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), CLD (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., Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator of Elementary Education
Linda Button Ed.D., Senior Instructor
Tim Callahan, M.A., Senior Instructor
Grant Clayton, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Lissanna Follari, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Program Coordinator of Inclusive Early Childhood Education
Barbara Frye, Ph.D., Associate Dean, Associate Professor
Leslie Grant, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Mary Hanson, M.A., Instructor
Kylie Swanson Hoyle, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Christi Kasa, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Scott Kupferman, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Mark Malone, Ph.D., Department Chair, Professor
Laura Marshall, M.A., Senior Instructor
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

To remain in good academic standing within the College of Education, students must maintain a cumulative CU GPA of 2.5 or better. Students whose cumulative CU GPA falls below a 2.5 will be placed on probation for the next semester in which they are enrolled. While on probation students must raise their cumulative GPA to 2.5 within one semester. If the required semester GPA is not met, the student will be suspended from the College of Education for a full academic year (fall and spring semesters). PLEASE NOTE: While on probation, registration for the subsequent semester will be blocked until final grades are posted for the current semester. This is to verify that the minimum semester GPA for each student has been fulfilled.

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 2.5; 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 College of Education courses to be awarded the BA in Inclusive Elementary Education.
A cumulative CU GPA of 2.5 or above must be maintained to remain in good academic standing in the program.
Students must complete all Field I, Field II, Field III, and Student Teaching courses as a student 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.

Course Requirements

Fall 1

Spring 1

Fall 2

Spring 2

Fall 3

Required - Meet with COE advisor to begin 3rd year.

Courses must be taken together.

Spring 3

Courses must be taken together.

Professional Year Summer 4

Professional Year Fall 4

Professional Year Spring 4

IELM 4630 - Student Teaching
8 hours per day for 16 weeks, 3 weeks solo; 640 hours total

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 Lingistically Diverse Education.

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

Initial teaching license in Elementary Education
Added endorsement in Special Education Generalist (ages 5-21)
Added endorsement in Culturally and Lingistically Diverse Education (grades K-12)

Exam Requirements

In order to receive an initial license or added endorsement students will need to complete the following exams:

PRAXIS II Elementary Content Knowledge #5001
- A minimum of 2 out of 4 subtests (reading, math, social studies, science) must be passed by July 15 just prior to Fall 4 Professional Year classes. All 4 subtests must be passed prior to beginning the final semester of student teaching (IELM 4630)
PRAXIS II Special Education Generalist #5354-students should take this exam after taking the Summer 4 Professional Year courses.

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

Students should take the exams during the Fall semester before student teaching.