Between the Cornell University Department of Education and the State University of New York at Cobleskill School of Agricultural and Natural Resources For the Professional Preparation of Teachers of Agricultural Science Education The purpose of this Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) is to formalize a structured partnership for the professional preparation and certification of teachers of agricultural science for public secondary schools. between the Department of Education at Cornell University and the State University of New York at Cobleskill, Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. This MOA establishes procedures to coordinate the curricula for agricultural teacher education between the two programs and to expedite the admissions process for Cobleskill students into the Cornell Teacher Education (CTE) program and into the CTE Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Teacher Certification in Agricultural Education Regulation of the profession of teaching is a state function. Every state has its own teacher certification or licensure policies and procedures. Teachers certified to teach in the public schools of New York State are eligible for certification in most other states through a set of reciprocal certification agreements. For those few states without reciprocal certification agreements with New York State, graduates of the Cornell MAT program generally meet or exceed most state certification requirements. In New York State, beginning teachers are required to hold initial teaching certificates. In addition to completing an approved teacher education program, such as the CTE program, candidates for initial certification must also meet several other requirements, including earning passing scores on the relevant portions of the New York State Teacher Certification Exam (NYSTCE). The Initial Certificate is valid for five (5) years at which time it must be converted to a Professional Certificate that is periodically renewable for life. Before the end of that initial five year period, the graduate must have completed a relevant master s degree. Graduation from Cornell s MAT meets the professional certification requirement for a master s degree. Detailed descriptions of teacher certification requirements are available on the New York State Education Department web site. The Program at Cornell Two separate admissions processes are involved. Students must first be admitted to the Cornell Teacher Education (CTE) program to pursue teacher certification at Cornell. In addition, they must be admitted to the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program to pursue that degree. Cornell Teacher Education Under this MOA, Cobleskill Bachelor of Science (BS) students may apply for admission to the CTE program as early as the final semester of their sophomore year at Cobleskill. CTE admission criteria will include: A solid undergraduate background with a minimum 3.0 grade point average (GPA) overall and a 3.0 GPA for courses taken in agriculture.
Evidence of some teaching experience and a desire to become a teacher. Many kinds of extended interaction with others in an educational setting may qualify: e.g., working as a camp counselor; tutoring students in high school or college; or working with 4-H, FFA, or other youth organizations. Completion of the CTE undergraduate admission application package, available online at the Education Department web site. Upon admission to the CTE program a Cornell advisor will be assigned to Cobleskill students. The Cornell advisors will work with the Cobleskill advisors to facilitate the students eventual application for admission to the MAT program and to be sure that coursework completed at Cobleskill fulfills the requirements for initial certification. Master of Arts in Teaching In general, Cobleskill students with the appropriate credentials may apply for admission to the Cornell MAT program during the second semester of their senior year. Cobleskill students who have been previously admitted to the CTE program may apply for admission to the MAT program during the first semester of their senior year. The admission decision is normally made well before the end of the semester during which the application is made so Cobleskill CTE students should have that decision before beginning their final semester of undergraduate work. Admission to the MAT program at Cornell University is a decision of the Graduate School. Admission is not automatic and is not based on a specific college GPA or Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score. Each applicant is judged individually. The complete application package is considered, including undergraduate GPA, GRE scores, reference letters, student background and experiences, and the personal goals statement. In general, with acceptable reference letters, suitable student background, related experiences, and an appropriate personal statement, a GPA over 3.0 from an institution such as SUNY Cobleskill and a composite GRE score over 1,000 are adequate for admission to the MAT. Lower GPA and GRE scores are often acceptable if the other considerations reflect exceptional performance and potential. A student who has a proven