Graduate Catalog 2023-2024
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Middle Grades Education for Initial Certification, Master of Arts in Teaching (0458)

Department website: http://www.wku.edu/ste/


Program Coordinator

Janet L. Tassell, janet.tassell@wku.edu, (270) 745-5306

Program Contact
Rachael Lee, rachael.lee@wku.edu, (270) 745-2819

The MAT in Middle Grades Education for Initial Certification leads to initial certification in Middle Grades Education (grades 5-9) for qualified individuals with bachelor’s degrees and content majors (or equivalent for those who qualify for temporary provisional certification in approved areas). Course work and experiences in the program provide students who have a deep knowledge of their respective disciplines, but no background in professional education, with the pedagogical knowledge and skills to become highly qualified educators in their fields. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be professional educators who possess the dispositions and skills to apply state-of-the-art, evidence-based, best teaching practices to increase student achievement.

There are three concentrations in this program:

  1. Alternate Route to Certification Concentration for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (EARC)
  2. Standard Concentration for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (ESTN)
  3. Residency Concentration for Science and Mathematics (ERSM) (e.g. GSKyTeach)

Note that Concentrations 1 and 2 appear identical; however, the differences between these concentrations are characterized by students with and without a temporary provisional teaching certificate and those who must meet the equivalent of the state required student teaching requirements along with the specific content area in which students are seeking certification.

Students in all three concentrations are expected to become competent in theory, research, and application of best teaching practices in their respective fields and to exhibit appropriate teacher disposition behaviors as indicated by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Disposition Rating Form. All professional education courses in the program require satisfactory completion of critical performance indicators (CPIs); these must be submitted as directed before the final course grade is recorded. Each course’s CPIs become a part of the student’s portfolio that is reviewed periodically throughout the program.

Students who seek admission to the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification must meet additional requirements in order to qualify for temporary provisional certification, and they must complete all requirements for certification within three years of the time of employment by a school district. A recommendation for professional certification will be contingent upon successful completion of the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) and submission of qualifying scores on all required examinations for the desired area of certification. Additional information about the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification concentrations may be found on the website for the Office of Professional Educator Services.

Upon successful completion of the MAT in Middle Grades Education for Initial Certification and satisfaction of all other certification requirements, student who do not participate in the Alternate Route to Certification concentrations but participate in the Standard Concentration will qualify for a Statement of Eligibility for Certification. The Internship course for these students must be a full semester or equivalent in length. Students in the residency (e.g. GSKyTeach) concentration must meet all expectations associated with that residency program.

Concentration(s)

  • Alternate Route to Certification (EARC)
  • Standard (ESTN)
  • Residency for Science and Math (ERSM)

Program Admission

Applicants must meet one of the following, depending upon the chosen concentration.

Standard Concentration and the Alternate Route to Certification Concentration

  • Document completion of a baccalaureate degree with a major, or equivalent, in an approved certification area and from an accredited institution.
  • Be recommended for admission following a transcript review by an MAT advisor associated with the certification area sought. (If deficiencies are cited the applicant may be required to take additional undergraduate courses.)
  • Submit a letter of application including professional goals
  • Document a cumulative overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 or above (counting all course work, undergraduate and graduate) OR a GPA of 3.0 in the last 30 hours of course work (counting all course work, undergraduate and graduate).
  • Submit a passing score on the appropriate PRAXIS II test in major area.
  • Submit state minimum passing scores for GRE or CASE for admission to the professional education unit.
  • Submit a successful criminal background check.
  • Submit the following documentation prior to acceptance to Graduate School:  3 references, physical (including TB test), and a signed code of ethics.

Residency Concentration for Science and Mathematics Educators

  • A baccalaureate degree with a major in physics, chemistry, or mathematics with a 2.5 GPA in the major area of concentration.
  • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75.
  • Satisfaction of state minimum requirements for GRE or PPST qualifying scores for admission to the professional education unit.
  • A successful criminal background check.
  • A passing score on the PRAXIS II test in the major area.  (This score must be submitted within the first semester of enrollment in the teacher residency program.)
  • Documentation to demonstrate that applicant meets all expectations for employment with the partnership school districts.

Graduate School Admission

Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.

Program Requirements (30-36 hours)

Standard Concentration (36 hours) and Alternate Route to Certification Concentration (36 hours)

(for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (Middle Grades 5-9))

Required Courses
Professional Education Component
EDU 589Advanced Internship for the MAT6
EDU 520Planning for Instruction 13
PSY 510Advanced Educational Psychology3
LTCY 510Methods of Teaching Literacy to Adolescents3
EDU 522Foundations of Differentiated Instruction3
EDU 570Educational Assessment for P-12 Learners3
TCHL 520Principles of Action Research for Teacher Leaders3
or EDFN 500 Research Methods
Program-specific content methods course approved by the advisor3
LITE 535Survey of Educational Technology Practices3
Electives
Advisor approved content electives from the student’s teaching discipline. The course selections must be approved by the candidate’s advisors in consultation with a representative from the candidate’s teaching discipline.6
Total Hours36
1

Must be taken in the first 6 hours

Residency Concentration (30 hours)

(for Science and Mathematics Education (e.g. GSKyTeach))

Required Courses
Professional Education Component
SMED 590Teaching Internship8
SMED 501Designing Instructional Sequences in Secondary Math and Science3
SMED 510Advanced Topics in Knowing and Learning in Mathematics and Science3
SMED 589Science and Mathematics Education Internship Seminar3
SMED 530Literacy Support for Diverse Learners in Mathematics and Science3
SMED 520Management for Positive Learning Environments3
SMED 560Developing Professional Learning Communities for Instructional Improvement3
SMED 620Collaborative Research to Improve Mathematics and Science Teaching3
SMED 630Action Research Seminar1
Total Hours30