Elementary Education: Middle Level Science and Math

Major: Elementary Education
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 180.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional (CIP) code: 13.1202
Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) code: 25-2022

About the Concentration

This certification option within the BS in Elementary Education enables teachers to work with students in grades 4-6 across subjects and with students in grades 7-8 in the core academic subjects of science and mathematics.

This program addresses the complexities of adolescent development through discussion of theories. It explores the middle school environment, developmentally appropriate middle school programs, strategies for supporting students through the transition to middle school, and the impact of peer pressure on the middle school child.

In addition, this certification area provides: (1) training in how to effectively deliver standards-based academic math content based on age-appropriate understanding, and individual and group's needs; (2) training and methodology for teaching physical and life sciences (including using an inquiry-based model of learning, developing authentic assessments, drawing upon a variety of tools, and creating and maintaining a safe laboratory) as well as other skills necessary to meet the needs of diverse learners in science education.

The program requires that candidates have a B average (3.0 GPA) in content courses needed for teacher certification in addition to the grade of B or better in each EDEX, EDLT, EDPO, EDUC, and ESTM courses throughout their time in the program. These requirements must be satisfied for Drexel to recommend the candidates for teacher certification upon graduation and/or be considered to have completed the program. 

Additional Information

For more information about the program, visit the School of Education website.

Degree Requirements 

General Education/Content Requirements
ARTH 101History of Art I3.0
BIO 100Applied Cells, Genetics & Physiology3.0
or BIO 161 General Biology I
BIO 101Applied Biological Diversity, Ecology & Evolution3.0
or BIO 162 General Biology II
CHEM 111General Chemistry I4.0
CIVC 101Introduction to Civic Engagement1.0
COM 111Principles of Communication3.0
COOP 101Career Management and Professional Development *1.0
ECON 201Principles of Microeconomics4.0
ENGL 101Composition and Rhetoric I: Inquiry and Exploratory Research3.0
or ENGL 111 English Composition I
ENGL 102Composition and Rhetoric II: Advanced Research and Evidence-Based Writing3.0
or ENGL 112 English Composition II
ENGL 103Composition and Rhetoric III: Themes and Genres3.0
or ENGL 113 English Composition III
ENGL 304Young Adult Fiction3.0
ENVS 260Environmental Science and Society3.0
Select one of the following4.0
HIST 275History of Pennsylvania3.0
United States History to 1815
United States History, 1815-1900
United States History since 1900
MATH 171Introduction to Analysis A3.0
MATH 172Introduction to Analysis B3.0
MATH 173Introduction to Analysis C3.0
or MATH 107 Probability and Statistics for Liberal Arts
MATH 205Survey of Geometry3.0
MUSC 130Introduction to Music3.0
NFS 100Nutrition, Foods, and Health2.0
NFS 101Introduction to Nutrition & Food1.0
PHYS 151Applied Physics3.0
PSY 101General Psychology I3.0
PSY 320 [WI] Educational Psychology3.0
PSY 330Cognitive Psychology3.0
SOC 335Sociology of Education3.0
UNIV T101The Drexel Experience1.0
Free electives18.0
Pedagogy Requirements
EDEX 142Special Education Foundations: Referral and Assessment3.0
EDEX 344Inclusive Practices3.0
EDEX 368 [WI] Literacy and Content Skill Development PK-123.0
EDLT 325Design for Learning with Digital Media3.0
EDLT 326Technology Applications for Learning3.0
EDPO 312Educational Policy, Law & Advocacy3.0
EDUC 101Foundations in Education I: A Historical and Philosophical Perspective3.0
EDUC 106First Year Seminar: A Case of Schools and Cities1.0
EDUC 107First Year Seminar: Exploring Pedagogies1.0
EDUC 108First Year Seminar: Designing Learning Spaces1.0
EDUC 123Adolescent Development3.0
EDUC 205Sophomore Pedagogy Seminar1.0
EDUC 216Diversity and Today's Teacher3.0
EDUC 305 [WI] Junior Pedagogy Seminar1.0
EDUC 306Assessment of Young Children I3.0
EDUC 308Creating a Positive Classroom Climate3.0
EDUC 316Teaching in Urban Contexts3.0
EDUC 324Current Research in Curriculum & Instruction3.0
EDUC 326 [WI] Language Arts Processes3.0
EDUC 355Social Studies Teaching Methods3.0
EDUC 360English/Language Arts Teaching Methods for the Middle Years1.5
EDUC 361Middle Years Science Methods1.5
EDUC 362Middle Years Social Studies Methods1.5
EDUC 365Foundations in Instructing English Language Learners3.0
EDUC 405Senior Pedagogy Seminar1.0
ESTM 342Teaching Engineering Concepts to Children3.0
MTED 363Middle Years Mathematics Methods (4-8)1.5
MTED 418Mathematics Methods and Content3.0
Student Teaching Experience
EDUC 409 [WI] Teaching Seminar I9.0
EDUC 410 [WI] Student Teaching9.0
Total Credits180.0
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.


