The MAT in Middle Grades Education for Initial Certification leads to initial certification in Middle Grades Education (grades 5-9) for qualified individuals with bachelor's degrees and content majors (or equivalent for those who qualify for temporary provisional certification in approved areas). Course work and experiences in the program provide students who have a deep knowledge of their respective disciplines, but no background in professional education, with the pedagogical knowledge and skills to become highly qualified educators in their fields. Upon completion of the program, graduates will be professional educators who possess the dispositions and skills to apply state-of-the-art, evidence-based, best teaching practices to increase student achievement. There are three concentrations in this program: Alternate Route to Certification Concentration for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (EARC) Standard Concentration for English/Language Arts, Social Studies, Mathematics, and Science (ESTN) Residency Concentration for Science and Mathematics (ERSM) (e.g. GSKyTeach)<br><br>Students in all three concentrations are expected to become competent in theory, research, and application of best teaching practices in their respective fields and to exhibit appropriate teacher disposition behaviors as indicated by the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences Disposition Rating Form. All professional education courses in the program require satisfactory completion of critical performance indicators (CPIs), these must be submitted as directed before the final course grade is recorded. Each course's CPIs become a part of the student's portfolio that is reviewed periodically throughout the program. Students who seek admission to the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification must meet additional requirements in order to qualify for temporary provisional certification, and they must complete all requirements for certification within three years of the time of employment by a school district. A recommendation for professional certification will be contingent upon successful completion of the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program (KTIP) and submission of qualifying scores on all required examinations for the desired area of certification. Additional information about the Alternate Route to Teacher Certification concentrations may be found on the website for the Office of Professional Educator Services.