MCE-Undergraduate LA & SS Licensure

The Middle Childhood Education (MCE) undergraduate licensure degree program at Wright State University is committed to the quality and success of every teacher candidate. In accordance with the Association for Middle Level Educators (AMLE) national standards, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the Ohio Learning standards, the International Dyslexia Association (IDA) standards, and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards, the MCE program faculty are committed to ensuring high teacher candidate quality from recruitment and admission, through the progression of courses and field experiences, to program completion and graduation of candidates in two content areas (math, science, social studies, language arts) and in reading. Faculty and staff work closely with every candidate to ensure a positive experience and to support the learning outcomes of our specific courses and program.

Program Description

The Middle Childhood Education program leads to the Bachelor of Science in Education degree with licensure in 2 content areas (math, science, social studies, language arts) and reading for grades 4-9. Choose from the following content area options:

Language Arts & Social Studies
Language Arts & Mathematics
Language Arts & Science
Social Studies & Mathematics
Social Studies & Science
Mathematics and Science

The MCE undergraduate licensure degree program is designed so that candidates complete general education and content courses during their first four semesters (two years) and are admitted into the MCE program at the beginning of their third year experiences. They will proceed through their third and fourth years as members of a cohort group. The cohort portion of the program consists of four semesters of integrated coursework and field experiences.

Specific courses will be taken to ensure that candidates develop theoretical and practical knowledge in the humanities, mathematics and technology, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, and the arts. Courses that incorporate multi-cultural and global perspectives are also included in the general education requirements. The content area methods courses taken during the fourth year in the program focus on pedagogy and developmentally responsive best practices for middle-level learners.

Additionally, candidates will complete a year-long field placement during their fourth year with two days per week spent in a field placement classroom in the fall, followed by student teaching, consisting of five days per week in the same classroom during the spring semester. Due to the year-long field placement in school settings, parts of this program operate on a different calendar than the university calendar, and candidates may be required to start prior to the beginning of the university’s academic term. Candidates pursuing a teacher licensure program are also required to successfully pass the Ohio Department of Education prescribed exams for their intended areas of licensure. An FBI/BCI background check is required for the year-long field placement, and the state of Ohio also requires an FBI/BCI background check as a part of the licensure application.

NOTE: Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state. The WSU Middle Childhood Education undergraduate program meets the educational requirements determined by the state of Ohio. This program may NOT meet educational requirements outside of Ohio. If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements.

Admission Requirements

A cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.6 or better.
Grade of C or better required for ALL pre-requisite content courses and education courses
A minimum of 60 credit hours (including IP-In Progress)
Grade of C or better required for the following:

All Pre-Professional Core courses: ED 1100, ED 2800, and MTH 2415
All WSU Core courses related to the applicant’s two respective concentration areas (Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies)
All Teacher Education courses under the WSU Core requirements: ED 2100, ED 2600, ED 2700, and EDS 2900

Professional Dispositions (CDI) “Meets Requirements” rating for ED 2650
No unresolved Concern Conferences.
Demonstration of competency on a nationally normed test in Reading, Writing and Math via the subtests on the ACT, SAT, and/or Praxis Core Academics for Educators exams. See program website for specific score requirements.

Program Learning Outcomes: Middle Childhood Education

Middle Childhood Education graduates will be able to demonstrate a high level of understanding and skill in relation to:

Association of Middle Level Educators (AMLE, 2012)

Middle level philosophy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment, the implications of diversity, school organization, developmentally responsive best practices, and their professional roles and dispositions.

Ohio Department of Higher Education 12 Semester-Hour Ohio Reading Requirement (ODHE-RR/OBR-OAC/2010); International Literacy Association Standards (ILA, 2017)

The foundational content of literacy learning, reading, writing, phonics, the creation of a literacy-rich learning environment, value of the forms of diversity among individual learners, the cognitive and sociological context of comprehension and vocabulary instruction, supporting students’ literacy learning through meaningful instruction and assessment, the importance of writing in students’ lives, and the need to stay current with literacy trends, research, and professional development.

Ohio Department of Higher Education International Dyslexia Association Standards (ODHE-IDA, 2010)

Dyslexia and other learning disorders regarding their connection to foundational concepts of oral and written learning, the structure of language, the interpretation and administration of assessments for planning instruction, structured language teaching, and the need to follow ethical standards for the profession.

Ohio Learning Standards (OLS, 2017) for English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM, 2012); National Science Education Standards/Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS, 2013)

The appropriate middle level content knowledge and pedagogical best practices related to English Language Arts, Math, Social Studies, and Science content.

Ohio Standards for the Teaching Profession (OSTP, 2009):

Student learning development and diversity, their instructional responsibility regarding their content area(s), the use of varied assessments to inform instruction and evaluate/ensure learning, the importance of planning and delivering effective instruction that advances the learning of all students, the creation of learning environments that promote the achievement of all students, the importance of collaborating and communicating with students, parents, colleagues, administration, and the community, and the importance of their own professional growth.

Council for Exceptional Children (CEC, 2015) standards