Welcome to Specialist Degree Candidates

Congratulations! We in the School of Education at Piedmont College are proud to welcome you as a degree candidate in our Education Specialist Program in Instruction. The Specialist Program in Instruction is obviously filling an important need for teachers who desire to become distinguished educators and leaders in their schools and communities as we have graduated over 700 since the program began.

This handbook is designed to supply you with important information to facilitate your journey to success as a Specialist Degree candidate and should provide answers to your questions as you begin your participation in the program. Please keep this handbook for future reference throughout your program.

We hope that this handbook will be useful to you, and we invite you to let us know how we can improve it for future candidates. Good luck, and enjoy the experience that lies ahead.

A Brief Look at Foundational Items

Piedmont College Mission

Piedmont College educates students to become successful and responsible citizens through rigorous academic instruction in the liberal arts and professional disciplines. Learning opportunities are provided through undergraduate and graduate programs offered at various locations. The institution emphasizes high ethical standards and respect for diversity.

School of Education Mission

The theme of the School of Education is “Mastering the art of teaching: Preparing proactive educators to improve the lives of children.” The School of Education strives to prepare reflective, scholarly, proactive educators. These practitioners effectively educate their own students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive, and collaborative learners in diverse, democratic learning communities.

School of Education Philosophy

Specific ideals form the foundation upon which our conceptual framework is built. Those ideals that we advocate including the democratic ideals of: equal rights and opportunities; individual freedom and responsibility; responsibility for the greater good; respect for diversity; openness to possibilities; and open, informed discourse.

We endorse the following processes as a means of striving for our democratic ideals: engaging in participatory decision-making; collaborating in teaching and learning; collecting information from all constituencies; examining options and projecting consequences; nurturing open discourse; providing for field experiences; assessing processes as well as products; modeling democratic ideals in the classroom; forming communities of learners; and constantly revising the curriculum to reflect new insights and understandings. Further, we endorse the development of a sense of personal integrity and of strong habits of mind (e.g., reflection, persistence, clarity, accuracy, and responsiveness to feedback).

Graduate MAT, MA, and EDS Program Goals

The goal of the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Arts (MA), and Education Specialist Degree (EDS) programs at Piedmont College is to provide the graduate candidate knowledge in the social and educational development of students. Through an individualized program of study based on the candidate’s undergraduate program, experience, and professional goals, the programs seek to:

· Provide the candidates with the ability to communicate and teach effectively using an interdisciplinary knowledge base and understanding of multidimensional classrooms;

· Utilize and facilitate critical thinking skills;

· Enhance candidates’ content knowledge, integrating it with instructional technology;

· Enable candidates to interpret and assess educational research, and conduct their own classroom-based research; and to

· Provide experiences that enable candidates to assume roles as scholarly practitioners and to develop their skills and abilities as professional teachers.

School of Education Conceptual Framework

As a community of learners ourselves, we build our program on the following principles (drawn from the collected references and developed and adopted by consensus of all faculty in the School of Education), which we have linked to learner outcomes adapted from Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC, 1994) standards:

Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers create caring, nurturing environments in the contexts of democratic classrooms, schools, and communities (outcomes 1 and 10);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers model the integration and application of content knowledge and incorporate the standards of appropriate specialty organizations and the Quality Core Curriculum (outcome 2);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers exhibit the traits of life-long learners (outcome 9);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers use their understanding of human development and learning to design and implement instruction (outcomes 3, 5, and 8);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers understand and value diversity, and modify instruction accordingly to meet the needs of all learners (outcome 4);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers use a variety of teaching and assessment strategies to facilitate learning for all students (outcomes 5 and 6);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers use appropriate communication skills and technologies (outcomes 7 and 10);
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers critically evaluate educational policies and practices and continually seek to improve their own practices (outcome 9); and
Reflective, scholarly, proactive teachers collaborate with other educators for the purposes of improving themselves, improving teaching practices, and stimulating educational research (outcome 10).

In the process of revising and developing our conceptual framework, the faculty of the School of Education reviewed several different existing national performance standards. Written performance standards have become a widely adopted tool of teacher education reform.

Student Outcomes

Core Candidate Learning Outcomes

The following outcomes, adapted from the 1994 INTASC standards, will be assessed in all programs in the education unit of Piedmont College.

Learning Environment: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to create a caring learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, self regulation, and collaboration. The teacher additionally fosters the ideals of a democratic classroom by treating students fairly and justly, providing intellectual challenge, and supporting students as they pursue knowledge and understanding.

Subject Matter: The scholarly teacher understands and can model the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.

