Elementary Education: PK-4 and Special Education

Major: Elementary Education
Degree Awarded: Bachelor of Science (BS)
Calendar Type: Quarter
Minimum Required Credits: 185.0
Co-op Options: One Co-op (Four years)
Classification of Instructional Programs (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 children in prekindergarten, kindergarten, and grades 1 through 4 (ages 3-9) across subject areas with the addition of being specialized to work with prekindergarten through secondary grade students at risk for disabilities or with disabilities. As with the Elementary PK-4 certification, the program covers required competencies such as child development, language development, early literacy and math foundations for preschool years, early intervention, integration of the arts for the developing child, and family and community partnerships.

Improvements in the diagnosis of learning disabilities at earlier ages have resulted in an increase in the number of students requiring special education. This program is designed to provide the information necessary to understand the complexities of the disabled learner's needs; modify a curriculum appropriately; provide remedial instruction; use technology to address the learner's needs/progress; and manage instruction for students with special needs in the inclusive classroom, as well as additional approaches to assessment and special education teaching techniques.

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 MTED 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

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COOP 101, CIVC 101 and  UNIV T101 are not required for Education transfer students. Instead, these 3.0 credits are replaced with a 3.0 credit elective choice of ESTM 342 or EDEX 375. 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

Program Level Outcomes

• 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.