Elementary Education

College of Education
Dean: Jacob Perea

Department of Elementary Education
BH 179
415-338-1562
Chair: Laureen Chew

Graduate Coordinators:
M.A. in Elementary Education—Bernard-Powers, Ford
Early Childhood Education—Henderson and Meier
Language and Literacy—Arce
Mathematics Education—Langbort

Faculty

Professors—Bernard-Powers, Chew, Ellis, Hamm, Langbort Wambach

Associate Professors—Arce, Ford, Henderson, Lao, Meier

Assistant Professors—Borjian, Bravo, Conrad, Luna, Quita, Sisk-Hilton

Programs

M.A. in Education: Concentration in Early Childhood Education
M.A. in Education: Concentration in Elementary Education
M.A. in Education: Concentration in Language and Literacy Education
M.A. in Education: Concentration in Mathematics Education

Program Scope

The programs are designed to deepen theoretical knowledge, to promote professional growth, and to enhance the competencies of elementary and middle school teachers and early childhood educators.

Career Outlook

The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Early Childhood Education provides early childhood educators with advanced knowledge and training in research, theory, and practice for working with children and families in multicultural and multilingual early childhood settings. This degree provides infant, toddler, preschool, primary grade, community college educators, and early childhood administrators with the skills and knowledge for teaching and leadership positions in the field of early childhood education. Courses taken for the program can qualify for Teacher and Administrator levels of the California Child Development Matrix.

The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Elementary Education provides elementary school teachers with advanced knowledge of research, theory, and practice in the field of elementary education in general as well as in particular subject matter disciplines. This degree provides advanced preparation and professional development for teaching and for assuming such leadership roles in mentoring, curriculum and instruction, and staff development.

The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Language and Literacy provides elementary and middle school teachers with advanced knowledge of research, theory, and practice in reading and language arts with a particular emphasis on the needs of English learners.

The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Mathematics Education provides elementary and middle school teachers with advanced knowledge of research, theory, and practice in the teaching and learning of school mathematics and expands their knowledge of mathematics content. Teachers holding multiple subject credentials will be eligible to apply for a supplementary authorization in mathematics for middle school teaching. This degree also prepares teachers to assume leadership roles in their schools and districts.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION GRADUATE PROGRAMS

General Information

The following courses cannot be applied to any of the master's programs.

Only upper division courses approved on advisement are acceptable for the master's degree.

Written English Proficiency Requirement

Level One: met by passing the Graduate Essay Test (GET), administered by the university Testing Center at the beginning of each semester. Level Two: satisfied by demonstration of English competency on the Teacher Research Project, E ED 890; Field Study, E ED 895; or Master's Thesis, E ED 898.

Enrollment Requirement

Students are required to be enrolled in the university during the semester of anticipated graduation. If students have completed a semester of E ED 890, E ED 895, or E ED 898, they must enroll in EDUC 897, an Extended Learning course.

On-line course descriptions for these programs are available.

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION: CONCENTRATION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION

This 33-unit program consists of a core of required courses, specialization courses, and electives. The required and specialization courses provide students with advanced preparation in child growth and development, cultural and linguistic diversity, early childhood curriculum, and research methodology. The program places a special emphasis on understanding development within varied social and cultural contexts, culturally responsive teaching for diverse populations, family and community support, and practitioner research. The culminating experience requirement for the concentration in early childhood education is the completion of a thesis or field study.

Admission to Program

Admission to the Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Early Childhood Education is based upon:

  1. Possession of an elementary teaching credential or the completion of a minimum of 12 units in professional course work relevant to early childhood education, including courses in child development and early childhood curriculum, and successful experience working with young children.
  2. Applicant must submit a written statement of purpose to the program coordinator.
  3. Two letters of recommendation that address an applicant's ability to pursue graduate-level work and provide evidence of successful experience with young children.
Core Courses Units
E ED 707 Cognitive Development in Early Childhood Education Sociocultural Contexts 3
E ED 708 First and Second Language Development in Early Childhood Education 3
E ED 717 Narrative Inquiry and Memoir in Early Childhood Education 3
E ED 801 Practitioner Inquiry for Administration of Early Childhood Curricula 3
Total for core 12
Specialization Courses--units selected from the following: 6
E ED 700 Social, Emotional, and Physical Development in Early Childhood Education, Sociocultural Contexts  
E ED 715 Families in Early Childhood Settings and Communities
E ED 878 Multicultural Educational Theory and Practice for the Young Child
E ED 806 Leadership, Adult Supervision, and Advocacy
Total for specialization 6
Electives
Units selected from the following under advisement:		 9
Any courses not taken for specialization units  
E ED 704 Children's Play Development in School and Community
E ED 702 Creative Experiences with Preschool Children
E ED 850 Seminar in Early Childhood Mathematics and Science Curriculum
E ED 820 Seminar on Infant-Toddler Group Care Educational Programs
Course work in SPED within the ECE concentration
Related course work in other departments within the College of Education,
especially ISED, EDAD, and ITEC
Three-unit course in a department outside the College of Education, with
permission of adviser
Total for electives 9
Culminating Experience  
ISED 797 Seminar in Educational Research 3
E ED 895 Field Study or 3
E ED 898 Master's Thesis
Minimum total 33

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION: CONCENTRATION IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Admission to Program

  1. Possession of an elementary teaching credential,
  2. A year of teaching experience with appropriate documentation, and
  3. Applicants must submit a written statement of purpose to the department graduate coordinator plus two letters of recommendation that address (1) the applicant's ability to pursue graduate-level work and (2) successful experience in classroom teaching or related work.

