Overview

Program Overview

The Adolescence Education degree program is a dual certification program comprised of the Inclusive Education major with Certification Concentration in Adolescence (7–12) with Middle School extension (5–6), the content area major, and the Students with Disabilities (7–12) Generalist Certification Concentration. This program is designed to prepare candidates to teach in one of the following disciplines at the middle and adolescence levels (grades 5–6 and 7–12): Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, American Studies, History, English, French, and Spanish. In addition, candidates earn certification to teach students with disabilities in grades 7–12 as a Generalist. A Generalist is certified for employment as a supporting teacher for students with disabilities in content areas other than the candidate’s major area of study.

The requirements in the content specialty major are designed to meet college, New York State, and national standards in the content specialty areas. In certain cases, additional courses may be required. For dual certification in Adolescence Education and Students with Disabilities (7–12) Generalist, candidates are also required to successfully complete a set of courses and field experiences relating to pedagogical content in teacher education. The Inclusive Education major requires 31 credits. The certification concentration in Adolescence with Students with Disabilities Generalist (7–12) requires an additional 25 credits. The following degree programs qualify candidates for dual certification in a content specialty area that allows them to teach in grades 5–12:

• B.S. Adolescence Education: Biology
• B.S. Adolescence Education: Chemical Education
• B.S. Adolescence Education: Physics
• B.A. English: Adolescence Education
• B.A. French: Adolescence Education
• B.A. Mathematics: Adolescence Education
• B.A. Social Studies: Adolescence Education (major may be in American Studies or History)
• B.A. Spanish: Adolescence Education

Note: As required by NYSED, candidates enrolling in the new Inclusive Education major with Certification Concentration in Adolescence (7–12) and Middle School extension (5–6) and Students with Disabilities (7–12) program have a narrower range of acceptable Fisher Core courses than do students in other programs. Selected Fisher Core courses serve a double purpose in this program, but some courses that are approved as Fisher Core courses do not satisfy the requirements for this program. Candidates in this program need to work very closely with their academic advisors in selecting Fisher Core courses so that courses taken as part of the Fisher Core also satisfy content area requirements for this program.

Program Requirements

Inclusive Education Major Requirements

Note: Candidates must earn a grade of “C” or higher in each of the following courses required for certification. Courses in which the candidate has earned a grade lower than a “C” must be repeated.

Certification Concentration in Adolescence with Middle School Extension (5–6) and Students with Disabilities (7–12)

For students majoring in Inclusive Education with Certification Concentration in Adolescence with Middle School Extension (5–6) and Students with Disabilities (7–12), all of the above credit bearing courses are used in the determination of the grade point average in the major.

Content Area Major Requirements

Please refer to individual majors’ catalog pages for requirements.

Fisher Liberal Arts Core Requirements

The St. John Fisher College Core curriculum, consisting of 15 courses, establishes the centrality of the liberal arts in the academic experience by creating a common foundation of intellectual and practical skills. Many of the requirements in the Core may be met by courses the student completes in the Inclusive Education and Content majors as well as in the Students With Disabilities concentration. Likewise, some of the Fisher Core courses (not all) may meet New York State content requirements for the dual certification program. Please refer to Core Requirements for a description of the Fisher Core curriculum.

Adolescence students must complete two courses in a language other than English. The two-course sequence must be in the same language for a minimum of six credits. Two courses in American Sign Language meet this requirement. However, Adolescence students pursuing a B.A. degree must complete a two-course sequence in a foreign language for the St. John Fisher College Core. American Sign Language does NOT meet this requirement.

Core Requirements for Adolescence Program

The following list of courses are approved to fulfill New York State requirements for the dual certification, Students with Disabilities 7–12 Generalist program. Fisher Core designations are included in the listings for those students who may wish to choose courses which meet both core requirements. Students must take at least 6 credits (2 courses) in mathematics, 6 credits (2 courses) in science, 6 credits (2 courses) in English, and 6 credits (2 courses) in social studies.

Mathematics courses - select two from the following list: MATH 114C (P4), MATH 115C (P4), MSTI 130C (SQ), MATH 120C (P4), MATH 122C (P4), MATH 170 (P4), MATH 301 (SQ)

Science courses - select two from the following list: BIOL 102C (P4), BIOL 104C (P4), BIOL 109C (P4), BIOL 120C (P4), BIOL 128C (SQ), CHEM 120C (P4), CHEM 103C (P4), PHYS 111C (P4), PHYS 112C (P4), PHYS 121C (P4), PHYS 122C (P4)

English courses - select two from the following list: AMST 300D (P1), ENGL 150C (P1), ENGL 200C, ENGL 207C (P1), ENGL 212C (P1), ENGL 215C (P1), ENGL 218C (P1), ENGL 220C (P1), ENGL 236D (CC), ENGL 248 (P5), ENGL 293 (P1), ENGL 294, ENGL 295 (P1), ENGL 297, ENGL 298, ENGL 312C (P1)

Social Studies courses - select two from the following list: AMST 101P (P3), AMST 180D (CC), AMST 190, AMST 205D (P1), AMST 210P (P3), AMST 214P (P1), AMST 216 (P2), AMST 220 (P3), AMST 230 (P1), AMST 233D (P1), AMST 234D (P1), AMST 237P (P3), AMST 273P (P5), HIST 101D (P3), HIST 102D (P3), HIST 103D (P3), HIST 104D (P3), HIST 116D (P2), HIST 202 (P1), HIST 250C (P2), HIST 237D (P1), HIST 291D (P3), HIST 292D (P3)

Qualification for New York State Initial Certification in Adolescence Education with Middle School Extension (5–6) and Students With Disabilities Generalist (7–12)

Candidates must successfully complete the following:

• Bachelor’s degree which includes at least 30 credits in the liberal arts major (teaching content field)
• Major in Inclusive Education (31 credits) and Students With Disabilities 7–12 Generalist certification concentration (25 credits)
• At least 100 hours of field experiences prior to student teaching, at least 15 of which focus on the needs of students with disabilities
• Student Teaching Experience (7 weeks in a general education placement and 7 weeks in a special education/inclusion placement)
• New York State Teacher Certification Examinations: Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), Assessment of Teaching Skills—Written (ATS–W), and Content Specialty Tests (CST) for the subject area and for Students with Disabilities
• Fingerprint clearance.
• Child Abuse and School Violence Prevention Workshops.

Upon completing the program of study and passing the required New York State Certification Exams, candidates qualify for the Initial Teaching Certificates (dual certification in Adolescence Education (Content area with Middle School Extension 5–6) and Students With Disabilities Generalist 7–12). The initial certificates expire after five years, at which time candidates must have met the requirements for the Professional Certificate.