Elementary Studies, K-6

Master of Education

About This Program

This program is nationally recognized by the Association for Childhood Education International and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

The College of Education at Wilmington University reserves the right to change requirements to comply with any licensure/certification mandates by the Professional Standards Board and/or the Delaware State Department of Education and/or State of Delaware legislation.

As a result of a new federal mandate, HOUSSE (Highly Objective Uniform State Standards of Evaluation), and each state's requirement to comply with this legislation, expectations for both beginning and veteran teachers were developed and implemented during the 2005-2006 school year. Very briefly summarized, the law indicates that all children must be taught by "highly qualified" teachers and that each state must define what "highly qualified" means and the appropriate steps needed to achieve that status.

The State of Delaware has essentially determined the components for "highly qualified" status of NEW teachers as someone with a degree in teacher preparation from an approved program and passing scores on the appropriate PRAXIS II test. Therefore, beginning with students who started in fall 2005, the appropriate PRAXIS II test is required.

Program Purpose

The Elementary Studies program prepares teachers to meet the academic and social needs of students. The program is built on a model of the teacher as learner, researcher, and facilitator of knowledge. The program is based on the premises that teachers must be sensitive to varying social demands and expectations; must be able to diagnose and address the individual learning and developmental needs of students, including emotional, physical, social, and cognitive needs; must be able to use technology in all aspects of their profession; must make important decisions about how and what to teach in the face of an overwhelming knowledge explosion; and must reach out more effectively to parents and the community.

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

The assessment of outcomes consists of multiple measures. Grades on assignments and for courses are the first level of assessment. The course goals, learning outcomes, and assignments are designed to address measurement of the program competencies as well as the graduation competencies. Other assessment measures include observation of the application of knowledge in practical settings and alumni surveys that query such items as preparation levels for careers and life-long learning activities.

Program Design

The Master of Education degree is designed to meet the standards for certification at the elementary grades K-6 level in the State of Delaware. The curriculum is nationally recognized by the Association of Childhood Education International (ACEI) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Although the program is designed for teacher candidates with bachelor's degrees in fields other than education, the courses will also be available to certified teachers. Wilmington University will accommodate teachers who are already certified with alternative experiences for the clinical semester.

The primary components of the program are the course sequence of 12 courses totaling 33 credit hours and the clinical experiences totaling an additional 15 credit hours.

Praxis Testing Requirements

All sections of PRAXIS I: PPST (or relevant exemption tests), and the appropriate PRAXIS II test must be passed prior to admission to the first methods course. Students should designate Wilmington University as a score recipient at the time the tests are taken, and also provide a paper copy of the ETS score report that includes all scores and sub-scores. COMPLETE score reports must be received in the College of Education main office (Peoples Building, New Castle) prior to registration for any methods course.

Program Requirements

Teacher candidates are required to register for MED 6102, E-Folio as the initial course in the program as this course will allow them to document various course requirements needed to satisfy individual program competencies.

Teacher candidates are expected to complete all requirements associated with the Master of Education degree with a concentration in Elementary Studies, including both course work and clinical experiences. Pedagogical courses, MEE 8800 , Applied Assessment and Research in the Classroom, all sections of PRAXIS I PPST: Math, Reading, and Writing (or relevant exemption tests), and the appropriate PRAXIS II test must be satisfied prior to taking MEE 8801, Student Teaching. All courses have one or more goals for both diversity in education and writing across the curriculum. Prerequisites include successful completion of three credit hours in science 50 content, social studies content, and mathematics content. The College of Education sets a required minimum grade of "C" for all education core courses.

Student teaching candidates must apply to the Office of Clinical Studies for a student teaching placement for the fall semester by March 1 or for the spring semester by October 1. Student teaching applications are to be submitted electronically. Applications do NOT take the place of registering for student teaching. Registration and payment of all fees, including laboratory fees for student teaching, are still required. All sections of PRAXIS I and the relevant PRAXIS II test, a 3.00 grade point average, and approval from the Office of Clinical Studies are required for student teaching. A criminal background check and Child Protection Registry clearance are required for student teaching.

Teacher Dispositions and Values

A significant element of programs for the preparation of teachers deals with developing a candidate's proficiency in working with students who present a wide variety of needs, learning styles and exceptionalities. Candidates also learn to work with students from a wide variety of backgrounds in order to ensure that each student has an opportunity to learn. Clinical experiences associated with the MEE program require teacher candidates to interact with exceptional students and students from different socioeconomic,gender,racial,language, geographic and ethnic groups.

A second area of importance for teacher candidates is the realization 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. MEE teacher candidates must recognize, develop, and model dispositions that are expected of professional educators.

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

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

Course Description

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