The Bachelor of Education in Middle Education prepares qualified candidates to become middle school (6-8) teachers with two academic concentrations in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Concentration choices are English, history/social sciences, mathematics and the sciences. Students who choose the Mathematics Concentration also earn the Algebra I Licensure Endorsement.  Preservice candidates in this professional degree work with mentor educators teaching adolescents through multiple experiences in local schools. Middle Education candidates learn to combine knowledge, theory and skills from academic and pedagogy courses with effective, research-based instructional, management, assessment and reflection strategies practiced in field experiences to help adolescents achieve their best school careers.

Program Outcomes

Students completing the Bachelor of Education in Middle Education are able to:

• demonstrate an understanding of the curriculum, subject content, and the developmental needs of students by providing relevant learning experiences;
• plan using the Virginia Standards of Learning, the school’s curriculum, effective strategies, resources, and data to meet the needs of all students;
• effectively engage students in learning by using a variety of instructional strategies in order to meet individual learning needs;
• systematically gather, analyze, and use all relevant data to measure student academic progress, guide instructional content and delivery methods, and provide timely feedback to both students and parents throughout the term;
• use resources, routines, and procedures to provide a respectful, positive, safe, student-centered environment that is conducive to learning;
• maintain a commitment to professional ethics, communicate effectively, and take responsibility for and participate in professional growth that results in enhanced student learning; and
• perform work that results in acceptable, measurable, and appropriate student academic progress.

State Requirements for Teacher Licensure

Students preparing to be teachers are expected to meet the requirements for teacher licensure currently in effect in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Most states grant teaching licensure on a reciprocal basis when the educating institution is approved by its own state department of education or when graduates of an institution are eligible for teaching licensure in the state in which they were educated. Teacher education programs at Shenandoah University are approved programs of the Virginia State Board of Education, and nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP); thus, graduates who have successfully completed all requirements for the Middle Education program will have met all educational requirements for Virginia licensure.

Admission

Students are admitted to the Bachelor of Education in Middle Education degree in Pre-Candidate status, based on the entrance criteria established by the University, College of Arts & Sciences and Division of Education and Leadership. After choosing two academic concentrations from the four available, students follow the course of study published in the Shenandoah University Undergraduate Catalog for their academic year of matriculation at the university.

Candidate Screening

A prospective teacher education student undergoes candidate screening by the end of their sophomore year or, if they are a transfer student, during or just after their first term at SU. To be eligible for Candidacy Screening, Middle Education majors must:

1. Complete EDU 310 The Teaching Profession course or its equivalent with practicum experience. Evaluations must be submitted by cooperating teachers;
2. Pass the following practice tests offered by “240 Tutoring”. Remediation is provided at this site for students who need support to pass:
   • Praxis Core: Reading Practice Test
   • Praxis Core: Writing Practice Test
   • Praxis Core: Mathematics Practice Test (if concentration is Mathematics and/or Science)
3. Achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in the education major; and
4. Earn satisfactory ratings from the Teacher Education Faculty Advisory Board.

The Teacher Education Application Process is as follows:

1. Student completes Teacher Education Program (TEP) application
2. Student provides contact information for Recommendations in the application
3. Submit the application to Office of Educator Licensure via link in Teacher Education Handbook
4. Applications are reviewed on March 1, May 1, October 1 and December 1 (or on the nearest weekday)
5. The Faculty Committee Chair will schedule Interviews and reflective writing times with applicants via email.  

After the interview day, students will be notified via email letter of their status: approved, probationary (with conditions), or rejected (with appeals process noted). The Teacher Education Handbook gives more details on this process.

Requirements Prior to Student Teaching

Student teaching is the culminating experience in the Bachelor of Education curricula. This final semester provides candidates with the opportunity to apply their classroom management skills, pedagogical knowledge, and subject-matter expertise in real-world setting.

To be eligible for student teaching, Middle Education candidates are required to:

1. Pass the Praxis tests specific to their two chosen concentrations;
2. Successfully complete the application for student teaching (found in the Teacher Education Handbook), including submission of required recommendations;
3. Earn satisfactory ratings from the Teacher Education Faculty Advisory Board;
4. Maintain a 3.0 GPA in their major;
5. Complete a criminal background check within thirty days of student teaching.

Shenandoah University has been entrusted by the Virginia Department of Education and our K-12 School Partners with the responsibility for determining the fitness of an individual to student teach. Therefore, Shenandoah University reserves the right to determine that an individual is unfit to student teach.

All Middle Education Core courses must be completed with a grade of C or better.