The Middle Grades major engages students in a combination of courses in education and content specializations. The Florida State Department of Education offers the middle grades certification in four content areas: English, math, science, and social science. This major is designed to meet the State standards and coursework requirements for graduates to obtain certification in the middle grades (5-9).
Saint Leo University has designed this program with the National Middle School Association’s (NMSA) strong recommendation that “teachers in the middle grades should be specifically prepared to teach young adolescents and be recognized distinctively for this accomplishment.' (Turning Points 2000, p.x)
This program provides the necessary English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) training for middle grades majors with specialization in science, math, and social science. English specialization majors will be required to have more extensive ESOL training.
Entrance into the program requires students to:
- Meet Saint Leo University general education requirements or transfer in with an Associate of Arts degree from another accredited institution.
- Pass the General Knowledge (GK) portion of the Florida Teachers Certification Exam during the first semester in the junior year.
- Enter with and maintain a GPA of 2.5 throughout the program.