Writing-Intensive Course Requirements

In order to graduate, all students must pass three writing-intensive courses after their freshman year. Two writing-intensive courses must be in a student's major. The third can be in any discipline. Students are advised to take one writing-intensive class each year, beginning with the sophomore year, and to avoid “clustering” these courses near the end of their matriculation. Transfer students need to meet with an academic advisor to review the number of writing-intensive courses required to graduate.

A "WI" next to a course in this catalog may indicate that this course can fulfill a writing-intensive requirement. For the most up-to-date list of writing-intensive courses being offered, students should check the Writing Intensive Course List at the University Writing Program. Students scheduling their courses can also conduct a search for courses with the attribute "WI" to bring up a list of all writing-intensive courses available that term.


Sample Plan of Study 

4 year, 1 co-op

First Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
BIO 100 or 1613.0CIVC 1011.0EDEX 1423.0VACATION
EDUC 1013.0COM 1113.0EDUC 1081.0 
EDUC 1061.0EDUC 1071.0ENGL 103 or 1133.0 
EDUC 1233.0ENGL 102 or 1123.0ENVS 2603.0 
ENGL 101 or 1113.0MATH 1723.0LING 1013.0 
MATH 1713.0MUSC 1303.0MATH 173 or 1073.0 
UNIV T1011.0   
 17 14 16 0
Second Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
BIO 101 or 1623.0EDPO 3123.0EDEX 3683.0CHEM 1114.0
COOP 101*1.0EDUC 3063.0EDUC 2163.0EDLT 3253.0
EDEX 3443.0EDUC 3653.0EDUC 3083.0EDUC 3051.0
EDUC 2051.0PHYS 1513.0MATH 2053.0PSY 3203.0
HIST 2753.0Free Elective3.0MTED 4183.0SOC 3353.0
PSY 1013.0   
Free Elective3.0   
 17 15 15 14
Third Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCreditsSummerCredits
COOP EXPERIENCECOOP EXPERIENCEEDLT 3263.0ECON 2014.0
EDUC 3611.5EDUC 3601.5EDUC 3163.0EDUC 3243.0
MTED 3631.5EDUC 3621.5EDUC 3263.0ENGL 3043.0
  EDUC 3553.0PSY 3303.0
   Free Elective3.0
 3 3 12 16
Fourth Year
FallCreditsWinterCreditsSpringCredits 
EDUC 4099.0EDUC 4109.0ARTH 1013.0 
Free Elective3.0Free Elective3.0EDUC 4051.0 
  ESTM 3423.0 
  HIST 2014.0 
  NFS 1002.0 
  NFS 1011.0 
 12 12 14 
Total Credits 180
*

Co-op cycles may vary. Students are assigned a co-op cycle (fall/winter, spring/summer, summer-only) based on their co-op program (4-year, 5-year) and major. 

COOP 101 registration is determined by the co-op cycle assigned and may be scheduled in a different term. Select students may be eligible to take COOP 001 in place of COOP 101.

Program Level Outcomes

Upon completion of the program graduates will be prepared to:

  • Make ethical, sound decisions based on the Pennsylvania Professional Code of Conduct.
  • Demonstrate leadership in the classroom, school community, and profession that is focused on positive and innovative change.
  • Seek ongoing professional growth and development in the field to improve practice.
  • Demonstrate a growth mindset and take responsibility for student learning and academic growth.
  • Partner with parents in the education of their children.
  • Use culturally responsive pedagogy to create equitable learning experiences for all students.
  • Use critical self-reflection to understand one’s own identity in the context of a classroom of diverse learners.
  • Create an inclusive classroom environment with high expectations for all learners.
  • Demonstrate the ability to self-reflect on his or her professional practice.
  • Use data and classroom-based evidence to inform and improve professional practice.
  • Demonstrate strong content knowledge in all subject areas that are developmentally appropriate and aligned with NAEYC standards and program outcomes.
  • Deliver effective developmentally informed instruction that is culturally and linguistically sensitive to the children in the class.
  • Use appropriate means of ongoing assessment that is developmentally appropriate and sensitive to the unique capabilities of young children and utilize assessment information to make appropriate modifications to the curriculum that will demonstrate children’s progress and ensure optimal learning opportunities for all children.
  • Integrate tools of technology in teaching and learning that are appropriate for the developmental levels of children and that expand, enrich, implement, individualize, differentiate, and extend the overall curriculum.
  • Construct well-written, research-based developmentally appropriate lesson plans that reflect active teaching and learning.
  • Create a safe, positive and productive learning environment that supports and facilitates learning for all students.
  • Build a sense of community in a collaborative climate, based on developmentally appropriate pro- social skills, where students work collaboratively and have a shared sense of ownership.
  • Demonstrate a thorough understanding of child and/or adolescent development and the learning sciences.
  • Use differentiated instruction to meet the diverse learning needs of one’s students.
  • Use developmentally informed teaching practices.

