Bachelor of Science

Middle Grades Mathematics Education (Grades 5-9) Program

USF Bachelor of Science in Mathematics Education with a concentration in Middle Grades Mathematics

Bachelors in Mathematics Education with Middle School Mathematics Concentration


Program Overview

USF's undergraduate program in middle grades mathematics is part of the STEM Middle School Residency Program at USF. This is a joint program between the College of Education and the College of Arts and Sciences in partnership with Hillsborough County Public Schools, and was supported by a multi-million dollar grant provided by the Helios Education Foundation.

This is a cohort-style program with extensive teaching experiences in Hillsborough County Public Schools. USF students in this program engage in more than 1,200 hours of clinical experiences in three Hillsborough County middle schools throughout this two-year full-time undergraduate program (a part-time option is also available). This includes two semester-long practica experiences and a yearlong internship. A co-plan and co-teach model is used in the clinical aspect of this program so students work side-by-side with Hillsborough County’s highly-qualified middle school teachers while in the field.

Upon successful completion of this state-approved, accredited educator preparation program, students are eligible for certification from the Florida Department of Education in mathematics (grades 5-9).


Points of Pride

  • Program graduates have been the recipients of several professional awards, including the State of Florida High Impact Award, Teacher of the Month Award, Internationally Minded Teacher of the Month Award, Rookie of the Year Award, and Teacher of the Year Award.
  • Program graduates serve in a variety of leadership capacities in their schools, such as: department chair, subject area leader, SACS chair, professional learning community leader, and extracurricular sponsors. Many graduates serve as school-based teacher educators in the program, serving as mentors in the clinical experience aspect of the program to help prepare the next generation of middle school STEM teachers. 
  • This program was featured on PBS's WEDU Quest Program.
  • This program is a recipient of USF’s 2019-2020 Student Success Award for Academic Excellence.

Research and Publications

Many of our students and school-based teacher educators have presented alongside USF faculty at national conferences and even co-authored articles. As of Fall 2020, seven articles and book chapters have been published on aspects of this program and 25 national presentations presented.

Publications

* Asterisk indicates manuscripts where co-authors are graduate students

** Asterisk indicates manuscripts where co-authors are undergraduate students

Ellerbrock, C. R. (2020). Obstacles and opportunities to developing and sustaining a clinically rich STEM middle school residency program. Middle School Journal, 51(5), 19-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/00940771.2020.1814625

*Sarnoff, K., & Ellerbrock, C. R.  (2020). Stronger together: A collaborative triad approach to middle school STEM teacher preparation. School-University Partnerships, 13(1), 48-53

Ellerbrock, C. R., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., *Sarnoff, K., *Jones, B., & **Thomas, M. (2019). Collaborating to “Grow Our Own”: The Helios STEM middle school residency program. The Clearing House, 92(4-5), 119-124. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2019.1614516

Thomas, S. W., Campbell, S. W., Subramanyam, M. D., & Ellerbrock, C. R. (2019). Contemporary STEM issues: Engineering training of pre-service teachers for middle school STEM curriculum development. Proceedings of the ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, 1-10.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., & Duran, J. (2018). Working Together: Preparing the next generation of highly qualified middle school STEM teachers. The Clearing House, 91(3), 124-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/00098655.2018.1428458

Ellerbrock, C. R., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2019). A Framework for responsive middle level mathematics teaching. In K. M. Brinegar, L. M. Harrison, & E. Hurd Eds.), The handbook of research in middle level education: Equity and cultural responsiveness in the middle grades (pp. 45-68). Information Age Publishing.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Kersaint, G., Smith, J. J., & Kaskeski, R. (2016). Transforming teacher preparation for the transition years: A partnership-based STEM residency program. In P. B. Howell, J. Carpenter, & J. Jones (Eds.), Clinical preparation at the middle level: Practices and possibilities (pp. 33-58). Information Age Publishing.

National Presentations

Ellerbrock C. R. (2020, October). Supporting teacher education training through coplanning and coteaching in the field. Roundtable presentation presented at the Middle Level Education Research SIG Roundtable session at the 2020 annual virtual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education.

Ellerbrock, C. R. & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2019, November). Middle level teacher education training through co-teaching in the field: A self-study. Roundtable presentation presented at the NAPOMLE Best Practice session at the 2019 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Nashville, TN.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Sarnoff, K., Cannon, M., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2019,
November). Striving to become a responsive middle level mathematics teacher. Roundtable presentation presented at the Middle Level Education Research SIG Roundtable session at the 2019 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Nashville, TN.

Thomas, S., Campbell, S., & Ellerbrock, C. R. (2019, June). Contemporary STEM issues: Engineering training of pre-service teachers for middle school STEM curriculum development. Paper presented at the annual American Society for Engineering Education Conference, Tampa, Florida.

Sarnoff, K., Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., & Cannon, M. (2019, April). “It’s good teaching”: A novice teacher’s conceptualization and enactment of responsive middle level mathematics teaching. Paper presented at the 2019 annual meeting of American Educational Research Association, Toronto, Canada.

