Education

Contact Information

phone: (716) 839-8217
daemen.edu/education

Interim Chair

Bruce A. Shields, Ph.D.

bshields@daemen.edu
(716) 839-8217

Degree Programs

Minors

General Information

Current information on requirements for New York State teacher certification may be obtained from the NYS Education Department or the Daemen College Education FAQ .  Reciprocal certification agreements (interstate compacts) exist with many states. A complete listing is available in the Career Services Office.

Teacher candidates  planning  to teach children in an elementary setting will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Childhood Education with New York State Initial Certification for Grade One through Grade Six.

Teacher candidates  planning  to teach children in an elementary setting and/or youth with a disability will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education with dual  New York State Initial Certification for Childhood Education Grade One through Grade Six.

Teacher candidates  planning  to teach infants and toddlers with a disability will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Special Education: Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 2) with dual  New York State Initial Certification Birth through Grade Two.

Teacher candidates planning to teach  adolescent students with special needs will earn a Bachelors of Science degree in Students with Disabilities Generalist (7-12) with New York State Initial Certification for Grades Seven through Grade 12.

Areas of disability specialization covered under the special education certification programs include: autism spectrum disorders; chronic health disorders; conduct disorders (social and/or emotional disorders); learning, intellectual and developmental disabilities; physical disabilities; and multiple disabilities. Areas of disability specialization not covered under these special education certification programs include speech, hearing, and visually impaired.

All Childhood, Early Childhood and Dual certification  teacher candidates must choose  a 30-31 credit hour area study  in one of the following liberal arts or sciences: English, Modern Language, Mathematics, Science, or Social Studies. For the Mathematics area study, a grade of B or better must be earned in MTH 124, MTH 134, MTH 144 and MTH 145.   A portion of the area study requirements may be fulfilled in the core curriculum and may be included in the aforementioned essential courses.

Teacher candidates  planning  to teach in an adolescence education setting will earn a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science degree in the field of his/her choice with a sequence of education courses leading to New York State Initial Certification for Grades Seven through Twelve for the following areas: English, Modern Language (French or Spanish), Mathematics, Social Studies, and Natural Sciences (Biology).

Teacher candidates  planning  to teach in an art education setting will earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Visual Arts Education with New York State Initial Certification for Kindergarten through Grade Twelve.

All teacher candidates must complete at least six (6) credit hours in an approved foreign language.

All teacher candidates will complete at least 100 clock hours of field experiences related to course work, prior to student teaching.  All teacher candidates will have two student teaching placements.  Dual certification majors will have one placement in a general education setting and one with children and/or students with disabilities. Adolescence education majors will have one placement at the early adolescence secondary level (7-9) and one at the adolescence secondary level (10-12).  Between field experiences (practica) and student teaching, teacher candidates are required to have experiences in a “variety of communities and across the range of student developmental levels of the certificate, experiences practicing skills for interacting with parents or caregivers, experiences in high need schools, and experiences with each of the following student populations: students who are socio-economically disadvantaged students, students who are English language learners, and students with disabilities”

(See 8NYCRR Section 52.21 (b) (2) (ii) (c) (2). )  Registration of curriculum in teacher education.

Job Placement Availability:

The New York State Education Department requires publication of statistics regarding labor market and job availability for teachers.  These statistics are available for:  New York State http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/home.html; Interstate at http://www.nasdtec.net/?page=Interstate; National http://www.aaee.org.  NYS &  National Labor Market  http://www.labor.ny.gov/stats/lsproj.shtm.

New York State Teacher Certification Examinations:

For the most recent data related to the performance of Daemen College Teacher Preparation Program’s completers on New York State teacher certifications examinations, please see the following:  https://www.daemen.edu/academics/areas-study/education/accreditation/data

Philosophy:

The philosophy of the Education Department at Daemen College is to promote faculty and teacher candidate commitment to an established paradigm for life-long learning. The Education Department’s learning community is committed to the mastery of all appropriate standards.[1]

We believe that an active discourse regarding the general education core in the liberal arts and sciences, the content core and the pedagogical core can be utilized to instill knowledge and professionally prepare teacher candidates. This discourse also fosters community understanding regarding equity and the needs of diverse and exceptional students. We further believe that practical opportunities to apply the learning community’s knowledge and understanding must be provided to all community members. Reflection within the learning community upon the results of assessment, in turn, inspires personal and collective growth. Our learning community exists within the Daemen College learning community and its wider constituencies, where resources, technology, support services, information, and due process rights empower both faculty and candidate.[2]

1 The faculty has adopted the Standards for Teacher Educators and has committed to an adapted version of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, and the National Education Technology Standards, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) Standards, the standards for the division for Early Childhood of the Council for Exceptional Children, and the USNY Early Elementary Resource Guide to Integrated Learning Standards as guiding standards for the Education Department of Daemen College in an effort to prepare teacher candidates to teach to the NYS learning standards.

2 The above philosophy is derived in part from Section 4-2.5 Standards for Regents Accreditation of Teacher Education programs/Standards of quality.

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Education department at Daemen College is to develop community-focused, life-long learners who are prepared for life and leadership in an increasingly complex and interdependent world.

Our students engage in active discourse and field experience, thereby enhancing personal and professional growth. Graduates demonstrate knowledge, understanding and skills in the liberal arts and sciences; content and pedagogical knowledge; proactive and equitable response to diversity and exceptionality; and professional skills necessary for reflective practice.

The education department is focused on developing innovative programs that address the changing needs of society through interdisciplinary partnerships.

  • The Teacher Preparation Programs support the recruitment and retention of diverse teacher candidates at both the undergraduate and graduate level(s).  This support is demonstrated through a sincere commitment to recognize and address local and regional needs in the field of education.

Daemen College 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 Daemen College are considered to be continuously accredited for purposes of meeting the New York State requirement that all such programs maintain continuous accreditation.

Department Learning Goals

 The Learner and Learning

Goal #1: Learner Development. The teacher candidate understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Goal #2: Learning Differences. The teacher candidate uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

Goal #3: Learning Environments. The teacher candidate works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Content

Goal #4: Content Knowledge. The teacher candidate understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.

Goal #5: Application of Content. The teacher candidate understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

 Instructional Practice

Goal #6: Assessment. The teacher candidate understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Goal #7: Planning for Instruction. The teacher candidate plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

Goal #8: Instructional Strategies. The teacher candidate understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Professional Responsibility

Goal #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice. The teacher candidate engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Goal #10: Leadership and Collaboration. The teacher candidate seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.