Teacher Education

• FACULTY
• MISSION
• ACCREDITATION
• LEARNING AIMS
• MAJOR IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION
• MINOR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION
• MINOR IN SECONDARY EDUCATION
• COMBINED B.A./B.S.-M.A.T. PROGRAM
• COURSE DESCRIPTIONS

FACULTY

Dean: Joshua S. Smith

Chair: Wendy M. Smith, Associate Professor

Internship Coordinators, Professional Development Schools: Deborah Anthony; Kathleen Sears; Stacy A. Williams; James Wolgamott

Secondary Minors Advisor: Kathleen Sears

Special Education Minors Advisor: Elana E. Rock

Professors: Victor R. Delclos; L. Mickey Fenzel; Peter C. Murrell, Jr.; Beatrice E. Sarlos (emerita)

Associate Professors: Marie Celeste; Stephanie A. Flores-Koulish; David Marcovitz; Cheryl Moore-Thomas; Elana E. Rock; Wendy M. Smith

Assistant Professors: Catherine Castellan; Jennifer Gallo-Fox; Afra A. Hersi; Mark A. Lewis; Allan J. Olchowski; Robert W. Simmons III

Instructors: Deborah Anthony; Kathleen Nawrocki; Dana M. Reinhardt; Kathleen A. Sears; Stacy A. Williams; James R. Wolgamott

Clinical Faculty: Monica Phelps; Cathy A. Rosensteel

Affiliate Faculty: Maryanne Ralls

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The Reverend Peter-Hans Kolvenbach, S.J., former Superior General of the Society of Jesus, has described the goal of Jesuit education with the following words: "We aim to form...men and women of competence, conscience, and compassionate commitment." In recognition of its connection to the Jesuit mission of the Loyola community, the School of Education has adopted the three words, Competence, Conscience, Compassion as the foundation for its conceptual framework.

MISSION

Within the Jesuit traditions of intellectual excellence, social justice, ethical responsibility, and cura personalis, the School of Education promotes leadership and scholarship in the development of teachers, counselors, administrators, and other educators.

Elementary education majors are prepared for teaching through a program which blends theory with practice. Through field experiences and service-learning courses, education majors obtain experience working with diverse children in urban and suburban school settings. Majors are placed in a school setting every semester throughout the program of study. The program has been nationally recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International and approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (Elementary Education, Grades 1-6) in partnership with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and includes the Maryland approved reading courses. Students completing the program satisfy course requirements for certification in the state of Maryland and are eligible for certification in all 50 states and in all U.S. territories through the interstate reciprocity agreement.

To enable education majors to respond to the needs of exceptional children within a school environment, courses in special education are required for all majors. Education majors seeking additional study in this area may choose to minor in special education; however, Maryland certification requirements for special education are not completely met by this minor. A fifth-year program is available for individuals who wish to earn certification in special education along with a master's degree. Loyola University's special education master's degree programs have been approved by the Council for Exceptional Children, the Maryland State Department of Education, and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

A Minor in Secondary Education allows students from other disciplines to complete degree requirements for their major while taking the education courses required for certification. The minor offers secondary education certification programs in art, biology, chemistry, earth/space science, English, French, mathematics, music, physics, social studies, and Spanish. A fifth-year program exists for students who wish to be certified in secondary education through the Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.). Students submit the application by February 1 of their junior year and take three graduate-level courses in their senior year. These programs have been approved by nationally recognized specialty organizations and the Maryland State Department of Education (Secondary Education, Grades 7-12), in partnership with the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), and they include the Maryland approved reading courses.

Consistent with Loyola's emphasis on high quality teacher preparation, elementary education majors and students who choose to complete a secondary education minor are required to: maintain a 2.500 overall average in order to remain in good standing and be eligible for Internship I; complete all required education coursework, including field experience; and achieve a score that meets or exceeds the Maryland composite cutoff on the reading, writing, and mathematics portions of the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Tests prior to beginning the internship. (Students who intend to teach in Maryland may substitute qualifying scores on the SAT or ACT for Praxis I scores; contact the department for more information.) In order to complete the requirements for graduation, elementary education majors are required to take the Praxis II content and pedagogy tests in elementary education. Similarly, secondary education minors need to complete the Praxis II content and pedagogy tests in the area.

Beginning Fall 2012, all new students are required to purchase and use LiveText. LiveText is a web-based software application used by the School of Education for key assignment submission, artifact collection, accreditation standard integration, and student assessment in initial licensure and advanced programs. All students in an initial licensure or advanced program are required to purchase the Standard LiveText Student Membership; LiveText accounts can be purchased at the Loyola bookstore or online (www.livetext.com). In addition, all current students taking a course that requires a LiveText assignment must purchase a membership. Using LiveText software in conjunction with Loyola’s NCATE-approved, standard-based program allows students to easily align all work with the latest state and federal standards for teacher education programs. They can also easily show proof that they have completed requirements for certification. LiveText allows students to showcase their work (worksheets, lesson plans, and other artifacts) at their own discretion to future employers and others. In addition, this software provides powerful tools for creating lesson and unit plans, including built-in standards, resources, and templates.

Many of the department’s field, service-learning, practicum, and internship sites now require students placed in their facilities to undergo fingerprinting, drug testing, and a criminal background check before they are allowed to begin their fieldwork. The department will assist students in meeting these requirements before they begin their field placements. Any student not cleared by this process will not be eligible to complete a certification program.

