Applying to several online schools...

I am a full-time teacher, mom, daughter, etc., i.e., life is busy. I am considering going back to school to make myself more marketable to my current school and any future moves I might make. Right now, I believe my job is safe. I teach in a small charter school, primary grades.

My principal is looking to bulk up the schools reputation and wants us to have more endorsements and degrees (we only have three teachers & 50 students.) None of us have masters degrees. I don't have a education bachelors. I have a social work bachelors. I am finishing up my 2nd year of teaching.

I love to learn and was last in school in 2006. Never online though. My principal is suggesting a gifted masters because she is currently teaching this and would like someone else to get this endorsement or masters. The charter school I work for would not be paying for this though . I would be paying for this out of pocket. I would probably be eligible for a small increase in pay (but not enough to cover the costs of this degree).

I need suggestions for schools that offer the gifted masters or endorsement that would satisfy the FLDOE.

Also, I have not taken the GRE or GMAT and really do not want to if I do not have to. I have seen that some schools don't need them, and others that say if you have a 3.00 GPA they waive that requirement. I did take the MAT (millers) back in 1998 when I applied to grad school back in 1998, but I have no idea what I scored or if it is even valid anymore.

Can you help me find out if my GPA is considered to be above 3.00?

I have 180 quarter hours undergrad - graduating GPA 2.37 - GA State (95)
I have 21 credit semester hours graduate - 3.00 GPA - MPA program, did not graduate - Troy State (98)
I have 21 credit semester hours undergrad - 4.00 GPA - Educator Certification - Edison College.

I don't have the money to apply to different schools (app fees) as well as $$ to pay for the various transcripts to be sent out. I am willing to pay for the classes out of pocket for the Gifted MA (or...) at an affordable price anywhere (hopefully with costs close to Florida in-state tuition $265/hour or so). I would lprefer an online component from a B&M school, but I am willing to be flexible on that.

If the gifted MA is not a possibility, then I would like to pursue endorsement, certification or a masters to teach science or math in a K-12 setting (my school is going with departmentalization within the next year or so).

Also, what is the difference between an MS in Ed, an MA in Ed and a M.Ed? I already have a 5 year professional teaching certificate in K-6, 5-9 and ESE K-12 in Florida, so I do not need certification in those areas, just gifted ed and/or science and math if possible.

I see myself in the classroom for a while, not administration.

Anyone have any advice for me??

Sorry for writing a book!

 

Here's one

http://mudirect.missouri.edu/degprog/ed-gifted/index.shtm

Good luck.

 

I'm not sure if grad credits are weighted differently than undergrad credits. Assuming they're not, your GPA stands at 2.64 based on my calculations. You need 63 more credits with an A to get your GPA to 3.0.

I'd just take the GMAT or GRE.

 

Would it be possible to finish that Troy degree? It sounds like a few more credits would give you the M.A. Some schools waive the GRE for those who already have an advanced degree, regardless of the GPA.

 

Hmmm...

I thought (and have no idea why though...) that since it is has been 10 years, that they would no longer be valid, so I have not pursued this.

I will contact Troy to see what they say... and to check where they hold classes, online or not.

Thanks for helping me think another way...

 

Yikes, that does look pretty grim for me...

 

Thanks, this looks good (minus the GRE requirement that I want to avoid!)

 

Well, it may well be possible that you have become ineligible for that particular degree at Troy, but the credits should never expire.

If I remember correctly, Troy offers a bunch of good, affordable online programs. Not sure about your field though...

 

I'm not an educator but I suggest your best option is to continue with an MPA if you can locate a school that will take some of the credits you already have. Should you switch from education, MPA are useful in government jobs, not-for-profit organizations, and in business.

APU offers an MPA degree
http://www.apu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree-Programs/program.htm?progid=4635&program_type=Masters
APU will accepts 15 credits from another college

For education here are a couple of degrees:

APU has a M.Ed. in teaching-gifted education
http://www.apu.apus.edu/Academics/Degree-Programs/program.htm?progid=4753&program_type=Masters
One of the lower priced schools.
I do not believe a admissions test or a minimum GPA is needed - Contact them and discuss your needs. By all accounts APU is very student friendly (distance ed is all they do)


Here is a M.Ed. in middle grades math and science
http://www.valdosta.edu/distance/GOML/MGMS/index.shtml
Looks like tuition is medium priced. Does Florida have any tuition discount schemes with adjoining states?

 

Here is the web site for troy's on-ine MPA
http://www.troy.edu/ecampus/programs/mpa.htm

 

At more than ten years old your graduate hours would likely not be usable toward a masters degree. However, if you go to a non-charter school at some point in your future they will count as salary points on the pay scale. Thus, they are usefull.

As for your GPA, I wouldn't worry too much. You were much more successful in your graduate education (3.0 GPA). Furthermore, it has been quite a while since you were the undergraduate student that earned the 2.36 GPA. Much more recently you earned a 4.0 GPA in your teacher licensing program. Most schools will look at this and recognize that you have matured as a student. Many schools only look at the GPA for your last 60 units; or for your graduate work.

There are many choices in Florida for adding endorsements. However, you state that you have K-6, 5-9, and ESE endorsements. A reading endorsement would be K-12. However, the science and math endorsements would only apply to your 5-9 license. You didn't state what your 5-9 license is in; however, I will assume that it is integrated curriculum.

Reading
http://forpd.ucf.edu/endorsement/index.html

English as a Second Language
http://www.coedu.usf.edu/main/esol/ESOL_Endorsement_Online.html

Gifted Education
http://www.coedu.usf.edu/main/departments/sped/gifteded/index.htm

Outside of Florida you have more options. If you have an endorsement you can usually transfer it from one state to another without too much trouble.

