School of Education

Dean: Kate DaBoll-Lavoie, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Student Affairs, Margaret Callahan, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs: Cynthia L. McPhail, Ph.D.

Professors: Bailey Jones, Ph.D., Callahan, Ph.D., Cheng, Ph.D., DaBoll-Lavoie, Ph.D., Dev, Ph.D., Dunn, Ed.D., Glander, Ph.D., Hopkins, Ph.D., L. Jones, Ph.D., Jamanis, Ph.D., McPhail, Ph.D., Sommers, Ph.D., and Tell, Ph.D. Associate Professors: Black, Ph.D., Hutchinson-Anderson, Ph.D., and Song, Ph.D.; Assistant Professors: Rowland-Storm, Ph.D., and Sturm, Ph.D.

The School of Education offers undergraduate programs at the initial certification level and extends preparation at the graduate level in selected fields of teacher education. The teacher preparation programs/major offered at Nazareth College are tied to New York State teacher certification areas. School of Education programs and the other certification programs offered at Nazareth College are innovative and dynamic.

Program/major curricula are determined by internal and external standards, and are presented in a carefully designed sequence allowing for cross-course and cross-program connections. Program faculty members are committed to preparing all teachers to work with diverse groups of students.

The mission of the School of Education is to prepare teachers who are educated in the liberal arts and committed to a life guided by intellectual, moral, and ethical values. To carry out its mission, the School of Education and related education programs at Nazareth College make the following claims:

Teachers prepared at Nazareth College:

demonstrate the knowledge to be successful educators;
design and implement effective instruction for diverse learners in various settings;
reflect critically on their practice and the profession.

Certification Programs
The School of Education supports four undergraduate teacher certification programs and nine program option areas at the graduate level. The undergraduate programs are as follows:

1) Inclusive Early Childhood/Childhood Education Major

Certifications include:

Early Childhood education (Birth - Grade 2)
Teaching students with disabilities at the Early Childhood level (Birth - Grade 2)
Childhood Education (Grades 1 - 6)
Teaching students with disabilities at the Childhood level (Grades 1 - 6)

Core content major options in the liberal arts: Biology • Chemistry • English • History • Languages: French, Italian, and Spanish • Mathematics

Other majors in the liberal arts: American Studies • Anthropology • Global Studies • Philosophy • Political Science • Psychology • Religious Studies • Social Science • Sociology • Theatre Arts

2) Initial Certification in Inclusive Adolescence Education

Certifications include:

Initial Certification, Adolescence Education, Grades 7 - 12
Initial Certification, Students with Disabilities at the Adolescence level, Generalist, Grades 7 - 12

Content area options include: Biology • Chemistry • English • History (social studies) • Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), French, Italian, and Spanish • Mathematics • Theatre/English

3) Art Education (Birth - Grade 12): College of Arts & Sciences

4) Music Education (PreK - Grade 12): College of Arts & Sciences

To review specific requirements for admission for inclusive adolescence education, art education, inclusive early childhood/childhood education, and music education, refer to the relevant department/unit.

Students self-select for admittance into teacher certification programs. Students can self-select at any time from their initial application to Nazareth College through their sophomore year. Students need to maintain a minimum 2.7 cumulative GPA to remain in teacher education programs. A student who has a GPA that is lower than 2.7, or who has completed fewer than 45 credit hours, is accepted conditionally. In order to move into the student teaching semester, students must have the joint approval of their liberal arts and science department and the School of Education. This approval is obtained through the student teaching application, which is completed in the beginning of the junior year. Approval is based on GPA and content knowledge, combined with satisfactory progress in degree and education programs.

Requirements for New York Initial Teacher Certification
All teacher candidates must successfully complete the following to meet the requirements for New York State initial teacher certification:

Academic and education program with a GPA of 2.7 or higher
All education course work with a grade of C or higher
New York State teacher certification examinations

A minimum of three assessments need to be passed:

Educating All Students Test (EAS)
Content Specialty Test(s) (CST)
Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA)

See www.naz.edu/education/teacher-certification for details and suggested timelines for these exams. Other required exams depend on the program being completed (e.g., CST: Students with Disabilities).

Teacher candidates use the New York State TEACH system to apply for Initial certification(s) and need to pay the fees in effect at the time they apply. New York requires all teacher candidates to have a fingerprint/background check on file with TEACH and pass all appropriate New York State Teacher Certification Examinations www.nystce.nesinc.com. New York State Education Department maintains a website with certification requirements: http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/.

During a teacher candidate’s final semester, information on the certification application process will be sent via email. Additional support may be obtained by contacting Nazareth College Teacher Certification Office at (585) 389-2592 or by email tcert@naz.edu, or www.naz.edu/education/teacher-certification.