2020-2021 Catalog 
    
    Nov 05, 2024  
2020-2021 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Inclusive Elementary Education, BA


The Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education prepares teachers to utilize universal design, technology, and innovative methods to support the success of all students.

Program Highlights

  • Courses are designed to infuse special education and English as a Second Language methods and strategies throughout the program.
  • Leads to an initial license in elementary, SPED endorsement (ages 5-21), CLDE (K-12) endorsement.
  • Field experiences early and often allow preservice teachers to apply learning to classroom settings.
  • Pre-service teachers spend over 800 hours in the field.
  • Pre-service teachers have multiple opportunities to plan lessons, teach, and assess effectiveness of instruction; qualified supervisors provide feedback throughout program.

Faculty

  • Katie Anderson-Pence, Ph.D., Program Coordinator of Elementary Education, Assistant Professor
  • Linda Button Ed.D., Senior Instructor
  • Tim Callahan, M.A., Senior Instructor
  • Grant Clayton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
  • Lissanna Follari, Ph.D., Program Coordinator of Inclusive Early Childhood Education, Assistant Professor
  • Barbara Frye, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Associate Professor
  • Leslie Grant, Ph.D., Associate Professor
  • Mary Hanson, M.A., Instructor
  • Kylie Swanson, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
  • Christi Kasa, Ph.D., Associate Professor
  • Scott Kupferman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
  • Mark Malone, Ph.D., Department Chair, Professor
  • Pat McGuire, Ph.D., Co-Director UCCSTeach Program, Associate Professor

Application and Admissions Process

Visit our website for requirements.

General Academic Information


Academic Policies

It is the responsibility of each student to know and follow all academic policies established by UCCS and the College of Education that are set forth in this catalog.

Course Prerequisites

Students are responsible for knowing and completing all course prerequisites. Course prerequisites are strictly enforced for all classes at UCCS.

Email Accounts

All students are assigned an official UCCS email address. Email is the official means of communication for UCCS, so it is imperative that students check their email accounts regularly.

Advising

Students in the Inclusive Elementary Education program (IELM) are assigned both a campus academic advisor and a College of Education faculty advisor. Meeting with both Academic and faculty advisors will ensure that students select appropriate courses and progress effectively through their degree program. IELM students are required to make an appointment with a College of Education faculty advisor before registering for courses for Year 3.

To make an appointment with a College of Education faculty advisor please contact the COE Student Resource Office, University Hall 324, 719-255-4996 or education@uccs.edu. 

Probation/Suspension

Students in the College of Education who have attempted at least 12 or more credit hours at any CU campus will be placed on academic probation in the College of Education for the following semester if their cumulative CU Grade Point Average (GPA) falls below a 2.0.  The cumulative CU GPA includes all courses taken at any CU campus.  Students may remain on academic probation for a maximum of 3 semesters as long as they maintain a minimum semester GPA of 2.5 during that time to demonstrate academic improvement.

Students on academic probation may continue to take a normal course load but should plan their schedules carefully and are strongly advised to meet with their Academic and Faculty Advisors regularly.  While on academic probation, students will have a registration hold placed on their student account and they will not be able to register for the next semester (excluding summer) until their current semester grades have been posted and academic improvement can be verified.  Once a cumulative CU GPA of 2.0 or higher can be verified, students will be removed from academic probation.

If, after being placed on academic probation, the student’s semester GPA continues to fall below the required 2.5 or their cumulative GPA is still below 2.0 after 3 semesters, then the student will be suspended from the College of Education. Students who have been suspended from the College of Education are not automatically suspended from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. Suspended students may apply to transfer to another college within the university and, if approved, take courses in the new major.

Students who have been suspended may apply for re-admission to the College of Education once they have raised their cumulative CU GPA to 2.0. Suspended students must apply to have their suspension removed (after meeting the above requirement) with their Academic and Faculty Advisors. In addition, students may be required to reapply to the University. Students who are in doubt of their academic standing with regard to scholastic deficiency are strongly urged to consult with the College of Education Academic and Faculty Advisors.

Course Load

A full-time course load is 12 credit hours in a semester. The maximum course load is 18 credit hours in a semester. If a student wishes to take more than 18 credit hours in a given semester, special permission must be obtained through the Academic Advising Center. Students who expect to work while enrolled in university courses should register for course loads that they can complete without unusual difficulty. Recommended course loads are based on work hours are listed below. 
 

Employed Hours  Enrolled Credit Hours
40 hours per week  6-9 credit hours
30 hours per week  8-11 credit hours
20 hours per week  10-13 credit hours

Degree Requirements

  • A minimum of 121 hours must be completed with a cumulative CU grade point average of 2.0; at least 45 of these hours must be at the upper-division level (courses numbered 3000-4999).
  • A minimum GPA of 2.75 or higher must be maintained in the College of Education courses to be awarded the BA in Inclusive Elementary Education.
  • Students must complete all Field Placement and Student Teaching courses as a student in the Inclusive Elementary Education degree program in the College of Education.
  • Courses numbered below 1000 do not count towards degree completion.
  • Additional course options may be available for the Humanities and Natural Science requirements. Contact your academic advisor for more details.

Application and Admissions Requirements

Please visit our website for admissions information.

Model Degree Program for Inclusive Elementary Education BA


The following four-year plan lists all the specific course requirements for the Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education degree for the academic year of this catalog. Equivalent courses taken at other institutions prior to admission to this degree program may satisfy some requirements, subject to College of Education policies regarding the transfer of academic credit. The order in which these are taken may vary with course availability; however normal degree progress requires that students complete the degree in a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior sequence in order to complete prerequisites as required. Courses in the Junior and Senior year must be taken in order and in the semester indicated below.

Senior Year Spring Semester (Professional Year)


8 hours per day for 16 weeks, 3 weeks solo; 640  hours total

Traditional Placement Track:

Residency Placement Track:

 

Additional Information on Licensure


The Inclusive Elementary Education Licensure Program is a multi-credential program. Students who successfully complete the program will be recommended for an initial teaching license in Elementary Education, an added endorsement in Special Education Generalist (ages 5-21), and an endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (grades K-12).

Upon completion of the program students should apply for the following:

  1. Initial teaching license in Elementary Education
  2. Added endorsement in Special Education Generalist (ages 5-21)
  3. Added endorsement in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education (grades K-12)

Exam Requirements

In order to receive an initial license or added endorsement students will need to complete the following exam(s):

  • PRAXIS II Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects #5001
  • A minimum of 2 out of 4 subtests (reading, math, social studies, science) must be passed by July 15 just prior to Professional Year classes. All 4 subtests must be passed prior to beginning the final semester of student teaching (IELM 4950) or by December 15th - Teacher Candidates will NOT be allowed to student teach unless they have passed this exam.
  • PRAXIS II Special Education Generalist #5354-students should take this exam before the completion of student teaching.

When registering to take the Praxis exam(s), students need to send their scores to UCCS (4874) and Colorado Department of Education (7040).

For more information, students should visit: www.ets.org/praxis

Students should take the exam(s) no later than the Fall semester before student teaching.