The Education Department of King’s College is dedicated to preparing young men and women to become teachers in a program that is consistent with the liberal arts tradition and the mission statement of King’s College. The Department is small enough to offer individual attention to all students and large enough to be well staffed and equipped. Our staff and physical facilities are unsurpassed by any comparable educational program. All full-time members of the Education Department faculty are credentialed at the doctoral level or have exceptional expertise.
The Program for Teacher Education at King’s College is approved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Degrees Offered
- Education Major that leads to certification in Grades PK-4 and Special Education K-12
- 5 Year Master’s Offering: PK-4/SPED K-12 and Master’s in Reading
- Educational Studies
- Education - Mathematics Grades 4-8
- Education - Science Grades 4-8
- Master’s Degree: Reading
- Master’s Degree: Curriculum and Instruction
- Master’s Degree: Special Education
Certification Coursework Offered
In addition, we offer courses that are tied to undergraduate majors that lead to certifications in various content areas. These include:
- Citizenship/Social Studies Grades 7-12 (with a major in History, Political Science, Economics)
- General Science Grades 7-12
- Biology Grades 7-12
- English Grades 7-12
- Mathematics Grades 7-12
- Chemistry Grades 7-12
- French Grades PK-12
- Physics Grades 7-12
- Spanish Grades PK-12
- Special Education PK-12
The department of education also offers the coursework required for the Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential and the Director’s Credential.
Graduate Coursework Leading to Additional Certifications, Endorsements, etc.:
- Autism
- STEM
- Instructional Coaching
- ESL
- Reading Specialist
The Educational Studies major is designed for those students who have chosen to pursue a degree that allows them to work in areas affiliated with education that do not require teacher certification. These areas include owning or working in an early learning center, corporate/employee education and training, tutoring centers, informal educators at non-profit organizations, museums, historical centers and environmental sites. Students completing this major would be eligible for the CDA or Director’s Credential or certification as a Private Academic Teacher.
Formal Entry to Upper Level Course Work
Effective August 1, 2015, ACT 168 of the Pennsylvania Law requires that an assessment of basic skills to be completed by preparation candidates prior to entry into a Pennsylvania baccalaureate teacher preparation program. In order to be in compliance of this law, students must pass the basic skills tests before taking the 300 and 400 level coursework (the professional core) in any certification program at King’s College. Students who are majoring in Math 4-8 Education, Science 4-8 Education, or Education (PK-4/Special Education K-12) who have not passed the basic skills tests before reaching these courses will need to change their major at the end of sophomore year.
Formal Acceptance into the Undergraduate Teacher Education Certification Program
Formal application to the education program will be made by the end of the sophomore year after having completed 48-60 credits. At that time the Education Department will assess the student’s program. In order to be accepted into the education program, students should demonstrate a positive attitude toward teaching, have an overall G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher, develop a satisfactory teaching portfolio, earn a passing score (as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education) on the basic skills tests, and meet the state requirements for health. If all of these conditions are met, the student is admitted formally to the teacher education program. Any student who does not gain formal acceptance into the teacher education program will not be eligible for student teaching. Students who have not passed the basic skills tests will not be allowed to register for any 300 or 400 level education (EDUC) courses.
Assessment System
The King’s College Education Department has an assessment system that collects and analyzes data on applicant qualifications, candidate and graduate performance, and unit operations to evaluate and improve the unit and its programs. King’s faculty and local school faculty will use performance-based assessments to assess education students during courses, field experiences, and advisement sessions. To pass though the assessment “Gates,” students will also be expected to demonstrate satisfactory development of a teaching portfolio (as determined by the student’s advisor during advisement sessions), earn a “C” or better in all education classes, and meet other requirements outlined in the Teacher Education Handbook. In order to be considered a program completer, students will be required to take the appropriate PRAXIS II or PECT Tests during their final semester at King’s.
Basic Requirements
Preparation for certification must include at least sixty semester hours of general education. The distribution of the courses will cover the humanities, social sciences, and the natural sciences and conform to the college’s Core Curriculum. Students seeking certification in secondary education will major in one of the following content areas: Biology, Chemistry, English, General Science, History, Political Science, Economics, Mathematics, or Physics. Foreign Language certification (PK-12) is offered in Spanish and French. At King’s, students pursuing a certificate in Citizenship Education will major in history, political science, or economics and complete additionally prescribed courses for a social studies core.
All education students will take a minimum of thirty-seven hours of professional education courses. They will include courses in educational foundations, field experiences, reading skills, educational psychology, teaching diverse students, general and special methods of teaching, teaching the exceptional child, and student teaching practices.
All students seeking certification must meet the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s requirements at the time of certification. Currently these requirements include six credits in mathematics (numbered 100 or above at King’s) and six credits in English (3 in writing and 3 in literature).
Student Teaching
During the senior year, all students in the teacher education certification program are required to participate in a professional semester. This includes a student teaching orientation followed by supervised full-time student teaching with diverse students. Education majors are placed in student teaching positions at various early childhood, elementary, middle schools, and high schools in a thirty mile radius of King’s. Students are required to submit an application for student teaching to the field experience coordinator no later than 6 p.m. on the second Monday of May for the following fall semester or 6 p.m. on the second Monday of November for the following spring semester. During the student teaching semester, students are discouraged from taking any course except EDUC 440, Inclusive Education. In order to be eligible for student teaching, students must have satisfied all content area and education coursework, and have met all requirements outlined on the student teaching application.