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.
The mission of the Education Department is to prepare reflective practitioners who are recognized for their vision, motivation, knowledge, skills, and dispositions as they develop, manage and monitor communities of learning in a diverse and complex world. This mission is built on the foundational tenets of a broad-based liberal arts education in the tradition of King’s College and the Congregation of Holy Cross and the best professional practices of teacher education.
For many students, a major in education is used to qualify for a teaching job based on the area of certification. Education graduates can also be hired by businesses which sponsor tutoring services or test preparation or development. Other graduates from the PK-4 major prefer to work or own child care centers. Graduates also find positions in boards of education, community organizations such as the YMCA, museums, professional organizations or language schools overseas. Additional positions can be secured in bookstores, educational supply companies, or textbook publishers. Becoming a management trainee or providing professional development for corporations is another opportunity. For students interested in educational policy and law, education graduates can go on to law school or work for various government or social agencies.
Additional opportunities for those students who continue to a masters degree include special services positions in the schools (including reading specialist, guidance counseling, school psychology, English as a Second Language instruction, and curriculum supervision to name a few). Career Opportunities
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 Program for Teacher Education is approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education and meets the educational requirements to obtain teacher certification in Pennsylvania. Determinations regarding professional licensure and/or certification eligibility associated with this program are outlined below.
With Pennsylvania Certification, the Teacher Education Program meets the educational requirements for teaching certification in the following states: Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The Teacher Education Program also meets the educational requirements for teaching certification in the District of Columbia.
To obtain teaching certification in Alabama, Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, South Carolina, South Dakota, or Texas, students must complete additional educational requirements. Students who are planning to teach in one of these states are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the educational requirements in the relevant state. The state’s Department of Education can provide this information.
This information is, to the College’s best understanding, accurate and current. It is strongly recommended that students pursuing employment outside the state of Pennsylvania exercise due diligence regarding examination of state-specific educational requirements related to professional licensure.
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 progress. In order to be accepted into the education program, students will submit a formal application that attests to demonstrating a positive attitude toward teaching, have earned an overall G.P.A. of 3.00 or higher, developed a satisfactory teaching portfolio, completed two English and two Math courses, and met the state requirements for health. If all of these conditions are satisfied, as well as those outlined in the formal application, the student will be formally admitted 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.
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.
We welcome all potential students and their families to visit our beautiful campus and get a taste of the King’s College experience. Feel free to schedule a personal visit or register for one of our upcoming admission events.