Elementary Education
Graduate College of Education
Dean: Dr. Cynthia Grutzik
Department of Elementary Education
Burk Hall, Room 179
Phone: (415) 338-1562
Chair: Mina Kim
Graduate Coordinators:
Elementary Education: Dr. Sisk-Hilton, Professor
Early Childhood Education: Dr. Henderson, Professor; Dr. Kim, Associate Professor; Dr. Meier, Professor
Reading & Literacy Added Authorization Certificate: Dr. Conrad, Assistant Professor
Mathematics Education: Dr. Zavala, Assistant Professor
Multiple Subject Credential, Bilingual Authorization: Dr. Arce, Professor
Program Scope
The programs are designed to deepen theoretical knowledge, to promote professional growth, and to enhance the competencies of elementary, middle and secondary school, and early childhood educators.
Program Aims
The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Early Childhood Education provides early childhood educators with advanced knowledge and training in research, theory, and practice for working with children and families in multicultural and multilingual early childhood settings. This degree provides infant, toddler, preschool, primary grade, community college educators, and early childhood administrators with the skills and knowledge for teaching and leadership positions in the field of early childhood education. Courses taken for the program can qualify for Teacher and Administrator levels of the California Child Development Matrix. Twelve units of the Multiple Subject Credential, ECE TK-5th Focus can be transferred to this MA program.
The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Elementary Education provides elementary school teachers with advanced knowledge of research, theory, and practice in the field of elementary education in general as well as in particular subject matter disciplines. This concentration is a continuation of the SF State Multiple Subjects Credential Program and is only open to students who have completed their credential within two years of applying to the M.A. Twelve units of the Multiple Subject Credential Program can be transferred to this MA program.
The Master of Arts in Education: Concentration in Mathematics Education provides elementary, middle school, high school teachers with advanced knowledge of research, theory, and practice in the teaching and learning of school mathematics and expands their knowledge of mathematics content. This program is run jointly with the secondary education department. Those holding a single subject mathematics credential should apply through the secondary department. Teachers holding Multiple Subject credentials will be eligible to apply for a supplementary authorization in mathematics for middle school teaching. This degree also prepares teachers to assume leadership roles in their schools and districts.
The Reading & Literacy Added Authorization Certificate: Admission to the Reading Certificate program requires that the candidate hold a valid elementary or secondary teaching credential, either (1) a teaching credential that requires a bachelor’s degree and a professional preparation program that includes student teaching, or (2) a clear, full-time designated subjects teaching credential, provided the holder also possesses a bachelor’s degree and has passed the CBEST. Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 semester units.
The applicant must verify three years of successful, full-time teaching experience in any grades or subjects, pre-school through adult at the time of program completion. Applicant must hold a California teaching credential. Out of state credentials must meet the requirements of the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. Reading Certificate (15 units).
General Requirements for Admissions
Written English Proficiency Requirement
Level One
Applicants to all concentration in elementary education will have their statement of purpose essays (submitted during the admission process) evaluated for writing proficiency. Details about this evaluation appear in each concentration description below.
Level Two
Level Two is satisfied by demonstration of English competency with satisfactory completion of E ED 895 or E ED 898.
Continuous Enrollment Requirement
Students admitted fall 2008 and beyond have the semester they enroll in the culminating experience and the following semester to complete their degree requirements. Those who need additional time must enroll in a zero-unit designated CEL course every subsequent semester until the culminating experience is completed.
For more information, please contact your department or the Graduate College of Education Credential and Graduate Services Center Office (Burk Hall 244).
Professor
JOSEPHINE ARCE (1998), Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1976), University of California, Santa Barbara; M.A. (1978), California State University, Los Angeles; Ed.D. (1997), University of San Francisco.
HOMAYOUN BORJIAN (2003), Professor of Elementary Education; B.S. (1985), California Polytechnic State University; M.A. (1996), Ph.D. (2001), Stanford University.
BARBARA HENDERSON (1998), Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1984), Haverford College; Ph.D. (1996), Stanford University.
DANIEL REED MEIER (1997), Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1982), Wesleyan University; M.A. (1984), Harvard University; Ph.D. (1994), University of California, Berkeley.
