Science Education

Professional Education Courses Required
for
Secondary (6-12) Science Certification
(UGA Gwinnett-campus program)

Science Education at the UGA Gwinnett campus
Secondary Science Certification

The secondary science certification program at the UGA Gwinnett campus differs from the secondary science certification program at the UGA main campus in several important ways. This program is known by the acronym PACSS – it stands for Program of Alternative Certification in Secondary Science. Most of the individuals who are seeking certification through PACSS are employed by a school district. Thus the courses for certification are offered in the evenings and summers. Consider the following example:

An individual decides that he/she wishes to become a secondary science teacher in the schools of the region of Georgia around the northern or eastern suburbs of Atlanta. This individual has a bachelor’s degree in a science field from an accredited college or university. The person learns of the UGA – Gwinnett Campus program for secondary science certification and contacts Dr. Baldwin. If this individual makes the decision to pursue entry into a science education certification program through the UGA Gwinnett campus, four activities begin to happen at this time. These activities are all essential. First, the individual makes application for admission to the UGA science education graduate program as either a non-degree or master’s degree student. Second, the person registers to take the appropriate GACE subject matter field assessment for their science specialty. Third, the individual fills out applications for employment with school districts. Fourth, upon employment, the individual provides needed information to the school district so that the district can complete an application for this individual to receive a non-renewable secondary science teaching certificate.

Upon notification of admission into the certification program, the individual registers for classes based on the advice of their advisor. The following pages will provide detailed information on how to complete the steps for entry into the science certification program and will include description of the UGA course requirements to be eligible for recommendation for certification.

Step 1 - Initial Consultation for the PACSS program(Program of Alternative Certification in Secondary Science)
Undergraduate students – There is not an undergraduate option for seeking secondary science certification at the UGA Gwinnett Campus.
Graduate students – For information you can contact science education program faculty at either the UGA main campus or at the UGA Gwinnett Campus. Dr. Paul Baldwin (pbaldwin@uga.edu or 678-985-6781) is located at the Gwinnett Campus. The Science Education Program office (mse@uga.edu or 706-542-1763) can also provide information or send email to schedule an initial consultation meeting with the Graduate Coordinator, Dr. David Jackson, (djackson@uga.edu).
At the initial meeting, whether you meet with Dr. Baldwin or Dr. Jackson, you will have an opportunity to discuss your interest in science teaching and to confirm that you have met (or will meet) the entrance requirements for admission to Science Education as either Master's or Non-Degree student. These requirements include but are not limited to the following: passing score or exemption on the GACE basic skills assessment, having a minimum of a 2.5 overall grade point average in ALL college courses taken, and having a minimum grade of C in all content science courses that will count toward certification. (If you are meeting with Dr. Jackson, ensure that he is aware of your specific interest in the PACSS program.)

Step 2 - Gaining admission to the science education program at UGA to pursue certification through the PACSS program
Graduate students- In order to take course work toward certification and/or a graduate degree, you must be admitted to the UGA Graduate School (http://www.gradsch.uga.edu/). Contact the Graduate School to obtain an application and information regarding related requirements. (See masters programs information at http://www.coe.uga.edu/mse/science/programs/masters.html). You may apply as either a master’s degree or non-degree student. Make the decision as to which is best for you in consultation with the science education program faculty.

Step 3 – Requirements that must be completed
You must complete a criminal background check. (If you are employed by a school district, check with their personnel office regarding whether a criminal background check is required for employment.) You do this by making application to an off-campus firm that conducts this process. Faculty and staff of the University of Georgia are not informed of the results of the background check. When a placement for you is requested at a specific school, a copy of the criminal background check will be forwarded to that school as part of their information packet about you. You can learn more about the process for completing the criminal background check at: http://www.coe.uga.edu/students/admission.html

NOTE: A student is not permitted to register for the school-based internship while on court ordered probation.
Next, please read the information on the Field Experience website regarding student teacher liability insurance. http://www.coe.uga.edu/students/liability.html. You are covered for liability insurance when participating in any practicum or student teaching experience that is part of a science education course. The coverage, provided by the state of Georgia, is for $1 million of liability coverage. (NOTE: If you are placed in a non-public school, or in a school not in Georgia, you will NOT be covered by this insurance.). Other liability insurance policies are available from professional organizations for teachers such as Professional Association of Georgia Educators (PAGE) or its student affiliate (SPAGE). Insurance from these professional organizations may provide additional coverage. Investigate these options at both the website named above as well as the websites of the professional organizations listed on that page.
GACE basic skills
You must fulfill the GACE basic skills examination requirements prior to admission to the Science Education (ESCI) courses. For more information examine the website at: http://www.gapsc.com/documentation/basicskillsinfo.asp

The Basic Skills assessment is designed to assess knowledge and skills in the areas of reading, mathematics, and writing. The assessment is composed of three tests—the reading and mathematics tests each consist of selected-response questions; the writing test consists of selected-response questions and a constructed-response assignment.
Students may exempt the GACE basic skills assessment based on scores from the SAT, ACT, or GRE tests. Sum you verbal and mathematics scores – there is no minimum verbal or mathematics score. If the sum of those composite scores is above the following minimum scores then you are exempt from GACE basic skills:

SAT exemptions: minimum combined verbal and mathematics score of 1000
GRE exemption: minimum combined verbal and quantitative score of 1030
ACT exemption: minimum combined English and mathematics score of 43.

