Education (Undergraduate Programs)
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Faculty
Dr. Cynthia Calderone, Assistant Professor of Education
Faculty in the School of Education also support Trinity’s undergraduate education program.
Description
The College of Arts and Sciences offers both a major and a minor in education.
The education major prepares students for teaching careers in elementary education (Grades 1-6). Candidates who successfully complete the B.A. major in education and fulfill the other requirements set by the D.C. Office of the State Superintendant of Education (O.S.S.E.) are eligible for teacher certification in D.C. and in other jurisdictions, as determined by reciprocity agreements.
Trinity’s B.A. in Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (N.C.A.T.E.) and approved by O.S.S.E.
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may also pursue a minor in education. Completion of minor requirements only will not satisfy certification requirements in D.C.
Education majors and minors (as well as all of Trinity’s undergraduates) may well be interested in pursuing the M.A.T. in Trinity’s School of Education. The M.A.T. is offered in early childhood, elementary, or special education, selected areas of secondary education (English and social studies), and teaching English to speakers of other languages (T.E.S.O.L.). A student must have a 3.0 GPA in the content area in which he or she wishes to teach. Prospective students for Trinity’s M.A.T. program should refer to the School of Education’s Policy on the State Required Examinations.
Program Requirements
Acceptance Criteria and Advising
Formal acceptance into the Education program requires:
- A minimum GPA of 2.5 in all Education core (EDCC) courses and a GPA of 3.0 in Education methods (EDTE) courses.
- Overall GPA of at least 2.5.
- Qualifying scores on the Praxis I, A.C.T., S.A.T., or G.R.E. prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above, with the exception of EDTE 301.
- Note: The Praxis I exam may only be attempted twice. Students who do not earn qualifying scores after the second attempt can submit a petition to attempt the test a third time.
Interested students should direct any questions about the process for formal acceptance into the education major or minor to their undergraduate advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences. Students majoring or minoring in education should follow the required sequence of courses. This course sequence is designed to contribute to a liberal arts education while preparing students in content areas that, as elementary teachers, they will be teaching.
Field-Based Instruction
Teacher preparation at Trinity emphasizes field-based instruction that includes a series of integrated field experiences and practicum experiences at different grade/age levels in a variety of school settings. The education major requires a one-semester full-time internship of supervised student teaching after the successful completion of all education course work and the Internship Readiness Assessment (see below for application procedures).
Application for Student Teaching
Undergraduate students may not student teach until all of the following conditions are met:
- General Education Requirements are completed,
- Educational Core courses are completed,
- Education Methods Courses are completed, and
- The Internship Readiness Assessment is passed.
During the semester before prospective teachers plan to student teach, they must submit an application for student teaching. This form must be signed by the student and the student’s advisor in the major (a CAS proefssional advisor’s signature is not acceptable). Failure to complete this form and obtain the requisite approvals may disqualify prospective teachers from student teaching. The completed and signed form is due to the program within two weeks of the opening of registration for the semester in which the student wishes to student teach.
Major Requirements
College of Arts and Sciences students majoring in education must complete a set of required courses for a specialization in elementary education. Students must provide evidence of qualifying scores on the Praxis I, A.C.T., S.A.T., or G.R.E. prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above, with the exception of EDTE 301. Students are strongly encouraged to take courses in the recommended sequence.
Education majors must earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all Education core courses (EDCC 220, 250 and 340) and a GPA of 3.0 in Education methods courses (all EDTE courses) to fulfill requirements for the major.
Required Courses (19 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
EDCC 220
EDCC 250
EDTE 301
EDCC 330
EDCC 340
EDTE 401
Elementary Specialization Courses (35 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
EDTE 321
EDTE 421
EDTE 422
EDTE 423
EDTE 424
EDTE 425
ONE course in child psychology
PSYC 231
TWO teaching practica
EDTE 490
EDTE 491
ONE supervised internship in student teaching:
EDTE 473
ONE senior seminar:
EDTE 499
Minor Requirements
Students in the College of Arts and Sciences may pursue a minor in education. Students minoring in education must complete 19 credits of course work. Completion of Minor requirements ONLY will NOT satisfy standard certification requirements of the District of Columbia.
Education minors must provide evidence of qualifying scores on the Praxis I, A.C.T., S.A.T., or G.R.E. prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above, with the exception of EDTE 301. Students are strongly encouraged to take courses in the recommended sequence.
Education minors must earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all Education core courses (EDCC 220) and a GPA of 3.0 in Education methods courses (all EDTE courses) to fulfill requirements for the minor.
Required Courses (19 credits)
ALL of the following courses:
EDCC 220
EDTE 301
EDTE 321
EDCC 330
EDCC 340
ONE course in Child Psychology:
PSYC 231 or
PSYC 233
Program Policies
Advanced Placement:
Credits earned through Advanced Placement Examinations may fulfill general education for certification courses in cases where the student has earned a 4 or 5 on the examination and the credits have been reviewed by education faculty members.
CLEP Policy:
Credits earned through CLEP Examinations may fulfill general education for certification courses in cases where the student has earned a score that confers credit following the guidelines of the ACE and the credits have been reviewed by education faculty members.
Grades in Education Courses:
Undergraduate students are required to earn a minimum GPA of 2.5 in all Education core (EDTE) courses and a GPA of 3.0 in Education methods (EDCC) courses to fulfill requirements for the major or the minor.
Pass/No Pass:
Courses fulfilling the major or minor — including general education courses required for certification — may not be taken Pass/No Pass.
Student Assessment:
Assessments of student proficiencies required of students in the major or minor are further described on the School of Education page, concerning the Student Assessment System.
Study Abroad:
Courses taken through a study abroad program approved by Trinity may count toward general education courses required for certification, pending review and approval by education faculty and the faculty of the appropriate academic program. In general, education courses taken abroad will not count toward the major or minor.
Praxis Policy:
Students must provide evidence of qualifying scores on the Praxis I, A.C.T., S.A.T., or G.R.E. prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above, with the exception of EDTE 301. The Praxis I exam may only be attempted twice. Students who do not earn qualifying scores after the second attempt can submit a petition to attempt the test a third time.
Experiential Credit Policy:
Credits earned through experience may count toward general education courses required for certification, pending review and approval by education faculty and the faculty of the appropriate academic program. In general, experiential credits may not substitute for education courses counted toward the major or minor.
Transfer Credits:
Transfer credits may be awarded only after appropriate program review. Courses at the 400-level and above must be completed at Trinity. Courses taken as part of the School of Education program of study must be taken at Trinity.
Course Descriptions
Explanation of Course Prefixes and Numbers
Courses designated “EDCC” are education core and common courses across various programs in the School of Education. Courses designated “EDTE” are largely specific to the teacher education program. Students must provide evidence of qualifying scores on the Praxis I, A.C.T., S.A.T., or G.R.E. prior to registering for education courses at the 300-level or above, with the exception of EDTE 301.
EDCC - Education Core and Common Courses
EDCC 220
EDCC 250
EDCC 330
EDCC 340
EDCC 498
EDTE -Teacher Education Courses
EDTE 301
EDTE 321
EDTE 341
EDTE 401
EDTE 421
EDTE 422
EDTE 423
EDTE 424
EDTE 425
EDTE 441
EDTE 473
EDTE 490
EDTE 498
EDTE 499
EDTE 503