track record in the agriculture sector or agricultural education, who is a contributing member of the student or local community, and who exhibits a sincere desire to become a teacher of agricultural science is typically given additional consideration in the admissions process. The Process There are three broad sets of requirements for initial teacher certification in New York State: general studies, discipline-specific studies, and professional studies. Teacher candidates may complete those three sets of requirements at any time before applying for initial certification. In general, three options are available through the CTE program for students completing bachelor s degrees at Cobleskill to fulfill those teacher certification requirements: Cobleskill students whose degree programs did not allow them to meet all of the general studies requirements and the discipline-specific requirements during their undergraduate studies may apply for admission to the CTE and MAT programs and then complete those preliminary courses at Cornell as graduate students. In general the courses will count toward meeting certification requirements but not MAT requirements. Typically, such students will require four or more semesters of study, depending on the general studies and discipline-specific courses that they completed as undergraduates. Page 2 of 6
Cobleskill students admitted to the CTE program during their junior year can complete all of the general studies requirements and the discipline-specific requirements at Cobleskill and receive their BS degrees before beginning the MAT program at Cornell. For those students, the professional studies requirements and MAT can typically be completed in three semesters, one of which will be set aside for the student teaching internship. Although students may begin the MAT in either the fall or spring semester, the preferred time to begin is fall semester. Cobleskill students who have been admitted to the CTE program at Cornell and who have maintained a 3.0 or higher GPA may elect to attend their final undergraduate semester in a visiting student status at Cornell. By starting the process early enough and by advance arrangement with their academic advisors, visiting students may transfer those credits from Cornell to Cobleskill to be used to complete the final requirements for their BS at Cobleskill. Students who exercise this option should be able to complete the MAT program in two semesters, including student teaching. Although a student may spend the visiting student semester at Cornell either fall or spring, the preferred time is spring semester to allow the student to enter the MAT the following fall semester. Students exercising this option pay Cornell tuition at the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences rate and are expected to enroll for a minimum of 12 semester hours of credit. Cobleskill Coursework Acceptable in the MAT Agricultural Science Education Program Some or all of the courses listed below may be taken during the MAT, although doing so will normally result in one or more additional semesters being required in graduate school. The courses listed below are not the only courses that will meet the requirements; these courses have simply been pre-approved. Other courses may be substituted by agreement with both the Cornell University and Cobleskill advisors. Students should request substitution approval in writing from both advisors. Upon completion of all of these courses prior to beginning the MAT, the student can expect to complete the MAT and certification in three full-time semesters. Students who spend a semester in visiting status at Cornell, and who complete a significant number of professional education courses during that semester, should be able to complete the MAT and qualify for teacher certification in Agricultural Science Education in two semesters. The pre-approved SUNY Cobleskill courses listed below are organized in three sections. General Studies are background courses in science, mathematics, and language arts designed to provide basic knowledge and skills for the future agricultural science teacher. Discipline Studies for Breadth includes courses intended to provide the future teacher with a basic working knowledge in a wide range of agricultural disciplines. Discipline Studies for Depth includes courses designed to provide a greater level of expertise in a single discipline relevant to teaching agriculture. I. General Studies A. Biology 1. BIOL 105, Principles of Genetics 2. BIOL 111, Biology I, with lab 3. BIOL 112, Biology II, with lab B. Chemistry 1. CHEM 111, General Chemistry I, with lab Page 3 of 6
