ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL ******************************************************************************

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1 ACADEMIC AFFAIRS COUNCIL AGENDA ITEM: 4.A.1 DATE: November 13, 2008 ****************************************************************************** SUBJECT: Collaborative Online Secondary Education Teacher Certification Program Two years ago, a system-wide review of programs in teacher education was conducted. The findings and recommendations of this review were endorsed by the Education Discipline Council and this past year the Council s agenda was driven by these outcomes. As was noted in the findings, most South Dakota school districts find it difficult to attract a pool of candidates in high demand areas and some rural, isolated districts are unable to attract qualified applicants for any teaching position. Since this mirrors the situation nationwide, there are a range of strategies that are being implemented in all states to increase the number of candidates in the pipeline. One common approach, adopted by a number of institutions and partnerships, is to offer online opportunities for rural, place bound students. Last year, the Education Discipline Council was challenged to develop strategies that could allow college graduates living in rural areas to pursue secondary or K-12 licensure in identified content areas. Since the Department of Education has established rules that govern this process, individuals who might pursue this option would need to hold a major in which the state certifies teachers. Each campus has been authorized by the Department of Education to offer a certification only program and each campus offers the required coursework. Further, many of the required courses are offered online. The Deans worked collaboratively to develop a common set of course requirements that are at the core of this program. Students who complete the required coursework will be recommended for licensure. The proposal outlines a series of courses to be offered over a three-term period. In addition, the deans included a recommended set of guidelines that will be applicable as this program is implemented. Strategies to market this program are being developed. ****************************************************************************** RECOMMENDED ACTION Discussion and recommendation. 1

2 As stated in section 5 of the proposal, since this is a self-support program, students are not charged fees. Students in this program will be enrolled in required practica and field experiences which will require standard payments to supervising teachers. Since this cost is typically covered by the uniform fees charged to students enrolled in the related courses, the Discipline Council recommends that students be allowed to enroll in the state-support section of these field experiences courses. To justify this, it is clear that internships/field experiences offered in state-support or in self-support programs are coordinated, managed and evaluated the same. It should be noted that since the universities do not award a degree or certificate when a student completes the required coursework, no formal approval is required. 2

3 SOUTH DAKOTA BOARD OF REGENTS EDC Request _BHSU College of Education Nancy Hall June 9, 2008 _DSU College of Education Judy Dittman NSU School of Education Tom Hawley SDSU College of Education & Counseling, Howard Smith Teacher Education Department _USD School of Education Linda Reetz Division of Curriculum & Instruction 1. Name of Program: Collaborative secondary education teacher certification program (K-12, 7-12 Content Areas) 2. Provide a justification for the program. The collaborative secondary education certification program will be offered primarily online to enhance access to teacher certification for candidates who have baccalaureate degrees in majors for which the SDBOE certifies teachers. The five Regental universities currently offer all of the pedagogy courses needed for certification. No new courses are required. Each institution has committed to contribute the selected courses in this proposal in an online delivery system to enhance access to certification in rural and underserved regions of our state. The SD Department of Education has authorized a Certification Program. Therefore, individuals with baccalaureate degrees who want to become teachers and complete the pedagogy course work, field experiences, and requirements in this proposal will be recommended for certification by the respective institutions. The SD Department of Education staff and the SD Board of Regents staff are very supportive of the secondary education online certification program and have encouraged the Education Discipline Council to develop the enclosed proposal. 3

