Misericordia University

Catalog - Table of Index

Teacher Education Programs

College of Professional Studies and Social Sciences
Department Co-Chair Susan Tomascik, PhD and Molly Vitale , PhD

Faculty

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

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 Vitale, Associate Professor of Education, BS College Misericordia; MA, PhD The Pennsylvania State University

Mission

The teacher education department (TED) is committed to preparing excellent teachers. One of the university's first majors, the teacher education program embraces Misericordia University’s long-standing mission and continues to reflect the values of our founders: mercy, justice, service, and hospitality. Through the TED, we seek to develop teachers who are masters of the content they will teach and who will teach in pedagogically sound ways that inspire all students to learn. Using educational theory and methodology courses within the liberal arts core, we intend to provide a variety of learning opportunities to facilitate a thorough knowledge of human development and an appreciation of its diversity so that, as teachers, graduates will understand, respect, and respond to the unique strengths, needs, and desires presented by students and their families. Through coursework and field-based activities conducted in collaboration with partnering schools and agencies, our teacher candidates study, observe, and apply strategies that structure learning experiences and environments and that are responsive to students' needs. Through teaching, supervision, and personal example, faculty intend to establish the expectation that we and our students will conduct ourselves 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 ongoing professional and personal 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 elementary education, special education, and in five areas of secondary education – biology, chemistry, citizenship/social studies, English, and mathematics. In combination with its elementary education major, the TED also sponsors a certification program in early childhood education. The faculty has developed an integrated program that combines elementary and special education. At the graduate level, the teacher education department sponsors specializations in elementary education, educational strategies, instructional technology and supervisor of curriculum and instruction.

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 programs qualify students for instructional, specialist, or supervisory certifications awarded by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Additionally, the programs offered by the teacher education department have earned “candidate status” awarded by the prestigious Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC), a national accrediting agency affiliated with the Commission on Higher Education of the United States Department of Education.

Note: The TED curriculum will undergo revision in the near future pending changes in Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) requirements for teacher certification. Department of Education (PDE) requirements for teacher certification.

Undergraduate Specializations

Early Childhood Education
This program prepares teachers to work in preschools through third grade.

Elementary Education
This program prepares teachers to work in kindergarten through sixth grade.

Secondary Education
This program prepares teachers to work in secondary education (i.e., junior and senior high school). They prepare to teach Biology, Chemistry, Citizenship/Social Studies, English, or Mathematics.

Special Education (Cognitive, Behavior, Physical/Health Disabilities)
This program prepares teachers to work with students with mental and/or physical disabilities from birth through age 21. These students include those with mental retardation, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, physical handicaps, and multi-handicaps.

Graduate Specializations

Elementary Education
This program prepares teachers currently certified in other areas to teach in elementary schools (K-6).

Educational Strategies
This program is especially appropriate for certified and practicing teachers and others interested in combining professional growth with best practices.

Instructional Technology
This program prepares teachers currently certified to plan and direct technology-based programs in schools and organizations.

Supervisor of Instruction and Curriculum
This graduate program prepares teachers currently certified to direct curriculum development programs and to supervise teachers.

Graduate Certificate Programs

Teaching English As A Second Language (ESL)
This program prepares teachers currently certified to obtain an ESL Program Specialist certificate. Further information about this certificate program is located under Teaching English As A Second Language.

Selection, Retention, Advancement and Graduation Criteria, Undergraduate
To ensure quality, the TED uses a series of assessments to monitor students’ progress through their programs. Information gathered from these assessments is used to make admission, program entry, retention, advancement, and graduation decisions. Procedures specific to the policies that govern retention in the TED program are delineated in the TED Guide Book. All students will enter TED programs as Pre-Education majors and are eligible to register for 100 and 200 level TED courses only. Students must qualify for Education Major status in order to be eligible to register for 300- and 400-level TED courses.

Undergraduate Admissions Process (Traditional and transfer students)
Initial admissions decisions are made by the Admissions Office. The TED suggests that applicants be accepted to The University to participate in programs offered by the TED only if they meet the following criteria:
1. Participation in a rigorous high school curriculum, with posted grades that placed them in the top half of their graduating high school classes or in which they earned a B or better average. External (from other colleges) and internal transfers (from other MU majors) must have a 3.0 GPA. Prospective transfer students must meet with the TED’s chair before enrolling in any TED courses.
2. Demonstration of an interest and commitment to becoming teachers by participating in volunteer, extracurricular, and/or independent activities in which they interacted with groups of children.
3. The ability to demonstrate that they can meet a series of "essential performance skills" typically expected of classroom teachers.