Ellerbrock, C. R., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2018, October). A framework for responsive middle level mathematics teaching. Roundtable presentation presented at AMLE’s Professional Preparation Advisory Committee session at the 2018 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Orlando, FL.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., Sarnoff, K., & Cannon, M. (2018, October). Enacting responsive middle level mathematics teaching in the middle school classroom. Roundtable presentation presented at to NAPOMLE Best Practice session at the 2018 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Orlando, FL.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, Sarnoff, K., Cannon, M., & Jones, B. (2018, October). Responsive Middle Level Mathematics Teaching: A Framework for Mathematics Teaching at the Middle Level. Roundtable presentation presented at the Middle Level Education Research SIG Roundtable session at the 2018 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Orlando, FL.

Ellerbrock, C. R., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2018, April). A framework for responsive middle level mathematics teaching. Paper presented at the 2018 annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, New York City, NY.

Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. & Ellerbrock, C. R. (2018, April). A framework for Responsive middle level mathematics teaching. Poster session presented at the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) 2018 Research Conference, Washington, DC.

Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., & Ellerbrock, C. R. (2018, February). Responsive middle level mathematics teaching: Converging developmentalism and cultural responsiveness in middle level mathematics. Poster session presented at the 2018 Association of Mathematics Teacher Educators Conference in Houston, TX.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., Duran, J., Gant, S., & Cruz, C. (2017, November). Welcome to the real world: Opening preservice teachers eyes to the reality of teacher evaluation. Concurrent session presented at the Symposium on Middle Level Teacher Education at the 2017 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Philadelphia, PA.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Duran, J., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2017, November). Co-planning and co-teaching in the field: A self-study of three teacher educators’ experiences. Roundtable presentation presented at to NAPOMLE Best Practice Session at the 2017 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Philadelphia, PA.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E., Duran, J., Hange, D., Schepisi, V., Pedraza, U., Gant, S., & Cruz, C. (2017, November). Mentoring the next generation of middle school teachers: Preservice and first year teachers tell all. Roundtable presentation presented at the 2017 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Philadelphia, PA.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Duran, J., & Vomvoridi-Ivanovic, E. (2017). Co- planning and co-teaching in the field: Practicing what we preach in a clinically-rich undergraduate STEM middle school program. Roundtable presentation presented at the annual National Association of Professional Development Schools Conference, Washington, DC.

Duran, M., Watson-Canning, A., Shashack, K., Sutton, E., Tubbs, T. (2017). Lessons learned in the field: Engaging in meaningful triad experiences in early field experiences. Roundtable presentation presented at the annual National Association of Professional Development Schools Conference, Washington, DC.

Duran, M., Freeland, J., Schepisi, V., & Cerrato Fisher, E. (2017). You’re evaluating us how?: Using a district’s evaluation tool in a yearlong clinically-rich undergraduate STEM middle school residency program. Roundtable presentation presented at the annual National Association of Professional Development Schools Conference, Washington, D.C.

Ellerbrock, C. R., & Plank, L. (2016, October). Preparing the next generation of STEM educators through an urban middle school residency program. Presentation presented at the Council of Great City Schools, Miami, FL.

Ellerbrock, C.R., Hange, D., Morris, M., Pedraza, U., Schepisi, V., & Woodard, M. (2016, October). Pre-service and in-service teachers speak out: The importance of clinically-rich STEM middle level teacher preparation. Roundtable presented at to NAPOMLE Best Practice Session at the 2016 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Austin, TX.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Hange, D., Morris, M., Pedraza, U., Schepisi, V., & Woodard, M. (2016, October). Obstacles and opportunities: Creating and keeping a clinically-rich STEM middle level residency program. Roundtable presented at the Symposium on Middle Level Teacher Education at the 2016 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Austin, TX.

Nation, M., Washington, J., & Woodard, M. (2016, March). Examining beliefs about how students learn science and instructional practices among a triad. Paper presented at the National Association for Professional Development Schools, Washington, D.C.

Elrod, M., Stevenson, A., Norlin, E., Daerr, D., & Duran, M. (2016, March). Expanding the triad: A case of two collaborating teachers in a middle school partnership. Presentation presented at the National Association for Professional Development Schools, Washington, D.C.

Nation M.T. (2016, March). Examining Beliefs about how students learn Science and instructional practices among a triad. Paper presented at the National Association for Professional Development Schools, Washington, D.C.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Kersaint, G., & Loyden, A. (2013, November). Producing quality Title 1 middle school mathematics and science pre-service teachers: The University of South Florida’s STEM residency-based middle grades teacher preparation program. Concurrent session presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education, Minneapolis, MN.

Ellerbrock, C. R., Kersaint, G., & Loyden, A. (2013, November). Preparing effective educators for Title 1 middle schools: University of South Florida’s STEM middle school residency program. Roundtable session presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the Association for Middle Level Education’s Symposium on Excellence in Middle Level Teacher Preparation, Minneapolis, MN.

The STEM Middle School Residency Program (middle grades mathematics education 5-9) is making a difference in the lives of our USF students, school-based teacher educators in Hillsborough County Public Schools, USF faculty, and the students we do everything for —the young adolescents of Tampa Bay and beyond.


Program Admissions

We welcome you to come join us and begin your journey to becoming an exemplary middle grades STEM educator!

For more information, please visit the USF Catalog.

USF Catalog


Helios STEM Middle School Residency Program Newsletter

Read the latest newsletter for the Helios STEM Middle School Residency Program.

Fall 2020 Newsletter


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Thank you for your interest in USF’s bachelor's degree in Mathematics Education! For more information about our program, please contact an academic advisor.

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