MARIA ISABEL QUITA (1999), Professor of Elementary Education; B.S. (1980), Philippine Normal University; M.Ed. (1991), University of the Philippines; Ph.D. (1997), University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.
STEPHANIE L. SISK-HILTON (2005), Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1993), The Johns Hopkins University; M.A. (1997), Stanford University; Ph.D. (2005) University of California, Berkeley.
Associate Professor
MINA KIM (2007), Associate Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1995), M.S. (1997), Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, Korea; Ph.D. (2005), Indiana University, Bloomington.
CHRISTY LAO (2001), Associate Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1986), Jinan University, China; M.S. (1990), Ph.D. (1993), University of Southern California.
Assistant Professor
MARGUERITE CONRAD (2001), Assistant Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1978), M.A. (1987), Ph.D. (1994), University of California, Berkeley.
BRADLEY FOGO (2016), Assistant Professor of Secondary Education, Assistant Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (1992), The University of Wisconsin, Madison; M.A. (1996), The University of Montana, Missoula; Ph.D. (2010), Stanford University.
MARIA DEL ROSARIO ZAVALA (2012), Assistant Professor of Elementary Education; B.A. (2002), University of California, Santa Cruz; Ph.D. (2012), University of Washington, Seattle.
E ED 250 Teaching and Learning Beyond the Classroom (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: GE Area A2 with a CR or C- or higher.
Course Attributes:
- D1: Social Sciences
E ED 306 Understanding and Supporting Families in ECE (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
E ED 333 Dynamic Educators for the 21st Century (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
E ED 450 Art and Learning (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
- E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
E ED 600 Advanced Issues in Child Development and Learning (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
E ED 602 Advanced Curriculum Study in Early Childhood Education (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
E ED 603 Promoting Young Children's Social and Emotional Development (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better; PSY 330; or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
E ED 604 Advanced Issues in Collaboration with Families and Communities in Early Childhood Education (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
E ED 607 Leadership and Administration in ECE (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
E ED 608 Supervised Fieldwork: Preschool Curriculum Development (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: E ED 602 and E ED 610 (may be taken concurrently).
E ED 610 Classroom Assessment and Evaluation for Young Children (Units: 3)
Observation and assessment of children's behavior and development in diverse early childhood settings and communities. Informal observational techniques and the role of assessment in curriculum planning. Thirty hours of classroom observation and participation per semester is required when a student is enrolled in one or more undergraduate ECE courses. (Plus-minus letter grade only)E ED 611 Advanced Issues in Infant-Toddler Education and Care (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
E ED 613 Integrated Arts Curricula in Early Childhood Education (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
- Social Justice
E ED 614 Science, Math, and Technology Curricular in ECE (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
Course Attributes:
- Social Justice
- E1 LLD Pre-Fall 2019
- Environmental Sustainability
E ED 615 Environmental Education in Early Childhood Education (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
- Environmental Sustainability
E ED 616 Language and Literacy in Multilingual Early Childhood Education Settings (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- Global Perspectives
- Social Justice
- Am. Ethnic & Racial Minorities
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
E ED 619 Children's Play: Theory and Practice (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
E ED 639 Bilingual Education in the U.S.: A History of Struggle, Resistance, and Achievement (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- UD-D: Social Sciences
E ED 642 Content Knowledge and Teaching Practices: Elementary School (Units: 1-3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.
E ED 645 Directed Experiences with Children (Units: 1-3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor. Registration by recommendation of adviser and consent of the instructor.
E ED 655 Hands-on Undergraduate Science Education Experience (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Restricted to upper-division standing.
E ED 668 Multicultural Education and Social Justice for Young Children (Units: 3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing.
E ED 681 Teaching Language and Literature with Elementary and Middle School Students (Units: 3)
Prerequisites: GE Areas A1*, A2*, A3*, and B4* all with grades of C- or better or consent of the instructor.
Course Attributes:
- UD-C: Arts and/or Humanities
E ED 687 Seminar: Field Experience (Units: 2-3)
Prerequisite: Multiple Subject Credential students.
E ED 699 Independent Study (Units: 1-3)
Prerequisite: Upper-division standing or consent of the instructor.