Sophomore Competency Examination
During finals week of the Sophomore spring semester, students (including recent transfers) must complete the Sophomore Competency Examination, which assesses their ability to integrate information learned in the following courses:
TED 231 Learning
TED 241 Development
TED 251 Curriculum
TED 261 Teaching
TED 271 Classroom Management

Formal Program Acceptance Process
Faculty considers the results of the Initial Review Process, and the Sophomore Competency Examination, 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 as sophomores, students must present:
1. An application for TED formal acceptance,
2. Results of the Sophomore Competency Examination,
3. Satisfactory grades/reports from TED 292 Sophomore Field 1 and TED 293 Sophomore Field 2,
4. Satisfactory completion of ENG 103 English Composition, ENG English Literature Core (American or British Literature), ENG English Literature Core (any), MTH Mathematics Bank I, MTH Mathematics Bank II (Statistics) as required by major.
5. Evidence of participation in professional associations and organizations, including the MU Education Club or MU Secondary Education Club, and at least one major-related professional organization,
6. Information which indicates that they have respected the TED's Ethics Policy,
7. At least one TED faculty recommendation,
8. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above after at least 48 credits, (at least 24 credits for transfer students) which include English composition, American literature, and two college-level math courses. In all TED courses, students must earn a C+ or better, and
9. Scores from PRAXIS I (Reading, Writing, and Math subtests) that meet or exceed the state's cut scores.

Junior Independent Project
During the fall semester, Juniors must individually suggest, develop, and then publically 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 then 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 will include:
1. A completed Application for TED 497 Student Teaching
2. Grades/Reports from TED 394 Junior Field
3. Grades/Reports from TED 395 Junior Practicum
4. Evidence of participation in professional associations and organizations, including the MU Education Club or MU Secondary Education Club, and at least one major-related professional organization,
5. Evidence they have completed the PRAXIS II ~Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge test [All K-6 & K-12 Instruc. Areas (not 7-12)],
6. Information which indicates that they have respected the TED's Ethics Policy,
7. At least two TED Faculty Recommendations, and
8. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above

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, TED students are expected to continually develop portfolios which they may eventually use in employment interviews. In TED 401 Senior Seminar, 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:
1. A letter written by the student which reviews why he/she wants to be a teacher, and introduces portfolio reviewers to the contents of his/her portfolio.
2. A current resume.
3. A MU Transcript, the results of all assessment activities (i.e., PRAXIS I and II scores), and clearances (e.g., Act 34 and 151).
4. A photographic essay of their work during Student Teaching.
5. A video/audio sample lesson.
6. Samples projects done in courses and field experience, including Student Teaching.
7. As appropriate, parts of ten completed TED Cross Course Modules.
8. Three letters of recommendation, one written by a peer, two by TED faculty.

Course Requirements
To ensure that the educational experiences offered by the TED are both uniform and developmental, the TED faculty has established two sets of “modules” (i.e., Learning Activity Packages). One set is course-based; the other transcends course boundaries and migrates with students through their programs
Each course has specified numbers of objectives to complete. There is one Course Module for each objective. Each Course Module structures teaching and learning with a series of prescribed activities and is assessed with a module-referenced assessment (both equal to 50 percent of final grade). Each course also has a course project (10 percent of final grade) and a final examination (50 percent of final grade).
Rather than just hope its courses and experiences mesh, the faculty uses Cross Course Modules to help students knit courses and experience into meaningful wholes. A Cross Course Module might start in one course, be developed in a second, and completed in a third. Students must independently complete the Cross Course Modules by the time they enter TED 401 Senior Seminar. Most Course Projects (listed in each course syllabus) can be included in one or more of the Cross Course Modules. There are 10 Cross Course Modules, including:
1. Foundations
2. Development
3. Learning
4. Curriculum
5. Teaching/Testing
6. Technology and Media
7. Issues and Research
8. Professional and Career Development
9. Field Placements
10. Resources

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 University level, two opportunities to demonstrate mastery are sufficient.
Because they are usually not done or submitted until toward 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.
Students must post at least a C+ in all TED courses.

Academic Integrity and the Ted 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 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 amassed at least 120 credits, they may graduate with a degree in Professional Studies but will not be candidates for 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 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.

Program Goals
TED faculty have combined the goals of the university with those suggested by PDE and other groups to produce 15 departmental goals, from which they have identified a series of objectives (i.e., competency statements which students must meet). The objectives for given courses are listed in course syllabi.

Communication Skills
Graduates of the teacher education program shall demonstrate that they have the knowledge and skills needed to confidently and effectively communicate with students, other professionals, families, and members of their communities, using both oral and written words.

Mental and Physical Skills
Graduates of the teacher education program shall demonstrate that they possess the mental and physical skills and tolerance for stress needed to function as classroom teachers.

Commitment to Students
Graduates of the teacher education program shall demonstrate a sincere commitment to the education of all students and be willing to advocate for children and their families.

