School of Education

Peterson Hall
206-281-2214
www.spu.edu/depts/soe/

William J. Rowley, Dean of the School of Education

Faculty: Scott F. Beers, Rick Eigenbrood, Pamela J. Harris, Sharon D. Hartnett, Frank M. Kline, Debra S. Lierman, Nyaradzo H. Mvududu

Teacher Certification
	Elementary Certification Requirements
	Secondary Certification Requirements
	K-12 Certification Requirements for Art, Drama, Music, and Health/Fitness
	Majors for Elementary Teachers      Family and Consumer Sciences      Fine and Applied Arts      Language Arts      Mathematics      General Science      Social Science
	Special Education (K-12)

The mission of the SPU School of Education is to prepare educators for service and leadership in schools and communities by developing their professional competence and character within a framework of Christian faith and values.

The vision of the SPU School of Education is to influence the region, the nation, and the world through the preparation of educational leaders for public and private schools.

The primary purpose of the undergraduate program in the School of Education is to prepare competent teachers who integrate academic training and Christian faith with professional practice.

School of Education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Certification programs in the School of Education are also accredited by the Washington Educator Standards Board and meet residency requirements for Washington state elementary, secondary and K-12 teaching certificates.

The basic certification programs in the School of Education reflect an underlying philosophy and knowledge base that permeates all courses and field experiences. This knowledge base consists of two elements: (1) the theoretical and philosophical foundations of education drawn from the social and behavioral sciences; and (2) the effective teaching and schooling research. The following categories shape the competency base for the residency certification programs at SPU. These categories contain national, state, and Seattle Pacific competencies for teachers:

Category I: Establish and maintain a positive student-focused learning environment. Demonstrate sensitivity to human diversity in teaching and relationships with students, parents, and the community.
Category II: Design and adapt challenging curriculum that is responsive to students’ cognitive, social, and moral development.
Category III: Use effective teaching practices.

Category IV: Use appropriate assessments to monitor and improve instruction.
Category V: Integrate technology into instruction and assessment.

Category VI: Use information on student performance to advise and involve students and families; inform, involve, and collaborate with families to support student success.
Category VII: Evaluate effects of a student’s teaching through feedback and reflection. Establish goals for professional improvement.
Category VIII: Demonstrate skills, knowledge, and attitudes that contribute to professional, ethical behavior.

Overview of Residency Teacher Certification Program
The professional program leading to residency teacher certification at SPU consists of three parts:

1. The Foundations and Methods Courses
2. The Skills Courses
3. The Applications Courses

The Foundations/Methods quarters consist of the theory and background of teaching with only limited application. The skills courses are non-blocked requirements that support the methods courses. The application courses focus on applying the theory and background learned in the Foundations/Methods quarters.

Degree Requirements for Undergraduate Students
Undergraduate students must complete all the requirements for a bachelor�s degree in addition to the certification program.

Teacher Certification

Elementary Certification.  Students pursuing elementary certification may major in any subject area. Some broad field majors specifically available, although not required, for elementary certification are family and consumer sciences, fine and applied arts, language arts, mathematics, general science, and social science.

Secondary Certification. Students pursuing secondary certification need to work closely with the certification coordinator to make sure all endorsement requirements are being met. Please contact the Certification Advisor in the School of Education for more information.

K–12 Certification.  K–12 endorsements include art, drama, foreign languages, music, health/fitness, and special education. Students obtaining a K–12 endorsement in art, music or health/fitness will complete one quarter of internship at the elementary level and another quarter of internship at the secondary level.

Transfer Students
All transfer students are required to take the entire certification program at SPU. Any exceptions must be approved through substitution and petition processes in the School of Education. If substitutions and petitions are granted, a minimum of 26 credits, including the internship, must be completed as a regularly enrolled student at SPU.

Upon arrival at SPU and prior to registration, transfer students should meet with the certification advisor regarding course substitution requirements and procedures.

Post-Baccalaureate Students
Students pursuing certification after receiving a bachelor�s degree from an accredited institution recognized by the state of Washington do not earn a second degree. However, they must still meet state requirements for an endorsement and be approved by the School of Education. They must pass the state WEST-B and West-E/Praxis II tests prior to being accepted into the Residency Certification Program.

