2014-2015-Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Education Department
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Department Faculty
Amy Bagby
Jack Beckman
Rebecca Dodson
Sarah Donaldson
James Drexler (on loan to YPPH Indonesia)
Daphne Haddad
Phillip Horton
Stephen Kaufmann
Rebecca Pennington
Elaine Tinholt
Bruce Young
Teacher Education Program
The Teacher Education Program (TEP) is governed by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission. Students participating in the program must apply for, and be approved for, admission and continuance throughout enrollment at Covenant College.
Purpose Statement:
The purpose of the Teacher Education Program at Covenant College is to prepare competent and compassionate teachers who practice their profession according to biblical guidelines in diverse educational settings. Candidates develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become teachers who model life-long learning and faithful service to God as change-agents in society.
Teacher Standards:
Domain A: Foundational Knowledge
- Theological Framework. The teacher applies a biblical worldview to the nature and needs of learners, content and professional knowledge, and instruction.
- Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
- Content Knowledge. The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to ensure mastery of the content.
Domain B: Planning
- Planning for Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
- Learning Differences. The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.
Domain C: Instruction
- Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
- Application of Content Knowledge. The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.
Domain D: Assessment
- Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.
Domain E: Classroom Environment
- Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments that support individuals and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
- Communication. The teacher communicates verbally and nonverbally in ways that that demonstrate respect for all learners, includes interactive technologies, and develops learner interpersonal communication skills.
Domain F: Professional Practice
- Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.
- Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth and to advance the profession.
Education Programs
Undergraduate
Elementary Education Early Childhood, grades P-5
Education Studies major
Designed to prepare students to pursue the Master of Arts in Teaching degree for teaching in the middles grades (4-8). Two content areas are completed, selected from language arts, mathematics, science, or social studies.
Education Minor. Open to all students, but specifically recommended for students intending to enroll in the MAT program.
Graduate
Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT)
Students interested in teaching in the following fields should complete a BA degree with a major in that field at the undergraduate level, followed by completion of a fifth year in the Master of Arts in Teaching. Grade levels of certification are noted in parenthesis for each field.
Art (P-12)
Biblical Studies (6-12; ACSI only)
Biology (6-12)
Chemistry (6-12)
Drama (P-12)
Economics (6-12)
English (6-12)
French (P-12)
German (P-12)
History (6-12)
Mathematics (6-12)
Music (P-12)
Physics (6-12)
Political Science (6-12)
Spanish (P-12)
A middle grades level (4-8) certification is available with any two specializations in: language arts, mathematics, science, and/or social studies.
See catalog section for each major for further information related to the MAT.
Students with questions about the Master of Arts in Teaching should contact Dr. Phil Horton in Brock Hall 323 for information (phil.horton@covenant.edu). For additional information contact:
mat@covenant.edu
www.mat.covenant.edu
800.677.3626
706.419.1427
Master of Education (MEd)
The Master of Education degree is offered for school teachers, curriculum directors, and administrators in a K-12 setting with a minimum of one year of K-12 school experience, and who have ongoing teaching or administrative responsibilities. It is a 30 credit hour degree completed over three years.
Two specializations are offered: Educational Leadership and Integrated Curriculum and Instruction. Certification by the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) is available upon completion of the degree.
Courses are spread over most of the calendar year and include three phases: pre-campus, on-campus, and post-campus. The on-campus phase is held at Covenant for three weeks each summer.
For additional information contact:
med@covenant.edu
www.med.covenant.edu
800.677.3626
706.419.1427
Teacher Certification
Teacher certification within the state of Georgia is governed by, and a function of, the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GaPSC). On July 1, 2014, a tiered system of certification was instituted which will be implemented in stages.
The Early Childhood P-5 and MAT* programs are approved by the GaPSC (2011 last approval). Upon completion of either program, and passing scores on the GACE Program Admission and Content Assessments, and passing score on the Ethics Assessment, graduates are eligible to receive a Certificate of Eligibility beginning in the 2014-2015 academic year. The Education Department of Covenant College will adjust these requirements as this tiered system continues to be implemented.
Graduates must be recommended for certification within five years of completing the BA or MAT per GaPSC Rule 505-3-.01.
In addition, all certification programs listed above lead to Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI) teacher certification. These programs were approved by ACSI in March 2007. Upon completion of any of these programs, graduates are eligible to receive a renewable ACSI certificate at either the elementary (K-8) or secondary (7-12) level, valid for five years. (See www.acsi.org)
*The MAT for Biblical Studies majors does not lead to Georgia certification.
Gates Teacher Education Program
The Gates outlined below reflect requirements for completion of the Teacher Education Program in Elementary Education Early Childhood, freshman through senior year.
Gate 1: Approval to Teacher Education Program
(Freshman or Sophomore year)
The following are required:
- Completion of EDU 121 Introduction to Teaching with a grade of “C-” or better.
- A personal interview with a faculty member of the Education Department and at least the required minimum score (70%) on the Faculty Recommendation Form.
- Submission of Teacher Education Program Application at the time of the faculty interview.
- A recommendation from the Office of Student Development.
- A completed TEP Application Personal Reference Form.
- Completion of 30 hours of field work during EDU 121 Introduction to Teaching .
- Passing scores on the GACE Program Admissions tests.
- Passing score on the Ethics Assessment.
