Program Overview

Middle Grades Education (MEd)

The Middle Grades Education Master of Education program at DePaul University is a cohort program administered in collaboration with the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) that requires special admission.

Program Description

The Master of Education program in Middle Grades Education prepares teachers for eligibility for a teaching license and IL endorsement in grades 5-8. The mission of the DePaul University College of Education's Middle Grades Teacher Education Program is to prepare educators who have passion for, understanding of, and commitment to working with young adolescents.

Program Goals

The program aims to prepare critical, creative educators who continually reflect on and inquire into their practices in order to further their own and their students' learning. The program cultivates in teacher candidates the pedagogical skills, subject area understandings, and social conscience necessary to enact thoughtful teaching practice.

Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

• Use knowledge of young adolescent learners to create safe, equitable, and meaningful learning environments and collaborative classrooms.
• Demonstrate and apply disciplinary content and pedagogical content knowledge with an emphasis on developing students' conceptual understanding and disciplinary literacy.
• Plan and deliver instruction that demonstrates knowledge of young adolescent learners and content.
• Implement assessment practices to evaluate student learning and inform instruction.
• Exhibit professionalism, pursue professional growth, and advocate for young adolescent learners and their communities.
• Evaluate educational research to support their understanding of teaching and learning and identify the theories that inform their teaching practices.

Dispositions

The academic programs within the College of Education have set forth these dispositions as educational and professional expectations for all students. Students should be aware that failing to abide by DePaul University or College of Education policies, including under certain circumstances, these dispositions, could result in adverse consequences for the student.

Licensure

The program leads to an Illinois Professional Educator License with endorsement in Middle Grades Education (grades 5 - 8), an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved program.

Program Requirements

• Degree Requirements: 56 quarter hours
• Total hours required: 56

Content Area Prerequisites

Middle Grades Education teachers need to have a deep understanding of the content area they will teach in the middle grades. The program requires that students have a minimum of 32 hours in their designated content area.

Introductory Courses

• MGE 400: Introduction to Middle Grades Education (4 quarter hours)
• SCG 435: Young Adolescent Development in Context (4 quarter hours)
• MGE 401: Literacy in the Middle Grades Content Areas I (4 quarter hours)
• BBE 450: English Language Learners in the Middle Grades (4 quarter hours)
• MGE 411: Supervised Field Experience (1 quarter hour)
• MGE 421: The Whole Child: Conceptions of Healthy Young Adolescence (4 quarter hours)
• MGE 431: Supervised Field Experience (1 quarter hour)
• SER 487: Foundations of Literacy and Special Education for the Middle Grades (4 quarter hours)

Advanced Courses

• MGE 441: Curricular Literacy in the Middle Grades Content Areas II (4 quarter hours)
• CSL 477: Social Emotional Learning in the Middle Grades (4 quarter hours)
• MGE 451: Assessment Practices in the Middle Grades (4 quarter hours)
• MGE 461: Supervised Field Experience (1 quarter hour)
• Select two of the following courses (based on content concentrations): 8 quarter hours

Student Teaching

• MGE 590: Student Teaching (6 quarter hours, grade of B- or better required)
• MGE 591: Student Teaching Seminar (2 quarter hours, grade of C or better required)
• EDU 95: Clinical Experience with Children and Youth (non-tuition, PA grade required) (0 quarter hours)

Licensure Tests

All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Middle Grades Education majors must complete the following tests:

• Content Area Test #201, 202, 203, or 204 (determined by area)
• EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience

Field Experiences

Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate settings in conjunction with education courses. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching.