Major -Elementary Education
The mission of the Department of Education is influenced by the Benedictine heritage of the College. The programs within the department seek to develop the student’s understanding of the nature of community and the role of an individual as a community builder.

The mission of the Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Program is to prepare teachers who are liberally educated, professionally competent, personally and socially mature, and acutely aware of the responsibilities and privileges entailed in their involvement with public and private education. The department prepares prospective teachers for successful careers in public and private school classrooms (K-6). Students who complete the undergraduate teacher licensure program in elementary education are prepared to enter the first phase of their professional career as effective beginning teachers.

The goal of the Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Program is to provide students with the knowledge and skills necessary to plan and implement developmentally appropriate learning experiences for children in kindergarten through grade six (K-6). Preparation for entering an elementary teaching career includes an integration of theoretical study, a variety of selective field experiences, and systematic reflection concerning one’s professional and personal experiences and goals.

B. A. in Elementary Education (Traditional Students)
(Traditional students only)
To be eligible for acceptance into the degree program, the student must declare the major, have completed at least 12 hours of education coursework, and have on file a cumulative Praxis I score of at least 522, or an SAT score of at least 1100, or an ACT score of at least 24. In addition, a student must have at admission, and maintain throughout the program, a GPA of 2.75 with no grade lower than a “C-” in major courses. A student must submit an Application for Admission to the Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Program and must be accepted into the program before beginning the Professional Sequence courses.

Major requirements
Prerequisites for Professional Sequence

• ED 300 Introduction to Education
• ED 301 Human Growth and Development
• ED 303 Children’s Literature
• ED 304 World of the Young Child
• ED 305 Introduction to the Exceptional Child
• ED 312 Educational Psychology
• ED 350 Arts in the Elementary School
• ED 351 N.C. History or an approved course in United States History
• One of the following:
• ED 302 Education and Society
• ED 380 Issues and Trends
• ED 399 Diversity in Education

Before taking any coursework in the Professional Sequence, a student must be accepted in the Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Program.

Professional Sequence

• ED 400 Classroom Management
• ED 402 Curriculum and Instructional Design
• ED 406 Teaching Language Arts in Elementary School
• ED 407 Diagnosis and Treatment of Reading Disabilities 
• ED 408 Teaching Social Studies in Elementary School
• ED 409 Teaching Science in Elementary School
• ED 410 Teaching Mathematics in Elementary School
• ED 471 Student Teaching Seminar
• ED 475 Student Teaching  

NOTE: ED 407, 408, 409, and 410 are methods courses taken together in the semester prior to student teaching (ED 475) and the student teaching seminar (ED 471).
 
Recommendation for Licensure: Upon completion of all program requirements, including those summarized below, a student is eligible for recommendation for teacher licensure in North Carolina. Recommendation for licensure in other states is subject to the laws and requirements of those states, and compliance with those regulations is the responsibility of the student. The process for recommendation for licensure is explained in the Student Teaching Handbook.

• To receive Belmont Abbey College’s recommendation for licensure in North Carolina a student must:
• Complete all required coursework with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75.
• Achieve NC passing scores on the appropriate PRAXIS II Specialty Area Exams.
• Pass an Exit Portfolio review.
• Receive the recommendation of the Chair of the Department of Education and of the Licensure Officer.
• Receive the recommendation of the student teaching supervisors (IHE and LEA) and the designated LEA official responsible for LEA coordination of the senior-year student-teaching experience (Form IHE-01b).
• Complete all necessary application materials, obtain official transcripts and pay any required state licensure fee(s).

Federal and State Compliance: The Elementary Education Teacher Licensure Program at Belmont Abbey College is fully accredited by the 115. National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), as well as the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

The Sister Christine Beck Department of Education of Belmont Abbey College is in compliance with Section 207 of Title II of the Higher Education Act of the United States Department of Education. This act requires Institutions of Higher Education (IHE’s) to report to the federal and state governments, as well as to the public. These reports and relevant data are available upon request from the Sister Christine Beck Department of Education Office.

Praxis II Pass Rate 2008-2009 Student Teachers (Tests 0011 and 0012)

Minor in Education
For students not pursuing a major in elementary education but who are interested in the study of education, an education minor is available. The normal sequence of courses (15 cr.), in which a student must earn a grade of “C” or better, is as follows:

• ED 300 Introduction to Education
• ED 301 Human Growth and Development
• ED 305 Introduction to the Exceptional Child
• ED 312 Educational Psychology
• One of the following:
• ED 302 Education and Society
• ED 380 Issues and Trends in Education
• ED 399 Diversity in Education

A student interested in pursuing a minor in education must contact the Department Chairperson within the completion of six (6) hours of the above listed courses; a student must formally apply to the Department of Education for approval.