Step 4 - Acceptance into the Program and Advisor Assignment
Once you have been admitted by the Graduate School, you will be assigned a science education faculty advisor (you will receive official notification of acceptance and your advisor assignment) to design and maintain a program of study (see http://www.coe.uga.edu/mse/science/programs/index.html) to include courses leading to certification and/or degrees in science education. You should meet with your advisor on a regular basis. You may make appointments by telephone (678-985-6781 for the Gwinnett Campus or 706-542-1763 for the main campus) or through email correspondence.

In consultation with your advisor and perhaps Dr. Baldwin, you will be advised as to which courses you should register. Most individuals will need to take courses in science subject matter courses as well as education courses. There is some flexibility as to the number of courses you must take in a given semester. Creating a plan soon after your acceptance is the best plan to enable you to finish the program in a timely way. More information regarding the specific course requirements is given below.

Important Note for Master's Degree Students
Under certain circumstances, course credit taken for certification can apply to the master's degree program of study. Students will be allowed to count 3 courses (or 9 semester hours) that are taken to fulfill certification requirements toward the requirements of the master's degree. These course must be taken for graduate credit (6000 level and above) and may NOT include ESCI 6450, 6460, 7460, 7470, and 7480. Courses that may count include: ESCI 6030, ESCI 6480, EDIT 6150, EPSY 6010, and EPSY 6800. (NO student will take more than three courses from this list – there may be other courses that when taken for graduate credit may count toward the requirements for the M.Ed. that are not included in this list.)

Step 5 - Registration for the GACE Content Assessment Tests
For many of the PACSS students, successful completion of the GACE subject matter content assessment will happen prior to matriculation into classes toward certification. See the Georgia Assessments for the Certification of Educators website for additional information - http://www.gace.nesinc.com/ You must choose the appropriate GACE content assessment for your certification. The GACE assessment for each science certification area requires that you take both a content knowledge and content essays test.

In order to be recommended for certification in one of the secondary science areas, professional education coursework in the following areas must be completed:

One 3 semester hour course in Education Psychology – three examples of acceptable courses are shown below.

EPSY 2130 Exploring Learning and Teaching
or
EPSY 6010 Foundations for Human Development
or
EPSY 6800 Cognition in the Classroom

One 3 semester hour course in Special Education – two examples of acceptable courses are shown below.

ESCI 4030/6030 Teaching Science to Students with Special Educational Needs
or
SPED 2000 Survey of Special Education

One 3 semester hour course in Instructional Technology - three examples of acceptable courses are shown below.

ESCI 4480/6480 Technological Capabilities for Science Teaching
or
EDIT 2000 Introduction to Computers for Teachers
or
EDIT 6150 Introduction to Computer Based Education

Science Education Coursework (PACSS students must complete all of these courses as UGA students)

ESCI 6450 Science Curriculum and Learning

ESCI 6460 Methods of Science Teaching

ESCI 7460 Science Education School-Based Internship (must register for 6 credit hours in each of two semesters)

ESCI 7480 Philosophy and Leadership in Science Classroom Practice

NOTE: Prior to admission, a passing score (or exemption) on the GACE Basic Skills is required. A passing score on both the content knowledge and content essays for the appropriate GACE Content Assessment is normally required prior to being employed by as school district or being awarded a non-renewable certificate.

Science Content Coursework required for secondary science certification

In order to qualify for recommendation for certification in one of the four science certification fields, you must have at least 8 courses in that major field and they must include at least four of the sub-areas identified under the science certification field name.
Science coursework is required in the following sub areas for each of the following majors:

BIOLOGY (four out of five areas required)

biochemistry/molecular biology
genetics/evolution
natural history/ecology
anatomy/physiology
cellular biology/developmental biology

EARTH SCIENCES (all areas required)

mineralogy/petrology
paleontology/stratigraphy
atmospheric/oceanic science
astronomy

CHEMISTRY (all areas required) required)

quantitative/qualitative
physical chemistry
biochemistry
organic chemistry

PHYSICS (four out of five areas)

analysis mechanics
electricity and magnetism
thermodynamics
waves/optics
modern physics

A typical program (ESCI 7480 may not be taken in the first summer of the program)

Summer	Fall	Spring	Summer
EPSY 6010	ESCI 6460 ESCI 6030 ESCI 7460	ESCI 6450 ESCI 7460	ESCI 6480 ESCI 7480

NOTE to current or prospective graduate students:
Up to 3 courses can count for both initial certification and on a M.Ed. degree program of study. A student cannot use ESCI 6450, 6460, 7460, 7470, or 7480 in a master’s degree program of study.

For additional information, please contact:

Dr. Paul Baldwin
Gwinnett Science Education Coordinator
214 Gwinnett Campus Building
2530 Sever Road
The University of Georgia – Gwinnett Campus
Lawrenceville, GA 30043
678-985-6781
pbaldwin@uga.edu

Dr. David Jackson
Science Education Graduate Coordinator
Department of Math and Science Education
212 Aderhold Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
706-542-1763
djackson@uga.edu