Program

The M.A. in Education: Concentration in Elementary Education emphasizes five major strands that are germane to elementary education teaching/learning. These interrelated strands are as follows:

Opportunities are provided for students to specialize in an area of interest within elementary education.

All M.A. Graduate Approved Programs must initially have the approval of the appropriate graduate coordinator.

Program Units
E ED 760 Seminar on Social Issues and Curriculum Development 3
One or more of the following: E ED 761, E ED 763, E ED 764, E ED 765, E ED 767 3
ISED 797 Seminar in Educational Research 3
E ED 895  Field Study or 3
E ED 890 Seminar on Research in Multiple Subject Classrooms or
E ED 898 Master's Thesis
Related or distributed field (at least 6 units must be in elementary education). Must be selected upon approval of graduate major adviser. 18
Minimum total 30

NOTE: Nine units from the SFSU Multiple Subjects Teaching Credential program may be counted toward this degree. The following courses may be applied: E ED 782, E ED 783, E ED 749..

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION: CONCENTRATION IN LANGUAGE AND LITERACY EDUCATION

Admission to Program

Admission to the program is based upon the following requirements:

Please contact the Department of Elementary Education graduate assistant at gradeed@sfsu.edu for the most current update.

General Information

The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Language and Literacy Education provides elementary to high school teachers with in-depth knowledge of research, theory, and practice in teaching and observing the learning development of students who are native English speakers, bilingual speakers, and/or students who speak variations of English. This degree provides advanced preparation and professional development for teaching in schools as well as for assuming such leadership roles as mentor teachers, literacy curriculum leaders, and staff developers. In addition, graduate students may combine this concentration with a Reading and Language Arts Specialist Credential or Reading Certificate (see Credential Programs section).

Core Courses Units
Select one of the following: 3
E ED 725 Classroom Issues in Language, Literacy, and Culture 1  
E ED 708 First and Second Language Development in Early Childhood Education 2
ISED 747 Culture, Language, and Society in Education 1
Background and Theory
E ED 785 Literacy Theories: Connections to Classroom Practices in Elementary Education 3
E ED 770 Literacy Education Clinic I: Multidisciplinary Assessment of Reading and Language Problems 3
Select one of the following: 3
E ED 705 Child Development Through Literature Study in the Elementary Classroom 2  
EDUC 681 Teaching Reading and Literacy in Middle Level Education
S ED 621 Teaching Reading in Every Class
ISED 750 Language and Culture: Spanish/English Biliteracy
ISED 780 Adult Literacy and Basic Education
Select one of the following: 3
E ED 763 Integrating Language, Literacy, and Technology in Elementary School Curriculum  
E ED 760 Seminar on Social Issues and Curriculum Development
S ED 850 Advanced Seminar in Curriculum and Instruction in the Secondary School
S ED 811 Implications of Social and Technological Change for Teaching
ISED 738 Critical and Postmodern Pedagogies
ISED 748 Culture, Cognition, and Power Issues in Education
Total for core and background

15
Classroom Applications
E ED 771 Literacy Education Clinic II: Multidisciplinary Assessment and Remediation of Language and Literacy Problems 2 3
E ED 726 Teaching Process Writing in Elementary Classrooms 3
E ED 869 Teaching Reading and Writing to Second Language Learners 1 3
Select one of the following: 3
E ED 720 Research and Practice in Language and Literacy Education  
S ED 722 Teaching Language and Literacy in Content Fields
ISED 744 Seminar in Curriculum for Bilingual/Cross-cultural Education 1
Culminating Experience
ISED 797 Seminar in Educational Research 3
E ED/S ED/
ISED 898		 Master's Thesis or 3
E ED/S ED/
ISED 895		 Field Study
Minimum total 33

NOTE: For Department of Administration and Interdisciplinary Studies students, the culminating experience can be met by taking ISED 897, Advanced Seminar in Educational Research, and one additional graduate course and oral examination. Upon advisement, the candidate may substitute the additional course for one E ED required course.

MASTER OF ARTS IN EDUCATION: CONCENTRATION IN MATHEMATICS EDUCATION

Admission to Program

Admission to the Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Mathematics Education is based upon:

  1. Possession of a multiple subject teaching credential.
  2. At least two years experience teaching mathematics at the elementary or middle school level.
  3. In the event the candidate has not met the requirements in (1) or (2) above, he/she may meet with a mathematics education adviser to evaluate his or her academic and professional background.
  4. Applicant must complete a program application, which includes a written statement of purpose.
  5. Two letters of recommendation regarding the ability to pursue graduate-level work and successful experience with children.
Program Units
Mathematics Courses
MATH 365 Advanced Number Systems 3
MATH 575 Mathematics in the Middle School Classroom I 3
MATH 576 Mathematics in Middle Schools II 3
MATH 577 Mathematics in Middle Schools III 4
Education Courses
E ED 761 Elementary School Mathematics: Problem Solving 3
E ED 796 Analyzing Cases of Mathematics Teaching 3
E ED 856 Assessing Mathematical Thinking 3
E ED 807 Leadership Development Seminar in Mathematics Education 3
Core Courses
ISED 797 Seminar in Educational Research 3
E ED 898 Master's Thesis or 3
E ED 895 Field Study or
E ED 890 Seminar on Research in Multiple Subject Classrooms
Minimum total 31

Footnotes

  1. To be taken for emphasis in Cross-cultural, Language, and Academic Development.
  2. To be taken for emphasis in Early Literacy.