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College of Education
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founded 1919
Trevor E. Sewell, Dean
215-204-8011

CHANGE IN PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

Students should be aware that a major revision of all undergraduate teacher certification programs is in effect for all students admitted to the College of Education after July 1, 1999. Where possible, these changes have been reflected in this Bulletin. In some cases, however, specific aspects of the new program have not been determined at the time this Bulletin was published. Students should check with the Office of Student Services, or with the Department of Curriculum, Instruction and Technology in Education to ascertain the requirements that pertain to their specific case. In addition, current information about College of Education programs can be obtained through Temple’s Website at http://www.temple.edu/bulletin/.
Students admitted into the College prior to July 1, 1999 are affected by the requirements in place when they were admitted.

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ACCREDITATION

Undergraduate programs in the College of Education are primarily designed to prepare professional teachers for elementary and secondary schools and for various educational settings in business and industry. The Pennsylvania Department of Education approves programs leading to certification. In addition, by action of the Board of Regents of the New York Department of Education, the College of Education is rated as an accredited school of education by the state. The Pennsylvania Department of Education has similar reciprocity agreements with many of the other states in the region. The College of Education is a Member of the Holmes Group, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, the Association of Colleges and Schools of Education in State Universities and Land Grant Colleges, the Pennsylvania Association of Colleges and Teacher Educators, and the University Council for Educational Administration. All College of Education teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Design of Professional Education

The College of Education strives to prepare caring, competent, and qualified professionals for educational settings. Aspiring teachers, for example, must know the content they will teach, know how to teach the content, and meet high standards of teacher professionalism. To this end, programs in the College of Education are conceptualized around the notion of valuing the diversity of individual learners. We believe in the inherent worth of learners and that in schools and classrooms, as in society, diversity is a resource for learning, not an obstacle to be overcome. The diversity of learners is addressed through the following:

  • Imparting a thorough knowledge of subject matter and familiarity with the pedagogy, educational technology, and competencies essential to professional practice;
  • Contributing to the development of the scientific aspect of education through emphasis on the spirit of inquiry and development of research skills;
  • Promoting improvement in education as a field of both theoretical and applied scholarship;
  • Evolving such types of preparations as shall ensure the broadest possible social as well as academic and professional education in a dramatically changing world;
  • Developing educational personnel able to contribute effectively in a pluralistic society;
  • Discovering, through research by students and faculty, new knowledge in the field of education.

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GRADUATE PROGRAMS

The College of Education offers an array of post-baccalaureate programs. See the Graduate Bulletin for more information.

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TEACHER CERTIFICATION AT TEMPLE

Temple provides a variety of ways to obtain certification to teach in public elementary and secondary schools. The major routes to certification are as follows:

  1. Through undergraduate programs in the College of Education. Students who have met the University's admission criteria can request matriculation in the College of Education. There are four broad categories of teaching certificates offered through the College: Elementary Education (for teaching in elementary schools through the sixth grade); Secondary Education (in English, Foreign Language, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies); Career and Technical Education (formerly Vocational/Technical Education); and, Health and Physical Education. Students who are in the Elementary Education Program must also choose an additional area of certification in either Early Childhood Education or Special Education.
  2. Through the Five-Year Teacher Certification Program. All students in a degree program other than education may register for an approved minor in education. This is a 21 credit sequence which offers students the opportunity to explore education as a career. In the Five-Year program, the education minor serves as the first phase of teacher certification. The certification is completed in a master's program which comprises the fifth year of study. Students who are accepted into the master's degree component of the Five-Year program may teach during their fifth year as an intern in an elementary or secondary school, provided they meet the requirements.
  3. Through the Graduate Certification Program in the College of Education. Students who have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university in a field outside of education can earn an Intern and Instructional I certification plus a Master of Education degree. Programs are available in Elementary, Secondary, Special Education, Career and Technical Education, and Health and Physical Education. In some cases prerequisite courses are required.
  4. Through undergraduate and graduate programs in other colleges. Certification in a variety of areas outside of those provided through the College of Education or through the Five-Year Teacher Certification program are provided by several other colleges. These include:
    • Art - through the Tyler School of Art
    • Music - through the Esther Boyer College of Music
    • Health - through the Department of Health Studies
    • Speech – through the Department of Speech and Communication Science

Students who are interested in any of these certificates should contact the Dean's office in the appropriate college. Information about all programs leading to certification can be found in the appropriate sections of this Bulletin, and are indexed.