Student Learning: The reflective teacher understands how students develop and learn and can provide well-managed learning opportunities that support students’ intellectual, social, and personal growth.

Diversity: The teacher committed to the ideals of the democratic classroom understands that learners are the products of their innate talents/disabilities, preferred learning styles, and cultural experiences and can adapt instruction to meet diverse needs.

Instructional Strategies: The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to proactively encourage the development of students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.

Assessment Strategies: The teacher understands and uses a variety of assessment strategies to encourage the continual intellectual, social, and personal growth of students to become knowledgeable, inquisitive learners.

Communication and Technology: The teacher uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal, and media communication techniques and technologies to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Planning Instruction: The reflective, scholarly teacher plans and manages instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter/pedagogy, students, the community, and curriculum goals.

Reflection and Professional Development: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of her/his choices and actions upon others, and who proactively seeks opportunities for the continual development of a personal pedagogy.

10. Collaboration and Relationships: The teacher communicates and collaborates with other educators, parents/families, and the community through democratic processes to support student learning and well being.

Candidate Learning Outcomes for Graduate Programs

Early Childhood

Constructivist Practices: The proactive, scholarly, and reflective teacher models and provides opportunities for constructivist practices.

Informed Teachers: The proactive, scholarly, and reflective teacher is an informed professional.

Scholarly Work: The proactive, reflective teacher actively engages in scholarly work.

Action Research: The proactive, scholarly, and reflective teacher participates in action research.

Secondary Education (For Initial and Advanced Programs)

Research: The teacher refines instructional practices informed by critical consideration of relevant research and by the application of action research as an ongoing aspect of practice.

Democratic Classroom: The teacher guides students as they become involved in activities that can provide skills and dispositions needed by informed citizens who are engaged in pursuing the ideals of democracy.

Philosophical Orientation: The teacher studies initiatives, patterns, trends and policies for their philosophical underpinnings as part of a continuing assessment of the efficacy of those underpinnings.

Integrity: The teacher pursues her/his professional practices with a strong sense of mission beyond keeping a job, and with a keen sense of ethical integrity.

Philosophical Pragmatism: The teacher maintains an intellectual spiral in which practices are improved by conceptual refinements, which are in turn refined by assessing the results of implementations over time.

Advanced Certification

Modeling and Mentoring: The teacher models the most effective practices and accepts responsibility to mentor new and veteran teachers.

Professional Discourse: The teacher participates actively in the professional discourses related to the field of certification both at the school and in regional and national venues, as well.

Proactive Involvement: The teacher takes advantage of opportunities to influence the school toward curricula, instructional practices, policies and professional climate which result in students acquiring more durable knowledge and skills and in-depth understanding, as well as positive dispositions toward learning.

School of Education Specialist Program in Instruction

Rationale

The program goal of the Specialist Program in Instruction is designed to develop distinguished contributing teachers as leaders, mentors, and models across schools and systems. The primary purpose of schooling is instruction; therefore, all teachers, staff and administrators must focus through habits of mind on the ultimate goal of providing students with the best and most appropriate education possible through continuing school improvement. Regular classroom teachers, teachers in pull-out areas, lead teachers, department heads, building level administrators, as well as staff and administrators at the district levels need to view themselves as instructional leaders and through proactive, scholarly and reflective professional and pedagogical development provide instructional expertise and leadership to students and peers both formally and informally.

Program of Study

The specialist program in instruction offers components that address the qualities necessary for preparing distinguished teaching and leadership. The program will provide a rigorous and scholarly pragmatic approach that will meet the needs of candidates in various geographic and educational contexts. To that end, participants are required to specialize in the four program strand themes:

Historical foundations of education (foundations: classroom, school and community)
Field based research that examines and leads to improved student achievement, (research: designing and implementing research)
Personal and professional philosophy and pedagogy (philosophy: reflections on self, teaching, and impact on students), and Development of expertise in content inquiry style involving classroom practices and management (content and classroom practice)
Electives: School Law, Foxfire or Advanced Technology

These four strands form a holistic approach to the one year, 30 hour program of study as continuous themes and curricula to guide, instruct, and develop the professional educator to attain distinguished levels of both theory and practice and become contributing members in the professional discourse of improving schooling.

Program Entrance Requirements

Master’s Degree And Certification

The applicant must

· Possess a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution.

· Two years of documented successful teaching experience

· Submit a copy of a current and valid teaching certificate.

· Submit official, final, and sealed transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended. One transcript must reflect a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution. These must be submitted in the sealed envelope sent from the registrar’s office.