II. C. Mathematics 1. MATH 111 or 125 D. Written and Oral Communications (3 courses, at least 2 of which must have heavy writing emphasis) Discipline Studies for Breadth A. Applied Economics and Management (2 courses) 1. AGBU 103, Agricultural Economics a. AGBU 440, Environmental Issues in Agriculture b. AGBU 420, Agricultural Policy c. AGBU 241, Farm management d. AGBU 321, Agricultural Marketing Management e. AGBU 442, Agricultural Credit B. Animal Science (2 courses) 1. ANSC 111, Introduction to Animal Science 2. ANSC 122, Feeds and Feeding C. Biological and Environmental Engineering (2 courses) 1. AGEN 151, Basic Welding 2. AGEN 180, Agricultural Structures and Equipment I D. Plant Sciences, Horticulture (2 courses) 1. ORHT 105, Introduction to Horticulture a. ORHT 321, Herbaceous Plant Materials b. ORHT 121, Woody Plant Materials c. ORHT 329, Hydroponics E. Plant Sciences, Crop and Soil Sciences (2 courses) 1. AGSC 111, Introduction to Soil Science a. AGRN 252, Vegetable Production b. AGRN 368, Small Grains c. AGRN 242, Forage and Seed Crops F. Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (2 courses) 1. Select one from the following: a. FWLD 101, Introduction to Wildlife Conservation b. AGRN 121, Soil and Water Conservation a. ENHT 101, Introduction to Environmental Health b. AGRN 424, Water Resources c. AGBU 440, Environmental Issues in Agriculture d. BIOL 399, Environmental Toxicology G. Restricted Electives, select two courses from two departments (2 courses) 1. AGED 307, Introduction to Agricultural Education 2. AGED 309, Teaching/Learning in Agricultural Education 3. AGED 411, Agricultural Education and Community Leadership 4. AGEN 253, Advanced Welding 5. AGRN 232, Plant Ecology 6. AGSC 186, Entomology 7. AGSC 227, Introduction to Plant Biotechnology 8. AGSC 281, Plant Pathology 9. BIOL 116, Botany I Page 4 of 6
III. 10. ECON 330, Comparative Economic Systems 11. ORHT 377, Integrated Pest Management Ornamentals 12. SOSC 111, Introduction to Sociology 13. SOSC 311, Rural Sociology 14. SUST 101, Introduction to Sustainability 15. SUST 301, Capstone Course in Sustainability Discipline Studies for Depth. (3 courses -- From the courses listed below, complete three courses in a single option. These courses may be duplicated above to meet Discipline Studies for Breadth requirements.) A. Depth Option One, Business Systems 1. AGBU 321, Agricultural Marketing Management 2. AGBU 328, Agricultural Sales and Sales Management 3. AGBU 341, Agricultural Economics and Geography 4. AGBU 420, Agricultural Policy 5. AGBU 429, Tax Management in Agriculture 6. AGBU 442, Agricultural Credit B. Depth Option Two, Social Systems 1. AGED 307, Introduction to Agricultural Education 2. AGED 309, Teaching/Learning in Agricultural Education 3. AGED 411, Agricultural Education and Community Leadership 4. SOSC 311, Rural Sociology 5. SUST 301, Capstone Course in Sustainability 6. ECON 330, Comparative Economic Systems 7. AGBU 440, Environmental Issues in Agriculture C. Depth Option Three, Plant and Animal Systems 1. AGRN 368, Small Grains 2. AGRN 424, Water Resources 3. ANSC 418, Advanced Beef Production 4. ORHT 321, Herbaceous Plant Materials 5. ORHT 329, Hydroponics 6. BIOL 399, Environmental Toxicology Dual Certification Students preparing to teach Agricultural Science are encouraged to also earn teaching certification in biology. Completing requirements for two certification areas increases students knowledge of the scientific bases of agriculture and increases their employment opportunities. New York State requires that teachers complete a major, or its equivalent, in the content area they will teach. Meeting this requirement requires careful planning and course selection. The Cornell Teacher Education program requires the following to fulfill this requirement for dual certification in biology. Courses used to meet the requirements listed below must be approved by the Director of Cornell Teacher Education Program. I. General Studies A. One year of introductory biology 8 credit hours B. One year of general chemistry 8 credit hours C. One semester of organic chemistry (preferred) 3-5 credit hours II. Discipline Studies for Breadth A. Ecology 3-4 credit hours B. Physiology 3-4 credit hours C. Either animal or plant physiology D. Botany 3-5 credit hours Page 5 of 6
E. Evolution, or a course with a strong emphasis on evolutionary theory - 3-4 credit hours F. Genetics 3-5 credit hours G. Organismal Biology 3-5 credit hours H. Any course that considers one taxon of plant or animals in depth, including behavior, adaptations, evolution, physiology I. History, Philosophy, Ethics or Sociology of Science 3-4 credit hours III. Discipline Studies for Depth A. At least two biology courses above introductory level with lab sections 6-8 credit hours B. At least two courses at 300 or higher level in the area of specialization 6-8 credit hours Scheduled Review Clearly, documents such as this memorandum of Agreement require periodic reviews to ensure that the spirit of the original agreement is still valid and that the details of the specific provisions are still accurate. To that end, a scheduled review of this document will be conducted biennially by a representative of the Cornell University Department of Education and a representative of the SUNY Cobleskill Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources. Agreed On behalf of the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences On behalf of the State University of New York at Cobleskill Department of Education Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Reviewed For Cornell For Cobleskill Initials Date:, 2008 Initials Date:, 2008 Initials Date:, 2010 Initials Date:, 2010 Initials Date:, 2012 Initials Date:, 2012 Initials Date:, 2014 Initials Date:, 2014 Page 6 of 6