Adolescence Education

The Adolescence Education Department seeks to prepare students for Initial Certification in Secondary Education with majors in biology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics, and Spanish, in New York State-approved programs. The programs are accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC).

The programs, grounded in the tradition of the liberal arts, provide students with a core curriculum and appropriate depth and breadth of knowledge in their major field. (See specifics required of majors in their respective field.) Close collaboration exists among major departments and the Adolescence Education Department in the preparation of teachers.

For entrance into the adolescence education program, all students will be required to file a formal application in the Education Office. A College average of 2.8 is required and an acceptable grade in a writing sample. Thereafter, students must maintain a 2.8 GPA College-wide, in their major field, and in their Education coursework, including methods courses. Each student in this program is required to purchase and complete an e-portfolio using Chalk & Wire.

Professional competence is developed through a sequence of courses that integrate theory and practice, as well as through 100 hours of fieldwork in the middle and secondary schools prior to student teaching. These field experiences introduce the prospective teacher to working with students and teachers in a variety of situations and in roles of increasing responsibility.

All students preparing to teach must demonstrate acceptable expository writing and the ability to utilize new technologies. In addition, students must complete a year of the same modern language at the college level and two approved speech courses (three for English majors), with a Speech GPA no lower than 3.0.

In addition to the academic requirements of the University to gain Initial Certification teacher candidates must achieve passing scores on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations and must be fingerprinted. Certification also requires evidence of participation in Child Abuse, Violence Prevention and Intervention, and Dignity for All Students Workshops (DASA). Candidates who are certified in New York State should be aware that certification is not automatically transferable to other states.

Candidates usually enter the program as sophomores. Other students may elect Education courses with the permission of the department.

Programs

• Biology
• Chemistry
• English
• History, Social Studies
• Mathematics
• Spanish