Education

Sr. Karen Hokanson, SNDdeN, Ed.D. Chair

The education program at Emmanuel College is a licensure program that prepares students for teaching in the elementary, middle and secondary grade levels. The program complies with licensure requirements established by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Students begin by building knowledge of the history and philosophical foundations of education in America. They are trained in theory and research-based practice in the design, delivery, and management of curriculum and instruction. Students seeking licensure to teach in the elementary grade levels complete a double major in elementary education and liberal studies. Students seeking licensure to teach in the middle and secondary grade levels complete a double major in secondary education and a core discipline area.

The program of study in elementary and secondary education centers on six learning goals and associated outcomes. These learning goals align with the indicators used in schools to assess teacher effectiveness and the performance standards expected of pre service teachers. Specific subject matter requirements for the Initial License may be obtained from Academic Advising. Students seeking Initial Licensure in Massachusetts must pass specific Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (MTEL).

MISSION STATEMENT

The Emmanuel College education program prepares teachers to be leaders in creating and sustaining—in their classrooms, schools and the wider community—a culture of collaborative inquiry that is centered on students, their learning and healthy development. Through the integration of field and classroom-based experiences, Emmanuel’s pre-service teachers develop the content knowledge and pedagogical skills to create inclusive classroom communities that inspire and engage children, adolescents and young adults in their learning. Grounded in the mission and good works of the Sisters of Notre Dame de Namur, the education program prepares graduates who aspire “to create justice and peace for all.”

LEARNING GOALS AND OUTCOMES

The program of study in elementary and secondary education is designed to develop students’ abilities in the seven performance areas required for initial licensure in elementary and secondary teaching in the state of Massachusetts. Upon completion of the elementary or secondary education programs at Emmanuel, students will be able to: • Create safe and well-managed learning environments which promote equity and collaboration among heterogeneous learners and nurture development across the cognitive, emotional and social domains. • Plan learning experiences which involve learners as sense-makers and promote deep understanding of disciplinary ideas by engaging learners in active exploration of real-world problems, materials and challenges, and examining student work products to make assessments of learning and teaching. • Utilize a broad range of instructional practices, reflective of the ways of knowing in the disciplines they teach, to ensure that all learners regardless of differences in readiness, background, learning style, culture

or language competency have opportunities to learn through access to a rich curriculum. • Forge positive relationships with families and engage in regular, two-way, culturally proficient communication with families about students and their learning, and build into the curriculum materials the richness of the cultures and heritage of the students they teach. • Develop curricula which deepen learners’ appreciation for American civic culture, its underlying ideals, founding principles and political institutions and which actualize learners’ capacities to participate and lead in their communities, both locally and globally. • Advance issues of social justice within the classroom, school and community. • Contribute to the knowledge base about learning, teaching and assessment and participate in a culture of reflective practice and inquiry.

THE CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE

The student teaching practicum and capstone seminar are the culminating experience for students completing majors in elementary and secondary education. Students complete these two experiences in the final year of study. The experience integrates supervised student teaching with a seminar that requires active reflection on instructional practice. Students seeking admittance into the capstone experience must obtain passing scores on all required MTELs for the licensure area. Students complete a portfolio to demonstrate their achievement of the learning goals of the Education major. Students are evaluated on these portfolios which are shared with Education department faculty.

TEACHER LICENSURE PROGRAM

Students seeking an Initial Teaching License must be admitted into the Teacher Licensure Program. Applications are filed with the Education Department by March 15 of the student’s sophomore year. Students are notified of their application status by April 5. To be considered for admission into the education program, students must have: • A completed application submitted to the Teacher Licensure Program. The application includes an essay. • Successful completion of the

Communication and Literacy components of the Massachusetts Tests for Educator Licensure (01). • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and a minimum grade of

C (2.0) in each education course. • Positive Professional Disposition Quality (PDQ) reports from course instructors and field supervisors.

MTEL REQUIREMENTS

Students must successfully complete the Communication and Literacy MTEL to be approved for admittance into 3000-level education courses. Students who have not passed Communication and Literacy must participate in MTEL Prep Lab as a requirement for program continuation.

Elementary education students seeking licensure must pass the Foundations of Reading MTEL and the multi-subject and mathematics subtests of the General Curriculum MTEL in order to be approved for EDUC4467 Student Teaching Practicum.

Secondary education students seeking licensure must pass the specific subject area MTEL in order to be approved for EDUC4467 Student Teaching Practicum.

STUDENT TEACHING

Applications for the student teaching practicum should be filed with the Education Department Office in the semester prior to student teaching. The application must include the following: • Evidence of successful completion of all required MTEL tests • A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 and a minimum grade of C