Teaching Grades 1-5, A.S.T.

DEGREE: ASSOCIATE OF SCIENCE IN TEACHING
DIVISION: ARTS AND HUMANITIES

The Associate of Science in Teaching (A.S.T.) for Grades 1-5 is a transfer degree program that addresses the requirements of the new Baccalaureate of Science in Elementary Education offered by the public and private colleges of education in Louisiana. The mission of the A.S.T. program is to provide the highest quality foundational coursework specifically designed to produce teacher candidates for the state university and colleges of education who are effective communicators with knowledge, skills, and dispositions to meet the diverse education needs of Louisiana schools and their students. It is the design of the A.S.T. degree to be a viable pipeline to four year colleges of education which will add to the state pool of highly qualified teachers.

The Delgado program has additional admission criteria and admits students on a bi-annual basis, starting in the fall and spring semesters. Prospective students must contact the Office of Teacher Education at (504) 671-5441 to initiate the application procedure to the Associate of Science in Teaching program for Grades 1-5 after enrolling at the College. Students must have completed all but one developmental course by date of acceptance. All applications are reviewed and evaluated by the committee on admission to the A.S.T. program. The committee selects qualified individuals with potential for contributions to the profession. To be eligible to apply to the Associate of Science in Teaching program, students must meet the following criteria:

1. Possess a high school diploma or equivalent.
2. Earned a minimum cumulative GPA for any college coursework completed as follows:
   1. 2.0 GPA for 0-15 credit hours
   2. 2.20 GPA for 16-30 credit hours
   3. 2.50 GPA for 31-45 credit hours
3. Display desired disposition through an interview process.
4. Be cleared of any criminal activity as established through a criminal background check.

For successful completion of the program, students must achieve the following:

1. Possess a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 or higher
2. Pass PRAXIS I (PPST Pre-Professional Skills Test)
3. Successful completion of an exit interview that is collaboratively completed with the receiving institution entrance interview
4. Pass PRAXIS II Section 0014 (Elementary Education Content Knowledge)
5. Complete a reflective portfolio that consists of artifacts formulated within the A.S.T.  experience to be assessed and expanded by receiving four-year partnering colleges of education