Education

The Education Department aims at preparing teacher candidates to work with diverse populations through the development of a strong professional commitment and a disposition that all students can learn. The department believes that becoming a teacher is a life-long journey of learning and caring.

Faculty

Chair: A. Howerton-Fox; Graduate Coordinator: R. McMahon; Professor Emeritus: P. Antonacci; Associate Professor: M. Leipold; Assistant Professors: C. Hardigree, A. Howerton-Fox, D. Gunn, CFC; Clinical Senior Lecturer: R. McMahon; Director of Student Teaching: E. Small; Fieldwork Coordinator:  S. Plass.
 

The goals for all candidate/completers include:

• demonstrates commitment to the teaching profession;
• is knowledgeable of content and pedagogy;
• applies educational research and learning theory to practice;
• engages positively with local and global communities; and
• uses assessment to inform instruction.

Iona is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and is working toward accreditation of its educator preparation programs under the AAQEP standards.

Because of the complex nature of teacher education and state certification, students are required to sign a program plan early in their course of studies. Consultation for program planning is available from the Education Department faculty advisors and the specialization chairperson.

All programs are approved by the New York State Education Department and satisfy the academic requirements for the New York State Teaching Certificate for specific areas.

Admission to the Program

Candidates seeking admission to an undergraduate or five-year teacher certification program must fulfill the following requirements by the beginning of their sophomore year for undergraduate programs or the end of their junior year for five-year programs:

1. Submit completed application to preferred program;
2. Uphold a minimum GPA of 3.0 with 30 credits or more at the time of admission.
3. Have a grade of C or above in all concentration area courses and EDU courses.
4. Provide writing sample demonstrating capacity to fulfill program expectations as stated in the department’s Student Learning Outcomes.
5. Display speech communication skills demonstrating capacity to fulfill program expectations as stated in the department’s Student Learning Outcomes.

The Education Department’s faculty will evaluate all requests for admission to the program and monitor each candidate’s performance and professional dispositions throughout the program.

Continuation as an Education Major

All concentrations:

1. Students must maintain a minimum CUM GPA of 3.0.
2. Any Education course in which a student earns less than a grade of C, including student teaching, must be repeated.
3. Students enrolled in the Adolescent Education programs must earn a grade of C or above in their content major courses.

* Throughout the program, teacher candidates are required to demonstrate the dispositions for effective teachers that are stated in the department’s Conceptual Framework. Candidates are also required to meet the ethical and professional standards expected of all educators that are found in the code of ethics and in the college’s statement on plagiarism. Any failure to uphold the dispositions for effective teaching and the ethical standards for educators in the profession will result in dismissal from the program.

Graduation

All concentrations:

1. Completion of all program requirements.
2. A minimum CUM GPA of 3.0.

New York State Teacher Certification

The following requirements must be met to qualify for initial teacher certification:

1. Passing of the following New York State Certification Exams:

• Educating All Students with Literacy (EAS)
• Content Specialty Test(s) (CST)

   2. Completion of the following workshops:

• Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
• Dignity for All Students Act (DASA)
• School Violence Prevention and Intervention
• Coursework or Training in the Needs of Children with Autism (for special education and school leadership certificates)

   3. Fingerprinting

*The New York State Education Department is in the process of changing regulations for teacher certification. Education majors are required to be appraised of these changes through the New York State Education Department website

Programs

• Adolescent Education: Biology (Grades 7-12), BS (0401)
• Adolescent Education: Mathematics (Grades 7-12), BS (1701)
• Childhood Education: Biology (Grades 1-6)/Early Childhood, BS (0802)
• Childhood Education: English (Grades 1-6)/Early Childhood, BS (0802)
• Childhood Education: Mathematics (Grades 1-6)/Early Childhood, BS (0802)
• Childhood Education: Social Studies (Grades 1-6)/Early Childhood, BS (0802)
• Childhood Education: Spanish (Grades 1-6)/Early Childhood, BS (0802)

• Adolescent Education: English (Grades 7-12), BA (1501)
• Adolescent Education: Mathematics (Grades 7-12), BA (1701)
• Adolescent Education: Social Studies (Grades 7-12), BA (2201)
• Adolescent Education: Spanish (Grades 7-12), BA (1501)

• English, BA/Adolescent Education: English, MST
• History, BA/Adolescent Education: Social Studies, MST
• Mathematics, BA/Adolescent Education: Mathematics, MST
• Spanish, BA/Adolescent Education: Spanish, MST

• Biology, BS/Adolescent Education: Biology, MST
• Chemistry, BS (1905)/Adolescent Education: Chemistry, MST (1905.01)
• Mathematics, BS/Adolescent Education: Mathematics, MST