About The College of Education & Liberal Arts

The College of Education at 黑料社 is a major provider of educators for schools in Delaware and throughout the region. The College is also a Teach for America center and provides programming and field supervision for a new cohort of Teach-for-America (TFA) corps-members each year. (TFA is a highly-selective national program that recruits recent college graduates to teach in high-needs schools in the area.)  The College also attracts substantial numbers of students who are preparing to pursue careers as educators in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.

In addition to teacher preparation degrees in elementary and middle school teaching, special education, and secondary teaching, the College offers degrees and preparation programs in a variety of specialized educational areas such as school counseling, school leadership, educational technology, career and technical education, instruction, gifted and talented education, reading, and teaching English to speakers of other languages. Doctoral degrees are offered in higher education leadership, school and school district leadership, teacher leadership, and organizational leadership. At any given time there are about 1,000 黑料社 students doing supervised fieldwork in schools throughout Delaware and the region.

Vision

We believe that effective professional educators must also be learners—learners who want to share challenging ideas and successful practices with their colleagues. Educators prepared at 黑料社 believe in the importance of hard work and persistence, and in reflecting on and improving the quality of that work. They are committed to collaborating with parents, colleagues, and community stakeholders. They want to create teaching/learning environments that support personal, physical and emotional development; intellectual growth; and high levels of student achievement ... and which also encourage innovation, exploration, creativity and problem-solving. We try to maintain a climate of high expectations, caring, and respect for the worth of every individual. We view ourselves as "Professional Partners, Creating Environments for Learning."

Mission

The College of Education at 黑料社 prepares educators to work successfully with children from birth through adolescence, and to work closely with all education stakeholders. Our programs prepare candidates to work effectively with students with a wide variety of learning needs and from diverse cultural, socioeconomic and linguistic backgrounds. An important goal of our programs is the translation of theory into practice. All programs are standards-driven. All programs emphasize the importance of data-based decision making, practical experiences in classrooms and schools, content knowledge, knowing and understanding learner needs, and the application of research-based best practices.

Conceptual Framework

The College of Education Conceptual Framework reflects the vision and mission of the University and articulates the College's philosophy and goals. The Conceptual Framework is the fundamental theoretical architecture upon which all degree programs are based. The framework includes eight specific Program Attributes essential for the preparation of effective educators. These attributes appear on every course syllabus.

Please see Conceptual Framework for complete information.

Accreditation

黑料社 is a private, non-profit institution that is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The College of Education is accredited by CAEP (the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) using NCATE Standards (National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education). In addition, all degree programs contributing to eligibility for state licensure and/or certification as educators are state-approved and nationally recognized. Consequently, the  College of Education reserves the right to modify degree requirements to comply with any licensure/certification or regulatory changes mandated by the Delaware Professional Standards Board, the Delaware State Department of Education, or the Delaware General Assembly.

Background Checks

A Criminal Background Check (CBC) is required for all field placements associated with College of Education degrees (e.g., practical, course-related fieldwork, student teaching, internships, residencies, etc.).  This includes a background check by the FBI and the Delaware State Police, and clearance through the Delaware Child Protection Registry (DCPR). This process must be completed PRIOR to submitting applications for placements. No applications for clinical placements will be considered until all CBC and DCPR reports have been received. Details about this process are explained at Criminal Background Check for Field Placement.

College of Education Transfer Credit Policy

The College of Education welcomes transfer students and believes that appropriate credit for prior academic study can play an important role in the achievement of students’ degree completion. The University can accept course transfer credits from AP, CLEP, IB or regionally accredited institutions.

However, credits earned through an ACE/NCCRS Alternative Credit Provider, such as Sophia, cannot be accepted as transfer credits to replace any College of Education course or elective or to apply toward any College of Education degree or certificate program. Contact your program chair for additional information.

Undergraduate

General knowledge admission requirements for undergraduate educator preparation programs

In addition to satisfying general requirements for admission to 黑料社, applicants for admission to educator preparation programs approved for state licensure and/or certification are required by state law to demonstrate mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute, by achieving a score deemed to be college-ready on a test of general knowledge normed to the college-bound population.