Education Faculty

Jennifer Adams, EdD (Harvard University). Associate Professor. Comparative and international education; Poverty and education; Child welfare; Educational policy.
Ayana Allen, PhD (Texas A&M University ). Associate Professor. Urban education; Identity construction in school contexts; Urban school transformation.
Kristen Betts, EdD (George Washington University). Clinical Professor. Higher education administration and governance, online blended education, instructional design and educational technology, program assessment and evaluation.
Eric Brewe, PhD (Arizona State University). Associate Professor. Physics Education Research, introductory course reform, network analysis in learning, neuromechanisms of learning.
Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD (Drexel University). Associate Clinical Professor. Teacher and higher education, culturally responsive teaching, equity and social justice, online learning, community engagement and service-learning, family involvement and partnerships, and learning technologies.
José Luis Chávez, EdD (University of Southern California). Clinical Professor. Higher education leadership and administration.
Rebecca Clothey, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Department Head, Global Studies and Modern Languages. Professor. Comparative and international education, education of ethnic and linguistic minorities, refugees, China studies.
James Connell, PhD (Louisiana State University) Founding Clinical Core Director and Research Fellow, A.J. Drexel Autism Institute. Associate Professor. Identifying the variables that influence adult behavior change in community settings; autism intervention; widespread dissemination of evidence-based interventions in school and community settings.
Kareem Edouard, PhD (Stanford University). Assistant Professor. Educational technology; internet-based STEM learning; equity and inclusion in STEM education
Salvatore V. Falletta, EdD (North Carolina State University). Clinical Professor. Human Resource intelligence (i.e., HR research and analytics practices); HRD assessment, measurement, and evaluation models and taxonomies; organizational diagnostic models; web-based employee and organizational survey methods, and computational modeling.
Aroutis N. Foster, PhD (Michigan State University) Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Graduate Studies. Professor. Educational psychology and educational technology, especially the following: Motivation; Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK); Immersive Interactive Digital Environments (simulation, games, virtual realities.
Rajashi Ghosh, PhD (University of Louisville, Kentucky) Department Chair for Policy, Organization & Leadership. Associate Professor. Mentoring and leader development, workplace Incivility, workplace learning and development.
John M. Gould, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) Harrisburg EdD Educational Leadership & Change Program. Clinical Professor. Change leadership, curriculum re-design, the impact of technology on learning.
Dominic F. Gullo, PhD (Indiana University). Professor. Studying the relative and long-range effects of early schooling experiences in prekindergarten and kindergarten on children's achievement and social adaptation to school routine.
H. Bernard Hall, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Professor. Hip-hop Pedagogy, English Education, Urban Teacher Education.
Paul Harrington, PhD (University of Massachusetts, Boston) Director, Center for Labor Markets and Policy. Professor. Teen and young adult job access; economic outlook, college labor market; workforce development, planning, and development; vocational rehabilitation and job market transition.
Michael J. Haslip, PhD (Old Dominion University). Assistant Professor. Early childhood education, social and emotional learning, child guidance strategies, effects of public pre-school attendance.
Deanna Hill, JD, PhD (University of Pittsburgh). Associate Clinical Professor. Higher education, international education, education law, education policy
Erin Horvat, PhD (University of California, Los Angeles) Senior Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs. Professor. Urban education, access and equity, high school dropout, parent involvement/family involvement, community engagement in research.
Jennifer Katz-Buonincontro, PhD (University of Oregon) Associate Dean of Research. Associate Professor. Educational administration, leadership development, survey & instrument design.
Larry Keiser, PhD (Drexel University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Education and corporate/business leaders’ creativity and entrepreneurial mindsets; creative school/work environments; neuroscience of creativity; everyday creativity for teachers and educators.
Kristy Kelly, PhD (University of Wisconsin, Madison). Associate Clinical Professor. Sociology of gender and development; anthropology of policy; comparative and international education; qualitative research methods; Vietnam and Southeast Asia.
Cameron Kiosoglous, PhD (Virginia Tech University) Program Director. Assistant Clinical Professor. Coached on the USRowing National Team staff since 2002, including the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 Olympic Games; coaching development; measuring coaching quality; self-insight and reflective practices; coaching leadership; conference presenter; published author.
Valerie Klein, PhD (Amherst College). Associate Clinical Professor. Mathematics learning and teaching; teacher's use of formative assessment in mathematics; creating opportunities for rich problem solving in the classroom; examining teachers growth and change; qualitative research methods.
