Anna E. McEwan, Dean
Wills Hall 213, Station 6360
telephone: (205) 665-6360
fax: (205) 665-6337
e-mail: mcewanae@montevallo.edu
Departments
Mission
The mission of the College of Education is to promote the professional growth of students who have made a commitment to service and careers in the fields of P-12 teaching, counseling, leadership, human development, family studies, dietetics, health promotion, and retail merchandising. The College accepts as its primary role the preparation of professionals who make wise and informed decisions based on sound knowledge, applied experiences, and research-based practices.
Goals
Four broad goals guide the College of Education in positively impacting student performance, enhancing the quality of programs, and improving the efficiency of operations. The goals are to model and promote the use of emerging technology resources, to acknowledge and address the diversity of students, faculty, staff, curriculum, and field or clinical placements, to collaborate with public schools and other community agencies to positively impact P-12 student learning and client development, and to encourage the use and development of best practices in specific fields of study.
Degree Programs
The University offers an Alternative Master’s degree that leads to initial teacher certification in the following areas:
A traditional Master’s degree that leads to advanced teacher certification in the following areas is also offered:
The College offers Master’s Degrees in:
Educational Specialist Degrees are offered in:
Accreditation
The College is a member of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education and is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)/Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). All programs that lead to teacher or leader certification are approved by the Alabama State Board of Education. The Family and Consumer Sciences program is accredited by the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS). The Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).
Teacher Education Program (TEP) Requirements
I. Admission
Admission requirements for advanced degree program that lead to certification vary from program to program (e.g. GPA, interview, essay, and portfolio scores; teaching certificate; years of experience; Praxis test scores). The University’s certification officer verifies program admission documents.
II. Retention
Advising is essential for successful completion of advanced degree programs that lead to certification. Variation from the planned program of study created with an advisor could result in failure to be recommended for certification. Regular consultation with an advisor is needed so that students can be apprised of program revisions that result from mandated changes in State certification requirements. Graduate study is limited to six years. Requests for extensions of this time limit must be approved by the Dean of the College and could necessitate completion of additional coursework or other requirements.
A minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0, as well as course grades of C or better must be maintained during graduate studies.
Successful completion of all field, clinical, and practicum experience requirements, program benchmark assignments, and professional dispositions assessments is necessary for retention in the TEP. The Teacher Education Program Handbook, published annually by the Office of Teacher Education Services, describes more specifically the current TEP retention requirements.
III. Internship or Residency
Successful completion of a full semester, full-time internship is required for State certification in the Alternative Master’s degree program. The College, in cooperation with area school systems, has developed a comprehensive program of pre-internship field and clinical experiences in a variety of school settings. These experiences require extensive involvement in schools outside of class. Transportation is the responsibility of the student.
Successful completion of embedded field-based assignments is a required component of the traditional Master’s degree and Teacher Leadership program. Both the Counseling program and the Instructional Leadership program may include practicum, internship, and residency experiences.
IV. Certification
Upon completion of a graduate degree in an approved program, a minimum overall GPA of 3.0 and a passing score on the comprehensive exam and/or portfolio are required. As applicable to the program, passing scores on Praxis and/or basic skills (AECTP) exams are required prior to certification. Eligible candidates may be recommended for Class Alt A, A, or AA certification in the State of Alabama. Candidates must complete an application for Alabama Teacher Certification. Instructions for completing the certification form are available through the Office of Teacher Education Services. The appropriate fees (money order or cashier’s check made payable to the Alabama State Department of Education) must be submitted with the application for certification. The application for certification, fee payment, and the candidate’s transcript are forwarded to the State Department of Education. The University cannot recommend any candidate for certification that has not satisfied all Alabama and UM requirements for admission to and completion of an approved program. Students have five years after their program completion date to apply for certification.
Student Responsibilities
While the University provides an academic adviser to assist students with meeting academic requirements and planning their curriculum and courses, it is ultimately the students’ primary responsibility to know the requirements for their degree, acquire current information about their academic status, and choose their curriculum and individual courses accordingly. By registering for classes, students certify that they have independently determined that the courses chosen are appropriate to meet their academic goals.
The requirements for licenses, certifications, or similar credentials (e.g. teaching certificates, etc.) issued by the government or other organizations and agencies change frequently, and students are responsible for monitoring those requirements for any changes, planning their course work accordingly, and making proper application for the credential. While the University endeavors to provide courses that qualify students to receive credentials and to keep students informed of any changes in requirements for credentials, it is ultimately the student’s responsibility to monitor the requirements to ensure that their academic program meets the applicable criteria. The University has no control over the criteria for credentials issued by outside organizations and cannot guarantee that a student will receive a credential based upon coursework completed at the University.