I need help with all of this!

[caitlinsmom]

Hello all. I am a total newbie to this forum and to the testing out way of thinking! I am in need of some help as everything I have read this week is as clear as mud!

My husband is going for his BA in English with the goal to teach middle school English. Right now he has 44 transferable credits from a community college. We want to fast track him through school.

Can anyone give me some guideance? Looking at the big 3 schools it looks like the only one with an English degree is TESC, am I right? Is this one of the degrees that he can test completely out of? Is it better to start taking all the tests and then apply to the school or should he apply and then start testing?

If I give a run down of his credits already earned could someone give me a sample of what he would still need?

Credits earned so far:
Fundementals of Communication (3)
Criminal Evidence Law (3)
Administration of Justice (2)
Police Procedures (2)
Fit for Duty (3)
Foundations of Education (3)
Educational Field Experiance (1)
English 101 (3)
Health and Wellness (3)
English 102 (3)
Intro to Literature (3)
Music Appreciation (3)
Families, Communites, and Culture *
US History 1 *
Intro to Humanities *
Ethics *

* Classes he is currently enrolled in this semester.

He was a criminal justice major (if you couldn't tell!) prior to changing his major to English Education. Does anyone know if the criminal justice courses will count as social sciences and then fullfill the free electives?

Would taking the GRE be a good way to get all of his English Elective credits or would CLEP and other tests be a better way?

Sorry this post is crazy and all over the place, my mind is fried on all this information!!

Thanks- Kim

[marianne202]

Welcome Kim! Just thinking out loud here! What about doing a BA in liberal studies then do a minor in two areas such as English and some other area such as criminal justice so he would have two areas of focus then he could add on some more exams / courses to increase his number of hours to the 24-32 that some schools require to teach. This would be a faster way to get his degree and use his existing credits, would open him up to more school options and also give him more teaching options. I would recommend that he checks the requirements with the school district he wants to teach with to see their degree requirements. He may also want to check into lateral entry options within the school district where he can enter with any degree then have a set year or two to get his specialized teaching degree. Another option to think about. I think in this day and age maximizing your options is a good idea. I know a liberal studies degree would be faster and allow him to use more of his exisiting credits. Also if he has a minor in criminal justice he could be able to teach at the tech school or community college level for another option or part time work. Just an idea. Good luck!

[MaieJaie]

Looking at the big 3 schools it looks like the only one with an English degree is TESC, am I right?

No, that's not entirely correct. Excelsior offers a major in Literature in English. Charter Oak offers a concentration in Literature, and another in Applied Arts with an Emphasis in Creative Writing. Furthermore, Charter Oak allows self-designed concentrations.

In fact, it's most likely going to be less expensive to get the English degree from EC or COSC than TESC, due to the option to use the GRE Subject Test in Literature for credit. TESC does not presently award credit for the GRE Subject Tests. COSC offers 18 credits for scoring at or above the 40th percentile. EC prorates the number of credits to the percentile achieved: the 35th percentile earns 3 credits, the 40th earns 6 credits, and so forth up to the 80th percentile which earns 30 credits.

Some other options for earning English credits by exam are CLEP exams, Dantes' Technical Writing exam, Ohio U exams, and EC's American Dream exam.

You may want to check with the requirements for certification in your area to ensure that the credits will count toward teacher certification.

[adamd13]

Check out Fort Hays State University. Its really affordable compared to the big 3, Online tuition is $164 a credit hour. I know they offer your degree. You can transfer 30 Clep/Dantes credits and only need to take 30 credits there.

[caitlinsmom]

A question about transcripts....

How are subjects listed that were passed with CLEP or other testing? Is it just a pass/fail listing or does it specifically say CLEP?

[barcotta]

I sent you a private message.

[frankiebleyes]

Though I am not in love with Western Governor's University, they do have a good track record for teaching B.S. They also have special teaching grants available. It might be worth looking into for your husband.

[caitlinsmom]

Though I am not in love with Western Governor's University, they do have a good track record for teaching B.S. They also have special teaching grants available. It might be worth looking into for your husband.

We have looked into Western Governor's and it is up for consideration. However I don't think it will save him all that much time in the long run. We went over everything this weekend and are leaning toward the History degree at TESC. As someone else said, the English was going to take quite a while and we still have the issue of not having access to the courses needed to complete it.

I talked with a teacher friend of our who actually tested out of quite a few of her required classes. She had no problem finding a job as the schools were more concerned with certification than degree. So that was great news for us!

I have put together a list of classes and tests that he would need to take to complete the history. I will post it as soon as I am finished and would appreciate any feedback on it.

[NAP]

A question about transcripts....

How are subjects listed that were passed with CLEP or other testing? Is it just a pass/fail listing or does it specifically say CLEP?

Yes, the transcript will show the name of the exam (such as CLEP), the exam subject, the score, and pass.

Barcotta - I don't think I have thanked you yet for posting your transcript and diploma. I have printed your diploma and put it as the first page in my notebook. It has been very inspirational to me! Thank you so much!