| 2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog |
Shippensburg University >
Catalog > 2001/2003 Undergraduate Catalog
The college offers a program in criminal justice which leads to the Bachelor of Science degree and a program in social work which leads to a Bachelor of Arts degree.
The college also provides a program which enables undergraduate students to earn a degree of Bachelor of Science in Education and to qualify for certification to teach in the public schools of Pennsylvania. Curricula are available leading to a degree and certification in elementary education, secondary education, and business education. Elementary education majors may also earn early childhood and environmental education certification.
The Military Science Department (Army Reserve Officers Training Corps) provides students of all curricula the opportunity to earn a commission in the United States Army. Participation in the Army ROTC program is available on campus to men and women students and develops in the students the ability to organize, motivate, and lead others.
These programs are more fully described on the following pages. Graduate programs in counseling, criminal justice, educational administration, and teacher education are presented in the Graduate Catalog which may be obtained by writing to the dean of the College of Education and Human Services or to the dean of Graduate Studies and Research.
Back to Contents
To insure a consistently high quality of instruction in the public schools of the Commonwealth, all teachers are required by law to have a teaching certificate. This legal permit to teach is issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to an individual who has completed certain specific course requirements in the area or areas of instruction indicated. Specific undergraduate curricula of the university prepare students to be sponsored for initial teacher certification. Business, elementary, and secondary education programs prepare teachers for the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania Standards for Teacher Certification require that teacher certification candidates must achieve a GPA of 2.8 at the accumulation of 48 credit hours of college level work, and must pass all Level One PRAXIS assessments prior to achieving Professional Standing. Once Professional Standing is achieved, students may enter 300 and 400 level education course work, and are officially teacher candidates.
To complete an approved course of study for teacher certification at Shippensburg University, beginning Spring of 2002, all teacher candidates must achieve passing scores in all sections of the PRAXIS assessments prior to student teaching. Ninety-seven percent of Shippensburg University program completers pass all aspects of the PRAXIS tests. In addition, to be recommended for certification, a 3.0 QPA for all course work at the university must be attained prior to graduation for all who matriculate September 2001.
Upon completion of a teacher education program a student should have attained the following:
The State Board of Education “... encourages all school districts in the Commonwealth to provide a long-range program of intergroup and human relations education designed to improveeachpupil’sknowledgeofandsensitivity to the social groups that make up our pluralistic society. In addition, the board requires all teacher education institutions provide similar instruction for all prospective teachers.”
The faculty and administration of the College of Education and Human Services at Shippensburg University firmly support the position teachers must be knowledgeable about the societal issues created by cultural pluralism and skilled in working with multi-ethnic groups. As a result, students in the teacher education curriculum are expected to build into their academic programs opportunities to learn about cultural diversity in the United States and the world and to plan supplementary field and work experiences to develop the skills needed to work with culturally mixed groups.
Students are required to take at least one three-credit course which is devoted primarily to the study of some aspect of Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, or the non-white peoples of North America and which incorporates a diversity of perspectives on culture. Such a course is intended to extend the students’ informational background and develop sensitivity to cultural differences. If properly planned, the course(s) selected could be fitted into the general education requirement each student must complete.
Suitable field experiences in education and summer work experiences
should be used to supplement such course work.
Secondary Education
The College of Education and Human Services provides programs for the preparation of teachers in the secondary schools in cooperation with the College of Arts and Sciences and the John L. Grove College of Business. Policies and guidelines for teacher education programs are developed by an all-university Teacher Education Council. Here, representatives from all schools concerned with teacher preparation work together to develop integrated training programs involving total university participation.
The secondary student’s program is cooperatively planned and supervised by the College of Education and Human Services and by the college of the student’s academic major. The faculty advisor is assigned from the student’s major field by the dean of that college with the approval of the dean of the College of Education and Human Services. The student must meet graduation requirements and the requirements for admission, retention, and graduation in a teacher certification program as specified by the College of Education and Human Services and by the college of his/her major. Faculty from academic departments assigned to teach secondary professional education courses must have the approval of the dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
A student in the secondary education curriculum is educated in depth in at least one area of knowledge which he/she is then licensed to teach. This area of concentrated study is supplemented with studies in related fields which are selected with advisement. Through consultation with advisors and the department chair, students are responsible for choosing the proper course combinations to qualify them for admissions to professional standing, admission to student teaching, and for graduation and Instructional Level I certification.
A 2.8 quality point average in a student’s major as determined
by the individual department will be required for admission into the education
program. Additional requirements for majors in secondary educational fields
may be found in the curricular material of the separate colleges indicated
as follows:
Arts and Sciences
Biology
Chemistry
English
French
Mathematics
Physics
Social Studies-Geography
Social Studies-History
Social Studies-Political Science
Social Studies-Sociology
Spanish
Business
Information Technology for Business Education
Social Studies-Economics
Interdisciplinary
Earth-Space Science
Environmental Education
General Science
Students may receive comprehensive social studies certification
by the completion of one of these social studies concentrations: economics,
geography, history, political science, or sociology (see index reference
for each of these areas). An individual completing any one of these concentrations
will be certified to teach all secondary social studies subjects upon completion
of the required courses in allied social studies and in professional education.
Required Professional Education Courses (28 crs.)
TCH205 The American School 3 crs.
TCH310 Educational Psychology 3 crs.
Required field experience (see advisor)
Methods I and II courses 6 crs.
EDU301 Evaluative Techniques and Guidance* 2 crs.
EDU370 Utilization of Instructional Media* 2 crs.
EDU495 Student Teaching and Professional Practicum 15 crs.
EEC411 Introduction to Exceptionalities 3 crs.
or
PSY355 Psychology of the Exceptional Child 3 crs.
RDG329 Reading in the Content Areas** 3 crs.
*Business Education and Mathematics
**English
Required Field Experiences
Field service hours are an integral part of elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs. It is the responsibility of students to work with academic advisors to fulfill requirements for all field experiences. Level One field experiences begin during freshman and/or sophomore years. The American School, an introductory course, includes observation strategies and protocol for working in school districts. Several education courses require observation hours. Students observe, tutor, and assist teachers in assigned schools.
Students apply for Professional Standing during junior and senior years. To achieve Professional Standing students must maintain a 2.8 QPA, complete Level One field work, pass PRAXIS Level One basic skill assessments, have the recommendation of Academic Advisors, and apply to become a teacher candidate. Once Professional Standing is achieved, students begin Level Two field placements. Students are assigned to schools for methods classes where they may return for student teaching if the placements are successful. During Level Two field work, students plan lessons and units, co-teach classes, and have more intensive classroom involvement.
Level Three field experience is student teaching, which is 16 weeks in classrooms. To enter Student Teaching students must complete all teacher preparation program requirements as well as pass PRAXIS Content Knowledge and the Principles of Learning and Teaching. Students are assigned to different school districts (8 weeks each assignment) and work at two different grade levels. University supervisors and cooperating teachers advise student teachers.
Assignments for student teaching are completed with the approval of the Associate Dean/Director of Field Services for the College of Education and Human Services. Students attend a Student Teaching Application meeting held in October of each year. Students apply one academic year prior to when they plan to student teach. Prerequisites for student teaching are published by the Office of Field Services and are also available in departmental offices. Graduates of other universities or others desiring certification, or international student teaching, and others who need special assignments must contact the Office of Field Services (717-477-1487) to schedule an appointment for program planning and approval by the Dean and/or Associate Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
|
This page is an official publication of Shippensburg University: A proud
member of the Pennsylvania
State System of Higher Education. |
Shippensburg University |