Foundations of Education
Graduates of the teacher education program shall explain sociological and philosophical factors that have led to the development of and that currently support and regulate educational practices, including Pennsylvania's Code of Conduct and Practice for Teachers. In doing so, they shall evidence a clear understanding of the roles and responsibilities of classroom teachers, as well as the rights and responsibilities of students and their families.

Growth and Development
Graduates of the teacher education program shall explain how students grow and develop, and they must demonstrate a willingness and ability to adjust their teaching to meet the needs of individual students, including students with special needs. Graduates shall be especially sensitive to the challenges faced by female students, students with disabilities, and members of minority groups.

Learning
Graduates of the teacher education program shall use research to explain the processes and complexities of learning and use this knowledge to plan and implement teaching and learning activities that support the intellectual, social, emotional, career, and personal development of students.

Curriculum Structure
Graduates of the teacher education program shall explain how curriculum is developed, structured, regulated, and used by teachers to plan, monitor, and evaluate instruction and students' learning. Students shall demonstrate a clear understanding of the Pennsylvania academic standards.

Content Mastery
Graduates of the teacher education program will demonstrate mastery of the curriculum they will be expected to teach and a willingness to engage in professional development activities, which ensure their continued mastery.

Basic Teaching Processes
Graduates of the teacher education program shall demonstrate the ability to: effectively organize classrooms and educational spaces so that they are conducive to learning and which ensure students' safety and security; analyze data and situations to make decisions which benefit students; and plan, implement, and assess direct instruction within a mastery learning paradigm.

Advanced Teaching Processes
Graduates of the teacher education program shall effectively implement a variety of advanced teaching procedures that allow students, independently and cooperatively, multiple pathways to learning and that encourage them to explore and understand challenging concepts, topics, and issues.

Classroom Management
Graduates of the teacher education program shall demonstrate a willingness and ability to use an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create learning environments that encourage positive social interaction, active learning, critical thinking and problem-solving, and independence. They will be devoted to creating schools and classrooms that are welcoming, caring, stimulating, inclusive, and safe places in which students are challenged to take risks, make choices, work independently and collaboratively, and are supported in their growth and development.

Family Involvement
Graduates of the teacher education program shall acknowledge and respect the roles and responsibilities of parents and families, and shall be willing to enter into partnership arrangements with those interested in the education of students.

Respect for Diversity
Graduates of the teacher education program shall see diversity as normal, and evidence an authentic respect for all students, families, coworkers, and school personnel. They should see themselves as teachers prepared to work with all students without regard to factors related to gender, race, creed, economic status, physical attributes, or ability.

Personal and Collegial
Graduates of the teacher education program shall know and be comfortable with themselves in ways that cause them to be willing and able to work effectively with students, other professionals, and parents.

Professional
Graduates of the teacher education program shall be fully aware of their profession's standards and practices, including its codes of ethics (e.g., Pennsylvania's Code of Conduct and Practice for Teachers); look forward to being contributing members and active leaders of their profession; and function ethically and responsibly as members of their communities.

Structure of the Curriculum
The university's undergraduate teacher education programs have five components:

Core
All TED students are expected to complete The University's general education requirement (i.e., the "Core"). Thirty core credits, of which at least six must be writing-intensive, must be taken in areas sponsored by The University of Arts and Sciences (i.e., six each in history/government, religious studies, fine arts, literature, and philosophy); six must be taken in mathematics; six in science; and six in areas sponsored by The University of Professional Studies and Social Sciences (i.e., comparative sociology, contemporary economics, and/or introduction to psychology). Additionally, students must complete English composition.

Introductory and Generic TED Courses
All TED students must complete a set of introductory-level teacher education requirements. Additionally, all seniors will have to complete TED 497 Student Teaching and attend the Student Teaching Professional Seminar.

Specializations
All TED students must complete the requirements of one or more of the TED's specializations (e.g., Elementary Education).

Field Experiences
All TED students must complete a developmental series of field experiences that begin during the first year and culminate with a full semester of student teaching. By the time they graduate, students will have completed more than 700 hours of observation and practicum in community classrooms.
Field experiences are arranged at Partnership School Districts by the TED. Students must possess professional liability insurance and various clearances (for example, Act 34 and Act 151) to participate in field placements. Students must arrange their own transportation.

Professional Involvement
All students will be expected to participate in activities and organizations related to the profession of teaching.

Education Programs

Early Childhood Education and Elementary Education Major
Elementary Education Major
Special Education and Elementary Education Majors
Biology Secondary Education
Chemistry Secondary Education
English Secondary Education
History Secondary Education
Mathematics Secondary Education
Special Education

General Education Course Descriptions (TED)