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ADMISSIONS

Students are considered for admission to the College of Education upon meeting University criteria. Entrance is encouraged at the freshman level. Note that admission to the College of Education does not assure admission to a teacher certification program. Admission to teacher certification programs is highly selective and only a limited number of students can be accepted. Preference is given to students whose grades are exemplary and who have demonstrated a high potential for excellence in teaching in their early practicum courses.

Students desiring teacher certification must also be admitted to a particular certification program in the College of Education. In order to be considered for admission to a certification program, the student must meet a series of minimum requirements. The list of current requirements is presented below. Students should be aware that the Pennsylvania Department of Education is currently discussing several significant changes in these admission requirements. When these regulations are in place, admission into certification programs may be affected. Students will be notified about these changes when they occur.

  1. Meet all high school proficiency requirements as determined by Temple University admissions criteria.
  2. Complete at least 16 s.h. (if a transfer student with 45 or more hours), or 32 s.h. (for others) at Temple with a minimum GPA of 2.5.
  3. Have a minimum GPA for all college work of 2.5.
  4. Pass speech screening as administered by the undergraduate advising office. Corrective work may be required based on this screening.
  5. Pass with a C+ or better both Education 0110 (Science and Art of Teaching) and Education 0111 (Crucial Teaching Strategies). This regulation affects only students admitted prior to July 1, 1999. Students admitted after this date should check with their academic adviser.
  6. Show evidence of sound physical and mental health.
  7. Be recommended for admission to certification by the academic adviser and approved by the Director of Teacher Education.

Students must be admitted to a certification program in order to enroll in the professional certification sequence and student teaching.

Recipients of baccalaureate degrees from other colleges (including those within Temple University) and universities should apply directly to the Graduate School for admission to post-baccalaureate degree or certification programs.

Transfer Students
Students who wish to transfer to the College of Education from another institution must be admitted through the Temple University Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Transfer credits will be evaluated in the Admissions Office in accordance with College of Education and University policy.

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FINANCIAL AID

See Financial Aid

Special Scholarships and Aid

The Mario D. Fantini Scholarship
This is an annual scholarship renewable each year, leading to the bachelor's degree. The recipient must maintain a 3.0 GPA to be eligible for renewal each year. The scholarship was established by University Trustee Bill Cosby and his wife, Camille in memory of Mario D. Fantini, distinguished educator and alumnus of the University. The scholarship is designed to produce persons of excellence, committed to educational excellence for others, who transcend artificial barriers to make a difference in education. All applicants must be graduates of South Philadelphia High School and must be pursuing a career in education. The first Fantini Scholarship was awarded in 1990, for up to four years. The recipient was selected by the President of Temple from recommendations sent to a Temple scholarship committee. Nominations for the scholarship are made by the faculty of South Philadelphia High School. Applications may be obtained from the guidance counselors at the high school. Students who are interested in this schlarship should contact the Dean of the College of Education.

Benjamin Rosner Memorial Loan Fund
Short term emergency loans are available to undergraduate and graduate students who are degree candidates. Information and applications are available in the Advising Office, Ritter Annex, Room 238.

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POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

University policies and regulations apply to all undergraduate students and provide a framework within which schools and colleges may specify further conditions or variations appropriate to students in their courses or program. The Handbook for Undergraduate Teacher Education Programs in the College of Education contains additional regulations for education students.

Academic Honors
A student who has completed 60 semester hours or more in residence at Temple University with a minimum GPA of 3.5 may be eligible for academic honors at graduation. A minimum of 45 hours of coursework must be completed with the assignment of letter grades. The remainder may be evaluated on a Credit/No Credit or Pass/Fail basis. A student will be graduated "with distinction" in an academic field upon recommendation of the appropriate department.

Advising
Every freshman upon enrolling in the College of Education is assigned an academic adviser by the Advising Office. Transfer students are assigned an adviser in the Advising Office for at least one semester. After students have been admitted to a Teacher Certification program, they are assigned a faculty adviser. Students must meet with their advisers at least once each semester for course selection purposes. Academic difficulties should be discussed immediately with one's adviser.