This program-entry requirement can be met by providing an official score report showing scores (including all sub-scores) on the ETS Praxis Series Core Academic Skills for Educators (ETS # 5712, 5722, and 5732) or on other approved tests of general knowledge that satisfy Delaware Department of Education regulations. For complete information about Delaware tests and score requirements for educators, go to this website: regulations.delaware.gov/AdminCode/title14/1500/1510.shtml#TopOfPage

Test codes and minimum score requirements for the ETS Core Series are:
Test Score
ETS 5712 Reading 156
ETS 5722 Writing 162
ETS 5732 Mathematics 150

For more information about ETS exams (including how to register), go to: http://www.ets.org/praxis/
This requirement takes effect July 1, 2014 and applies to the following undergraduate degree programs:

Note: Students who were enrolled at 黑料社 prior to July 1, 2014 have until July 1, 2015 to provide evidence that this standard has been met.

Content and performance assessment requirements for undergraduate educator preparation programs

Content Assessment

Effective January 1, 2015, candidates for all undergraduate College of Education degrees except the A.S. in Early Childhood Education and the B.S. in Education Studies must meet the content assessment requirements adopted by the Delaware Department of Education and described in DE Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290, in order to be eligible for graduation. That regulation states, in part:

"Where a content readiness exam is applicable and available in area, subject, or category of specialization sought, the Candidate shall achieve a passing score on an examination as established by the Professional Standards Board, in consultation with the Department and with concurrence of the State Board."

Performance Assessment

Effective July 1, 2016, candidates for all undergraduate College of Education degrees except the A.S. in Early Childhood Education and the B.S. in Education Studies must meet the performance assessment requirements adopted by the Delaware Department of Education and described in DE Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290, in order to be eligible for graduation. The regulation states, in part:

"Where a performance assessment is applicable and available in an area appropriate to the program in which a candidate is enrolled, the candidate shall achieve a passing score as a requirement to exit the Program. The performance assessment may not be scored by any employees of the educator preparation program or unit, and shall be scored by certified reviewers."

Specific assessment(s) and score requirements are listed on the catalog program pages.  Candidates must consult with program advisors and/or program chairs to obtain current and accurate information about these graduation requirements.

The entire regulation can be accessed on the State of Delaware Regulations website at

Graduate

General Knowledge Admission Requirements for Education Degrees Leading to Licensure and/or Certification

In addition to the General Admission Requirements listed for each degree program offered in the College of Education, applicants for admission to programs approved for state licensure and/or certification as an educator must meet Delaware's minimum, state-mandated program-entry standards.  Those standards include mastery of general knowledge, including the ability to read, write, and compute, by achieving a score deemed to be college-ready on a test of general knowledge normed to the college-bound population.

The general knowledge requirement can be met by achieving minimum passing scores on the ETS Praxis Series Core Academic Skills for Educators.

Test codes and minimum score requirements are:
Test Score
ETS 5712 Reading 156
ETS 5722 Writing 162
ETS 5732 Mathematics 150

These requirements became effective on July 1, 2014 and apply to the following graduate degree programs:

Note: students enrolled at 黑料社 prior to July 1, 2014 have until July 1, 2015 to provide evidence that these standards have been met.

For more information about ETS exams (including how to register), go to:

Test takers should designate 黑料社 and the Delaware Department of Education as score recipients.  This enables scores to be sent directly, confidentially, and electronically. Otherwise, candidates must provide original copies of all official score reports, including all sub-score reports

Content and Performance Assessment Requirements for Education Degrees Leading to Licensure and/or Certification

Content Assessment

Effective January 1, 2015, all candidates for state-approved educator preparation degrees must meet the content assessment requirements adopted by the Delaware Department of Education and described in DE Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290 in order to be eligible for graduation. The regulation states, in part:

"Where a content readiness exam is applicable and available in area, subject, or category of specialization sought, the Candidate shall achieve a passing score on an examination as established by the Professional Standards Board, in consultation with the Department and with concurrence of the State Board."

Performance Assessment

Effective July 1, 2016, all candidates for state-approved degrees must meet the performance assessment requirements adopted by the Delaware Department of Education and described in DE Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290 in order to be eligible for graduation. The regulation states, in part:

"Where a performance assessment is applicable and available in an area appropriate to the program in which a candidate is enrolled, the candidate shall achieve a passing score as a requirement to exit the program. The performance assessment may not be scored by any employees of the educator preparation program or unit, and shall be scored by certified reviewers."

These regulations apply to the following degree programs:

The entire regulation can be accessed on the State of Delaware Regulations website at

Specific assessments and score requirements are listed on the program pages in this catalog. Candidates must consult with program advisors and/or program chairs to obtain current and accurate information about these graduation requirements.