Peggy Kong, PhD (Harvard University). Associate Clinical Professor. Comparative and international education, equity in education, family and community, Chinese education and society, sociology of education
Michael G. Kozak, Ed.D. (Rowan University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Leadership, STEAM, online and blended learning environments, systems thinking, experiential learning, K-12 education, and facilitating change
Amanda Lannie, PhD (Syracuse University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Applied behavior analysis and special education; School-based consultation; system-wide interventions as a mechanism for delivery supports to all students; Designing effective and efficient interventions for students with emotional/behavioral disorders.
Vera Lee, EdD (University of Pennsylvania) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Practitioner Research in online courses to explore inservice/preservice teachers’ emerging understandings about issues of diversity; the development of information/digital literacies of urban youth; English language learners.
Bruce Levine, JD (New York University). Associate Clinical Professor. Educational policy, school law, public-private partnerships, intersection of business and education.
Kristine Lewis-Grant, PhD (Temple University). Clinical Professor. Experiences of students of African descent at predominantly white colleges and universities, college access and college student development, youth civic engagement in urban school reform, qualitative research and evaluation.
William Lynch, PhD (University of Maryland). Professor. Curriculum and educational leadership, educational technology, distance learning policy development, higher and adult education.
Constance Lyttle, PhD, JD (University of Pittsburgh, Duquesne University). Clinical Professor. Legal rights of gifted and talented children and children with disabilities; inclusive education of exceptional children; special education mediation; special education IEP/IFSP facilitation; resolution session facilitation
Joy Phillips, PhD (The University of Texas at Austin). Associate Clinical Professor. Visionary leadership in theory and practice, school reform as innovative problem-setting, thinking qualitatively about school reform. thinking about school reform by drawing, Educational Leadership Program Assessment.
Kathleen Provinzano, PhD (Marywood University). Assistant Professor. Educational administration.
Harriette Rasmussen, EdD (Fielding Graduate University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Educational leadership and change.
Lori Severino, EdD (Neumann University). Assistant Professor. Special education, differentiated instruction, reading, Wilson language, multi-sensory instruction, reading comprehension, assessment, adolescent literacy.
Jason Silverman, PhD (Vanderbilt University). Professor. Teaching and learning of advanced mathematical ideas (algebra and calculus); improving teachers' ability to orchestrate and sustain inquiry-based and discussion-based instruction; technology in mathematics education.
Janet Sloand, EdD (Duquesne University) Department Chair for Teaching, Learning & Curriculum. Associate Clinical Professor. Special Education Leadership, Trauma-informed care, Parent engagement in special education service delivery.
Toni A. Sondergeld, PhD (University of Toledo). Associate Professor. Cognitive and affective assessment development; program/grant evaluation; high stakes testing measurement; STEM education; urban education
Bridget Sweeney Blakely, PhD (Temple University). Assistant Clinical Professor. Consultation; Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS); Response to Intervention (Rtl); Systems-level change; performance feedback
Mary Jean Tecce DeCarlo, EdD (University of Pennsylvania). Associate Clinical Professor. Early literacy development, learning differences, knowledge construction, urban education.
Sarah P. Ulrich, EdD (Saint Joseph’s University) Associate Dean of Teacher Education and Undergraduate Affairs. Clinical Professor. Cross-cultural, language and academic development, school reform, teacher preparation, teacher retention, teacher residencies in urban contexts.
Sheila Vaidya, PhD (Temple University). Professor. Educational psychology, school psychology, research design.
Christina Vorndran, PhD (Louisiana State University) Program Director, Applied Behavior Analysis and Special Education. Clinical Professor. Designing effective and efficient community-based interventions, Severe behavior disorders, Functional behavior assessment
Christopher G. Wright, PhD (Tufts University). Assistant Professor. Engineering and science education, Urban education, elementary teacher education.

Emeritus Faculty

Mary Jo Grdina, PhD (Case Western Reserve University). Clinical Professor. Undergraduate studies, science education, curriculum design.
Joyce Pittman, PhD (Iowa State University of Science and Technology). Clinical Professor. Curriculum and instruction K-16; teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL); instructional design business education and administration; industrial and career technology; oral and written communication; research methodology; instructional and assistive technology assessment; online learning pedagogy
Fredricka K. Reisman, PhD (Syracuse University) School of Education, Founder, Drexel School of Education. Professor Emerita. Director, Freddie Reisman Center for Translational Research in Creativity and Motivation, Creator and Former Director-Creativity and Innovation Programs, Co-Director- Drexel/Torrance Center for Creativity and Innovation, Drexel University Named Recognition- Freddie Reisman Faculty Scholarly and Creative Activity Awards