Courses Inapplicable to Graduation Requirements
Credits earned in the following courses are excluded from the total hours counted toward graduation: ELECT 0001, 0002, 0003, 0005, 0006: Mathematics 0015 (formerly Mathematics 0001); all SRAP coursework; Military Science.

Courses Inapplicable for Certification
Students should be aware that the State of Pennsylvania requires a specific set of courses for certification. For this reason, some courses which a student may take may not count toward the courses which are required to be recommended for certification. It is possible, for example, that a student may have accumulated enough credits to graduate, but not have the appropriate courses to be recommended for certification. This is one of the reasons why it is mandatory to meet with an academic adviser at least once per semester.

Dean's List
Students' names will be placed on the Dean's List for any semester in which they complete a minimum of 12 semester hours with letter grades and earn a semester GPA of 3.5 or better. A student whose transcript contains any grades of "I" or "NR" for that particular semester will not be eligible for the Dean's List until these have been cleared. Each semester the College of Education presents a special program of academic and social activities for students on the Dean's List.

Grades in Professional Education Courses
All professional education courses must be completed with a grade of C or higher. Students must be aware, however, that the State of Pennsylvania is considering a significant increase in the minimum GPA required for certification. For this reason, obtaining the minimal grade of "C" will typically not be sufficient to obtain certification.

Graduation without Certification
In rare instances, a student who is unsuccessful in meeting certification program requirements or who has less than the required grade point average(s) may be graduated without certification provided that selected additional requirements as recommended by the academic adviser, and approved by the department chairperson and the Associate Dean are met.

Probation and Dismissal
The University requires that all students must maintain a 2.0 overall average for all academic work completed at Temple University. Failure to do so will result in scholastic probation for the subsequent semester. Students who fail to raise their overall average to 2.0 during this subsequent semester will be dismissed from the College of Education. Students whose semester GPA on a minimum of 12 s.h. of graded coursework falls below 1.0 or who fail to remove themselves from probation are subject to dismissal. In addition, students must remember that maintaining a minimal GPA of 2.0, while not jeopardizing their standing within the University, will not be sufficient for admission to the certification program nor for recommendation for certification to the State of Pennsylvania.

Students who are on probationary status will not be allowed to carry a roster of more than 12 semester hours.

Students who have an overall GPA of 2.0 or better but who drop to a GPA of 1.0 to 1.99 for a single semester will be given an academic warning. Students who receive academic warnings for two consecutive semesters are subject to dismissal from the College of Education.

Any student in a certification program whose overall GPA drops below 2.5 will be given an academic warning. If, after one semester of academic warning, a student has not attained a cumulative GPA of 2.5, the student will be subject to dismissal from the certification program. If the State of Pennsylvania raises its minimal GPA for certification, this new standard will be used in the College of Education for these academic actions.

Readmission
A student who has been dismissed from the College of Education may petition for admission only after a period of at least one semester in which the student is not enrolled at Temple. This period does not include the summer sessions. Any work taken at Temple University or at any other university or college during the period of exclusion, unless under written program advisement, will not be applicable to a degree program.

The total record of an undergraduate student seeking re-admission to the College of Education or to a certification program after an absence of three or more semesters shall be subject to review by an academic adviser, the Director of Teacher Education and the Associate Dean. If readmitted, the student's program for completion of degree requirements will then be planned in accordance with those degree requirements currently operative in the program. See Undergraduate Admissions for further information about the readmission process.

Transfers Within the College of Education
Students must be in good academic standing in their program if transfer to another program within the College of Education is to be approved. (To transfer to another program within the College of Education a student must complete a Declaration of Change of Concentration form. This form is available in the Office of Student Services (RA 238) and must be submitted, upon completion, to the Advising Office.)

Transfers Within the University
Students from other Temple schools and colleges who wish to transfer to the College of Education must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher.

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REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN EDUCATION

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Education, with a recommendation for certification to the State of Pennsylvania, may be conferred upon a student by recommendation of the faculty and upon the successful completion of a minimum of 128 semester hours with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (under current regulations). These credit hours must be earned in three requirement categories: University Core Curriculum requirements; College of Education requirements, including the Professional Course Sequence an d, for teacher certification, the General Studies Requirements; and program requirements.

