Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 505 - PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION › Chapter 505-3 - EDUCATOR PREPARATION RULES › Rule 505-3-.14 - Elementary Education (P-5) Program

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through
			 June 27, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
This rule states field-specific content standards for
			 approving programs that prepare individuals to teach any subject in grades P-5
			 and supplements requirements in GaPSC Rule
			 505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
			 FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS
			 and GaPSC Rule
			 505-3-.03 FOUNDATIONS OF READING,
			 LITERACY, AND LANGUAGE.
(2)
Requirements.
(a) To receive
			 approval, a GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider shall offer an
			 educator preparation program described in program planning forms, catalogs, and
			 syllabi addressing the standards and requirements delineated below. The
			 standards are adapted from the standards published in 2019 by the National
			 Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), the standards
			 published in 2018 by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation
			 (CAEP), and the standards published in 2007 by the Association for Childhood
			 Education International (ACEI). A guidance document accompanying this rule
			 provides supporting explanations for the scope and focus of each
			 standard.
(b) The program shall
			 prepare elementary education professionals to meet the following indicators
			 based on content standards published by the Association for Childhood Education
			 International (2007):
1.
Reading,
			 Writing, and Oral Language
: Candidates demonstrate a high level of
			 competence in the use of English language arts and they know, understand, and
			 use concepts from reading, language and child development, to teach reading,
			 writing, speaking, viewing, listening, and thinking skills and to help students
			 successfully apply their developing skills to many different situations,
			 materials, and ideas;
2.
Science
: Candidates know, understand, and use
			 fundamental concepts of physical, life, and earth/space sciences. Candidates
			 can design and implement age-appropriate inquiry lessons to teach science, to
			 build student understanding for personal and social applications, and to convey
			 the nature of science;
3.
Mathematics
: Candidates know, understand, and use the
			 major concepts and procedures that define number and operations, algebra,
			 geometry, measurement, and data analysis. In doing so they consistently engage
			 problem solving, reasoning and proof, communication, connections, and
			 representation;
4.
Social Studies
: Candidates know, understand, and use
			 the major concepts and modes of inquiry from the social studies, the integrated
			 study of history, geography, the social sciences, and other related areas, to
			 promote elementary students' abilities to make informed decisions as citizens
			 of a democratic society and interdependent world;
5.
The Arts
:
			 Candidates know, understand, and use, as appropriate to their own understanding
			 and skills, the content, functions, and achievements of the performing arts
			 (dance, music, theater) and the visual arts as primary media for communication,
			 inquiry, and engagement among elementary students;
6.
Health Education
:
			 Candidates know, understand, and use the major concepts in the subject matter
			 of health education to create opportunities for student development and
			 practice of skills that contribute to good health; and
7.
Physical
			 Education
: Candidates know, understand, and use, as appropriate to
			 their own understanding and skills, human movement and physical activity as
			 central elements to foster active, healthy life styles and enhanced quality of
			 life for elementary students.
(c) The program shall prepare elementary
			 education professionals to meet the following pedagogical standards adapted
			 from the standards published in 2019 by the National Association for the
			 Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and the standards published in 2018 by the
			 Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
1.
Understanding and Addressing
			 Each Child's Developmental and Learning Needs
: Candidates use
			 their understanding of child growth and development, individual differences,
			 and different families, and communities to plan and implement learning
			 environments that provide each child with access to high quality learning
			 experiences that engage and create learning opportunities for them to meet high
			 standards. They work collaboratively with families to gain a holistic
			 perspective on children's strengths and needs and how to motivate their
			 learning.
(i) Candidates use their
			 understanding of how children grow, develop and learn to plan and implement
			 developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences within
			 environments that take into account the individual strengths and needs of
			 children across early learning centers, elementary classrooms, and digital
			 learning environments.
2.
Working with Families and Communities
: Candidates use
			 their understanding of individual differences and different families, and
			 communities to plan and implement learning experiences and environments that
			 build on children's strengths and address their individual needs across early
			 learning centers, elementary classrooms, and digital learning environments.
