The College of Education

Paula Summers Calderon, Dean

The College of Education administratively is composed of the Departments of Educational Leadership and Foundations; Teaching and Learning; the Laboratory School. In addition, students in the Departments of Biological Sciences, Chemistry and Physics, English, Music and Performing Arts, Visual Art + Design, History and Political Science, Kinesiology and Health Studies, World Languages & Cultures, and Mathematics, who are preparing to become teachers are enrolled in the College of Education.

Teacher Candidacy

The teaching profession is highly demanding and remarkably complex. A person desiring to become a teacher must maintain academic standards and demonstrate qualifications for successful teaching including satisfactory performance in clinical practice. Therefore, the College of Education at Southeastern Louisiana University is committed to recruiting, admitting, retaining and graduating in the Professional Program in Teacher Education only those students who show evidence of being capable of performing in an acceptable manner. Enrollment in the Professional Program does not guarantee that a student will receive the degree or certification sought simply because he/she completes a number of courses or clinical practice assignments. Certification requirements are specified by the State Legislature and/or the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and coordinated by the State Department of Education. These requirements are subject to periodic modification, which may not occur at times feasible for inclusion in the annual publication of the University catalog. It is the responsibility of the students to make periodic checks for such changes with the academic advisors and/or department heads.

Students are required to submit an application for admission to the Professional Program in Teacher Education. Each candidate’s application must be reviewed for compliance by the Dean of the College of Education.

1. Admission Requirements
   1. Students in the College of Education and other colleges that have approved teacher education programs must make application for admission to Teacher Candidacy at least four weeks prior to the end of any given semester in order to have their applications duly processed by the beginning of the following semester. The schedule for applying is the following:
      1. Students in the College of Education and other colleges that have approved teacher education programs will normally be required to make application for admission as students during their introduction to Education class. Students who transfer in credit for an equivalent class will contact the Department of Teaching and Learning for the current application to apply for admission to Teacher Candidacy. 
      2. All students must have formally filed an application before enrolling in any professional courses that require admission to Teacher Candidacy.
   2. Students who make proper application will be screened and placed in one of the two categories described below:
      1. FULL ADMISSION: Indicates all screening components have been met and the candidate is eligible to schedule remaining professional education courses. Criteria for FULL ADMISSION are:
         1. Minimum 2.75 cumulative grade point average (based on a minimum of 30 credit hours). Education students with a cumulative grade point average that is less than 2.75 will be put on a Performance Growth Plan for GPA. See the Department of Teaching and Learning for a GPA related Performance Growth Plan. Education students with a GPA of 2.5 - 2.749 may use their Performance Growth Plan as an appeal to continue taking education classes while bringing up their GPA.
         2. Demonstrate proficiency in writing by earning a “B” or higher in ENGL 1020  or by having an ACT English score of 20 or higher. 
         3. Achieve a grade of “B” or higher in the Introduction to Education course.
         4. Have signed the Memorandum of Student Advisement and Counseling.
            
            OR
      2. INELIGIBLE: Indicates a student does not meet or maintain criteria for full admission status.
2. Retention Procedures
   1. Ongoing screening of each student admitted to Teacher Candidacy will occur each semester of a student’s enrollment in the professional program.
      1. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 or higher.
      2. Students whose grade point average falls below 2.75 will be put on a Performance Growth Plan for GPA.
   2. Students demonstrating behaviors or characteristics that make it questionable whether they can succeed in the teaching profession will be referred for Professional Performance Review. A review may result in:
      1. No action being taken but further observations.
      2. Recommendation of a Performance Growth Plan or Professional Improvement Plan.
      3. Referral to the Professionalism Committee which may recommend:
         1. Probation with specified conditions.
         2. Temporary suspension from Teacher Candidacy with specified conditions.
         3. Expulsion from Teacher Candidacy.
3. Appeal Procedures
   Students who wish to appeal decisions of the Professionalism Committee may do so in writing to the Dean of the College of Education.

Performance Growth Plans and Professional Improvement Plans are a formal agreement made with the student acknowledging what difficulties must be addressed and what actions the student and faculty will take to address the difficulty or difficulties. These plans are monitored by the Undergraduate Coordinator, Department Head, and/or Office of First Year Success, Teacher Development Center, or Office of Clinical Practice and Residency as appropriate to the reasons and plan for remediating the issue or issues of concern. 

Policy for Electronic Assessment System College of Education

As part of the College of Education focus on performance-based outcomes, data will be incorporated into an assessment system for students enrolled in an approved Teacher Education Program. Students are required to submit products through a web-based system that provides candidates, faculty, and administrative staff a system to gather, demonstrate, and evaluate performance data. Candidates must use the online assessment system when they enroll in a course offered through the College of Education.

The electronic assessment system will (1) allow the student to demonstrate how they meet knowledge, skills, and professional and ethical behavior required by the Louisiana Requirements for Initial Certification for certification through the Louisiana Department of Education; (2) provide a process by which a student can become a reflective practitioner to foster continuous improvement; and (3) document a student’s growth from being novice teacher candidate to being a competent teacher ready to have their own classroom. Through the electronic assessment process, evaluators will have an opportunity to identify areas for improvement at each level and develop a plan for remediation when necessary. By completing and submitting a product, students will gain an understanding that they are ultimately responsible for acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary for being an effective classroom teacher.