Minor in Education for Students in Arts and Sciences
The College of Education, in collaboration with other colleges in the University, offers an approved minor in education. This is a 21 credit sequence which is intended to offer students the opportunity to explore education as a career. In the Five-Year Teacher Certification program, the education minor serves as the first phase of teacher certification for those who choose teaching as a career. The certification is completed in a master's program which comprises the fifth year of study. Students accepted into the master's degree component of the Five Year program may teach during their fifth year as an intern in an elementary or secondary school provided they meet program and State regulations. The required courses in the undergraduate education minor are as follows:

  • Education X060: Education, Schooling, and the Individual in U.S. Society (this course also meets the University Core requirement in American Culture) 3 s.h.
  • Education 0122: The Developing Individual Across the Lifespan; or Psychology 0131 Developmental Psychology 3 s.h.
  • Sociology R064: American Ethnicity 3 s.h.
  • Education 0101: Psychology of Learning: Normal and Exceptional Children; or
  • Psychology 0132: Cognitive Underpinnings for Learning Mathematics or Science 3 s.h.
  • 0210 Practicum I :3 s.h.
  • 0212 Curriculum and Supervised Teaching - Elementary; or 0213 Curriculum and Supervised Teaching - Secondary 3 s.h.
  • One course from CAS which is designated as an inquiry course. 3 s.h.

Total - 21 s.h. For further information about this program, call the coordinator of the 5-Year Program in the College of Education at (215) 204-5240.

General Studies Requirements, the University Core Curriculum, and the College of Education's Professional Course Sequence
State standards for teacher certification require that at least one-third of a student's program be taken in general studies. This requirement is designed to assist individuals in their intellectual development and to provide the breadth of background needed by a teacher. This certification standard is met in all programs in the College of Education. In most cases, these general studies credits also meet the University Core Curriculum requirements.

In addition to the general studies requirements, all undergraduate students in the College of Education must complete the Professional Education Course sequence. These courses, along with a selected list of courses which meet the general studies requirement or the University Core requirements, are listed below:

Professional Course Sequence (for students admitted prior to July 1, 1999)
26 s.h.

  • 0110: The Science and Art of Teaching
  • 0111: Crucial Teaching Strategies
  • 0121: Lifespan Human Development
  • 0132: Practicum in Education
  • 0151: Multicultural/Multigroup Relations
  • 0152: Teaching Exceptional Children
  • 0153: Assessment and Evaluation of Learners
  • 0240 Computer-Based Instruction
  • X060 Education, Schooling, and the Individual in U.S. Society

Note: Education 0110 and 0111 must be passed with a grade of C+ or better.

Professional Course Sequence (for students admitted after July 1, 1999)
23 s.h.

  • Ed 122: The Developing Individual Across the Lifespan
  • Ed. 155: Inclusive Education for a Diverse Society
  • Ed. XO60: Education and Schooling in America
  • Ed. 255: Effective Use of Instructional Technology in Classrooms
  • Ed. 305: Curriculum, Instruction and Technology
  • Ed. 306: Assessment and Evaluation
  • Ed. 324: Service Learning
  • Ed. 325: Field Experience: Managing the Contemporary Classroom

Other Required Courses (For all students) 18 s.h.

  • C050 College Composition 3 s.h.
  • X051 & X052 Intellectual Heritage 6 s.h.
  • C055 College Mathematics 3 s.h.
  • C050 Psychology as a Social Science 3 s.h.

Speech Communication

  • 0065 Public Speaking; or 0066 Interpersonal Communication 3 s.h.

Note: Students in Secondary Mathematics or Science Education programs are required to enroll in other mathematics courses. These requirements are listed in the program descriptions below.

Other Requirements for College of Education Students
In addition to the above required courses, all students in the College of Education must meet the following requirements. Most of these requirements are determined by the University Core Curriculum. Exceptions, exclusions, and additions to these requirements are noted in the individual program descriptions.

