Accreditation
INITIAL LICENSE
All of the School of Education's initial teacher license programs are approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education for undergraduate and graduate levels, including:
- Early Childhood Special Education (offered only at the graduate level)
- Elementary: grades 1-6
- Secondary: grades 7-12: science, math, social studies, English, and world languages.
- Secondary: grades K-12: Family and Consumer Sciences (offered only at the graduate level)
- Special Education: PK-12
The following initial license programs are also nationally recognized through the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) by their specialized professional organizations:
- Elementary Program: Association for Children's Education International
- Secondary Programs:
- Science: National Science Teachers' Association
- Math: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
- Social Studies: National Council of Social Studies Teachers
- World Languages: American Council for Teachers of Foreign Languages
- Special Education Program: Council for Exceptional Children
- Early Childhood Special Education: National Association for the Education of Young Children
As part of their preparation, candidates must pass Praxis II exams in their content area. Official data for Praxis II is provided by the Educational Testing Service (ETS) only for programs with more than 10 program completers and include the following at USJ:
Elementary Education Praxis II
- Foundations of Reading: 100% pass rate
- Elementary Education Instruction, Test 0011 ? 100% pass rate
- Elementary Education Content, Test 0012 ? 94% pass rate
Special Education Praxis II
- 100% pass rate
ADVANCED PROGRAMS
Candidates who completed their comprehensive exam in February 2013 rated their experience at USJ as "strongly agreed" or "agreed" to the following statements.
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program developed my ability to use research based knowledge, concepts, and skills in carrying out my professional responsibilities. | 100% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program helped me to understand and to apply knowledge related to the social, historical, and philosophical foundations of education, professional ethics, law, and policy. | 98% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program built upon and extended my knowledge and experiences to improve my own teaching and learning in the classroom. | 95% |
|
The coursework in my Master of Arts program gave me the tools to promote my students' development of critical thinking, problem solving and performance skills. |
90% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program was focused on the guiding principles that student learning is the goal of teaching and that the primary role of the teacher is to support student learning. |
94% |
| The course expectations in my Master of Arts program included the ability to demonstrate the professional disposition that all students can learn and deserve to learn. |
98% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program built upon and extended my knowledge and experiences to create a caring and supportive learning environment that encourages self-directed learning. |
94% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program provided me with sufficient expertise so that I am able to contribute to the professional dialogue in my field based on both research and experience. |
98% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program has provided me with the foundation to take on leadership roles in the professional community or collaborate with colleagues to contribute to school improvement and renewal. |
98% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program has given me confidence to become involved as an active member of my profession through learning communities or other means. |
98% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program built upon and extended my knowledge and experiences to differentiate instruction for any learner. |
90% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program has reinforced the role of building on student's prior knowledge and giving a role to their own experiences in learning. |
96% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program has given me insights that will aid me in creating meaningful bridges between the school, families and communities. |
92% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program has provided experiences which enable me to use technology to engage children in learning. |
92% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program developed my understanding of major theories of assessment, types of data, and use of data analysis to make decisions, individually or collaboratively, that will support student learning. |
94% |
| The coursework in my Master of Arts program enhanced my capacity to think systematically about my practice and my instructional choices. |
90% |
THE SoE ADVISORY BOARD
The School of Education Advisory Board provides valuable guidance to assure that our teacher preparation programs at the initial and advanced levels meet the needs of the PK-12 educational community. In addition, they offer exceptional feedback as they evaluate candidate data and identify areas of strength and places for improvement.
Members of the Core Advisory Board include:
- Jordan Grossman, Assistant Superintendent, Canton Public Schools
- Marian Hourigan, Assistant Superintendent of Rocky Hill Public Schools
- Joanne Manginelli, Director of Professional Development, Hartford Public Schools
- Thad Hasbrouck, USJ College Supervisor
- Deb Petruzello, alumnae/i and educator, Middletown Public Schools
- Michael Carbone, USJ alumnae/i and educator, McDonough Expeditionary, 6th grade science
- Kim Kraner, alumnae/i and educator, Avon High School
For comments or questions please contact:
Lisa Sandstrom, Executive Assistant to the Dean of the School of Education, at 860.231.5331 or lsandstrom@usj.edu