Elementary Education Resources
Kappa Delta Pi
Honor students in education are invited to join the Upsilon Eta Chapter of Kappa Delta Pi (KDP), an international society promoting excellence in education. Membership is open to honor students who have shown commendable personal qualities, worthy educational ideals, and sound scholarship.

Involvement in KDP provides students with the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other members of the teaching profession, inspires students to strive for individual and professional growth, and encourages them to become active participants in state, regional, and national meetings.

Curriculum Resource Center
The Curriculum Resource Center (CRC) is a resource facility (located in room 112, William Gaston Science Building) that provides a variety of education services for students and faculty. The CRC houses curriculum materials, professional literature, and instructional equipment. It supports the goals and objectives of the Department of Education, which reflect the instructional needs and practices of teachers in elementary schools. The center serves as an active learning environment for students and provides opportunities for examination, production, and evaluation of educational resources.

Federal and State Compliance
The teacher education program at Belmont Abbey College is fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and its program in teacher education is approved by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI).

The Sister Christine Beck Department of Education of Belmont Abbey College is in compliance with Section 207 of Title II of the Higher Education Act of the United States Department of Education. This act requires Institutions of Higher Education (IHE’s) to report to the federal and state governments as well as to the public. These reports and relevant data are available upon request from the Sister Christine Beck Department of Education Office.

Elementary Education - Faculty

Powell, Sara Davis– Chair and Associate Professor of Education; B.S. in Mathematics, Southern Nazarene University; M.A.T. in Math Education, University of Colorado. ; Ph.D. in Administration, Supervision, and Curriculum Development, University of Colorado.

Dr. Powell has taught all grade levels, with most of her public school teaching experience in a middle school math classroom. She taught undergraduate and graduate courses at the College of Charleston for 12 years before joining the BAC faculty in fall 2006. Her areas of expertise include math education, upper elementary/middle grades, and instructional techniques. Dr. Powell is the author of Introduction to Middle School, a college text published in 2005 by Prentice Hall and An Introduction to Education: Choosing Your Teaching Path, a college text published in 2008 by Pearson.

Ratchford, Melinda - Associate Professor of Education
B.S. Appalachian State University, ; M.S.L.S. University of North Carolina-Greensboro, ; Ed.S. Appalachian State University, ; Ed.D. University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill.

Dr. Ratchford worked in the North Carolina public schools for thirty-one years, retiring in July 2000. She is currently the Director of the Curriculum Resource Center , and in 2002 won the Adrian Faculty Excellence award. Her avocation is a forty-five year interest in the study of RMS Titanic and her history, having given presentations on the topic to almost two hundred groups. She is an avid reader and a life long learner returning every ten years to get another degree; her latest was an A.A. in Paralegal Technology from Gaston College in 1999. She and her husband have traveled in forty-eight of the fifty states repeatedly and in Europe on numerous occasions.

Wilson, Pam - Assistant Professor and Director of Field Experience in Education B.S. Winthrop University, ; M.Ed. Winthrop University
After retiring from the public school system with thirty-three years of service, Mrs. Wilson joined the College faculty as an Assistant Professor. Her work in the public school system includeds twenty-nine years of classroom experience in grades K-3 and four years as an Instructional Specialist. Ms. Wilson provides training and consulting services for teachers in various school systems.

Benette Sutton, Benette - Instructor
B.A. Sacred Heart College, ; M.Ed. University of North Carolina-Charlotte

Mrs. Sutton worked for the Gaston County School System for over thirty years. She has been a classroom teacher, reading specialist, and Title I Program Coordinator. For the last eight years, Mrs. Sutton has taught at the Abbey and has implemented a tutoring program placing Belmont Abbey teacher candidates in local elementary schools to work with students needing extra instruction. Mrs. Sutton is the Chairperson of the Board of Directors for the Gaston Literacy Council.

McDonald, Judith Richards - Assistant Professor
BS in Secondary Education, West Virginia University; M.Ed. in Science Education, University of North Carolina, Charlotte; Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction, University of North Carolina, Greensboro.

Dr. McDonald has taught in elementary, middle, and high school, with most of her experience in middle school science.  Her focus and passion is instructing teachers in inquiry science.  She supports the community in many ways, including science clubs, science awareness, and mentoring new science teachers. Dr. McDonald serves on numerous local, regional, and state committees that promote science education.

Helm, Carroll – Associate Professor
B.A. in Psychology with Social Studies Minor, Carson-Newman College; M.S. in Administration and Supervision, University of Tennessee, Knoxville; Ed.D. Educational Leadership, Collateral in Human Development and Learning, East Tennessee State University.

Dr. Helm has taught in the elementary and middle school as well as serving as an elementary principal.  He has held numerous K-12 central office positions, as well as Dean of a Community College.  Dr. Helm has taught graduate and undergraduate courses for Tusculum College, East Tennessee State University, and the University of the Cumberlands.  His research and publications have focused mainly on effective teaching and learning through proper teacher dispositions.