  • Composition/Writing
    In addition to Composition C050, all students must complete five writing intensive courses. Three of these courses will be Intellectual Heritage X051 and X052, and the College of Education capstone course in the student’s major area.
  • Literature
    A minimum of one course in literature offered by the English or Foreign Language departments is required. 3 s.h.
  • Mathematics/Statistics/Logic
    In addition to C055 (College Mathematics) all students must take at least one additional second semester mathematics, statistics, or logic course from those meeting Core requirements. 6 s.h.
  • Science and Technology
    All students must take a minimum of two courses, one first semester and one second semester, from one scientific field. 8 s.h. (Note: Students in the Elementary Education program must take an additional semester of science.)
  • Social Science
    In addition to C050 (Psychology as a Social Science), all students are required to take at least one additional course selected from the departments of African American Studies, Anthropology, Economics, Geography and Urban Studies, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology. 3 s.h.
  • History
    All programs in the College requires that students take either C067 (History of the United States to 1877) or C068 (History of the United States since 1877). 3 s.h.
  • The Arts
    At least one Core course in performance, appreciation, or history of the arts is required. 3 s.h.
  • Language or International Studies
    At least two courses are required. The list of courses meeting the Core requirements is available from advisers. 6 s.h.
  • American Culture
    At least one course is required. This requirement can be met through X060/C060 (Education, Schooling, and the Individual in U.S. Society) or by History C067 or C068. 3 s.h.
  • Race
    One course in race and racism is required (see your adviser). 3 s.h.

Professional Certification
All curricula leading to state certification are organized to meet the standards established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Certificates for which Temple University, College of Education, undergraduate students may be recommended include the following:

  • Art Education (See Tyler School of Art)
  • Early Childhood Education
  • Elementary Education
  • Health and Physical Education
  • Music (See Boyer College of Music)
  • Secondary Education
    • English
    • Foreign Language
      • French
      • German
      • Hebrew
      • Italian
      • Latin
      • Portuguese
      • Spanish
    • Mathematics
    • Science
      • Biology
      • Chemistry
      • Earth and Space Science
      • General Science
      • Physics
    • Social Studies
  • Special Education
  • Career and Technical Education
    • Business Education
      • Accounting
      • Data Processing
      • Marketing
      • Office Technologies
      • Secretarial
    • Cooperative Education
    • Industrial Education
    • Marketing and Distributive Education
    • Vocational Education

Graduation from the College of Education does not carry automatic endorsement for State Certification. Students desiring certification must hold the appropriate degree and fulfill competency requirements, be recommended by the College of Education, and submit the required application form. Recommendations are predicated upon successful completion of all academic and statutory requirements and on the fitness of the individual for the professional position.

Students not obtaining Pennsylvania State Teacher certification within five years of completing their programs must take additional coursework before the College of Education will recommend them for certification.

In addition, all students seeking certification are required by the State of Pennsylvania to pass the relevant parts of the Pennsylvania Teacher Certification Testing Program (the Praxis Series) in order to be eligible for teacher certification. At present, the required tests include all parts of the Core Battery as well as competency tests in each area for which a certificate is obtained.

Physical and Medical Standards
All students must meet certain health standards to obtain an Instructional Certificate to teach in the public schools of Pennsylvania.

Physical and medical standards for certification and employment vary considerably from one state to another and from one school district to another within the same state. Students expecting to apply for positions in certain school districts should determine what the standards are in evaluating their own prospects for employment. The specific requirements for a given school district may be determined by writing to the appropriate official. Some representative statements of standards are on file in the Office of the Dean. Any student with a medical problem or physical handicap is urged to consult this office and the Health Services staff to ascertain suitability for the teaching profession.

State law provides that each student participating in the school must take the same tuberculosis test required of teachers and other school employees. A report of the test obtained no earlier than six months prior to the first contact with school children shall be valid for a period of two calendar years.

Diagnostic Speech Screening
Candidates for teacher certification are given a diagnostic speech screening. Additional diagnostic testing may be required and corrective actions may be taken to remediate problems. Decisions about remedial efforts and student eligibility to continue in a program will be determined by the Department Chairperson of the department in which the student is enrolled and approved by the Associate Dean of the College of Education.

Student Teaching
Application for student teaching placement must be made the semester prior to student teaching. Application forms are available in the Student Teaching Center (RH 341). The following due dates are in effect: September 15th for Spring semester placements and February 1st for fall semester placements.

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