Teacher Education ProgramsCollege of Professional Studies and Social Sciences Department Chair Kingsley Banya, PhD Faculty Kingsley Banya, Professor of Education, BA University of Sierra Leone; MEd Queen's University; MA University of London, Institute of Education; PhD University of Toronto Michele Brague, Assistant Professor of Education, BS Keene State College; M.Ed. Plymouth State College Stephen Broskoske, Associate Professor of Education, BS College Misericordia; MS Wilkes University; EdD Lehigh University Joan L. Krause, Associate Professor Emeritus of Education, BS College Misericordia; MS Marywood University; MS University of Scranton Jodi P. Loughlin, Visiting Assistant Professor of Education, BA Moravian College; MEd Bloomsburg University; DEd The Pennsylvania State University Patricia Marie McCann, RSM, Associate Professor of Education, BS College Misericordia; MS University of Scranton; EdD Lehigh University Joseph P. Rogan, Professor of Education, BA Kutztown University; MA Marywood University; EdD Lehigh University Susan R. Tomascik, Associate Professor of Education, BA Wilkes College; MS College Misericordia; PhD Marywood University Molly S. Vitale, Associate Professor of Education, BS College Misericordia; MS, DEd The Pennsylvania State University Mission Misericordia University's Teacher Education Department is committed to preparing excellent teachers. One of the university's first majors, Teacher Education embraces the university mission and continues to reflect the values of our founders: mercy, justice, service and hospitality. The program seeks to develop effective teachers who are masters of the content they will teach and who teach in pedagogically sound ways that inspire students to learn. Using educational theory and methods courses with the liberal arts core as a base, the program provides a variety of learning opportunities to facilitate a thorough knowledge of human development and an appreciation of diversity so that, as teachers, graduates will understand, respect, and respond to the unique strengths, needs and desires presented by individual students and their families. Through coursework and field-based activities that are conducted in collaboration with partnering schools and agencies, teacher candidates study, observe and apply strategies to structure learning experiences and environments responsive to students' needs. Through teaching, supervision, and personal example, education faculty establishes the expectation that students will conduct themselves at all times in accordance with the highest standards of ethical practice and professionalism. The faculty strives to develop in our graduates a commitment to on-going personal and professional growth. The Teacher Education Department Since its inception in 1924, Misericordia University has prepared thousands of excellent teachers for our nation's classrooms. Currently, the Teacher Education Department (TED) sponsors undergraduate majors in primary education (PreK-Grade 4 with Special Education, middle level education (Grades 4-8), and in five areas of secondary education – biology, chemistry, citizenship/social studies, English, and mathematics. At the graduate level, the Teacher Education Department sponsors specializations in Instructional Technology, Special Education, and Reading. All of the teacher education programs have been reviewed and approved by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools and the Pennsylvania Department of Education. The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has made regulatory changes in the law governing teacher certification, effective for candidates graduating after January 1, 2013. The university's programs are in compliance with these regulations. They qualify students for instructional, specialist, or supervisory certifications awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Undergraduate Certifications Early Childhood Education/Special Education Dual Major Middle Level Education Secondary Education Graduate Specializations Reading Specialist This program enables teachers who are already certified to obtain both a Reading Specialist Certificate and a Master's Degree in Education with a specialization in Reading. The program meets PDE General Standard IV. Instructional Technology This program prepares teachers currently certified to plan and direct technology-based programs in schools and organizations. Special Education Undergraduate Programs Selection, Retention, Advancement, and Graduation Criteria, Undergraduate Undergraduate Admissions Process (traditional and transfer students) Initial admissions decisions are made by the admissions office. They suggest that applicants be accepted to the university to participate in programs offered by the TED only if they meet the following criteria:
Formal Program Acceptance Process Faculty considers the results of the initial review process, along with other information such as GPA and PRAXIS I scores, before it formally admits students to the Teacher Education Department. To apply for formal program acceptance at the end of the sophomore year, students must present:
Public Presentation Requirements Junior Independent Project During the fall semester, juniors must individually suggest, develop, and publicly present a poster session on a topic approved by their TED advisors. The presentations take place during American Education Week (third week of November) Junior Group Project During the spring semester, juniors, in cooperation with a least two and no more than four peers, must suggest, develop, and publicly present a poster session on a topic approved by their TED advisors. The presentations take place during the last week of the semester (i.e., in relation to National Teacher Recognition Day). Student Teaching Acceptance Process At the end of the junior year, the TED faculty review all juniors. The review is used to determine which students will be recommended for student teaching and graduation. Data which must be submitted by students include:
National Teachers Examination Senior students must complete sections of PRAXIS II - The National Teachers Examination (i.e., those required of their specialization–see www.pde.state.pa.us), and meet or exceed the cut scores established by PDE in order to apply for certification. Senior Portfolio Presentation Throughout their programs, teacher education students are expected to continually develop portfolios, which they may eventually use in employment interviews. In Senior Seminar (TED 401), students receive guidance in developing presentation portfolios, and during the spring semester of their senior year, students must share their presentation portfolios with the TED faculty. Presentation portfolios must include:
Grading The TED faculty believes it is dangerous to allow students who know only a small percentage of what they are supposed to know to progress in their programs. Therefore, TED students are not allowed to progress, to student teach, or to graduate until and unless they have demonstrated (through quizzes, projects, examinations, etc.) that they have mastered all of the TED's objectives. Students must earn a "C+" or better in all TED courses. The TED faculty uses module-based assessments formatively. Students who earn less than a mastery-level score on an assessment may be required, with certain restrictions (and perhaps with additional instruction) to make a second attempt to demonstrate mastery. While it would be ideal to allow additional attempts, the TED faculty believes that, at the college level, two opportunities to demonstrate mastery are sufficient. Because they are usually not done or submitted until close to the end of a semester, the TED faculty can only use course projects summatively. While students are working on their projects, they may seek help and feedback from instructors; however, once they submit their projects, they will be graded. Final exams, which in all cases are cumulative (all of a course's objectives are assessed), will be graded only summatively. Although the TED faculty refuse to "teach to the test," they construct and administer assessments and final examinations to parallel PRAXIS II - The National Teacher Examination. TED faculty convert assessment and exam raw scores to produce percentage scores for objective items (multiple choice, etc.) and, eventually, letter grades. They score essays included on quizzes and final examinations, and projects, against rubrics.
Academic Integrity and the Teacher Education Department Honor Code At the beginning of every course, instructors inform students of the details of the TED's academic integrity policy (see TED Guidebook). The policy states that students are expected to do their own work (except when cooperative projects are assigned). If it is demonstrated that a student has submitted work done by others of falsified information; the student's work is awarded a failing grade and the student is charged with a violation of the TEDs academic integrity policy. Student Teaching Student Teaching (TED 497) is a semester-long formal experience that takes place during a students' last semester before graduation and/or certification. It is a culminating experience and is accompanied by a student teaching professional seminar that meets several times throughout the semester. The PA Department of Education requires the formal evaluation of all students with the Pennsylvania Statewide Evaluation Form for Student Professional Knowledge and Practice (PDE 430 Form). The PDE 430 Form is a performance-based assessment that serves as a permanent record of a student teacher's professional performance on specific criteria during the student teaching experiences. To comply with the PDE 430 mandate the TED faculty believe it is in the best interest of each student to be supervised by a Misericordia University trained supervisor. As a result, students applying for student teaching are required to select student teaching placements that fall within a 50-mile radius from Misericordia University. Graduation Students must meet all of the requirements for at least one TED program to be recommended for graduation. If students have met all requirements except student teaching and if they have completed at least 120 credits, they may graduate with a degree in Professional Studies, but will not be candidates for teacher certification. Teacher Certifications Students who have completed one or more of the programs sponsored by the TED and a series of other requirements set by accrediting organizations (PRAXIS I and II scores, Act 34, 114 and 151 clearances, etc.), may be recommended for certification to the Pennsylvania Department of Education and/or other certifying organizations. Students may also opt to qualify for certifications provided by other states. |