Dec 05, 2024  
Undergraduate Record 2012-2013 
    
Undergraduate Record 2012-2013 [ARCHIVED RECORD]

Curriculum, Instruction and Special Education


5-year Program in Teacher Education

Students interested in earning licensure to teach complete a five-year curriculum leading to the simultaneous awarding of a bachelor’s and a master’s degree. This program, sponsored cooperatively by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Curry School of Education, provides an extensive liberal arts foundation, content area preparation, and professional study in education. Students earn a B.A. or B.S. degree from the College and an M.T. from the Curry School of Education.  Students majoring in Health and Physical Education earn both a BSEd and MT through the Curry School.

Teaching Specializations

The requirements for each teaching specialization are largely determined by the kind of teaching position for which the student is preparing. The teacher education requirements are in addition to the courses required in general education and are in compliance with state licensure guidelines. General and specific requirements for each of the areas below are listed on the Teacher Education website.

Elementary Education The elementary education program leads to licensure and endorsement for teaching in PreK-6 classrooms. Students must complete a broad liberal arts program including English, science, math, American history, and world history or western civilization. Prospective elementary teachers may complete a major from any discipline in Arts and Sciences; however, students are encouraged to seek a major in a core content area.

Secondary Education The University of Virginia offers a wide choice of academic majors, with the following majors leading directly to an endorsement to teach in a secondary school: English, mathematics, social studies or an area in science (biology, physics, chemistry, environmental science).

Foreign Language Education  Endorsement options for PreK-12 are available in French, German, Latin, and Spanish. Students majoring in a foreign language are required to spend at least six weeks abroad and take a speaking and writing proficiency test in their target language.

Health and Physical Education The five-year kinesiology program leading to endorsement in health and physical education requires that all students transfer into the Curry School of Education for a combined B.S.Ed.-M.T. degree. This health and physical education program follows the same format as the B.A.-M.T. option, but it is located entirely in the Curry School due to the specific disciplinary course offerings related to human movement sciences (e.g., anatomy, kinesiology, motor development, and sport psychology).

Special Education – General Curriculum  The general special education program prepares teachers to serve students in grades K-12 with mild disabilities in a variety of settings – inclusion classrooms, modified resource rooms, and self-contained classrooms. Students must complete requirements for a second endorsement area in general education (elementary education, a secondary education content area, or ESL.

Early Childhood Special Education The Early Childhood Special Education program certifies graduates to teach children (birth to age 5) with a wide range of developmental delays in cognition, communication, social skills, adaptive behavior, and/or motor skills. Graduates are likely to be employed by public schools, Head Start programs, early intervention programs, and a wide range of service providers serving young children and their families.

Add-on Endorsements Students enrolled in one of the programs above may elect to add on endorsements in areas such as English as a Second Language and Algebra I.  To do so, they must seek permission from their Curry Advisor and the Director of Teacher Education.

Application (Permission to Enroll) Process

Arts and Sciences students should apply for permission to enroll in the Teacher Education Program by February 15 of their second year of study.  They should have completed, or be enrolled in, EDIS 2010 and EDIS 2880 at the time they apply.  Students who have advanced standing in the College due to AP and dual enrollment credits may be eligible to apply for admission as early as their second semester at U.Va. To investigate this option, attend one of Curry’s information sessions during fall and spring semesters.
 
Transfer students from other institutions should apply to the program through the University’s Office of Undergraduate Admissions during their second year of study. If they have not taken the equivalent of EDIS 2010 (Teaching as a Profession), transfer students must attend summer school in Charlottesville to complete the course before the start of fall semester.

All applicants must provide SAT/ACT/VCLA or Praxis I scores that meet requirements specified on the Curry website.

Academic Requirements  

Courses required for the B.A. or B.S. degree taken at the 4000 level or below may be successfully completed with a passing grade of D- or better unless the program requires a higher grade. Courses in the major must reflect a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Courses taken at the 5000 level or above in the major and in professional studies require a minimum grade of B- or better; 5000-level courses taken before the fourth year in which a student has performed below the level of B- may be petitioned, with advisor and dean’s office approval, to have the grade standard waived.

Professional studies courses at the 5000 level in which a student has received a failing grade (less than a B-) must be retaken, or a substitute professional course must be taken to replace the deficiency. The advisor and the Office of Teacher Education must approve course substitution or retaking a course. Program deficiencies may result in the student being suspended from the program.

General Education: All students in the five-year teacher education program must complete the general education requirements specified by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Curry School of Education Candidates for the B.A./B.S. degree must have completed a total of 102 credits from the College of Arts and Sciences.

In accordance with licensure requirements, specific courses within the general education core vary by teacher education program area. Detailed information can be obtained on the Curry website (http://curry.virginia.edu/teacher-education) or from the Teacher Education Office (326 Bavaro Hall).

Echols Scholars: Echols scholars enrolled in the B.A./B.S. to M.T. program must meet Virginia State Department of Education requirements for coursework in mathematics, natural science, social science, U.S. history, English communication, literature, and other humanities. See the Teacher Education web site for specific requirements: http://curry.virginia.edu/teacher-education

Policy Exceptions: Exceptions to program policies in teacher education must be requested on the Teacher Education Policy Exception form and must be approved by an advisor and department chair.

Student Advising Handbook: Teacher Education program policies and procedures are specified in the Student Advising Handbook found on the Teacher Education website.

Professional Studies Description: Program guides delineating the semester-by-semester sequence for professional studies in each content endorsement area can also be found on the Teacher Education website. 

Advancement to Graduate Study

By December 1 of the fourth year, students apply for advancement to graduate status. Criteria for advancement include: (1) demonstrated competence in basic skills (verbal, quantitative, and computer skills), (2) a high grade point average (2.750 overall/3.000 in academic major), (3) satisfactory performance in all field experiences, (4) demonstrated proficiency in public speaking, and (5) satisfactory performance on the GRE. During their fifth year, even though they have not yet received their undergraduate degree, the Office of Financial Aid classifies teacher education students as graduate students. Thus, they qualify for graduate scholarship and loan programs, not undergraduate grants.

Applying for Graduation and Licensure

All students must take and pass the  Praxis II exam and the Virginia Communication and Literacy examinations to graduate. Elementary and special education students must also pass the Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE) assessment.  Graduates must submit an Application for Graduation and licensure application materials by February 1 for May graduation, by June 1 for August graduation, or  by October 1 for January graduation. For additional information, see the Curry web site.