Education students must meet the knowledge, skills, and disposition standards as set forth by the School of Education's national accrediting body. Students who fail to meet these standards in the area of dispositions will have a Professional Assessment Form filed with the department chair by a Loyola faculty member. The resulting Professional Assessment Review may result in removal from the program and/or internship for the protection of both the Loyola student and the K-12 students. Complete details of this procedure are available in the student handbook.

During the spring of the senior year, elementary education majors who are not eligible for Internship II register for the 12-credit, Noncertification Option, consisting of one departmental elective and three free electives (chosen in conjunction with the advisor). The requirement to take ED 446 is waived for these students; this requirement is replaced with one additional free elective. All other requirements for the major must also be met. Students who complete this option do not complete the Maryland-approved program and cannot be recommended for certification.

Students completing either a Major in Elementary Education or a Minor in Secondary Education complete an internship in a Professional Development School (PDS). The PDS is a collaborative effort between the local schools and Loyola's School of Education.

ACCREDITATION

The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC, 20036; phone: 202-466-7496. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel.

LEARNING AIMS

• The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
• The teacher understands how children learn and develop and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social, and personal development.
• The teacher understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
• The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills.
• The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
• The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
• The teacher plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, students, the community, and curriculum goals.
• The teacher understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual and social development of the learner.
• The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
• The teacher fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.

MAJOR IN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

Bachelor of Arts

Requirements for a major and an example of a typical program of courses are as follows:

Freshman Year

Fall Term

Spring Term

Sophomore Year

Fall Term

Spring Term

Junior Year

Fall Term

Spring Term

Senior Year

Fall Term

Spring Term

1. Students may take HS340, HS341, HS345, HS346, HS350, HS351, HS352, HS358, HS360, HS366, or HS367 to satisfy the second history core requirement. Honors students must take a 400-level American history course.
2. Students must complete the diversity requirement through a designated diversity core, major, or elective course (see Diversity Requirement under Curriculum and Policies).

MINOR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

The School of Education offers a Minor in Special Education which provides students with a basic understanding of special education law, the needs of diverse learners, and assessment and instructional strategies to support access to the general education curriculum for children with special needs. For elementary education majors, the Minor in Special Education requires only three additional courses. The Minor in Special Education is available to students in all majors. It includes five courses and a service-learning experience:

• ED421 Comprehensive Classroom Management*
• ED438 Field Experience: Special Education (Elementary Level) or
• ED439 Field Experience: Special Education (Secondary Level)
• SE482 Assessment and Instructional Planning for Special Education
• SE483 Collaboration and Consultation for Students with Special Needs
• SE495 Improving Access to the General Curriculum for All Learners
• SE496 Introduction to Special Education*

Elementary education majors who complete the Minor in Special Education may be eligible to apply to Loyola's one-year, full-time graduate program leading to a master's degree and eligibility for certification in special education at the early childhood (birth to age 8) or elementary/middle (grades 1-8) or secondary (grades 6-12) level.

* Taken as part of elementary education major.

MINOR IN SECONDARY EDUCATION

The School of Education offers students majoring in certain academic disciplines the opportunity to undertake the coursework needed to become certified to teach on the secondary level in Maryland. The Minor in Secondary Education requires the following coursework, regardless of major:

• ED205 Educational Psychology
• ED429 Secondary Methods of Teaching
• ED432 Internship I and Seminar (Secondary/Middle)
• ED439 Field Experience: Special Education (Secondary Level)
• RE474 Teaching Reading in the Content Area I
• RE475 Teaching Reading in the Content Area II
• SE496 Introduction to Special Education
• Content Area Teaching Methods
• Internship (Secondary Level)

Before deciding on electives, students who wish to minor in education should contact the advisor of secondary minors. Specific elective courses may be required to meet certification requirements in certain content areas.

COMBINED B.A./B.S.-M.A.T. PROGRAM

Undergraduate students from other disciplines who wish to be certified to teach at the middle or high school level (grades 7-12) may participate in a five-year program resulting in bachelor's degree within their area of major and a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.). Applicants to the program must have a major or significant coursework in one of the following certification areas: biology, chemistry, earth/space science, English, mathematics, physics, social studies, or Spanish. Students submit the application by February 1 of their junior year and take three graduate-level courses in their senior year which count toward both the bachelor's and master's degrees. Graduate courses taken during the senior year are included in the undergraduate tuition and take the place of undergraduate electives.

A minimum QPA of 3.000 through the fall of the junior year is required for full acceptance. Two letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and a personal essay will be required. A personal interview may be required. Provisional acceptance may be granted for students with a QPA between 2.750 and 3.000. Under provisional acceptance, students are required to submit evidence of a passing composite score (based on the Maryland cutoff level) on the Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Tests before the start of their senior year. Consistent with new regulations for teacher certification set forth by the state of Maryland, qualifying scores on the SAT, ACT, or GRE may be substituted for Praxis I performance (contact the department for specific information). Prior to graduation, candidates must submit the passing results for Praxis II: Content Knowledge exam related to the certification area or, for Spanish students, two ACTFL exams (Oral Proficiency Interview and Writing Proficiency Test). In addition, candidates must submit the results for the Praxis II pedagogy exam relating to their certification area prior to graduation. Applicants may be offered provisional acceptance to take three graduate classes prior to passing Praxis I (or substitute exam) and the Praxis II content knowledge (or ACTFL) exams.