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Saturday November 21, 2009
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Frequently Asked Questions
What if I want to become qualified to teach more than one science subject?If you want to teach more than one science subject you can earn a supplemental credential in a second (or third) field. To teach a second science subject area you need 32 units in that content area (or you must pass the CSET). This is called added authorization. What if I have a Multiple Subject Credential and I want to teach middle school science?If you have a MSCP and want to add general/introductory science to your credential you need 32 units of science which include at least 6 semester units in each of the four content aresa (biology, chemistry, physics, earth/space). You should also take EDSS450C (secondary science methods) as you will be teaching in a departmental setting. This added authorization will allow you to teach science K-9. You will need to petition to take EDSS450C as you aren't officially in the Single Subject program. Please see Drs. Henriques or Kisiel or Nickles for details about the required courses and the petitioning process. MSCP holders (or other credential holders) are able to add the Foundational Level General Science Credential (K-8 single subject credential). To do this candidates must pass CSET exams 118 and 119 and complete the single subject science methods course (EDSS450C). What if I want to teach middle school science (not high school)?There is a relatively new Foundational Level General Science Credential. This is a single subject credential in science which allows the person to teach only science, K-8. Candidates who select this credential will complete the coursework in the Single Subject Credential Program. To demonstrate subject matter competence for this credential is only via CSET Exams 118 and 119. What if I want to teach math and science?If you want to teach math and science you will need to take additional math courses (32 units). Added authorization in foundational mathematics only allows you teach through algebra 2. If you want to teach math in all grades K-12 you will need to earn a full math credential. The requirements to teach K-9 math are 32 units. Please see the math department to learn which courses are required as part of the 32 units. You will also need to take EDSS450M (secondary math methods). You must petition to be able to take EDSS450M if you are not a math program student. See an advisor for information about how to do that. NOTE --- Under No Child Left Behind to teach a math you need 32 units of coursework in math or you must pass the CSET exams. There is a foundational level math authorization (first 2 exams) or full authorization (all 3 exams). What if I want to teach science and health science?Added subject matter authorization in health sciences requires completion of the following courses plus additional coursework (totalling 32 units): HSC 411B Health Science for Secondary
Teachers NOTE --- With the new federal legislation (No Child Left Behind) the definition of a "highly qualified" teacher requires 32 units of coursework. This means that the supplemental authorizations do not make you highly qualified. Please see the Health Science Credential Advisor for information about which courses to take. What GPA is required for the program?A GPA of 2.67 is required to enter the single subject credential program. In science we look at your overall GPA as well as your GPA in upper division science courses. We expect you to have a 2.67 GPA in both areas. If your GPA is below 2.67 you must petition for program admission. In most cases, your petition is looked upon favorably if your GPA for the last 60 units of college credit is above a 2.75. Your petition is reviewed by the Science Education Department and the Single Subject Credential Program Petition Committee. Students can be admitted, provisionally admitted or rejected at this point. Please note that you must have a 2.50 GPA to be admitted to the university as a post baccalaureate student. Admission to the university does not guarantee admission to the Single Subject Credential Program. Can I take an exam to demonstrate subject matter competency?CSULB accepts the state approved tests for subject matter competency. That means you have a few choices as to how you will demonstrate subject matter competency. You can do our waiver program (see a list of required courses for each science discipline) or you can take the state approved tests. As of January 2003 California no longer accepts the PRAXIS and SSAT exams for subject matter competence. (If you've already passed them your scores are good for 5 years. Folks who have not passed them will not take them.) The new test, CSET, is the state approved examination for demonstrating subject matter competence. Test scores are "good" for five years - this means you must complete your credential within five years of passing the exams. The Orange County Department of Education offers CSET preparation classes. Contact Joan Neumann (714-966-4156 jneumann@ocde.us) for details of visit the website (www.ocde.k12.ca.us). WAIVER PROGRAM: CSET: Which tests to take? You still must take the professional education courses for the credential. The lists above show you how you can demonstrate subject matter competency only. All students must also take a basic skills test (CBEST). Passing CBEST scores are good for life. (CSET scores are only good for 5 years). You can take a practice CBEST test on-line at http://www.testprepreview.com/cbest_practice.htm What tests MUST I take?You must take all sections of the CBEST before being admitted to the credential program. You must pass the entire CBEST prior to applying to student teach. You must take & pass the state Teaching Performance Assessments (there are four). These will be explained to you in your classes. What sorts of financial aid or scholarship packages are available?There are a variety of scholarships, loans and grants available for prospective teachers. The College of Education has information about the Cal T grant and others. Visit them for paperwork.
