Education: Initial Teacher Certification in Inclusive Adolescence Education

The inclusive adolescence education program is designed to provide the knowledge base to support student learning in content areas at the adolescence level, as well as to specifically meet the needs of students with disabilities in grades 7-12 by means of differentiated instruction and collaborative teaching. It enables Nazareth students to be knowledgeable about the characteristics of preadolescent and adolescent learners, and it provides the essential skills and methodologies to enable teachers to create student-focused and engaging lessons that are standards-based. This teacher certification program was developed in collaboration with liberal arts and sciences departments.

Students who complete this program will be recommended to the New York State Education Department for Teaching Students with Disabilities, Grades 7-12 Generalist, in combination with initial teacher certification in one of the following content areas:

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English (major within English Department or Theatre Department)
• Languages: Chinese, French, Italian, or Spanish
• Social studies (major: History)
• Mathematics
• Theatre (dual English Language Arts certification with Theatre option)

Program Eligibility

Students self-select for admittance into the inclusive adolescence education program. Please note: Students must have a liberal arts and sciences major; they may not major in inclusive adolescence education. Students can self-select at any time from their initial application to Nazareth University through their sophomore year. If a student has completed fewer than 45 credit hours, or has a GPA lower than 2.7, the student is accepted conditionally.

Students can only begin their inclusive adolescent education coursework series when they have reached junior status with a plan to graduate during the following academic year, when they will student teach. Before beginning junior level education coursework, students who have declared their intent to pursue the inclusive adolescence education program will be required to demonstrate their readiness to move forward with an overall cumulative GPA that meets or exceeds 2.7. Students need to maintain a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA, and obtain a grade of “C” or higher in all education courses to progress in the inclusive adolescence education program. Required Education Course Credits: 36.

NYS Certification Requirements

• Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours in their content area of certification.
• Two courses in the same foreign language or American Sign Language are required for students earning a Bachelor of Arts degree.
• Students must complete 6 credits in each of the following subjects, with a minimum grade of “C” or higher in each course (all courses are part of the liberal arts core requirements):
  • English
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies