Bachelor's Degree in Inclusive Elementary Education

Program Description:
The Inclusive Elementary Education program leads toward New York State initial teacher certification in Childhood Education (1st- 6th grade) and Teaching Students with Disabilities (1st- 6th grade). This Bachelor of Science degree program contains core liberal arts and sciences courses, professional courses, and multiple opportunities for supervised field experiences, culminating in student teaching in primary and intermediate classrooms serving diverse student populations, especially those in high-needs rural school settings.

Accreditation:
The Inclusive Early Childhood Education program is a member in good standing with Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Graduates of Cazenovia College’s Inclusive Early Childhood Education Program meet the following claims:
Claim #1: Graduates learn and understand subject matter knowledge they will be responsible for teaching.
Claim #2: Graduates understand and apply effective pedagogy for diverse learners in various settings.
Claim #3: Graduates reflect critically on their practice and professional responsibilities and adapt and grow as professionals in various contexts.

Student Learning Outcomes:
IEE SLO 1.0- To prepare students to teach appropriate elementary content in accordance with the pertinent New York State learning standards, and to develop and implement a literature-based, standards-based, interdisciplinary elementary curriculum
IEE SLO 2.0- To prepare students to understand and integrate knowledge of physical, social, cognitive, and emotional development, with understandings of disabilities and multi-culturalism, and to constructively assess and evaluate student needs, abilities, and developmental and academic progress
IEE SLO 2.1- To prepare students to effectively use a variety of teaching strategies and methodologies, and to incorporate the use of a variety of technologies into their instructional repertoires
IEE SLO 3.0- To prepare students to work collaboratively with fellow students and other stakeholders and to act ethically and responsibly in decision-making and in their interactions
IEE SLO 3.1- To prepare students to reflect on their teaching, self-assess, and set professional development goals and then work collaboratively with colleagues to support their professional learning.

Special Features:
The program provides students with hands-on experience working with diverse student populations in a variety of local rural, suburban, and urban educational settings. Our students begin their fieldwork in P-12 schools their freshman year and continue to spend time in the field throughout their time with us. Our student teaching is spread across two semesters and set up to provide students with opportunities to become a part of the P-12 class in which they are placed prior to taking over responsibility for that class.

The Inclusive Elementary Education (IEE) program is offered on campus at Cazenovia College as well as on the campuses of Herkimer College and Hudson Valley Community College. The program on campus at Cazenovia is set up for traditional students and transfers who will complete courses during the day. The programs at Herkimer and Hudson Valley are designed for transfer students who need more flexible course schedules.

Program Entrance Requirements:
Any student may enroll in the designated introductory 090, 100, 200, and 300-level IEE career courses, provided he/she meets the course prerequisites. However, each student who wishes to continue on as an IEE major will be required to meet specific admission criteria before he/she will be admitted to Student Teacher Candidacy. IEE majors typically apply for Student Teacher Candidacy admission in September of their junior year. The Student Teacher Candidacy admission criteria are described below. Each IEE student applying for admission to Student Teacher Candidacy must:
1) Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA
2) Earn a "B" grade or higher in every IEE career course taken prior to his/her first and second student teaching placements
3) While in his/her introductory course work, display positive professional dispositions as outlined in the Danielson Framework for Teaching. All students will be assessed by the education faculty at the end of each education course using a disposition assessment rubric (see appendix). Students must maintain acceptable ratings to avoid being placed on a probationary contract, or, in severe cases, being expelled from the education program.
4) Provide documentation that he/she has:
1) Completed at least 45 hours of field work and has a plan for how he/she will complete the additional 55 field work hours required prior to his/her first student teaching placement and the additional 50 field work hours required prior to his/her second student teaching placement
2) Created a plan outlining how he/she will complete any outstanding prerequisite coursework needed for ED 388 and ED 488
3) Created a NYSED/TEACH account
4) Obtained fingerprint clearance through NYSED/TEACH

Applying IEE majors will be notified of their acceptance into Student Teacher Candidacy by their designated program director. If an IEE major cannot/does not meet the admission criteria he/she will be required to meet with his/her designated program director at which time the program director will counsel him/her on his/her academic options up to and including enrollment in an alternative degree program at the College. IEE majors accepted into Student Teacher Candidacy must continue to maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA, earn a “B” grade or higher in every IEE career course taken prior to and during his/her two (2) student teaching semesters, and maintain acceptable disposition ratings. Candidates who fail to maintain the above-mentioned requirements will be prohibited from continuing into their student teaching courses.

Monitoring Student Progress:
Each IEE major’s progress will be evaluated annually by his/her designated program director. Academic achievement/progress as well as feedback from host teachers, program faculty and academic advisors will be used to gauge each student’s progress in the program. Struggling IEE majors will be notified of their deficiencies in writing prior to the start of each academic year and provided counseling by their academic advisors and designated program director.

Requirements for Graduation:
Minimum overall grade point average of a 3.0, a minimum of a “B” grade in each IEE career course taken prior to/during student teaching, completion of all degree requirements and credits, satisfactory review and evaluation of all field work, average score (Host teacher and College Supervisor) of 3 or higher on the Student Teaching Final Assessment Rubric for each student teaching semester, and satisfactory completion/presentation of a professional electronic portfolio at the end of both student teaching placements. These requirements are in addition to the College‘s graduation requirements.

Requirements for NYSED Teacher Certification:
Cazenovia College grants degrees. It does not grant teacher certification. NYSED will be notified when students successfully meet all program requirements and graduate from the IEE program. IEE majors must independently apply/pay for and obtain fingerprinting clearance, pass all the required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations, and apply and pay for their two certifications in order to obtain New York State teacher certification in Childhood Education (1st- 6th grade) and in Teaching Students with Disabilities (1st- 6th grade).

*For further IEE program guidelines and requirements, please request a copy of the most current Inclusive Education Compendium from the program faculty.
* View AAQEP Annual Reporting Measures

Employment Outlook:
For information on employment projections for educators please see the following links: