Education

Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science degree programs in Education are approved by the Delaware Department of Education. Any changes that are mandated or legislated will be implemented as soon as possible. Students will be notified of any changes that affect program requirements.

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Science degree in Education is to prepare students for teaching positions in schools serving children from birth through grade 8. Students choose a teaching concentration that leads to certification in either Early Care and Education (Birth through Grade 2), Elementary Education (Grades K-6), or Middle Level Education (Grades 6-8).

Program of Study

The three programs available in the Bachelor of Science program in Education combine rich and varied course offerings with extensive, supervised field experiences. Many faculty members are current practitioners (teachers, counselors, content area specialists, administrators); all faculty members have had professional experience in public schools. General Education Requirements courses, required of all Wilmington University undergraduates, provide a well-rounded academic foundation. Supervised field experiences are an integral part of the teacher preparation program. Field experiences begin during the student’s first year and continue through the final, clinical semester. Starting Fall 2007 students must pass all sections of the PRAXIS I: Reading, Mathematics and Writing (or relevant exemption test) and the appropriate PRAXIS II tests prior to admission to the first methods course.

Program Competencies

The College of Education has 14 program competencies derived from the Delaware Professional Teaching Standards and the College of Education Conceptual Framework. Teacher candidates will demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions required to:

1. Create learning experiences that make content meaningful to students and reflect an understanding of the core concepts and structure of education.
2. Provide learning opportunities that support the intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development of students based on an understanding of childhood development and learning.
3. Adapt instruction for diverse learners based on an understanding of how students differ.
4. Demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication.
5. Create a learning environment that fosters active engagement, self-motivation, and positive social interaction by understanding individual and group behavior.
6. Design instruction based upon knowledge of the disciplines, students, the community, and Delaware’s student content standards to demonstrate knowledge of instructional planning.
7. Apply a variety of instructional approaches that promote student thinking, understanding, and application of knowledge.
8. Use multiple assessment strategies for the continuous development of students.
9. Pursue opportunities to improve teaching and thereby enhance professional growth.
10. Collaborate with colleagues, parents/guardians, and other members of the community to support student learning and well-being and demonstrate knowledge of the role of the school in the community.
11. Use educational technology as an instructional and management tool.
12. Understand and maintain standards of professional conduct guided by legal and ethical principles.
13. Demonstrate dispositions expected of beginning teachers.
14. Obtain and retain successful employment in the profession of education.

Outcomes Assessment

Assessment of knowledge components and performance competencies is accomplished through satisfactory attainment of specific course objectives; successful completion of assignments linked to program competencies and graduation competencies; practicum evaluations from advisors and mentors; student teaching evaluations from clinical advisors, supervising teachers, and mentors; the completion and presentation of a professional portfolio; and post-graduation surveys.

Clinical Requirements

Applicants for student teaching must meet required application procedures and deadlines. Applications for student teaching must be submitted electronically to the Office of Clinical Studies; applications are due by October 1 for spring semester placements, or by March 1 for fall semester placements. Applications for student teaching do not replace the need to register for the student teaching course. The following are also required:

1. A cumulative GPA of 2.5 before receiving a student teaching placement
   (ECE 450 or EDU 451)
2. A portfolio documenting achievement of program competencies for graduation
3. Completion of all course prerequisites
4. A completed Health and TB form
5. A criminal background check and Child Protection Registry clearance
6. Passing scores on Praxis I and Praxis II
7. Co-registration In EDU 499
8. The College of Education sets a minimum grade of C for all Education core courses (ECE, EDU, RDG, and EPY).

Completion of the student teaching requirement is contingent upon the successful completion of an electronic portfolio documenting satisfactory achievement of all program competencies.

Criminal Background Check Required for Student Teaching

All candidates for student teaching are required to submit to a State of Delaware criminal background check (CBC) and a Delaware Child Protection Registry Review. This process must be completed, and all reports received in the Office of Clinical Studies, PRIOR to submitting a student teaching application. No applications for student teaching will be considered until all reports have been received. Detailed instructions on how to complete this process can be found at http://www.wilmu.edu/education/clinicalstudies/backgroundcheck.aspx

PRAXIS I Requirements

All students must meet Delaware minimum score requirements on all three sections of the PRAXIS I and the appropriate PRAXIS II test prior to registering for any of the following courses in the Bachelor of Science program:

ECE 203, ECE 204
EDU 402, EDU 403, EDU 404, EDU 405, EDU 407,
EDU 408, EDU 409, EDU 410
RDG 401

Students should designate Wilmington University as a score recipient at the time the tests are taken, and also provide the College of Education with a paper copy of the ETS score report. The ETS score report must include all scores and subscores. COMPLETE score reports must be received in the College of Education main office (Peoples Building, New Castle) prior to registering for any of the courses listed above.

Teacher Dispositions and Values

A significant element of programs for the preparation of teachers deals with developing candidates' skills in working with students from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds and with students who also may present a wide variety of exceptionalities. Clinical experiences (practica, internships, student teaching) in the BS program require candidates to interact with students of both genders, students with exceptionalities (Including students whose first language is not English), and students whose socioeconomic, racial, language, geographic and ethnic backgrounds are different from their own.

A second area of importance for teacher candidates is to ensure that they work with students, families, and communities in ways that reflect the dispositions expected of teachers as delineated in professional, state, and institutional standards. BS candidates must recognize, develop, and model dispositions that are expected of beginning teachers.

In order to assess a teacher candidate's dispositions and values, the College of Education administers the "Inventory of Beginning Teacher's Dispositions" and "Multicultural Inventory" during clinical courses in the undergraduate program.

Because of the importance accorded to these surveys, teacher candidates are expected to participate fully and to comply with these tasks as assigned.

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