APLE GRANTS $$$ The Single Subject Office also keeps a list of grants and scholarships (APLE grants, CAL-T grants and more). Visit their website to find out more. Science teachers are often eligible for special grants and scholarships because they teach in underserved content areas. Please note - the CSU system is eligible to give lots of APLE grants. Don't let this money sit there, apply for it. Find out more at www.csusuccess.org/scholarship Important note for students concurrently enrolled in master's degrees and the credential program. A student is able to do so but s/he must understand the ramifications and the process. The system can only show one major and masters degrees take precedence. Therefore, if a student checks off masters degree on page one and credential on page two, the student may not be eligible for any loan or grant related to credential (APLE is not effected by this). For some programs, the only way the student can be eligible for credential loans & scholarships is by only being a credential student and then reapplying to the university when s/he is done with the credential to do the masters. If a student checks off both, they will be considered a masters student. If a student is currently listed as both and wants financial aid / loans / scholarships as a credential student, s/he must withdraw from the masters program and reapply to the university as a credential student. It might be financially to your advantage to do one program at a time -- credential first if financial / loans/ scholarships are a concern. If you have questions please see an advisor. What if I already have a teaching job?Sometimes students enter our program while already teaching on an emergency permit, PIP, STIP, or teaching at a private school. Others begin teaching while still in the program. While our preference would certainly be for you to earn a credential before entering the classroom as a full-time teacher, we understand that the teacher shortage has lured many people into the classroom before they complete a credential program. If you are already teaching and want to continue teaching in public schools you will need to earn a credential. We will do what we can to help you to do so while teaching. You should know, however, that it will take longer, and there may be difficulties along the way. You will earn your credential more slowly because you cannot complete as many classes as a full time student. Sometimes classes are difficult to find offered at times when you are available to take them. This is especially true of upper division science courses. Whenever possible we offer classes at times conducive to teachers. But the reality is that science classes and their labs tend to be more difficult to arrange in the evenings and summers. Public schools will want you to be an intern as that meets the No Child Left Behind requirements. To qualify as an intern you must be admitted to a program, be subject matter competent (via coursework or CSET), have at least 120 hours of instruction related to the state Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) with at least 40 of those hours related to teaching English Language learners. (This is met through coursework but it means that you have to have key courses completed before being eligible to apply as an intern. Please be in touch with the credential advisors early-on if you think you might want to be an intern.) In addition, you must be recommended by our department. There's an application process to the Science Education department and the SSCP program at large. Interns and emergency permit teachers must apply to use their job for student teaching when the time comes for that. It is not automatic that we will grant the petition. Several criteria must be met (including a applications to both the Science Education department and the Science Credential Program). Be sure to speak with the Credential Advisor well in advance of the student teaching semester so that you can get the science internship application. If you are interested in an internship you will need to meet with a credential advisor as there are additional requirements and a separate application for intern candidates. In addition to various state requirements, we need to feel confident that you are ready to succeed in the classroom before we will recommend you for an internship. Simply having a job offer does not mean that we will recommend you for an internship. Department Internship Application How does student teaching work?Student teaching is a full time, 20 week commitment. Once you have completed all your course work (both subject matter and professional education) you will enroll in 15 units of student teaching during a single semester and its associated 2 unit seminar. You are expected to be at the school all day long. Most science students are placed in both a middle school and a high school for their student teaching experience. Most will teach one section at middle school and two classes at the high school. (That assignment can be rearranged to include two middle school and one high school class.) You will ultimately be responsible for creating lessons, teaching classes and grading student work. You are expected to be at the school all day long. You will observe your master teacher and other teachers in the school. You will learn how a school works by attending department and faculty meetings and conferences, and other extra-curricular events. During student teaching you will be observed by university supervisors (at least six times by each of your supervisors). Faculty will be assigned to visit you in both schools. You will also participate in the student teaching seminar on campus. If you are employed as a science teacher when it comes time to student teach you can petition to complete student teaching while on the job. A list of conditions must be met when using a job for student teaching. See Drs. Kisiel or Henriques or Nickles and the Single Subject Office to find out more about this option. If the application to use your job for student teaching is successful you could complete student teaching on an Emergency Permit or as an Intern. If a student fails or withdraws from Student Teaching he/she may petition to re-enroll in student teaching in a subsequent semester. In virtually all cases, there will be additional stipulations put on students in this situation. We do this to increase the likelihood of success the second time. Students in this situation are usually prohibited from using a job for student teaching, especially the first year of the job. Again, see Drs. Kisiel or Nickles or Henriques for details. Deadlines to apply for student teaching are firm. Those students wishing to student teach during fall semester will apply no later than March 1st the previous semester. Those wishing to student teach during spring semester will apply no later than October 1st the previous semester. In order to get an application to student teach you must attend a "student teaching application meeting". This is the only way to get a student teaching application. You must be subject matter competent when you apply to student teach. See the listing of dates and locations for student teaching application meetings. How do I find a job?There are many resources available to help you with the job search.
What's a preliminary credential versus a clear credential?The "Preliminary Credential" is what you will have earned after completing required science classes, education classes, health science for secondary teachers, educational psychology classes, the constitution requirement and student teaching. You then have 5 additional years to earn the more permanent "Clear Credential". Requirements for the professional clear credential include participation in your district sponsored induction program (BTSA - Beginning Teacher Support Assessment). Must I be enrolled at CSULB to take EDSS 300C?Not necessarily - eventually you must apply to the university, but you may choose to enroll in EDSS 300C through University Extension. Once you decide to apply to the program to earn your credential you will apply to CSULB to take your classes. You should realize that taking courses through University Extension is risky. You may not enroll in a class until the first class meeting and then only if space is available. As the program gets more and more crowded, the likelihood of getting your classes decreases. How do I get to CSULB and your office?From the 405 or 605 take route 22 (7th Street) West. CSULB is located on 7th Street. Enter campus on West Campus Drive (next to the large, electronic message sign). Make your first right off West Campus. Follow the road around the Education Building to the stop sign. There are metered parking spaces to the left of the stop sign or straight through the stop sign. After parking your car you can proceed to ED1 (the buildings you just drove around) if you want to go to the Single Subject Office (ED1-54) or you can proceed north to FO5. To get to FO5 you will walk away from 7th Street. You will pass by open fields. The first large building on your right will be Peterson Hall 1. Walk past that and turn right. FO5 is between Peterson Hall 1 (PH1) and Peterson Hall 2 (PH2). It is a small two story building. Dr. Nickles is in FO5-131, Dr. Kisiel is in FO5-133, and Dr. Henriques is in FO5-118. Directions to campus & a map of campus |
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