Degree Requirements
The Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education degree at Lake-Sumter State College (LSSC) provides a high-quality education for students in preparation for teacher certification in Elementary Education (Grades K-6) with endorsements in Reading (K-12) and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL, K-12). Through impactful, school-based experiences embedded throughout related coursework, LSSC prepares teacher candidates for the realistic demands of today’s classrooms while meeting the needs of school districts throughout Central Florida. Program graduates are eligible to obtain Elementary Education (Grades K-6) Certification through application to the Florida Department of Education.
Accreditation
The Elementary Education Baccalaureate Program at Lake-Sumter State College is* accredited by the:
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA, 404-679-4500.
The most recent accreditation decision made by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) confirmed approval of accreditation for LSSC. The SACSCOC Board of Trustees reaffirmed accreditation through 2031. View the public information disclosed by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges regarding this program at [Institutions - SACSCOC].
Elementary Education End-of-Program Student Learning Outcomes
The Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP) serve as Florida’s expectations for effective educators, providing guidance on what educators are expected to know and be able to do. These practices form the foundation for instructional personnel evaluation and professional learning systems, educator preparation programs and educator certification requirements. The FEAP are based on these four essential principles.
- The effective educator creates a culture of high expectations for all students by promoting the importance of education and each student’s capacity for academic achievement.
- The effective educator demonstrates deep and comprehensive knowledge of the subject taught.
- The effective educator exemplifies the standards of the profession.
- The effective educator acknowledges that all persons are equal before the law and have inalienable rights, and provides instruction that is consistent with the principles of individual freedom as outlined in section 1003.42(3), F.S.
Program Outcomes
Program Completion Rate Benchmark: 85% of students will finish the Elementary Education BS program within 100% of the program length or five semesters.
Job placement rate Benchmark: 95% of Elementary Education BS program graduates will be employed full-time or part-time in a teaching position within six months of graduation.
Academic Advising
Career Development Services
Admission Requirements for Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education
In addition to fulfilling admission requirements for LSSC, applicants for the BS in Elementary Education must meet the following requirements consistent with Florida Statute 1004.04:
- Applicants must have earned:
An Associate in Arts degree (AA) with a minimum of 60 credit hours from any college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association
OR
A minimum of 60 credit hours from any regionally accredited college or university with all state of Florida general education requirements met.
- Completion of EDF 2005 – Introduction to Education with a grade of “C” or better.
- Applicants must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.
- Students must disclose criminal background information that may preclude them from becoming certified at the time of admission. For continued enrollment in the program, students must be fingerprinted and screened by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement prior to entering any school and additional documentation may be required by participating school districts.
Elementary Education Baccalaureate Degree Program Requirements (60 Credit Hours)
The following 60 hours of Advanced Level courses are required with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 or better.
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Hours |
| RED 3012 | Basic Foundations of Reading | 3 |
| MAE 3311 | Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School | 3 |
| TSL 4240 | ESOL Methods, Curriculum and Assessment | 3 |
| EEX 4070 | Curriculum and Instructional Strategies for Exceptional Students | 3 |
| EDG 4942 | Practicum in Elementary Education II | 3 |
| RED 4519 | Diagnostic and Corrective Reading Strategies | 3 |
| SSE 3312 | Content Literacy Strategies in Elementary Social Studies | 3 |
| TSL 4080 | ESOL Foundations: Second Language Acquisition and Culture | 3 |
| LAE 4314 | Language Arts in the Elementary School | 3 |
| EDG 4943 | Practicum in Elementary Education III | 3 |
| SCE 3310 | Integration of Science and Technology in the Elementary School | 3 |
| LAE 3414 | Children's Literature | 3 |
| MAE 4326 | Practicum for Teaching Mathematics in the Elementary School | 3 |
| RED 4942 | Practicum for Assessment and Instruction of Reading | 3 |
| EDG 4410 | Classroom Management and Instruction | 3 |
| EDF 4467 | Measurement, Evaluation, and Assessment in Education | 3 |
| EDF 4945 | Internship in Elementary Education | 9 |
| EDF 4936 | Capstone in Elementary Education | 3 |
| Total Hours | 60 |
Passing scores on all sections [General Knowledge, Professional, and Subject Area (Elementary Education K-6)] of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) are required prior to entry into Internship or evidence of attempted exams and signed contract acknowledging FTCE requirement for graduation.
All coursework must be completed with a grade point average of 2.5 or better before registering for Internship.
Students must apply and be approved for internship.
Satisfactory completion of Internship requires the student to demonstrate proficiency in all 12 Florida Educator Accomplished Practices at the pre-professional level in accordance with State Board of Education Rule 6A-5.066.
Graduation Requirements for BS in Elementary Education
As per the amended Florida Rule 6A-10.02413, prior to the award of an associate in arts or baccalaureate degree, LSSC students under the 2021-2022 Catalog and thereafter must demonstrate competency in civic literacy through one of the following options prior to graduation:
- successfully passing POS 2041 American National Government or AMH 2020 U.S. History Since 1877 and achieving a 60% or higher on the Florida Civic Literacy Exam, or
- successfully passing a prescribed assessment:
- AP Government & Politics Test: United States (passing score of 3), or
- AP U.S. History Test (passing score of 4), or
- CLEP: American Government (passing score of 50)
- To verify your Civic Literacy Requirement, please visit DegreeWorks.
Fulfill the Florida Foreign Language Competence requirement for bachelor’s degrees, even if this requires the student to exceed 120 total semester credit hours. Students may fulfill this requirement by successfully completing one of the following options:
- Completion of two (2) credits at the secondary (high school) level in the same language
- Complete and pass the elementary 2 level or higher of one foreign language at the college level
