Department website: https://www.atu.edu/tel

The Middle Childhood/Early Adolescence degree provides quality preservice educational instruction and guidance in preparation for teaching grades 4-8. The program prepares and nurtures interdisciplinary teachers who understand the major concepts, principles, theories, and research on developmentally responsive middle schools, adolescent development, planning and implementing curriculum, assessment strategies, professionalism, and advocacy (AMLE, 2022). The program is designed around a conceptual framework which organizes learning expectations and experiences into manageable discipline-specific strands for the content areas of English Language Arts, Mathematics, Social Studies, or Science.

The first stage of the middle level program is a pre-professional program and admission to this stage does not constitute approval for admission to the professional program in teacher education. Stage II is the professional stage of the preparation program. Teacher candidates must satisfactorily complete the requirements of the first stage, have a cumulative grade point average of 2.70 on all coursework, complete English composition courses, an oral communication course, a college-level mathematics course, and complete MLED 2003 Introduction to Education, or acceptable introduction to education substitution course, with grades of "C" or higher. 

After satisfying all of the requirements of the Stage II coursework and Residency A, the teacher candidate will apply for Residency B. Admission to Residency B requires completion of all professional education courses, senior standing, satisfactory completion of all prerequisites listed in the course descriptions, a minimum grade of “C” in all courses with a cumulative grade point average of 2.70, and the minimum score on the subject area licensure examination as required by the Arkansas Department of Education.

Teacher candidates should complete an application for Residency B for the spring semester by October 15 or for the fall semester by March 15. Teacher candidates must present scores on the appropriate licensure examination as directed by the Arkansas Department of Education.

References
Association for Middle Level Education [AMLE]. (2022). Association for Middle Level Education Teacher Preparation Standards. 

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See appropriate alternatives or substitutions in "General Education Requirements".

All initial licensure education programs are CAEP accredited and each one works toward meeting the InTASC Teaching Standards (used in Arkansas as the Arkansas Teaching Standards), which are also mapped to Danielson's Framework for Teaching FFT (used in Arkansas Teacher Excellence and Support System) [TESS].

The inTASC Standards include the following four categories of standards:

1. The Learner and Learning (This category includes Standards 1 & 2 - Learner Development and Learning Differences and Standard 3 - Learning Environment.) FFT/TESS Domains 1 & 2.

2. Content Knowledge (This category includes Standards 4 - Content Knowledge and 5 - Application of Content.) FFT/TESS Domains 1 & 3.

3. Instructional Practice (This category includes Standards 6 - Assessment, 7 - Planning for Instruction, and 8 - Instructional Strategies). FFT/TESS Domains 1, 2, & 3.

4. Professional Responsibility (This category includes Standards 9 - Professional Learning and Ethical Practice and 10 - Leadership and Collaboration). FFT/TESS
Domain 4.