
| SPED 3110 | Introduction to the Exception Learner | 3 credits |
| SPED 4110 | Program Planning for Exceptional Learners | 3 credits |
Full-time Field Courses (Credit: 13 hours)
| ECSE 3444 | Professional Roles and Teaching Practices I | 2 credits |
| ECSE 3555 | Professional Roles and Teaching Practices II | 3 credits |
| ECSE 4477 | Clinical Practice I | 4 credits |
| ECSE 4588 | Clinical Practice II | 4 credits |
Evening Track Field Courses (Credit: 13 hours)
| ECSE 3447 | Professional Roles & Teaching Practices A | 2 credits |
| ECSE 3558 | Professional Roles and Teaching Practices B | 3 credits |
| ECSE 4477 | Clinical Practice I | 4 credits |
| ECSE 4588 | Clinical Practice II | 4 credits |
Total Hours: 127