Kinesiology with Teacher Education Concentration (B.S.)

120 hours

Students successfully completing the Kinesiology – Teacher Education program at UNG will be recommended for a Georgia Teaching License in Health & Physical Education. This license will qualify the student to teach both health and physical education from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade. Before UNG can recommend a student for a teaching license, the student must provide evidence of a passing score on the GACE Content examination.

Accreditation

The Kinesiology - Teacher Education Program of the University of North Georgia has state program approval through the Georgia Professional Standards Commission and national accreditation through the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Preparation.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission into the Teacher Education program, a student must meet the admission criteria of the University of North Georgia (UNG) Teacher Education Program. 

• 2.75 cumulative grade point average
• a grade of “C” or better in BIOL 2251K
• a grade of “C” or better in BIOL 2252K
• a grade of “C” or better in KINS 3360
• a grade of “C” or better in EDUC 2110, EDUC 2120, and EDUC 2130 
• completion of the GACE Ethics Assessment for Educators
• submission of a formal application to the Kinesiology – Teacher Education program

Note: Student applicants should be aware that a cumulative 3.0 grade point average is required to graduate.

Retention in the Teacher Education Program

One important aspect of the Teacher Education program is the constant vigilance exercised by the faculty to ensure that standards of quality are maintained. The following minimum standards must be maintained to remain in the program:

1. compliance with rules and regulations prescribed for all students at UNG
2. adherence to the Code of Ethics of the Georgia Professional Standards Commission
3. a grade of “B” or better in KINS 3400 
4. a grade of “C” or better in all other courses in the academic major
5. satisfactory performance in all field experiences, including the ongoing demonstration of dispositions required of teachers as professionals

Students dismissed from the program are welcome to reapply in a future application cycle.

Technology

All Teacher Education candidates are required to successfully meet the state-mandated technology requirement. A candidate can satisfy this requirement by completing a technology-embedded teacher education program. All University of North Georgia teacher education programs are technology-embedded programs.

Field Experiences

In the Kinesiology – Teacher Education program, field experiences begin in the first semester at the elementary level, continue in the second semester at the middle and high school level, followed by a fully-immersed student teaching internship in the third semester.

The College of Education has contractual agreements with designated systems and schools for placement of Teacher Education students for field experiences and internships. Field placements are limited to those school sites. All public school field placements will be arranged through the College of Education Field Placement Coordinator.

Teacher Education students will not be placed for field experiences in a school which they attended within the last seven years or in which they have immediate family employed or enrolled.

Internship

The internship is that part of the pre-service education program in which the prospective teacher works full time in a cooperating school with an assigned teacher that mentors and supervises the student. The internship will take place during the last full year or the last entire semester of the program. During the internship, students are expected to assume all of the responsibilities of a classroom teacher. Additional coaching opportunities must be approved by the Kinesiology – Teacher Education program coordinator, along with completion of the Intern Coaching Contract.

The following are prerequisites for the Internship:

1. completion of all professional education courses and courses appropriate to the teaching field (exceptions must be approved by the academic advisor) with a grade of “B” or better in KINS 3400 and a “C” or better for all other program courses.
2. maintenance of a minimum grade point average of 2.75
3. satisfactory completion of all the previous semester’s field-experience assignments
4. attempting the appropriate GACE Content Assessments examination

For a complete listing of internship policies, see the Internship Handbook on the Teacher Education website.

Program Probation, Suspension, and Expulsion

Due to the highly sensitive nature of working with children and youth in public school settings, the following policy applies to the Teacher Education program: Any faculty member or administrator of UNG and/or the cooperating school system who has supervisory responsibility for the on-site university student may immediately remove the student from the school site if in that person’s professional judgment: 

1. the university student has acted in an inappropriate manner involving children, youth, staff, or parents, or 
2. if the student’s continued presence in the classroom is detrimental either to the intern or to the educational progress of the students in the classroom. 

The university student intern may also be removed, prior to the completion of her/his assignment in that school, should the university or personnel of the cooperating school judge that the university student does not adequately perform her/his assignments or conform adequately to the policies and procedures of the school. Removal from a school placement may result in a failing grade for the field experience and expulsion or suspension from the program. If a candidate breaches the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators, the infraction will be reported to the Georgia PSC.

Appeals

Students denied admission to or continuance in the Teacher Education program may appeal the decision to the College of Education’s Admission and Retention Committee. Appeals must be made in writing and should clearly state why an exception should be made. If the appeal is not granted by the committee and that decision is upheld by the dean, the student may appeal in writing to the Vice President for Academic Affairs or a designee, whose decision shall be final.