Certification Extension

Middle Grades

The middle level certification extension is valid for teaching grades 5-8 in any Rhode Island middle, elementary, or junior high school in the content areas of English language arts, mathematics, sciences, or social studies.

The program is well-grounded both in current research on middle level education and in best practice in the professional preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers. The program is based upon the Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) standards.

Program Requirements

This certification extension is available to (1) accepted elementary or secondary education students in the School of Education, or (2) students who have already completed either of these programs (second option by permission only).

Required Courses

EDC 400: Middle School Curriculum Assessment and Methods
EDC 331: Clinical Experiences for Secondary Education
EDC 415: Adolescents and Classroom Management(Please consult your elementary or secondary program curriculum worksheet for specific course sequence)

You need to have a college major, minor, or a concentration of 21 semester hours (credits) in one of the following areas: English, Science, Social Studies or Mathematics. Secondary education students: please consult with your education advisor, as requirements below are typically met through your content major.

ENGLISH
21 credits total

Writing/Composition

EDC/WRT 435: Teaching of Composition

American Literature (choose one)

ENG 241: U.S. Literature I
ENG 242: U.S. Literature II

British Literature (choose one)

ENG 251: British Literature I
ENG 252: British Literature II
ENG 280: Introduction to Shakespeare
ENG 472: Shakespeare

Adolescent Literature (required)

EDC 449: Teaching Adolescent Literature

Representation Matters (choose one)

ENG 160-Literatures of the World
ENG 247-Introduction to Literature of the African Diaspora
ENG 248-African-American Literature from 1900 to the Present
ENG 260- Women and Literature
ENG 338-Native American Literature
ENG 362-African-American Literary Genres
ENG 363-African-American Fiction
ENG 364-Contemporary African Literature
ENG 385-Women Writers
ENG 388-Queer Literatures, Queer Cultures
ENG 450G-Performing Race

Note: Courses may be substituted with Secondary Education English Professor’s permission.

MATHEMATICS
minimum: 21 credits total

Education majors (Elementary and Secondary) pursuing a double major with a BA in mathematics as specified by the secondary requirements (see here) have met the math content requirements for the extension through their mathematics BA; no additional mathematics courses are required.

Elementary education candidates or teachers who do not have the equivalent of a BA in mathematics can satisfy the mathematics content requirements for a middle school extension in mathematics by obtaining an equivalent of a BA in mathematics or by taking the following or equivalent courses:Number Systems, Algebra, Geometry and Trigonometry, Statistics and Probability, & Calculus (all required for middle level extension).

* This course leads to RI Computer Science Educators Endorsement

	MTH 208: Numeracy for Teachers (4 credits)
	MTH 209: Numeracy for Teachers II (4 credits)
Algebra	MTH 101: Intermediate Algebra (3 credits)	or MTH 215: Linear Algebra (3 credits)
Precalculus	MTH 103: Applied Pre-Calculus (3 credits)	or MTH 111: Pre-Calculus (3 credits)
Calculus	MTH 131: Applied Calculus I (3 credits)	or MTH 141: Calculus I (4 credits)
Statistics	STA 308: Introductory Statistics (4 credits)	or STA 220: Statistics In Modern Society (3 credits)
Electives (as needed to reach 21 credits)	MTH/CSC 104: Puzzles + Games = Analytical Thinking (4 credits) MTH 105: Elementary Mathematical Codebreaking (3 credits) MTH 106: Mathematics of Social Choice and Finance (3 credits) MTH 107: Introduction to Finite Mathematics (3 credits) MTH 108: Topics in Mathematics (3 credits, honors section offered) MTH 109: Politics and Mathematics (3 credits) CSC 106: The Joy of Programming (4 credits) CSC 222: Teaching Computer Science (3 credits)*

Note: Courses may be substituted with Secondary Education Mathematics Coordinator’s permission.

SCIENCE
21 credits total

Biology

BIO 101: Principles of Biology I
BIO 102: Principles of Biology II

Chemistry

CHM 101, 102: General Chemistry

Physics

PHY 111, 185: General Physics and Lab

Earth/Space Science (choose one)

AST 108: Introduction to Astronomy
GEO 103: Understanding the Earth
OCG 401: General Oceanography

Environmental Science

GEO 100: Environmental Geology

SOCIAL STUDIES
21 credits total

U.S. History (choose one)

HIS 141 History of the United States to 1877
HIS 142 History of the United States Since 1877
HIS 146 Women in the United States, 1890-Present
HIS 150 Introduction to Afro-American History
HIS 335 American Colonial History to 1763
HIS 336 The American Revolution and Confederation: 1763-1789
HIS 337 Creation of the Union: America from 1789-1848
HIS 339 Emergence of Industrial America: 1877-1914
HIS 340 United States History from 1914 to 1941
HIS 341 United States History from 1941 to 1974
HIS 342 United States History from 1968-2001
HIS 344 History of North American Indian
HIS 355 History of Black Women in the U.S.: Colonial to Present
HIS 359 History of Slavery in America
HIS 365 Civil War and Reconstruction
HIS 366 Twentieth-Century Black Politics and Protest

World History (two course one from each category below)

1. Western History (choose one)
  - HIS 110 Ancient Greece: History and Archaeology
  - HIS 111 Ancient Rome: History and Archaeology
  - HIS 112 History of Medieval Europe
  - HIS 113 History of Western Civilization from the Late Middle Ages to 1789
  - HIS 114 History of Western Civilization Since 1789
  - HIS 301 The Hellenistic World
  - HIS 302 The Roman Empire
  - HIS 304 Western Europe in the High Middle Ages
  - HIS 308 Between Eve and Mary: Women in the Middle Ages
  - HIS 310 History of Europe: 1815-1914
  - HIS 311 History of Europe Since 1914
  - HIS 318 The Jews: Religion and People
  - HIS 327 German History Since 1914
  - HIS 328 The Holocaust
  - HIS 333 Russia Since 1900
2. Non-Western History (choose one)
  - HIS 171 East Asian Culture and History
  - HIS 172 Southeast Asian Culture and History
  - HIS 178 History of the Modern Middle East
  - HIS 180 Introduction to Latin American Civilization
  - HIS 374 History of Modern China
  - HIS 375 History of Modern Japan
  - HIS 381 History of Colonial Latin America
  - HIS 382 History of Modern Latin America
  - HIS 385 Revolution and Unrest in Central America and the Caribbean

Coursework in at least three of the following areas:
Anthropology/Sociology, Economics, Geography, and Political Science

Testing Requirements

Candidates for middle grades extended certification who do not possess a major or its equivalent (30 semester hours) in an academic/content area (URI majors: English, Mathematics, Science – i.e Biology, Chemistry, or Physics – or History, for Social Studies) must take and achieve a passing score on the appropriate middle school content test. This applies to ALL elementary education majors, even with full major in content area. See Licensure Testing Requirements for current testing information.