· Have a minimum 3.5 GPA on the master’s level.

· Report a score on the GRE, MAT or similar standardized test typically used for admission to a graduate program

Letters of Recommendation

· The applicant must submit three letters of recommendation from professionals in the field of Education that include information about the candidate’s competence and effectiveness as a successful educator for a minimum of three years.

· One of these letters must be from a school system supervisor.

· One of these letters must be from a previous college professor or staff development instructor.

· One of these letters can be from either of the above categories or any professional in the field of Education.

Technology Skills

· The applicant must document and have competence in the use of educational technology skills (Word Processing, Internet, E-mailing, etc.). A master’s level Instructional Technology course or State of Georgia In-tech certification would meet this prerequisite.

· If an In-Tech certificate is used to meet this prerequisite, please include a copy with your admissions packet.

· In lieu of these courses a technology skills assessment checklist is available upon request and may be submitted for evaluation by the Specialist Committee to meet this prerequisite.

· An elective course in technology is also offered to meet this requirement

*Note: This program is technology intensive and Candidates must possess appropriate skills in order to be successful.

Letter of intent

The applicants will be required to submit a concise, grammatically correct letter stating their purpose(s) for applying to the Education Specialist degree. This letter will be submitted to Graduate Admissions with the admissions packet as a typed, double-spaced, Courier size 14 font letter.

*Note: Acceptance to the Specialist Program will be based on the strength of the applicant’s admissions packet and essay. A Specialist Program Committee will evaluate the essays.

The Education Specialist Program

An Overview

Before going any further, you might find it helpful to take a look at how the EDS Program may unfold for you as a candidate:

You will need to begin developing your professional development portfolio (PDP), an integral component of the Specialist Program. Early on, the instructional team will assist you in considering your professional development needs and will try to refine the curriculum and activities to best serve those needs. Your PDP, like the four strands of instruction, should involve professional development in each of these areas:

· Foundations -- classroom, school, and community

· Research -- designing and implementing research

· Philosophy -- reflections on self, teaching, and impact on students and Content and classroom practice

· Electives- options include School Law, Foxfire or Advanced Technology

As you work your way through the four program strands you will, of course, continue to develop and build your PDP. During the early stages of your course work, you will become familiar with the Specialist Teacher Assessment Rating (STAR). The STAR is an instrument for you, as a Specialist teacher, and for your school and college supervisors to use to assess your classroom performance. You will perform a self-assessment that will then be compared with a final self-assessment at the end of the program. It is the goal and expectation of the Specialist Program that you achieve Proficient to Distinguished ratings in each performance criterion of the STAR by the end of your program.

Finally, as you move toward completion of your program you will plan with other cohort members, a professional presentation where your research and/or other areas of interest will be shared with the incoming cohort. This will give you the opportunity to share your own unique synthesis of your journey as a candidate in the Education Specialist Program.

Although you will assuredly face other obstacles and challenges as you seek your EDS Degree, this brief overview should at least give you some feel for how you may progress through the Specialist program. In the pages that follow you will find more detailed descriptions of the various items discussed above, as well as other pertinent information that you may need along the way. Also included in this handbook are some of the forms that you will encounter from time to time.

The Four Program Strands (And related outcomes for Specialist Degree Program)

1. Foundations: Focuses analysis on the candidate’s communities (classroom, school, region -- an ecology of school and district).

Outcomes:

Demonstration of positive change

Self-assessment of teaching

Contribution to profession

Cultural and contextual diversity

2. Research: Encompasses the design, implementation, analysis, and reporting of research on a topic relevant to the candidate’s Professional Development Plan, as well as a contribution to the professional discourse on the issue.

Outcomes:

Participation in professional discourse

Generation and utilization of research

Creation of a learning community

3. Philosophy/Pedagogy: Involves further refinement of the candidate’s philosophical orientation, including the epistemological foundations of subjects taught by the candidate.

Outcomes:

Positive change

Self-assessment of teaching

Demonstration of ethical dimension

Cultural and contextual diversity

Support for democratic classroom processes

Content/Classroom practice/Management: Studies the process of transforming teacher behavior to that of skilled and enlightened pedagogy, guided by and contributing to theories of instruction.

Outcomes:

Awareness and understanding of diverse learning styles

Assessment of student progress

Reflection on student learning

Self-assessment of teaching

Utilization of technology to enhance learning process / product

Development of content expertise

Support for democratic classroom processes

Positive acceptance and embracing of diversity

4. Electives: School Law, Foxfire or Advanced Technology (see course descriptions)