Education

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Department Chair: Dr. Joseph A. Melusky
Interim Undergraduate Program Coordinator: Dr. Frances L. Boyd

The Education Department provides the learning environment in which prospective elementary, special education, and secondary teachers develop the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will enable them to become reflective decision-makers. Through active participation, the department’s educational program emphasizes connections between theory and research-based practice. Successful completion of the Saint Francis University program is accomplished when teacher candidates complete all college, program, and certification requirements, and demonstrate their ability and competence to carry out the roles for which they have been prepared according to standards, including the following:

• teachers are committed to all students and their learning;
• teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to diverse learners;
• teachers are facilitators of learning who are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning;
• teachers are reflective decision-makers who think analytically about their practice, learn from their experiences, and adjust their instruction appropriately;
• teachers are members of learning communities.

Education Department Mission Statement

The mission of the Education Department of Saint Francis University is to provide a curriculum for pre-service and in-service educators that will develop and reinforce reflective practices. We will strive to instill in teachers the belief that teaching and learning comprise a holistic process that connects ideas and disciplines to each other and to the personal experiences, environments, and communities of students.

Programs

The education department is creating programs for undergraduates to be certified in Early Childhood Education (ECE), Middle Education with a core specialty, and secondary Education. A dual certification program with Special education will soon be available at the ECE level. A non-degree certification program is available for students seeking a career in teaching and who hold a B.S. or B.A. degree from an accredited four-year college or university. The Department also offers a Master of Education degree, a Master of Education degree with a concentration in Leadership, a Master of Education degree with a concentration in Reading, Elementary and Secondary School principal certification, Special Education Supervision certification, Reading Specialist certification, and Superintendent/Intermediate Unit Executive Director Letter of Eligibility Certification Program. The department is developing a master’s level Special Education degree. All Saint Francis University teacher preparation programs are in compliance with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Secondary Education Program

Students seeking secondary teaching certification must complete a single or multi-discipline major approved by the department chair of those disciplines and by the chair of the Education Department.

Students seeking secondary teaching certification may choose from the following academic areas of certification:

Professional Courses

EDUC 101 , 210 , 302+, 331 *, 333 , 334 , 402 , 408 *, 412 , 414 *

     + Secondary Education students are required to complete only the instructional media component of EDUC 302 (2 credits).

     * Required for foreign language education students only.

Certification

An applicant for a teaching certificate must complete, in addition to all legal requirements, a program of teacher preparation approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Certification programs offered by Saint Francis University are in compliance with the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Education Department may permit a student to complete a degree in Education without seeking a Pennsylvania teaching certificate.

Teacher Certification Licensing Exams

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that individuals seeking an Instructional I certificate pass a series of licensing exams, known as the Praxis Series. Elementary/Special Education students must pass six exams; Secondary subject students must pass four. The Education Department publishes a Required Timeline for Taking Praxis Exams, which specifies that students must pass the three Praxis I Academic Skills exams in order to be admitted to the teacher education program. In addition, students must have taken all Praxis exams in order to receive a student teaching placement. Students are responsible for all examination costs.

Students who completed SFU’s teacher education program achieved the following pass rates on the Praxis exams: Basic Skills: 100%; Academic Content Areas: 92%; Teaching Special Populations: 100%; Summary Pass Rate: 100%. Additional information on the Praxis exam pass rates as well as comparisons to other programs in the state is available in the Education Department, and on the Saint Francis Education Department website.

Clinical Experiences

Clinical experiences are off-campus activities that provide teacher education candidates with opportunities to apply theories and concepts studied in coursework. These experiences are directed by University faculty, facilitated by teacher mentors, and are an integral part of all education courses leading up to student teaching. Activities include, but are not limited to, observing, tutoring, mini-teaching, lesson planning, and developing instructional materials. Clinical experiences may take place in public or non-public schools, or in community agencies approved by University faculty.

Each elementary/special education student is required to complete a minimum of 190 hours of clinical experience prior to student teaching. Each secondary content major is required to complete a minimum of 50 hours. Clearances for ACT 34 Criminal Record, ACT 151 Child Abuse, Federal Criminal History, and a negative tuberculin test must be submitted to the Education Department. Each student is responsible for maintaining his or her record of clinical experience. Clinical hours will be an integral requirement of education courses. Secondary content majors may find it necessary to initiate some of their own hours in order to meet the minimum requirement prior to student teaching.

Student Teaching

The student teaching semester is a significant period in the teacher preparation program. It is the culmination of undergraduate professional education and the beginning of a potential career of teaching. It is a requirement for certification and an opportunity of the student to demonstrate his/her ability and commitment to the teaching profession.

Student teaching applications must be submitted during the first week of the Fall or Spring term, immediately preceding the expected student teaching semester. These applications are carefully screened by the Education Department to ensure that all candidates are properly qualified. To be eligible for student teaching, candidates must have a QPA of no less than a 3.0. In addition, candidates must have completed all education courses with no grade less than a C, and received a C or above in any collateral courses taken. Clearances for Act 34 Criminal Record, Act 151 Child Abuse, Federal Criminal History, and a negative tuberculin test must be submitted to the Education Department. Failure to meet departmental requirements and/ or district expectations can result in exclusion from or withdrawal from field experience teaching placements.

Student teaching is a full-time responsibility, and candidates are encouraged to set aside other pursuits, including jobs, during the student teaching semester. The Education Department will not permit candidates to be enrolled in other coursework while student teaching. Transportation for student teaching is the responsibility of each student.

Saint Francis University teacher candidates will be required to develop a portfolio, a purposeful collection of materials that documents a pre-service teacher’s knowledge and skills. A portfolio relies upon the skills of reflection for sorting artifacts that are developed and compiled. The key concepts in portfolio development revolve around collection, organization, reflection, and culminate with the development of a presentation portfolio.

Admission

Students may declare their intent to major in Elementary/Special Education or to seek a degree in a content area with secondary education concentration when they apply to Saint Francis University. Standards have been established for admission to and retention in the Professional Teacher Education Program.

Program Admission Status

Students may apply for admission to the Professional Teacher Certification program after having completed at least 48 credits. For most students this application process will occur during the sophomore year. In addition, each candidate must have:

1. achieved at least a 3.0 QPA;
2. achieved no grade lower than C in major and collateral courses;
3. obtained a passing score on the Praxis Series Pre-professional Skills Tests (PPST) in Reading (#10710), Writing (#20720) and Mathematics (#10730);
4. completed at least six semester hours in college level mathematics;
5. completed at least three semester hours in college level English composition and three semester hours in English/ American literature;
6. completed Foundations of Education, Educational Psychology and Pedagogy (Elementary/Special Education majors only).

In addition, the candidate must attach to this application:

7. a letter of recommendation from a faculty member (Students must have a letter endorsed by a faculty member in their academic area.)
8. a brief essay (“Why I Want to Pursue Teaching as a Career”)

The criteria stated above must be met and the student accepted into the professional teacher preparation program prior to registration in Education 300- and 400-level courses.

Retention Status

In order to be retained in the Professional Teacher Education Program, Elementary/Special Education majors and students in secondary education content area concentrations (those having at least 96 credits) must maintain a QPA no less than a 3.0 with no grade lower than a C in professional courses or clinical experiences.

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