Elementary Education

Major

Learning Format

On-Campus

Types

Bachelor's
Elementary Education

Be the teacher students remember

Join this vital career and help shape society through the power of public education. Many people can easily recall their favorite teacher from elementary school who made a big difference in their confidence, learning, and development. Research demonstrates that children who receive a high-quality elementary education are more likely to thrive later in life as valuable and engaged members of society. 

A major in elementary education will provide you with the foundational knowledge and skills needed to successfully enter the field with initial licensure as an Elementary Teacher (Grades 1 through 6).

  • Bring your creativity to the classroom.
  • Share your love of learning, art, music, science, reading, math, and social studies with an enthusiastic audience of young children.
  • Help families build their resilience by creating an inclusive, accessible learning environment for children with disabilities. Learn the early signs of learning disabilities and developmental delays, and advocate for young children to receive the early intervention and special education services they need.
  • Support newcomers to the United States through a supportive, culturally and linguistically sustaining approach to elementary education, including bilingual education schools and sheltered English immersion classrooms.
  • Learn from faculty and staff in the Education Department who will provide you with coursework, preparation, financial assistance, and targeted mentoring to successfully complete the MTELs (Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure), with flexible policies that help you stay on track for earning your licensure as well as graduating on time.

FSU is an institution where individuals of differing cultures, perspectives, and experiences are welcomed, respected, valued, and supported. At a time when the cost of education has become prohibitive for many families, Framingham State University has proudly maintained both quality and affordability. We look forward to welcoming you into our community of learners.

Career Opportunities

The average Massachusetts teacher salary in 2022-23 was $89,538 according to the National Education Association, the second-highest average salary for any state in America.

two children talking to a Framingham State University student in a classroom

Elementary School Teacher

Work in classrooms to educate students who are typically in kindergarten to sixth grade.

Instructional Coordinator

Assess curriculums and the efficiency of teaching methods and develop material for instructor use.

Reading Specialist

Specialize in assessing and teaching students how to read.

Special Education Teacher

Work with students who have varying mental, emotional, physical or learning abilities.

Training and Development Specialist

Train employees in a specific business to improve their skills and competency in certain areas.

Education Learning Outcomes

  • Deliver research-based, culturally and linguistically sustaining instruction in all subject areas (reading, mathematics, science, technology, social studies, and more).
  • Strengthen your own subject matter knowledge in all areas of the Massachusetts curriculum frameworks.
  • Apply the theories of cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development from childhood through adolescence in your daily teaching practices.
  • Investigate the history, evidence, and outcomes of racism, sexism, ableism, and other inequities within educational settings, and commit to ongoing reflection that will strengthen your equitable teaching practices for all students.
  • Provide an inclusive and accessible learning environment for students with disabilities, meeting all special education legal and ethical requirements.
  • Implement Sheltered English Immersion strategies and culturally & linguistically sustaining practices for emergent bilingual students and English language learners, meeting state and federal requirements.
  • Build your proficiency in all areas of the Massachusetts Professional Standards for Teachers required for licensure:
    • (1) Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an on-going basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.
    • (2) Teaching All Students standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
    • (3) Family and Community Engagement standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
    • (4) Professional Culture standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.
Elementary Education Requirements

Elementary Education Requirements

All candidates for educational licensure shall be required to pass the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL), which will assess communication and literacy skills; subject matter knowledge; and foundations of reading. The Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure is administered in the months of September, November, February, May, and July. The University will comply with state-mandated licensure requirements, which are subject to change.

COMMON CORE:

DOMAIN I-A:

  • Any Course in Domain I-A

DOMAIN I-B:

  • Any Course in Domain I-B

DOMAIN I-C:

  • Any Elementary or Intermediate Language Course

DOMAIN II-A:

DOMAIN II-B (2 courses required):

DOMAIN III-A:

DOMAIN III-B:

DOMAIN III-C:

All students pursing teacher licensure must take one course that includes study of both United States and Massachusetts constitutions. Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors meet this requirement through HSTY 111 United States History to Reconstruction. Secondary education minors may choose from among the following course:

Core Courses (9):

Choose 1 of the following (literature courses with emphasis on diverse authors):

Elementary Education Grades 1-6 Licensure Concentration (8)

Required Concentration Core (4):

The Practicum Semester (4 course credits):

Elementary Education Non-Licensure Concentration (7)

Required Concentration Core (3):

Concentration Electives (Choose 4):
Students may select four (4) of the following courses, at least two (2) of which must be at the 300-level or above. Students who are considering returning for the post-baccalaureate teacher licensure (PBTL) program after graduating should take all four of the 300-level EDUC courses with pre-practicum experiences in the list below.

 

Admission into Teacher Education and the Student Teaching Practicum

The Education Department is proud to continue Framingham State University’s long-established tradition of excellence in teacher preparation. Students seeking licensure in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, or Secondary Education are encouraged to pursue one of our programs below. Students who wish to become single content area teachers at the elementary level, such as in Spanish or mathematics, are encouraged to major in those subjects and consider pursuing educator licensure at the post-baccalaureate or graduate levels. The Department’s commitment has been stated as follows:

  • To encourage students in their continuing adult development toward becoming self-directing, professional persons.
  • To foster an enthusiasm for scholarly investigation and intellectual pursuit which will be reflected by students in professional field settings.
  • To assist students in broadening their communication skills in order to enhance both their personal and professional advancement.
  • To raise students’ social and cultural awareness through a professional program which reflects a philosophy of equal access to educational opportunity for all.
  • To help students gain an understanding of human behavior, especially that of children and young people, that will aid them in working effectively with a variety of life styles and modes of
  • learning.
These goals are consonant with the Standards established by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts as requisite for approval of programs to prepare candidates for licensure as teachers in this state and for reciprocal licensure through the Interstate Certification Compact. (See the Field Placement Handbook from the Educator Licensure and Placement Office for further information on teacher licensure standards.)