Gifted Education
http://www.drake.edu/edex/offcampus/
http://ceao.murraystate.edu/onlinecourses/gt/page1.htm
http://www.unk.edu/academics/ecampus.aspx?id=6224

If you want a science or math endorsement then you will need science or math classes to meet the Florida requirements. The Florida requirements for endorsements are here

http://www.fldoe.org/edcert/subjlist.asp

For Science you need 18 credit hours covering Biology, Physical Sciences (Chemistry and Physics), and the Earth Sciences. One place to get these credits is Montana State University.
http://www.montana.edu/msse/distancesummer2009.html

For Mathematics you need 18 credit hours covering calculus, geometry, and statistics.

For both math and science the courses can be at the graduate or undergraduate level. I would suspect that you already have a few courses from your previous college experiences so you would not need to take all 18 credits for math or science.

As for the Masters degree. Do not worry too much about the name of the degree. MA, MS or MEd are all considered equivalent. All will promote you on a teacher salary scale. I would focus on finding a school that will allow you to fulfill the requirements for the endorsement you wish to achieve. Also, since you indicate that you wish to stay in teaching for a while. Your masters degree must be in-field to be considered for a pay raise at many Florida schools.

Look through this thread for a huge number of distance Masters degrees related to education.
http://degreeinfo.com/showthread.php?t=27725

 

The University of West Alabama

http://www.columbiasouthern.edu/UWA/programs/theprograms.asp

The cost of each graduate semester hour of credit is $345. (not the cheapest)

Temporary Status
Students who have a grade point average of 2.5, with a 385 or below on the MAT, or 799 or below on the GRE (Verbal and Quantitative) will not be admitted to regular graduate study, but may be granted temporary status. Temporary Status students are allowed to complete 9 to 12 hours of graduate work to attempt to achieve a grade point average of 3.0. If successful, regular admission to the graduate program may be granted and credits earned may apply toward a degree.

 

Thank you

I looked and looked and could not find this. Thanks so much for the link! I emailed Troy, they emailed me back and suggested that I apply, but I guess I will not find out what they would accept (as far as credits) until I paid that money.

The pricing is not too bad either at $350/credit--it could be worse.

 

Gonenomad,

Your post was so informative, the information is wonderful. Thank you so much for your response. USF's gifted MA looks great -- pricewise and it has a good reputation around here with a local campus. I will see if they think my GPA is high enough to get started. I have sent an inquiry before I spend the big bucks to find out!

Keep that information coming! Love it!

 

One more thought on admission to this program.

Don't be afraid of the GRE. It is a weird test to take. If you passed the Florida Teacher Certification Tests then you should be fine.

Also, it is not uncommon for schools to conditionally admit students to a program. This is usually done with students who do not meet all admission requirements. Often they will have a stipulation that states that you must complete 9 units with a 3.0 or better GPA.

Also, don't be afraid to contact professors in the program. This can also help with admission. You can often explain away an early low GPA by talking about how you have matured since your undergrad years etc... The more recent high GPA in your teacher licensing program is added evidence of this.

I have no doubt that if you really want into the program that you can get in.

Good luck and let us know when you get in.

 

Degree vs. Endorsements

As for the Masters degree. Do not worry too much about the name of the degree. MA, MS or MEd are all considered equivalent. All will promote you on a teacher salary scale. I would focus on finding a school that will allow you to fulfill the requirements for the endorsement you wish to achieve. Also, since you indicate that you wish to stay in teaching for a while. Your masters degree must be in-field to be considered for a pay raise at many Florida schools.

So if I could find one, probably my best option would be a M.Ed in Reading or Math or Science (which would also give me the classes that = FLDOE certification) with the 15 Gifted endorsement hours (also for FLDOE certification) all-wrapped together somehow... and do it in 30-36 credit hours!

I figure if I am taking all these classes to get the certification, a degree should come with it. Right??!?!

With departmentalization (switching classes/teachers), the principal wants us to pick either science, math or reading to teach. The principal is looking for us to get specialized in the area we would like to teach (even though no decision has been made as to who will be teaching the classes yet).

 

Those $4950 M.Ed. degrees....

Anyone had success OUT OF TEXAS getting into the Lamar or UT-Arlington $4950 flat fee M.Ed programs??

http://uta.academicpartnership.com/education.asp

http://www.academicpartnership.com/lamar/edu_tuition.asp

Thanks!

 

Absolutely. You should be able to use most or all of your classes towards a degree. For example, the Montana State MS Science Education degree has coursework in both science and math. Non-residents pay the same rate as residents for online and summer classes. Oh, and no GRE is required. You would certainly get all of the necessary Science credits for a science endorsement and most if not all of the credits for a math endorsement (it would depend on what level of math you currently have). I have taken a few classes online from Montana State and can happily recommend the program. They also offer summer on campus classes that are worth taking as well. The campus is beautiful in the summer.

 

Montana State

Montana looks good but I don't think it is totally online, and although I would love to go to Montana, who knows if I ever could! I read that it is 80% online.

Do you know anything about Drury? They offer a Math K-12 M.Ed online. The costs are good at $275 per hour and they take the MAT.

http://www.drury.edu/multinl/story.cfm?ID=13236&NLID=269

This one looks good if I want to get my masters, but will it get me math certified in Florida? It is geared towards Missouri teachers.

 

Chadron State

What about this program and school?

$210 per hour
MA.Ed in Mathematics
M.Ed in C & I (with various concentrations)
No GRE needed
All online

http://www.csc.edu/graduate/degree/sciencemath.csc

http://www.csc.edu/graduate/degree/currinst.csc