Department of Education Mission Statement
To prepare teachers who embrace learning and dedicate themselves to service and leadership in the profession.
Education Department programs reflect teacher candidate competencies established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) professional practice standards. The program graduate will:
- understand 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 design and implement developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences
- use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards
- work with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation
- understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and create learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content
- understand 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
- understand and use 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
- plan 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
- understand and use 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
- engage in ongoing professional learning and use 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 adapt practice to meet the needs of each learner
- seek 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
Admission to the Department and Student Teaching
Students seeking admission into Waynesburg University’s teacher preparation programs (Pennsylvania State Certification) may, upon admission to the University, declare Early Childhood Education PreK-4; Elementary/Middle Level Education 4-8; or Secondary Education 7-12 as their certification area.
- Early Childhood Education PreK-4 majors may elect a curriculum track that provides an additional certification in special education PreK-8.
- Middle level and secondary education certification candidates may opt for an additional certification in special education via a five year, dual degree and dual certification program.
Students must apply for formal admission into the Education Department during the second semester of the sophomore year or no later than the semester that the student will accumulate 60 credit hours on transcript. Admission applications are reviewed by the faculty; admission decisions are made at the end of the sophomore year or at the end of the semester when 60 credits are recorded on transcript. Consistent with Pennsylvania Department of Education mandates, formal admission to the Education Department will not occur until students have met the following criteria:
- Satisfactory FBI Federal Criminal History Record Clearance (Fingerprint)
- Satisfactory Pennsylvania General Assembly Act 34 Pennsylvania Criminal Record Clearance
- Satisfactory Pennsylvania General Assembly Act 151 Pennsylvania Child Abuse Record Clearance
- TB Tine Test Negative Results
- Minimum of 48 hours of approved course work listed on transcript
- 3.0 cumulative GPA with a grade of C or higher in Education Department courses
- Six credits of college math on transcript
- Three credits of English composition and three credits of English literature on transcript
- Active membership in Student Pennsylvania State Education Association (SPSEA)
- Formal application including an essay
- Satisfactory completion of basic skills assessment requirements as specified in Pennsylvania General Assembly Act 168 of 2014; currently either the Pennsylvania Pre-service Academic Performance Assessment (PAPA) or the PRAXIS Core Academic Skills for Educator Tests meets the requirements for the basic skills assessment - Basic skills requirement may be met based on SAT or ACT scores (Pennsylvania Department of Education Certification Testing Requirements: http://www.education.pa.gov/Educators/Certification/CertTestingRequirements/Pages/default.aspx)
Admission to the student teaching semester requires the following additional criteria:
- 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Formal application
Resources to assist students with the basic skills exams:
- Praxis- Pennsylvania Test Requirements - https://www.ets.org/praxis/pa
- Praxis Test Takers Fee Waiver Request - https://www.ets.org/praxis/about/fees/fee_waivers/
- Free test testing materials for Praxis Exams- https://www.ets.org/praxis/prepare/materials
- Pennsylvania Educator Certification Test - http://www.pa.nesinc.com/
- PECT Waiver fee Request - http://www.pa.nesinc.com/Content/Docs/PECT_FeeWaiverRequestForm.pdf?1529936467906
- Free test testing materials for PA Educator Exams - http://www.pa.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/PA001_PrepMaterials.html
- Free Kahn Academy materials: https://www.khanacademy.org/
Waynesburg University Title II Pass Rates
The pass rate results of students who have completed the teacher education program at a Waynesburg University and have taken Praxis assessments required to gain a Pennsylvania instructional certificate are available at the Title II website. Follow this link to examine the pass rates for students completing basic skills and certification exams: