Education Department

Meet the Education Faculty and Staff
Education Webpage

The Education Department offers a long-established Teacher Preparation Program and an Educational Studies Minor. We provide a selection of courses enabling students across the College to examine and develop informed opinions on questions pertaining to the role of education in a democracy; questions of opportunity, equity and access; and issues of justice, the common good and human rights. These courses blend rigorous intellectual work in social science with focused field experiences/internships, and encourage students to apply new insights and understandings across a multitude of contexts. The Education Department also offers a comprehensive program for students seeking New York State Initial Teacher Certification in Adolescence Education (grades 7-12) in the following areas: Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Mathematics, Physics, Social Studies, and Spanish. The Department also offers programs leading to New York State Initial Teacher Certification in Business and Marketing (all grades) and Computer Science (all grades). In addition, students who successfully complete EDUC - 360. Early Adolescence and Middle School and EDUC - 385. Teaching and Learning in the Middle School , and who have completed an approved program for an initial certificate in adolescence education grades 7-12, are eligible for an extension of their teaching certificate into grades 5-6. Science students may also be eligible for a General Science Extension to enale them to teach at the middle school level. Siena College is transitioning from CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) and is currently pursuing accreditation of its educator preparation programs by the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Pursuant to §52.21 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the educator preparation programs offered by Siena College are considered to be continuously accredited for purposes of meeting the New York State requirement that all such programs maintain continuous accreditation. For the non-certification student whose career goals are education-related, the Educational Studies Minor provides the opportunity to develop a sequence of courses that will serve as a foundation for graduate work in fields such as elementary education, school psychology, guidance and counseling, school social work, literacy, special education, or TESOL (teaching English to speakers of other languages).

Teacher Preparation Program

The tradition of Siena College requires broad training in the liberal arts as well as a concentration in a major field of study. The Department’s goal is to enable educators to acquire the professional knowledge base and competencies characteristic of effective teaching. Through our goal of preparing teachers well-grounded in the professional knowledge base and the Franciscan liberal arts tradition, the mission of the Education Department reflects the mission of the College. Within this framework, students develop the skills of critical thinking and expression as well as empathy and concern for all individuals.

It is the responsibility of the student to understand and fulfill the various requirements of Siena College, the Siena Education Department and the state to which they plan to apply for teacher certification. Applicants must maintain an Education GPA of at least 3.0 and meet the academic and overall GPA requirements established by their academic departments as outlined in the course catalog. Only courses with a grade of C or above are acceptable toward meeting content core and pedagogical core requirements for teacher certification in the State of New York. See http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ag.html for details.

As part of their course work, students will complete a minimum of one hundred and fifteen hours of field experience prior to the student teaching experience. For students in the certification sequence, these experiences are in varied secondary school settings and follow the guidelines outlined in the Field Experience Program Handbook. Students are responsible for their own transportation.

Students must apply for acceptance into the Teacher Preparation Program. Application is typically made early in the Spring semester (prior to February 1) of the student’s junior year. Successful applicants will then complete the “Professional Sequence” in their senior year. The Professional Sequence consists of a content-specific instructional methods course and lab (EDUC 481 and EDUC 482 ) and a minimum of 40 hours of related field experience in the Fall, and full-time student teaching and two related seminars (EDUC 461 and EDUC 462 ) in the Spring. The Fall field experience will either be in middle school or high school placement(s); the same school classroom(s) will be the site for student teaching in the Spring.

The following requirements must be met before acceptance into the Teacher Preparation Program’s Professional Sequence:

Siena Undergraduates

Successful completion of EDUC 210 , EDUC 260 , EDUC 261 and EDUC 365 ;
Submission of an acceptable portfolio, including application, CAPP Report, application essays, and graded paper from a course in the student’s major;
Demonstrated success in field placements;
Evaluation and recommendation by The Education Department (minimum Education GPA of 3.0);
Evaluation and recommendation by the candidate’s academic major department (Note: each major sets specific coursework and GPA requirements for students pursuing teacher certification; for these specific requirements, please check the catalog entry for that major; students interested in social studies certification should see either the History Department or American Studies Department pages);
Review and approval by the Education Professions Committee (EPC).

Returning Students
Same as above plus:

Initial interview with the Director of Field Experiences & Certification Officer;
Endorsement by the academic department after review of all transcripts;
Two to three letters of recommendation from former professors and/or employers;
Interview with members of the Education Professions Committee (EPC).

All written materials must be submitted to the Director of Field Experiences & Certification Officer, prior to February 1 for the following academic year’s Professional Sequence. A minimum grade of “B-” in all courses within the Professional Sequence is required to maintain good standing as a candidate in the program. All students seeking certification for teaching a foreign language must take the Oral Proficiency Interview and receive a score of at least Intermediate High to be approved as a candidate and must receive a score of at least Advanced Low before completing the program to receive the college’s recommendation for certification.

Students who withdraw from the certification program or who postpone their professional semester without informing the Education Department in writing will be required to reapply.

Students who complete the program requirements and receive a score acceptable to the Commissioner of Education on the three required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (EAS, CST, edTPA) will be eligible to apply for the New York State Initial Certificate in their field.

Verified certification exam data for Siena College program completers for the 2016-17 through 2018-19 academic years are as follows the Education All Students (EAS) - pass rate = 100%; the Content Specialty Tests (CST) - pass rate = 97%; and the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) or the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Writen ATS-W - pass rate = 97%.

Although they will be advised through the appropriate department concerning requirements in their major, students in education programs should consult with the Education Department faculty early concerning program and certification policies. Students who are not following the certification program, but who are interested in using education for related career opportunities, may seek advisement from the Education Department staff as well. We certainly encourage these students to explore the Educational Studies Minor .

The Educational Studies Minor offers students an opportunity to examine and develop informed opinions on questions pertaining to the role of education in a democracy; questions of opportunity, equity and access; and issues of justice, the common good and human rights. While the Educational Studies Minor does not lead to certification through Siena College, the Minor is beneficial for students who: 1) wish to pursue certification at the graduate level in elementary education, special education, school guidance & counseling, school social work, school psychology, or school district business leadership; 2) anticipate having professional responsibility in settings such as corporate training and staff development; 3) anticipate working with children and adolescents outside of school setting; 4) have an interest in a career in the political realm serving as a legislative aide or representing and/or lobbying for educational organizations such as a state school boards association or a teachers’ union; 5) intended to teach at the secondary level but whose course requirements leave little room in their undergraduate program for our certification program; and/or 6) intend to teach in higher education. NOTE: If you are interested in a graduate program, make sure to research the specific requirements of that program.

Programs

Certificate

Education Certification

Minor

Educational Studies Minor

Courses

Education