College of Education - Professional Education Unit Information

Important Notification to All Education Majors

All programs and degree options in the College of Education lead to New York State Certification and are subject to the guidelines and mandates established by New York State. Additionally, all programs and degree options are held accountable to the Association for the Advancement of Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) standards. As such, any changes made by the New York State Board of Regents, or AAQEP, have the potential to impact the requirements of the program. Undergraduate programs are reviewed each semester to check compliance with state certification and national accreditation requirements.

Candidates should meet with their faculty advisors and attend all academic advisement sessions for up-to-date information on current programs and certification requirements.

New Teacher Education Admission Requirements as of Fall 2015

In response to a State University of New York Board of Trustees mandate, Fredonia adopted new admission requirements for all new students beginning Fall 2015.

Undergraduate Requirements

Students who are interested in becoming teachers may declare and explore the education major of their choice through designated initial courses. To continue in good standing as a candidate for teacher certification, students will be reviewed by the College of Education and those with satisfactory performance will be formally admitted as a teacher candidate of that program. The core program, including student teaching, will be restricted to teacher candidates only. Applicants for Teacher Candidacy must meet the following requirements:

Grades of "B" or better in EDU 105, EDU 225, EDU 250, EDU 305 and all methods courses (402, 403, 404, 405 and 406) are required for all students entering their major in FALL 2020 or later. Please note: that "B -" is not an adequate grade.
Grade of "S" in EDU 106, EDU 251 and EDU 313
In addition to the above mentioned requirements, for Early Childhood Program and Early Childhood/Childhood dual majors, "B" or better in EDU 221 and "S" in EDU 222
In addition to the above mentioned requirements, for Childhood Inclusive Education majors, grades of "B" or better in EDU 355 and "S" in EDU 356
Overall GPA of 3.0 or better
Record of Positive Professional Dispositions

Each program maintains requirements for continuing in the program including overall GPA, minimum course grade requirements, and maintaining appropriate professional dispositions.

For Freshmen interested in Adolescence Education and Music Education Programs:

Interested applicants should refer to the specific content departments or the School of Music sections of this catalog for admission requirements and application procedures of those programs.

For Transfer and Current Fredonia Students interested in any Education Programs:

Prospective transfer students or current Fredonia students in other majors outside of Education, wishing to enter a teacher certification program will need to be reviewed and formally admitted as a teacher candidate in that program. The core program, including student teaching, will be restricted to teacher candidates only. To continue in good standing as a candidate for teacher certification, students must meet the following requirements:

Overall GPA 3.0 or better
Any additional program requirements

Each program maintains requirements for continuing in the program including overall GPA, minimum course grade requirements, and maintaining appropriate professional dispositions.

Graduate Admission Requirements

For all Education Programs:

New graduate students applying for acceptance into education programs must meet the following requirements:

An undergraduate minimum overall GPA of 3.0
Unless applying to a program leading to a recommendation for a first initial teaching certificate, applicants must provide proof of an initial certificate
Any additional program requirements

Applicants should contact the Graduate Admissions Office for application procedures. Each program maintains requirements for continuing in the program including overall GPA and minimum course grade requirements and maintaining appropriate professional dispositions.

Association for the Advancement of Quality in Educator Prep

The State university of New York college of Education is a member in good standing of the Association for Advancing quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP). Pursuant to Part 52.21 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education, the educator preparation programs offered by the State University of New York at Fredonia are considered to be continuously accredited for purposes of meeting the New York State requirement that all such programs maintain continuous accreditation, as per the New York State Education Department's Office of Higher Education.

Program Philosophy and Conceptual Framework for All Certification Programs

The College of Education believes that all children can learn and that they learn best when taught by reflective and responsive educators who carefully assess their instructional competence via reflections upon pupil performance. Responsive educators make informed decisions based on these reflections and adjust instruction to enhance pupil progress. All candidates in the College of Education - Professional Education Unit complete a series of a minimum of four field-based experiences. Each field-based experience is taught in conjunction with a required education course to clearly connect educational theory and practice. Each of the field experiences is highly structured, well supervised, and intended to provide multiple opportunities for candidates to Plan, Instruct, Reflect, and Respond with school children in classroom settings. Candidates also enroll in course work related to child and adolescent development, applications of psychology in the classroom, and pedagogical strategies as well as liberal arts and discipline-specific content courses. All of the courses work together to strengthen the candidates' Four Pillars of Understanding — Knowledge, Pedagogy, Diversity, and Professionalism — which in turn support the process of effective planning, instructing, reflecting, and responding. Course work and instruction are rooted in a strong foundation of research-based practices and strategies, contextual factors that influence instruction, and standards for teaching and learning.

Candidate Organizations for All Certification Programs

Within the College of Education, a dynamic and active Teacher Education Club (TEC) offers activities that provide an array of opportunities for academic, personal, and professional growth, as well as community service. A student chapter of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) is dedicated to improving the success of children and youth with disabilities and/or gifts and talents, and Friends Across Borders (FAB) is a service organization that encourages understanding the histories and cultures of other people around the world. The College of Education also houses the Zeta Upsilon Chapter of the International Honor Society in Education, Kappa Delta Pi. (KDP) This invitation-only, service-orientated organization provides multiple opportunities for professional growth. In addition, the College of Education sponsors a chapter of the Golden Key International Honour Society. These student led professional organizations allow aspiring teachers to meet, collaborate, provide service and grow professionally. Additionally selected members of the Executive Boards of these organizations comprise the Dean's Student Advisory Council and as such contribute to the constant evaluation and improvement of the COE programs.

Diverse Student Teaching Opportunities

Helen L. Johnson Internship Program

The College of Education and the Hamburg (N.Y.) Central School District collaboratively sponsor an innovative teacher education program for Childhood and Childhood Inclusive Education majors that combines the Professional Methods Semester course work (on campus) with an extended student teaching experience in the Hamburg school district during a full college academic year internship. The program received the Distinguished Program Award in 1985 from the National Association of Teacher Educators. Further information concerning the program can be obtained from the Director of the Office of Field Experiences.

SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center (SUTEC)

The Office of Field Experiences works closely with the SUNY Urban Teacher Education Center (SUTEC), under the direction of the New York City Department of Education. SUTEC's primary mission is to assist the 17 SUNY campuses that offer teacher education programs in the placement of student teacher candidates in New York City public schools. These experiences prepare candidates for teacher certification to become competent and confident education professionals in urban, multicultural environments. SUTEC also facilitates the recruitment of SUNY teacher education graduates for New York City schools and provides an academic center for research and scholarship in urban education.

Student Teaching in Aldine, Texas

After years of hiring SUNY Fredonia graduates, the Aldine Independent School District in Houston, Texas, established a student teaching partnership with SUNY Fredonia in 2015. Teacher candidates teach in Houston for their first student teaching placement and return to Fredonia for their second placement. This allows for fulfillment of NYS teaching requirements and also includes the experience of teaching in a different part of the country. While in Texas, Fredonia candidate are supervised by experienced Aldine teachers and administrators, and they remain connected to their Fredonia peers and faculty through regular communication.