(i) Candidates work respectfully and
			 reciprocally with families to gain insight into each child in order to maximize
			 his/her development, learning and motivation across early learning centers,
			 elementary classrooms, and digital learning environments.
(ii) Candidates get to know the unique
			 contexts of children and families to appropriately plan and program
			 experiences.
(iii) Candidates work
			 to respectfully and reciprocally work with families to gain insight into each
			 child in order to maximize development, learning, and motivation.
(iv) Candidates communicate with families in
			 ways which foster respect, partnerships, and engagement.
3.
Understanding and Applying
			 Content and Curricular Knowledge for Teaching
: To support a
			 coherent curriculum, candidates demonstrate and apply understandings of major
			 concepts, skills, and practices, as they interpret disciplinary curricular
			 standards and related expectations within and across language and literacy,
			 mathematics, science, social studies, approaches to learning, and social
			 emotional learning. Candidates know the essential concepts, inquiry tools, and
			 structure of content areas, including all academic subjects, and can identify
			 resources to deepen their learning. Candidates know how particular content
			 topics and expectations are connected to each other throughout the early
			 learning (Preschool-Kindergarten), primary (1-3), and intermediate (4-5)
			 grades. Candidates demonstrate understandings related to learning, curricular
			 practices and standards, the academic language of the disciplines, and
			 assessment as they consider within and across grade level progressions.
			 Candidates include digital learning opportunities within and across the core
			 disciplines, including the knowledge base and practices of other content areas
			 of fine and performing arts, and physical education.
(i) Candidates demonstrate and apply
			 understandings of the elements of language and literacy critical for purposeful
			 oral, print, and digital communication.
(ii) Candidates demonstrate and apply
			 understandings of major mathematics concepts, algorithms, procedures,
			 applications and mathematical practices in varied contexts, and connections
			 within and among mathematical domains.
(iii) Candidates demonstrate and apply
			 understandings and integration of the three dimensions of science and
			 engineering practices, cross-cutting concepts, and major disciplinary core
			 ideas, within the major content areas of science.
(iv) Candidates demonstrate understandings,
			 capabilities, and practices associated with the central concepts and tools in
			 Civics, Economics, Geography, and History, within a framework of informed
			 inquiry.
(v) Candidates demonstrate
			 understanding, capabilities, and practices associated with approaches to
			 learning such as initiative and exploration, attentiveness and persistence, and
			 play for young learners.
(vi)
			 Candidates demonstrate and apply understandings and integration of social
			 emotional development and learning including self-awareness, self-management,
			 responsible decision making, relationship skills, and social
			 awareness.
4.
Assessing, Planning, and Designing Contexts for
			 Learning
: Candidates assess students, plan instruction, and design
			 classroom contexts for learning. Candidates use developmentally appropriate
			 formative and summative assessment to monitor students' learning and guide
			 instruction. Candidates plan learning activities to promote a full range of
			 competencies for each student. They differentiate instructional materials and
			 activities to address learner differences. Candidates foster engagement in
			 learning by establishing and maintaining social norms for classrooms.
			 Candidates build interpersonal relationships with students that generate
			 motivation, and promote students' social and emotional development.
(i) Candidates use content knowledge,
			 appropriate content standards, and other resources to design, implement, and
			 evaluate developmentally meaningful and challenging curriculum for each
			 child.
(ii) Candidates administer
			 formative and summative assessments regularly to determine students'
			 competencies and learning needs.
(iii) Candidates use assessment results to
			 improve instruction and monitor learning.
(iv) Candidates plan instruction including
			 goals, materials, learning activities, and assessments.
(v) Candidates differentiate instructional
			 plans to meet the unique needs of each students in the classroom.
(vi) Candidates demonstrate competency in a
			 variety of assessment techniques and tools for young children including
			 observation, work samples, and screening.
(vii) Candidates demonstrate the ability to
			 assess learning and development through play for young learners.
5.
Guidance, Classroom
			 Management and Challenging Behaviors
: Candidates explicitly
			 support motivation and engagement in learning through a variety of
			 evidence-based practices.
