College of Education

The College of Education offers the Bachelor’s degree in 9 areas and teacher certification in eight areas in conjunction with courses available from four other Schools (Business, Liberal Arts and Science, Engineering, and Mathematics).

Offerings

Degree of Bachelor of Science with certification in the following areas:
Elementary Education K-6/ESOL
Physical Education K-12
Biology Education 6-12
Business Education 6-12

Degree of Bachelor of Arts with certification in the following areas:
English Education 6-12/ESOL
Music Education K-12
Social Science Education 6-12

Admissions Requirements to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)*

As the School of Education must comply with mandates by the State Department of Education (DOE), we want to remind you that prospective teacher candidates cannot be admitted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP) upper division without the proper credentials:

Completion of all General Education requirements
Passed all four (4) subtests of the FTCE General Knowledge (GK) Test
Submit an application for admission into the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
Have a 2.50 cumulative grade point average at the time of submission of application
Make an appointment for an interview

Only after the completion of the above five items, will teacher candidates be allowed to proceed to 300-400- level education courses. If you have not yet passed all four (4) subtests of the FTCE General Knowledge (GK) test, please go online (www.fl.nesinc.com) as soon as possible, to register and establish an account. This is important! Teacher candidates will only be allowed to proceed to register for junior and senior level education courses once documentation is furnished indicating that all four (4) parts of the GK test have been successfully passed.

In order to register for EDB 352 - Teaching Practicum (Practicum B), students must be admitted to Upper Division and have successfully completed ED 352 - Contemporary Teaching Methods and EDA 352 - Contemporary Teaching Practicum (Practicum A) with a passing grade of C or better.

Documentation of passing scores on the FTCE General Knowledge (GK), Professional Education, and Subject Area exams must be submitted to the TEI office by September 30th to intern during the Spring Semester, or by February 1st to intern in the Fall semester. DO NOT PROCRASTINATE! Study materials, computerized test questions, and tutors are available to assist you. Limited funds are available through the TEI office to assist qualified students with the fees required to take the state FTCE exams.

Students can complete the application for admittance into upper division by signing in to their LiveText account and selecting form E2.01 TEP Admission Application to Upper Division.

* Teacher Education Program admission criteria may change due to requirements of the Florida State Department of Education (consult with academic student success coaches).

Goals

The objectives and requirements, which are discussed in this section, apply to the School as a whole. Department requirements are given in the appropriate sections. The goals of the School of Education are to produce graduates who are:

Caring, committed, and competent teachers for K-12 schools.
Competent in applying instructional strategies learned in multiple and varied field and clinical experiences.
Able to use research techniques and apply instructional technology in classroom settings.
Able to teach effectively in classrooms with students from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
Prepared for successful entrance into graduate studies in Education.

School Student Learning Outcomes

Students who desire to earn a degree in Education and who seek to receive a teaching certificate in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will demonstrate mastery of the Florida Educator Accomplished Practices (FEAP) in teaching environments in early field experiences and student teaching internship experiences by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations on the FEAPS, and a passing score on the appropriate Florida Teacher Certification Examination tests.
Students who desire to earn a degree in Education and who seek to receive a teaching certificate in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will demonstrate mastery of the subject area competencies that are appropriate for the certificate in teaching environments in early field experiences and student teaching internship experiences by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations of reflected tasks and a passing score on the appropriate Florida Teacher Certification Examination tests.
Students who desire to earn a degree in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will apply critical and creative thinking skills to reflect on their practice in their disciplines and as lifelong learners during their field experiences by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations of selected tasks. (Reflective Practice)
Students who desire to earn a degree in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will demonstrate mastery of the essential knowledge for their disciplines by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations of selected tasks. (Essential Knowledge)
Students who desire to earn a degree in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will demonstrate the use of assessment and evaluation to improve their practice and student learning during their field experiences by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations of selected tasks. (Assessment & Evaluation)
Students who desire to earn a degree in Education programs offered at Bethune-Cookman University will exhibit professionalism in their discipline during their field experiences by obtaining a minimum rating of “Basic” on the rubric evaluations of selected tasks. (Professionalism)

Graduation Requirements

In order to receive a Bachelor’s degree through the School of Education in a State Approved Teacher Education Major, students must satisfy the following:

Have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 on a 4.0 Scale.
Complete the general education, professional core, and teaching specialty sequences as specified.
Pass all Florida Teacher Certification Examinations (FTCE): General Knowledge (GK), Professional Education (PEd), Subject Area (SAE).
Satisfy all published requirements of the University and of the School of Education.

Teacher Certification

The School of Education offers services to students who are enrolled in programs leading to elementary or secondary teacher certification in the state of Florida.

Students will be assigned to student teaching only after submitting passing scores on the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE): General Knowledge (GK), Professional (PEd), and Subject Area (SAE). Please note that there is a fee attached to each examination. It is the responsibility of the student to keep abreast of all deadlines and fees associated with these examinations.

The student who has been accepted into the Teacher Education Program must be responsible for keeping abreast of the teacher certification requirements as stated by the Florida State Department of Education, Tallahassee, Florida and for securing additional information from the office of the School of Education regarding new requirements enacted after the printing of this catalog. In addition, the students should arrange with their student success coach to plan a program of study which will fulfill both state certification requirements and degree requirements. The office of the School of Education is available to assist in program planning and in the interpretation of requirements. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO MEET WITH THE ASSIGNED ACADEMIC STUDENT SUCCESS COACH ON A REGULAR BASIS. THE STUDENT MAY NOT REGISTER FOR CLASSES WITHOUT PRIOR APPROVAL FROM THE STUDENT SUCCESS COACH.

Students who wish to teach in states other than Florida should be aware that teacher certification requirements differ from state to state. Students should contact the State Department of Education in the state in which they wish to teach for the teacher certification requirements in that state; however, Florida has a reciprocal agreement with some states.

Graduates of approved teacher education programs will be provided transcripts that carry the endorsement of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Florida State Department of Education (FLDOE).

Teacher Education Alliance

The Teacher Education Alliance, composed of unit B-CU faculty and public school personnel, meets at least twice each academic year to provide leadership and direction in the development and implementation of the Teacher Education Program.

Requirements for Student Teaching

Applications for student teaching for fall and spring must be filed by January 15 of each academic year. Students must qualify by February 1 for placement during the fall term and by September 30th for spring term (all passing scores on FTCE tests, all courses completed, and the 2.50 required GPA).

Applications are available in each student’s LiveText account.

Students in Teacher Education who have received Ds and Fs in courses in the professional requirements and/or in their major area must repeat the courses until the grade of at least C or above has been earned before the student is assigned to Student Teaching. The required GPA for placement in Student Teaching is 2.5. This is a requirement prior to assignment to student teaching. In addition, all “I” grades must be removed before the student is assigned to student teaching.

The education core and correlated core must be taken by all Education majors who are anticipating completion of studies leading toward teacher certification in the state of Florida. Many courses must be taken in a required sequence. See the curriculum for each area of specialization.