Bachelor of Science in Education: Elementary Education P-5

On this page:

• Why Choose Elementary Education P-5?
• Careers
• Real-World Experience
• Success Stories
• Academics and Curriculum
• Admission
• Licensure

Why Choose Elementary Education P–5?

The elementary education P-5 program leads to the Bachelor of Science in Education degree with licensure. You can complete general education and content courses during your first and second years and begin the elementary education program in the spring of your third year as a member of a cohort group. The cohort portion of the program consists of two semesters of integrated coursework and a year-long student teaching placement. Recommendation for licensure requires successful completion of the program and passing scores on required licensure examinations.  

Upon successful completion of the licensure portion of the program and passing the appropriate licensure exams, you are eligible for an Ohio resident educator license Primary Education P-5. Please consult with an advisor for current licensure test information.  

Specific courses have been included to ensure you will develop theoretical and practical knowledge in humanities, mathematics and technology, social sciences, biological and physical sciences, the arts, and personal health and fitness. Courses that incorporate multicultural and global perspectives are also included in the general education requirements. If you pursue a teacher licensure program, you are required to complete the Ohio Department of Education prescribed exams for your intended area of licensure.   

Wright State University’s programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, fully approved by the Ohio Department of Higher Education, and meet the requirements for the Ohio Department of Education 4 Year Resident Educator teaching license. Licensure and certification requirements vary from state to state, and we have not determined if this program meets educational requirements outside of Ohio.  If you are planning to pursue professional licensure or certification in a state other than Ohio, please contact the appropriate licensing entity in that state to seek information and guidance regarding that state’s licensure or certification requirements. You will benefit from relevant and up-to-date training, such as Youth Mental Health First Aid Training and other professional development opportunities in accordance with Ohio’s Strategic Plan for Education focused on the whole child. 

Program Highlights

• Early and frequent field experiences provide learning and networking opportunities for you in preschool to grade 5 classrooms. 
• Cohort model allows students to move through the program as a group and take the same courses together. This creates more connection and support among peers. 
• Based on feedback from employers, Wright State prepares you especially well to collaborate effectively with other teachers, administrators, and staff. 
• Over the past five years, 97 percent of Wright State program completers passed the state’s licensure examinations. 
• Teachers prepared at Wright State consistently perform above the state average on the Ohio Teacher Evaluation System (OTES). 

Contact Information

David Herick, M.Ed. (EED Director)
482 Millett Hall
937-775-2963
david.herick@wright.edu

For general questions, admission information, licensure information, and transcript evaluation contact an academic advisor in the CHEH Academic Advising Office.  

Careers

Demand for teachers is high, with many parts of the state and nation currently unable to hire as many teachers as they need. Areas with the highest need include special education (intervention specialist), math, science, world language, and teaching English as a second language (TESOL). Hiring for teachers is projected to grow 5 percent from 2018 to 2028, about as fast as the average for all occupations. About 512,900 new teaching jobs are projected to be added from 2018 to 2028 (bls.gov). 

Teaching is unique in that it provides you an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of students, carry out your passion for your content area, and advocate for issues related to education. There are also plenty of opportunities to move up and through the education field, including becoming a lead teacher, administrator, school counselor, or further your specialties through endorsements and certificates. You may take an opportunity to move your career to advocacy, government agencies, or higher education.  

• The median annual wage for education occupations was $49,700 in May 2018 (bls.gov). 
• 92 percent of our 2018-2019 early childhood/elementary graduates were employed in Ohio within a year of graduation (ODJFS Data Match, 2019). 
• Top employers include Fairborn, Dayton, Beavercreek, Kettering, Trotwood-Madison, Huber Heights, Springfield, Mad River, Miamisburg, Sugarcreek, Troy, and Wilmington City Schools as well as National Heritage Academies (ODJFS Data Match, 2019). 
• Visit our Educator Quality Data page for additional details on employment and salary. 

The College of Health, Education, and Human Services has provided a dedicated career consultant to assist you in connecting your major to a career. The career consultant focuses on staying up to date on career trends in education, kinesiology and health, leadership, and human services. Our assigned career consultant is an extension of services offered through Wright State’s Career Services. 

View the elementary education P-5 program profile for sample occupations, average salary, and employment projections.  

Real-World Experience

You will enjoy extensive real-life experience and practice in P-12 schools because it is at the heart of Wright State’s teacher preparation programs.  As an education major, you will benefit from the highest quality instruction interwoven with clinical practice throughout your program. Working in close partnership with nine local school districts and many other schools in the region, our programs provide you with the following advantages:   

• Early in your program, you will have the opportunity to begin serving in schools through ED 2100 Education in a Democracy, a designated service-learning course. 
• You will be in the schools early and often, including at least four semesters in which you are in the field. 
• You will spend more hours on the ground in schools practicing and refining your skills than in nearly any other program in the state. Although the state only requires 100 hours prior to student teaching, Wright State’s elementary education program requires 685 hours.  
• All of your field experiences will be supervised by clinical faculty (trained former teachers, principals, and curriculum directors) who will provide quality, constructive feedback to improve your readiness to teach.  
• In addition to your regular field experiences, you will have one or more education courses (e.g. classroom management, science methods, etc.) in which your professor will deliver portions of your university class on-site at a local school district to enrich your experience and bridge the gap from theory to practice. 
• Your experience will culminate in a year-long student teaching internship where you will start and end the year with the same mentor teacher and classroom.   
• Our Office of Partnerships and Field Experiences works to place our candidates in a variety of school settings (urban, rural, suburban) to allow for varying experiences. 

Success Stories

Academics and Curriculum

View the Bachelor of Science in Education in Elementary Education P-5 program information, degree requirements, and graduation planning strategy in the Academic Catalog.

Elementary Education GPS (PDF)

Admission

Licensure Exams  

EED candidates are required to pass specific Ohio Assessments for Educators (OAE) tests before they are allowed to begin their student teaching experience. Information on the tests and preparation materials can be found on the OAE website.