(i) Candidates
			 implement developmentally appropriate positive direct guidance practices with
			 young children.
(ii) Candidates
			 utilize developmentally appropriate indirect guidance strategies to foster
			 positive and healthy relationships with young children.
(iii) Candidates manage the classroom by
			 establishing and maintaining social norms and developmentally appropriate
			 behavioral expectations.
(iv)
			 Candidates understand how to manage challenging behaviors using developmentally
			 appropriate evidence based practices.
(v) Candidates use developmentally
			 appropriate strategies to promote classroom community and prosocial
			 skills.
6.
Supporting Each Child's Learning Using Effective
			 Instruction
: Candidates make informed decisions about instruction
			 guided by knowledge of children and assessment of children's learning that
			 result in the use of a variety of effective instructional practices and
			 modalities that employ print and digital appropriate resources. Instruction is
			 delivered using a cohesive sequence of lessons and employing effective
			 instructional practices. Candidates use explicit instruction and effective
			 feedback as appropriate, and use whole class discussions to support and enhance
			 children's learning. Candidates use flexible grouping arrangements, including
			 small group and individual instruction to support effective instruction and
			 improved learning for every child.
(i)
			 Candidates use a variety of instructional practices that support the learning
			 of every child.
(ii) Candidates
			 teach a cohesive sequence of lessons to ensure sequential and developmentally
			 appropriate learning opportunities for each child.
(iii) Candidates explicitly teach concepts,
			 strategies, and skills, as developmentally appropriate, to guide learners as
			 they think about and learn academic content.
(iv) Candidates provide constructive feedback
			 to guide children's learning, increase motivation, and improve student
			 engagement.
(v) Candidates lead
			 whole class discussions to investigate specific content, strategies, or skills,
			 and ensure the participation of every child in the classroom.
(vi) Candidates effectively organize and
			 manage small group instruction to provide more focused, intensive instruction
			 and differentiate teaching to meet the learning needs of each child.
(vii) Candidates effectively organize and
			 manage individual instruction to provide targeted, focused, intensive
			 instruction that improves or enhances each child's learning.
(viii) Candidates teach concepts and support
			 development through child selected play utilizing developmentally appropriate
			 strategies for young leaners.
7.
Developing as a
			 Professional
: Candidates promote learning and development of every
			 child through participation in collaborative learning environments, reflective
			 self-study and professional learning, and involvement in their professional
			 community.
(i) Candidates work collaboratively
			 with colleagues, mentors, and other school personnel to work toward common
			 goals that directly influence every learner's development and growth.
(ii) Candidates design and implement
			 professional learning activities based on ongoing analysis of student learning;
			 self-reflection; professional standards, research and contemporary practices;
			 and standards of ethical professional practice.
(iii) Candidates participate in peer and
			 professional learning communities to enhance student learning.
8.
Teaching of
			 Reading
: The program shall prepare elementary education
			 professionals to meet the Elementary Education (P-5) standards specified in
			 GaPSC Rule
			 505-3-.03 FOUNDATIONS OF READING,
			 LITERACY, AND LANGUAGE.
(d) The program shall assure field
			 experiences and clinical practice are planned and sequenced so that candidates
			 develop the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions necessary to
			 promote the development and learning of pre-Kindergarten through fifth grade
			 children in all three age groups (PK-K, 1-3, and 4-5), and in a variety of
			 settings that offer elementary education. The indicators are as follows:
1. Observe and participate under supervision
			 of qualified professionals in a variety of settings and grade levels in which
			 children are served (such as public and private settings, centers, schools, and
			 community agencies);
2. Work
			 effectively over time with P-5 students with varying abilities from a variety
			 of family systems;
3. Demonstrate
			 ability to work effectively during full-time supervised residency (student
			 teaching) and/or practica experiences in at least two different settings,
			 serving children of three different age groups (PK-K, 1-3, and 4-5) and with
			 varying abilities; and
4. Analyze
			 and evaluate field experiences, including supervised experiences working with
			 parents, and supervised experiences working with interdisciplinary teams of
			 professionals.