2022-2023 Catalog 
    
    Mar 28, 2024  
2022-2023 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Inclusive Elementary Education, BA


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The Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education offers undergraduate education majors the opportunity to engage in cross-disciplinary coursework required to secure an Initial Colorado Teacher License endorsed for K - 6 elementary education, special education, and culturally and linguistically diverse education with 121 credit hours of coursework.  A student will be able to complete the curriculum with four years of full-time study.

Students will learn to be a teacher for all children with a BA in Inclusive Elementary Education. This degree prepares teachers to utilize universal design for learning, innovative methods, instructional best-practice, and technology to support the success of all students. The program leads to:

✔ An Initial Teaching License in Elementary (K-6)

✔ A Special Education Generalist (ages 5-21) Endorsement

✔ A Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education (K-12) Endorsement

Bachelor of Arts in Inclusive Elementary Education Highlights

  • Program focus is on elements of student diversity and inclusive practices in classrooms
  • Emphasis on strategies to teach students within an inclusive school community
  • Preservice teachers spend over 1000 hours in the field in multiple inclusive instructional settings planning lessons, delivering instruction, and assessing student learning
  • Inclusive mentor teachers provide coaching and feedback throughout the program
  • Courses are designed to infuse special education and English as a Second Language methodology in the classroom

Faculty

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

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 at least 45 of these hours must be at the upper-division level (courses numbered 3000-4999).
  • A minimum CU cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher must be maintained to be awarded the BA in Inclusive Elementary Education. A B- or better grade must be earned in IELM courses.
  • Students must complete all Professional Year 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.

Application and Admissions Requirements

Please visit our website for admissions information.

Model Degree Program for BA in Inclusive Elementary Education


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 Fall Semester (Professional Year)


Courses must be taken together.

Traditional Placement Track:

Residency Placement Track:

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 can apply for the following from the Colorado Department of Education:

  1. Initial teaching license in Elementary Education (grades K-6)
  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: Three Subjects Bundle - Mathematics, Social Studies, & Science #5901. All subtests of this exam must be passed by July 15 just prior to Professional Year courses. Students will not be allowed to continue with Professional Year coursework unless they have passed this exam.
  • PRAXIS II Teaching, Reading: Elementary #5205. This exam must be passed by December 15 just prior to beginning the final semester of student teaching (IELM 4950 or IELM 4955).
    Teacher Candidates will NOT be allowed to student teach unless they have passed this exam.
  • PRAXIS II Special Education Generalist #5354. Students should take and pass 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 the Colorado Department of Education (7040).

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

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