After successful completion of all requirements in the Certification program, students may be eligible for recommendation to the Louisiana Department of Education for teacher certification in their area of certification.

Additional College of Education Graduation Requirements

Students in the College of Education must meet the following requirements in addition to the general University requirements listed elsewhere:
Teacher Certification Programs (programs leading to a degree in teacher education and state certification).

1. Admission to Teacher Candidacy.
2. Have no grade lower than a “B” in EDCI 1010  and have no grade lower than a “C” in other professional courses (EDCI and EDES courses) and a “B” or higher in each teaching residency course.
3. Demonstrate teaching performance competency by passing Residency I and II Performance Assessments.

Degrees Conferred

The degree of Bachelor of Arts is conferred upon the completion of the curricula in the following fields:

English Education
Social Studies Education

The degree of Bachelor of Science is conferred upon the completion of the curricula in the following fields:

Early Childhood Education Grades PK-3
Elementary Education Grades 1-5
Health and Physical Education Teacher Education
Middle School Education Grades 4-8
Special Education Mild/Moderate for Elementary Education Grades 1-5
Special Education Mild/Moderate for Middle School Grades 4-8

Honors Diploma in the Discipline

For information on earning Sophomore Honors Distinction, Senior Honors Distinction, or the Honors Diploma, please consult The University Honors Program section of this catalog, the Director of the Honors Program, and/or your Department Head.

Alternative Teacher Certification Programs

The College of Education offers two alternative teacher programs: (1) Master of Arts in Teaching, and (2) Non-Degree Certification-Only (Alternative Teacher Certification). A complete description of these programs is located in the Graduate Studies  section and can be reviewed from the Programs of Study section of this Catalog.

Departmental Curricula

English

English Education

Kinesiology and Health Studies

Health and Physical Education Teacher Education

History and Political Science

Social Studies Education

Teaching and Learning

Early Childhood Education Grades PK-3
Elementary Education Grades 1-5
Middle School Education Grades 4-8
Special Education Mild/Moderate for Elementary Education Grades 1-5
Special Education Mild/Moderate for Middle School Education Grades 4-8

Requirements for Teaching Residency

The State Department of Education regulations for certification of teachers require that teacher candidates complete their student teaching residency under the control and supervision of the institution from which they expect to be graduated. To be eligible for student teaching residency, students must:

1. Classify as seniors (must have at least ninety hours of credit).
2. Enroll in classes within Southeastern’s College of Education for at least three semesters.
3. Pass all Praxis II examinations in Principles of Learning and Teaching and Content Specialty Area Tests for the certification area being earned.
4. Admission to Teacher Candidacy status.
5. Have completed and earned a grade of “C” or better in all required professional courses: (EDCI, EDES) as appropriate to the area of certification.
6. Have completed and earned a grade of “C” or better in all required courses in their first teaching courses. These courses are identified with a double or triple dagger on the curriculum sheets.
7. Have completed EDCI 1010  with a grade of “B” or better.
8. Apply for teaching residency the semester prior to the residency. Applications are accepted during the fall and spring only.
9. Have approval of the Director of Clinical Practice and Residency.
10. Have a statement from their Department Head certifying that they are competent in the subject material in which they are seeking certification.
11. Students majoring in degrees in the Kinesiology and Health Studies Department may be required to participate in a drug screening program and/or submit information for criminal background checks as part of clinical/internship requirements.

Teaching Residency Semesters

Teacher residents (hereafter, “residents”) will follow the school district’s calendar and will report to the school in the summer when teachers arrive for the school year (or in December for the spring residents). This will be prior to the first day of class on the university academic calendar. Residents report at the designated time for school district teachers each day, and will remain at the school for a minimum of three days per week of placement school time during Residency I and five days per week during Residency II, and will remain at the school until regular dismissal of teaching personnel. Six hours are awarded for the first semester residency, and nine hours are awarded for the second semester residency.

Residents will complete their residency away from the campus community; therefore, residents must expect to make arrangement to be away from campus for part of the time during their first semester and full time during their second semester of residency. The Director of Clinical Practice and Residency will arrange a placement for each student teacher resident.

Residents take concurrent classes with their residency during the first semester, but they must request permission from the Director of Clinical Practice and Residency to schedule only one course with the second semester of residency. Any course scheduled in addition to second semester of residency must not conflict with their full-time participation in the schools. The hours involved in second semester of residency will be approximately 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (i.e., the school hours for the residency site), Monday through Friday.

In order to remain in the residency, residents are expected to meet and maintain desirable professional, physical, and moral standards consistent with their positions in the public schools. They must also demonstrate proficiency in instruction, management, and planning. Residency courses must be passed with a “B” or better to count towards program completion.

Residents who fail or are directed to withdraw from residency must complete a Performance Growth Plan prior to a second residency experience. Students will not be granted a third attempt at a residency experience.