Dean: Dr. Barbara A. Marinak
Director of Teacher Education: Dr. Stacey Brown-Hobbs (Chair)
Professor: Dr. Barbara A. Marinak, Dr. Barbara Martin Palmer
Associate Professors: Dr. Laura Corbin Frazier, Dr. Patrick A. Ryan, Dr. Ernest Solar
Assistant Professors: Dr. Michelle M.Z. Ohanian, Dr. Kara J. Brady
Lecturers: Elizabeth C. Monahan, Lori Sheetz
The School of Education is committed to the preparation of teachers for today and for tomorrow. A broad and integrated liberal arts core is a foundation for teachers at all levels. Through the core curriculum, prospective teachers (a) acquire the essential skills of analytical thought and self-expression, (b) gain and integrate knowledge in various disciplines, (c) acquire an understanding of other cultures and other times, (d) develop an awareness of the various facets of moral and ethical problems, and (e) achieve a high degree of personal fulfillment. To complement the core curriculum, a sequence of professional courses allows prospective teachers to (a) gain general and specialized knowledge in one or more content areas, (b) gain knowledge about past and current theories of education, (c) develop a thorough knowledge of child growth and development, and (d) develop the appropriate skills for effective classroom teaching.
Statement of Purpose
Complemented by a liberal arts education in a Catholic setting, the teacher education unit of Mount St. Mary’s University develops educators who are proficient in content and pedagogy, reflective, and ethical professionals dedicated to leadership in an increasingly diverse technological and global society.
Programs culminate in the earning of a Mount St. Mary’s degree. As all Mount education programs are approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), successful completion of all program requirements leads to eligibility for certification to teach in Maryland and states with reciprocity agreements with the MSDE. Students are advised, however, to consult certification requirements in states of interest early in their study. Teacher education programs are accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), formerly National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Review of programs is the responsibility of the education department in concert with CAEP, MSDE, and the Professional Development School Advisory Council.
Note: Declaring an Education Major does not guarantee admission to and retention in the programs in teacher education.
Student Learning Outcomes
Mount St. Mary’s develops educators who are able to:
- Demonstrate the content and pedagogical knowledge, skills and dispositions to effect student learning (proficient)
- Examine learning to shape their practice (reflective)
- Demonstrate commitment to the diversity, dignity, equality and rights of the individual (ethical)
- Demonstrate leadership as active participants in the education community (leading)
- Respond to the demands of an increasingly diverse technological and global society (adaptive)
Requirements for Entering Teacher Education Programs
Submit an “Application for Admission” to the chair upon completion of the 200-level courses in education. For transfer students this may coincide with admission to the University. The School of Education determines the admission status.
Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher. All courses prefixed EDUC or SPED must be passed with a minimum grade of C-. MATH 108 Concepts of Mathematics for Teachers I (3) ,MATH 109 Concepts of Mathematics for Teachers II (3) ,MATH 211 Mathematical Thinking (3) and GNSCI 1XX Lab courses taken as a part of a required program of study must also be passed with a minimum grade of C-.
Achieve a minimum required score on the dispositions writing prompt and resume.
Requirements for Teacher Internship
- Maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75.
- Recommendation of the chair.
- There is a fee of $260 for the Internship I program, payable upon registration for the first course in Internship I. There is a fee of $335 for Internship II, payable upon registration for the first course in Internship II.
- Students must arrange their own transportation for all field experiences and internship placements.
Program Completion and Certification
All teacher applicants who do not have a GPA of 3.0 on their most recently earned degree must present qualifying scores on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (Core) tests or meet the PPST®, the SAT®, ACT® test or GRE® General Test requirements. After June 30, 2022, all teacher candidates must take the PPAT to fulfill the pedagogy assessment requirement.
In order to apply for certification through the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), a teacher candidate must be a program completer.
For specific details about seeking Maryland certification, consult the Maryland State Department of Education Certification Branch
http://marylandpublicschools.org/about/pages/dee/certification/index.aspx
Professional Development School (PDS)
A Professional Development School (PDS) is a collaboratively planned and implemented partnership for the academic and clinical preparation of teacher candidates and the continuous professional development of both school system and institution of higher education faculty. The focus of a PDS partnership is improved student performance through research-based teaching and learning.
The University enjoys a long-standing PDS partnership with elementary, middle and high schools in Frederick County, MD. In 2007, the University established a Catholic PDS with St. John Regional Catholic School in Frederick, MD. It is possible that early field experiences take place in one of the PDS sites. However, the standards for Maryland PDSs hold that all teacher candidates are provided equitable access to an extensive internship (at least 100 consecutive days) in a PDS. The Mount’s field placement coordinator, working in concert with the PDS liaison and school principals, arranges internship placements in PDSs. A mentor teacher and University supervisor support candidates’ professional development toward meeting the Mount’s benchmarks. Upon graduation, students are expected to demonstrate standards-based teaching that is measured through evaluation of teaching performance and portfolio assessment. The Education Department uses benchmarks aligned to the standards of the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) for evaluating student performance. Teacher candidates are also expected to demonstrate the personal dispositions that relate to successful teaching.
Center for Catholic School Excellence
It is fitting that America’s second oldest Catholic University devote its resources to fostering Catholic education for future generations. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s first home in Emmitsburg was on our campus. From here, supported by our founder Fr. John DuBois, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton dedicated herself to the Catholic education of children. The Center for Catholic School Excellence is a living commitment to the Church’s ministry of education in the Catholic community.
The Center, housed within the School of Education, is a resource for the professional development of preservice teachers, in-service and administrators in pre K-12 Catholic education. It provides a range of programs and courses designed to promote excellence in teaching and learning in Catholic schools.
Support Services for Education Students
The university has classrooms equipped for interactive learning such as zoom technology, touch screen displays, and additional software for student engagement.
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