4 3. Who is the audience for the program The primary audience for the program is place bound nontraditional students in rural South Dakota. This online secondary education certification program would provide a distance delivery option for those with baccalaureate degrees in majors for which the SDBOE certifies teachers, who want to become teachers, and who need knowledge and skill development in the area of pedagogy. 4. List the courses to be completed, the credit hours of each course, and the total number of credit hours required for the program. The courses to be completed and the credit hours required at each of the Regental universities are attached. The Education Discipline Council recommends the following guidelines that are applicable at all five institutions. 1. The teacher candidate must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education with the major content area recognized by the South Dakota Department of Education (SDDOE) as a teaching major of ARSD 24:16: In order to be admitted to the secondary certification program, the candidate must meet the collaborative teacher education program admission requirements including a minimum of a 2.5 cumulative undergraduate GPA and a minimum of a 2.6 content major GPA. In addition, the candidate must complete the Praxis II content exam in his/her major as specified by the SDDOE and must meet or exceed the minimum score required for certification in South Dakota. The candidate must complete and pass the PPST exam. The candidate selects one teacher education institution for admission, advising, assessment, and monitoring of program completion. 3. The student will complete all teacher certification courses as identified by the collaborative agreement, including the appropriate special methods course. The student will complete and pass the Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching exam. 4. When the candidate meets the minimum required score on the Praxis II Principles of Learning and Teaching exam for certification in South Dakota and all other program completion requirements set forth by the institution and the collaborative agreement, the institution that admitted the student will recommend the candidate for teacher certification to SDDOE. The SDDOE will maintain accountability for the candidate scores on the Praxis II content exam. 5. Institutions may recommend candidates for certification to the South Dakota Department of Education in all teaching programs as listed in ARSD 24:16: The online certification program is limited to K-12 and 7-12 specific content areas. 4

5 5. Policy Implications Under current policy, students taking courses through distance education are charged a higher tuition rate and then are exempt from paying any fees. This proposal will require the funding that is typically collected from students in EDFN 395 Pre-Admission Practicum ($149); SEED 495 ($149); and SEED 488 ($290) to pay for field supervisors. This can be accomplished by having students register for the campus-based sections of these courses. 6. Marketing The Education Discipline Council will work with the SD Department of Education, SD Associated School Boards, and the SD Board of Regents EUC to market and advertise the program. TEACH Grants will be used to provide tuition assistance to participants in fields such as mathematics, science, and foreign language. TEACH Grants of up to $4,000 are available to students in hard-to-staff fields who agree to complete a four-year teaching service obligation at a school that receives Title I funds. 5

6 TEACHER EDUCATION, SECONDARY CERTIFICATION (K-12, 7-12 CONTENT AREAS) COLLABORATIVE ONLINE PROGRAM Program design for cohort beginning summer 2009 and ending spring 2010 Course Requirements Course Prefix & # Course Title Credit Hours Institution/Term EDFN 338 Foundations of American Education 2 BHSU/F 2009 EDFN 395 Pre-Admission Practicum 1 All/F 2009 EPSY 302 Educational Psychology 3 NSU/SU 2009 SPED 100 Introduction to Persons with Disabilities 3 DSU/F 2009 EPSY 330 Human Growth and Development 3 DSU/SU 2009 EDFN 365 Computer-Based Technology & Learning 3 BHSU/SU 2009 EDFN 475 Human Relations 3 SDSU/SU 2009 SEED Reading in the Content Area 3 USD/F 2009 EDER 415 Educational Assessment 2 NSU/F 2009 SEED 440 Classroom Management 1 USD/F 2009 SEED 495 Pre-Student Teaching Practicum 1 All/J term 2010 INED 411 South Dakota Indian Studies 3 USD/SU 2009 SEED 400 Middle School and Secondary Methods 2 SDSU/F 2009 SEED Special Content Methods 2-3 All/F 2009 SEED 488 Student Teaching: Secondary Level 12 All/SP 2010 Total Credit Hours

7 Plan of Study for Students Summer 2009 EPSY NSU EPSY DSU EDFN BHSU EDFN SDSU INED USD Total credits 15 Fall 2009 EDFN BHSU EDFN All teaching pre-admission practicum SPED DSU SEED USD EDER NSU SEED USD SEED SDSU SEED 2-3 All teaching special methods courses for own students Total credits January Term 2010 SEED All teaching pre-student teaching practicum Total credits 1 Spring 2010 SEED All supervising student teaching Total credits 12 Program Costs to Students: 30 to 31 credits at the Undergraduate Self-Support Tuition Rate 14 credits at the Undergraduate State-Support Tuition Rate Professional Education Major Fees PRAXIS Exam Fees 7