Education

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Dr. Gloria Tansits Wenze, Chair, Education
570-941-7421 • gloria.wenze@scranton.edu
http://academic.scranton.edu/department/education

Arthur J. Chambers, Assistant Director of Campus-Based Graduate Programs
570-941-4668 • arthur.chambers@scranton.edu

George E. Jones, Assistant Director of Education Online Programs
570-941-4286 • george.jones@scranton.edu

Department Faculty: Associate Professors – Dona Bauman,, Tata J. Mbugua, Vanessa Talarico, Gloria Tansits Wenze; Assistant Professors – Jennifer Cutsforth, Darryl DeMarzio, Sehba Mahmood, Maria Oreshkina; Faculty Specialists - Arthur J. Chambers, Sandra Lamanna; Sandra Pesavento.

Director of Clinical Practice – Dr. Ivan A. Shibley

Director of Field Experiences – David Angeloni

Assistant Director of Field Experiences – Scott Reilly

Certification Officer – Dr. Vanessa Talarico

The mission of the Department of Education at the University of Scranton is to prepare professional educators for service in the public schools. Attention to the scholarship of each candidate in both the content knowledge to be taught and in the professional education knowledge base is augmented by attention to decision-making in both the personal and professional areas. The belief that educators are both scholars and decision-makers pervades the program in its design and requirements, and in its assessment of degree and non-degree students.

The Department of Education offers a variety of programs for individuals currently in the field of education as well as for individuals wishing to enter the field. The programs include initial certification for a number of positions as well as for second certifications. The department also offers the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees, some of which are directly connected to certification and some of which may be pursued by those who already hold certifications. For in-service teachers, individual courses that may be taken in order to update skills and knowledge or to pursue new fields are offered. The various programs and options are described under Programs.

The University also offers two online masters’ degree programs in partnership with the University Alliance. The programs are the Master of Science in Educational Administration and the Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction. The rules and policies governing those programs are the same as those for the on-campus programs in general. Fees differ between the on-campus and online programs. The semesters differ and the online programs do not include a thesis option or accommodation for electives. For more information concerning the online programs, log onto http://www.uscranton.com.

Department Requirements

Admission requirements for all programs in the Department of Education include those as described in the Admission and Registration section of this catalog. In addition, all individuals applying to the Department of Education must possess a grade point average that meets the requirements of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (3.00 for the 2013-2014 academic year). Candidates for the Master of Science degree must pass a capstone experience in the field of their degree or complete a capstone experience course, depending on the particular program. Candidates for the Master of Arts degree must also complete a thesis under the direction of a faculty member with expertise in the area of study. Additional requirements for each program are described under the appropriate program description.

Students pursuing a first teaching certificate must pass the Commonwealth-mandated Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) tests within the first seven credits of graduate study. Failure to meet this requirement will preclude continuing in the program until this requirement is met. Note that the PAPA assessment replaced the Praxis I assessment in April, 2012. Further, students must pass the Praxis Series II specialty test(s) or appropriate PECT test(s) before beginning the graduate student teaching. The Director of Field Placement will not accept applications for the graduate student teaching unless accompanied by evidence of passing scores on the Praxis Series II specialty test(s) or PECT test(s).

All students in B.S./M.S. and M.S. in Early Childhood, Secondary and Special Education programs are required to submit evidence of passing Praxis II exam scores or PECT one month prior to student teaching.

	Deadlines for
Term	Student teaching application	Submission of Praxis scores

Spring	October 1 prior to spring student teaching semester	January 1 of the spring student teaching semester
Fall	March 1 prior to fall student teaching semester	August 1 of the fall student teaching semester

The Education Department ordinarily does not permit students to take courses concurrently with the student-teaching sequence. Students seeking deviations from this policy must complete a form requiring the approvals of the advisor, the appropriate program director, the department chairperson, and the Dean. Student teaching requires application, which must be submitted to the appropriate advisor and approved by the program director, prior to registration for the student teaching semester. Completed Act 34 forms, Child Abuse History Clearance forms and FBI fingerprint clearances are required prior to receiving a field assignment. Students must comply with field and student teaching application deadlines.