Advising
To complete the residency certification program in a timely manner, students need competent academic advice. The School of Education provides individual sessions with the certification advisor to answer questions and help with the certification process. As soon as a student identifies a desire to be a teacher, he or she should make arrangements to make an appointment for advising by calling 206-281-2214.

Admission to the School of Education
A student enrolling in the Foundations Quarter is considered a tentative candidate for admission to the School of Education. Before the Methods Quarter, the student is asked to prepare a formal application for full admission to the School of Education. The student may continue the sequence of courses leading to certification upon full admission to the School of Education and fulfillment of the prerequisites to the appropriate quarters.

To achieve admission to the School of Education, a candidate must meet the following:

1. Complete the Foundations Quarter, achieving a B average with no grade lower than a C. The prerequisite coursework must be no more than five years old.
2. Receive a favorable recommendation from the Foundations team.
3. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or a 3.3 GPA in the last 45 credits of college or university work.
4. Receive passing scores on all three sections of the Washington Educator Skills Test-Basic (WEST-B).
5. Take the appropriate Washington Educator Skills Test-Endorsement/Praxis ll test (West-E/Praxis II).
6. File a formal application for admission to the School of Education.

Registration
Most classes in the certification program require School of Education permission to register. Before registering, students must go to the School of Education office to fill out any necessary paperwork and confirm appropriate prerequisites have been passed. No appointment is necessary for this process.

Certification
Upon successful completion of the residency certification program, the Seattle Pacific University School of Education recommends candidates to the state of Washington for teacher certification. Though SPU makes recommendations to the state, the state issues the certificate not the School of Education. All teacher certification candidates are subject to Washington requirements for the residency teaching certificate. These requirements may be changed by the state and override anything stated in the Undergraduate Catalog. Please see the education office for updates on state requirements.

Internship Placement and Supervision Policy
Students anticipating teaching internships should be aware of the School of Education school-site placement policy:

1. Internship sites will be selected from districts within 50 miles of Seattle Pacific University that have contractual internship agreements with SPU. In an effort to facilitate supervision, attempts will be made to place groups of interns near each other.
2. Interns will be placed in settings that are new to them in an effort to broaden their school experience. Schools where interns have been students, or parents of students, volunteers, aides, or coaches will not generally be considered.
3. Since internships must be arranged in cooperation with school personnel, the School of Education cannot guarantee that an internship will be provided in a certain quarter. Every attempt will be made to assign students to their preferred quarters as space permits.
4. Internships not directly supervised by SPU School of Education faculty will not be provided.

Internship Professional Expectations

1. Interns will be responsible for filing written notification of any changes in their internship plans at least five weeks prior to the first quarter of the scheduled internship. Failing to do so may jeopardize placement.
2. It is strongly recommended that students not be employed during the integrated and internship quarters because of the time and professional demands of the internship program. During these quarters students may not enroll in other courses.
3. Interns are expected to provide their own transportation to the internship school sites.

Moral Character and Personal Fitness Policy
Teacher certification programs at SPU include experiences working closely with children in public and private schools. The protection of children is a paramount concern. Consequently, the School of Education reserves the right to refuse placement of any SPU student in any field experience. Any SPU student registering for any School of Education course that involves working with children does so with the following understanding:

1. Admission to the course and subsequent placement with children may be denied if fitness for such a placement is questionable in the exclusive judgment of the University.
2. The student may be required to withdraw from the course, practicum experience, or the certification program should the School of Education receive information during the course of a practicum placement that raises a concern about the fitness of the person to work with children.
3. Information received about the fitness of the student working with children may be shared with the school district to determine if a placement can and should be made or continued.
4. Ultimately, the SPU School of Education cannot override school districts, and practicum placements are dependent on school district cooperation and subject to school-district approval.
5. Denial of, or removal from, a practicum setting due to lack of fitness to work with children will result in a denial of admission to the teacher education program or in being dropped from a program if a student has already been admitted.
6. In addition to satisfying the requirements of SPU, in order to receive certification, good moral character, and person fitness must be established by each student with Washington state�s Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, Office of Professional Practice.

Need to know when the course is being offered? Click here for the 2007-08 Time Schedule.

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