- A minimum total institutional GPA of 3.0. Note: A 3.0 GPA must be maintained throughout the program. If at any point a student’s total institutional GPA falls below 3.0, that student will be given one semester to raise the GPA to a 3.0 to continue in the TEP. No grade below “C-” is acceptable in any course in the major.
- Approval to enter the Teacher Education Program from the Teacher Application Committee.
NOTE: Prior to Teacher Education Program approval, a student may only enroll in the following EDU courses:
Gate 2: Initial Approval for Clinical Practice
(Junior Year)
The following are required:
- TEP approval.
- Submission of Clinical Practice Application to the Education Office at the beginning of the junior year.
- A Professor Evaluation of Teacher Candidate from a professor under whom at least one education course was taken.
- A second Professor Evaluation of Teacher Candidate.
- Completion of at least 58 semester hours of credit.
- A minimum total institutional GPA of 3.0.
- Initial approval to student teach from the Teacher Application Committee.
Gate 3: Final Approval for Clinical Practice
(Senior Year)
The following are required:
- Completion of all courses in the major with a grade of “C-” or better by noon, one week prior to Clinical Practice.
- A minimum total institutional GPA of 3.0.
- A background check.
- Final approval to student teach from the Teacher Application Committee.
Gate 4: Clinical Practice and Exit from Program
(Final semester)
The following are required:
- Completion of all courses in the major with a grade of “C-” or better letter grade.
- A minimum total institutional GPA of 3.0.
- The GACE Content Assessments in Early Childhood Education, usually taken at the beginning of the Clinical Practice semester.
- Submission of edTPA. Note: Passing scores are required beginning with the 2015-2016 academic year.
- Passing score on Ethics Assessment.
- Submission of all Placement File materials to the Education Office.
- Completion of a Survey of Graduating Seniors in one of the final sessions of EDU 489 Clinical Practice Seminar: Early Childhood (P-5) .
- Passing grade for EDU 489 Clinical Practice Seminar: Early Childhood (P-5) .
- Passing grade for EDU 488 Clinical Practice .
Junior Spring Block for Elementary Education
The Junior Spring Block offers preservice elementary teachers opportunities to obtain valuable classroom experience parallel to two key courses in the TEP - EDU 315 Teaching Reading in the Early Grades and EDU 342 Essentials of Instruction in the Early Grades . The design of the practicum has students working in schools during morning hours and then actively learning within their coursework in the afternoons. Learning activities for EDU 315 and 342 provide direction and focus for classroom experiences. Thus the theory of reading and instructional best practices will translate into student classroom activity that is both meaningful and practical. Some of the kinds of classroom activities students may perform include observation, planning for and teaching lessons in content areas, collecting student learning data, and reflecting on aspects of teaching and learning. More specific learning activities are described in course syllabi.
The Spring Junior Block is scheduled to occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays during the term. Students work in elementary classrooms from 7:30-11:30 AM, and then will convene for EDU 342 from 1:00-2:15 PM and latterly EDU 315 from 2:30-3:45 PM. The courses will typically meet in one of the host schools in order to keep the theory to practice connection in place.
Senior Fall Block for Elementary Education
The Senior Fall Block is designed to integrate the theories and practices of essential content and pedagogy into a carefully planned and implemented series of courses and practicums for students in their senior year. The fall semester is divided into three sections (called Blocks) in which students are both exposed to key elements of instruction and provided with experiences which root those elements in classroom practice. Throughout the Senior Fall Block, students are given two placements in local schools whereby the content of course work is operationalized from various assignments within the syllabi of the courses taught. With this in mind, the student experiences both the theory and practice of certain instructional areas. Courses are offered on Monday, Wednesday and Friday for both morning and afternoon sessions. Students spend 1 ½ days per week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) engaged in fieldwork in real classrooms where planned activity applies course content in formal and informal ways. These activities are assessed according to criteria explained in each of the course syllabi.
In the semester before enrolling in Senior Fall Block, students must obtain a clear background check using the instructions provided by the Education Department.
A Senior Fall Block Orientation Meeting is held for students at the beginning of the semester for the purpose of providing an overview.
Clinical Practice
The professional semester consists of one student teaching practicum typically the last semester of the degree.
Clinical Practice should be considered equivalent to full-time employment. Students should be largely free from other demands on their time. Other responsibilities such as work study, varsity athletics, or incomplete academic work should be discussed with the Chair of the Education Department prior to the beginning of the practicum. If the faculty of the Education Department deems that such responsibilities are incompatible with student teaching, those students may be asked to lessen those responsibilities.
Transfer Courses
Due to the perspectival nature of these courses:
- The following education course may be transferred into Covenant, if a comparable course has been taken elsewhere:
- The following courses may not be transferred in, even if comparable courses have been taken elsewhere:
- No more than six hours of the professional education courses may be transferred from another institution.
Intercultural Opportunities
Students may choose to explore teaching in an intercultural context (both domestic and international) in EDU 296 /EDU 396 Practicum in Education ,
In addition COR 337 Intercultural Experience may be taken concurrently with an education course with the permission of the chairperson of the Intercultural Competencies Committee.
Teacher Placement Service
This service assists students in obtaining a teaching position after graduation. Services offered include:
• creation of a credentials file
• distribution of a credentials file per request
• annual teacher recruitment event
• electronic database of teacher vacancies
• electronic directory of teacher candidates sent to schools
ProgramsMajorMinor and ConcentrationsCoursesEducation
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