Capstone Experience

The comprehensive examination is the capstone experience for students pursuing a M.S. degree in the following programs: Reading Education, Special Education, Secondary Education and Early Childhood Education. Comprehensive examination questions reflect theory, practice, and the synergy of both to the student. The capstone experience is taken near the end of the student’s program of study. Students must pass the capstone experience before being awarded a Master’s degree.

A comprehensive practicum is the capstone experience for all students in the Educational Administration program and for those students in the Curriculum and Instruction program who have been accepted into that program for the fall semester of 2012 and after. Other students in the Curriculum and Instruction program, who entered the program before fall 2012, may take either the comprehensive examination or the practicum courses and site visit as the capstone experience.

The thesis is the comprehensive, research-based capstone experience for students pursuing a Master of Arts degree in the Department of Education. The thesis is directed by a faculty member with expertise in the area of study. The thesis director will serve as the chair of a three-faculty thesis committee selected by the student. Of the three-faculty committee, one may be located outside the Department of Education. The three-faculty committee will serve as an examination board and make a determination about the worthiness of the study. Successfully defending the thesis is a prerequisite for receiving the Master of Arts degree.

Clearances and TB Test

As a matter of University policy, all education students are required to submit a completed Act 34 (Criminal Record Check), Act 151 (Pennsylvania Child Abuse History), the FBI Fingerprint clearances and evidence of a completed and valid TB test to the Department of Education prior to being placed in any field experience that would put the student in direct contact with school children. These clearances are required by the University on behalf of the school entity where the field experience will occur. No student will be permitted to complete formal field work of any kind previous to submission of all forms. The completed Act 34, Act 151 and FBI fingerprint forms will be delivered to the school entity by the Department of Education. The University will not maintain a student’s clearances or background checks after delivery of the forms to the school entity where the field experience will occur. Any citation on the Act 34, Act 151 or FBI fingerprint clearance forms may be cause for dismissal from the student’s program of study.

Certification

All candidates for a certificate must exhibit pre-certification competency of 22 PA Code, chapter 49.2 before being recommended for the certification they seek. Education students seeking certification are evaluated annually by the Department of Education faculty. This evaluation is based on both academic and non-academic (personal and professional) criteria. Students whose professional development is deemed unsatisfactory in these areas are subject to department probation and may be recommended to the Graduate Dean for dismissal from their program of study.

A student who is enrolled in any certification program at the University and is recommended for dismissal from the program of study or is refused University endorsement for certification may appeal the decision. The appeal is made through the Chair of the Department of Education to the Teacher Education Committee, and then to a committee consisting of three persons: the Graduate School Dean, the Chair of the Department of Education, and a faculty member selected by the Director of Graduate Programs.

In order for certification applications to be processed, the student must successfully complete all curricular and Praxis Series or PECT test requirements. The required tests are listed in the Praxis Series Registration Bulletin available on line at www.ets.org/praxis. Additional information can be found at http://www.education.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/pa_certification/8635/certification_requirements/506743

Federal regulations in the Higher Education Act of 1998 require that departments of teacher education report their students’ performance on the Praxis Series examinations. An analysis of the results from every academic year is available from the Chair of the Department of Education.

Approval of the mentor and certification officer must be received before a course may be substituted for any course required in the specified certification program. Courses to be transferred from another college for certification purposes must also receive approval of the mentor and certification officer before the courses are accepted for certification requirements.

All certification programs are approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).

Important note: Due to Pennsylvania Department of Education mandates, changes in teacher education programs may require changes to curricular requirements for all of the education programs.

Students need to research certification requirements for their state.

International Students

International students have the opportunity to complete either the Curriculum & Instruction or Secondary Education master’s degree program; and may be required to enroll into additional course work before beginning a graduate program. Note that international students cannot be recommended for certification in Pennsylvania. Therefore, international students are not required to take the Praxis II assessments.