In accordance with the requirements for approval or accreditation established by the Commonwealth, the University’s Professional Standards Committee (PSC) applies specific criteria for the retention of candidates in teacher preparation to determine that they possess academic competencies and personal characteristics appropriate to the requirements of teaching. The PSC uses a number of criteria, both objective and subjective, for permitting students to progress through the teacher education programs.
The requirements for entering the pre-practicum sequence are as follows:
1.    An undergraduate student must be in good academic standing to be placed in a public school for a pre-practicum experience.
2.    A student on disciplinary or academic probation will not be placed.
The requirements for entering pre-practicum and practicum are as follows:
1.    A student on disciplinary or academic probation will not be placed.
2.    A student seeking early childhood or elementary licensure must be accepted to a licensure concentration within one of the majors in the Education Department. A student seeking secondary licensure must declare an education minor in his/her discipline.
3.    Effective Fall 2001, students must pass the “Communication and Literacy Skills” component of the Massachusetts Test for Educator Licensure (MTEL) prior to entering the methods course sequence (early childhood and elementary) or Secondary Methods (secondary).
4.    Students in early childhood, elementary, and secondary education must have a minimum GPA of 2.80 in all education courses (EDUC) and PSYC 200 Psychology of Development.
5.    Students in early childhood, elementary, and secondary education must maintain a minimum of 2.80 overall GPA at Framingham State University.
6.    Prior to beginning the practicum (early childhood, elementary, or secondary), all students must demonstrate competency in their subject matter field for licensure by achieving a passing score on the appropriate subject area subtest of the MTEL or an equivalent test. Early Childhood and Elementary Education students must also achieve a passing score on the Foundations of Reading test.
7.    To be recommended by the University for licensure, a student must have achieved an overall GPA of at least 2.80.
8.    Teacher candidates are required to complete all paperwork and security checks required by the school districts including, but not limited to, Criminal Offender Record Information (CORI), Sex Offender Registry Information (SORI), and fingerprinting prior to beginning the pre-practicum and practicum experiences. This process is completed through the designated school districts.
All students engaging in an experience requiring participation in the schools are required to be certified free from tuberculosis. This may be verified by proof of negative results of an intradermal tuberculin test. This information must be filed in the Educator Licensure and Placement Office, O’Connor Hall.
The general procedures are as follows:
1.    Each student pursuing teaching licensure, after satisfying general admission requirements of the University, be admitted to his or her respective program.
2.    Students must submit applications for pre-practicum placements for the following courses:
Elementary Education Major:

EDUC 301 Inclusive Practices for Students with Disabilities Grades PreK-6 with Pre-Practicum I
ELED 311 Teaching Mathematics 1-6 with Pre-Practicum I
ELED 322 The Child and Literacy 1-6 with Pre-Practicum II
EDUC 342 Sheltered English Immersion Grades PreK-6 with Pre-Practicum II
ELED 353 Teaching English Language Arts and Social Studies 1-6 with Pre-Practicum III
ELED 363 Teaching Science Grades 1-6 with Pre-Practicum III
ELED 440A Elementary Education Professional Practicum A (1 course-credit)
ELED 440B Elementary Education Professional Practicum B (2 course-credits)

 

EFFECTIVE AS OF THE 2023-2024 UNDERGRADUATE CATALOG

Meet Your Faculty

Photo of James Cressey, Ph.D.

James Cressey, Ph.D.

Professor, Education Department Chair, Education Department
508-626-4928
jcressey@framingham.edu
O'Connor Hall
Photo of Julie Zoino-Jeannetti, Ph.D.

Julie Zoino-Jeannetti, Ph.D.

Professor, Education Department
508 626 4594
jzoinojeannetti@framingham.edu
O'Connor Hall
Kelly Kolodny

Kelly Kolodny, Ph.D.

Professor, Coordinator of Core Education Courses, Education Department
(508) 626-4567
kkolodny@framingham.edu
O'Connor Hall
Photo of Susan Donnellan, Ed.D.

Susan Donnellan, Ed.D.

Associate Professor, Education Department
(508) 626-5124
sdonnellan@framingham.edu
O'Connor Hall 140
View All
Lauira Abreu

Laura Abreu ’24, Elementary Education Major

"Almost every teacher has students with special needs in their classroom and not every school has the resources to provide these students. Having that background will be really valuable."

Jesse Pozzi ’20, Elementary Education Major

At FSU I learned the essential skills for supporting a diverse population of students across grade levels and content areas and making sure each student's individualized needs are met.

Jesse Pozzi

Learn More or Apply

If you are interested in learning more about the Education Programs at FSU, contact Admissions at admissions [at] framingham.edu (admissions[at]framingham[dot]edu) or 508-626-4500.

 Apply 

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