Mar 28, 2024  
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog 
    
2019-2020 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

College of Education


Memorial Hall, Suite 3175 – MSC 6907,
Harrisonburg, VA 22807
Phone: (540) 568-6572                                                                                                                  
Website: http://welcome.coe.jmu.edu/

Dean
Dr. Phillip M. Wishon

Assistant Dean
Dr. Steven Purcell

Interim Assistant Dean
Dr. Jane Thall

Interim Director of Educational Support Center
Dr. Dara Hall

Director of Educational Technology and Media Center
Dr. Richard G. Clemens 

Director of Assessment
Dr. Amy D. Thelk

Accreditation and Special Projects
Dr. Nancy Barbour

Coordinator for Grants, Contracts and Special Projects
Dr. Diane L. Foucar-Szocki

Academic Units

Department of Early, Elementary and Reading Education
Dr. Teresa Harris, Head

Department of Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities
Dr. William White, Head

Department of Learning, Technology and Leadership Education
Dr. Diane Wilcox, Interim Head

Department of Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education
Dr. Katie Dredger, Head

Department of Military Science
Lt. Col. Thomas Tolman, Head

Mission Statement

The mission of the James Madison University College of Education is to prepare educated and enlightened individuals who can skillfully contribute to the common good of society and who can enter competently into positions of teaching and educational leadership, civic responsibility and national service. The personal and professional development of students is accomplished by emphasizing excellence and continuous innovation in quality undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. The College of Education is distinguished through faculty and student achievements, academic rigor, excellence in teaching, student and faculty interactions and relationships, technological innovations and national recognitions. The college maintains relevance through active and growing interactions with other colleges within the university and with local, state, regional, national and international communities. The college is committed to providing:

  • Graduate programs that support initial teacher licensure emphasizing advanced knowledge in a specialty area and the development of effective leadership and professional skills for addressing the needs of a changing society.
  • Continuing professional development and in-service programs in cooperation with public and private schools and agencies, other colleges, institutions and businesses.

The basic philosophy of the college is reflected in these goals:

  • To educate individuals for the multiple professions included in the college at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, not merely by transmitting skills and knowledge but by stimulating creativity, developing cognitive abilities and encouraging the testing of hypotheses and reinterpretation of the human experience.
  • To encourage a balanced faculty orientation toward teaching, research, scholarship, community service and professionalism that recognizes individual strengths and preferences of the college’s faculty.
  • To create an environment that fosters an atmosphere of open communication among students, faculty members and community.
  • To anticipate societal needs and provide necessary resources for implementing effective off-campus programs now and in the future.

Programs

The college offers a variety of graduate programs, including those in the areas of teacher licensure, advanced programs for teaching professionals, educational leadership, educational technology and adult human resource development. The educator preparation programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (now CAEP) and approved by the Virginia State Board of Education.

For students enrolled in undergraduate, pre-professional teacher licensure programs at James Madison University, the College of Education offers the following programs leading to a Masters of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T):

For individuals holding baccalaureate degrees who wish to pursue initial teacher licensure, the college offers the following graduate programs leading to Masters of Arts (M.A.T.) in Teaching:

The college offers the following Masters of Education (M.Ed.) programs for licensed teachers and other interested individuals:

For individuals interested in Adult Education/Human Resource Development, the college offers a Master of Science in Education (M.S.Ed.) Degree .

Education Support Center

Dr. Dara Hall, Interim Director
Phone: (540) 568-6274                                                                                                                 
Website:http://www.jmu.edu/coe/esc/

The Education Support Center (ESC) has four major responsibilities:

  • monitors admission to, and retention in, the professional education program
  • coordinates field experiences for all programs
  • approves applications for Virginia licensure
  • serves as the center for information about professional education programs

Information and application materials for admission to teacher education, appeals, registration for PRAXIS exams, student teaching and licensure are available on the Education Support Center website.

Admission to Teacher Education

Candidates who want to pursue a course of study leading to the initial Virginia teaching license must be admitted to the teacher education program. Admission is a prerequisite to most education courses; candidates not admitted to teacher education will be blocked from registering for those courses.

Students enrolled in a five-year M.A.T. program must be fully admitted to teacher education during their undergraduate, pre-professional program (see the undergraduate catalog).

Students enrolled in post baccalaureate, initial teacher licensure programs must complete all teacher education requirements for admission as outlined in program admission requirements and submit:

  • Program of study letter obtained from the student’s education adviser that specifies required courses for the licensure programs
  • Official transcripts from other institutions

Full-time, post-baccalaureate candidates need to apply for 1) admission to teacher education and 2) student teaching during their first term of enrollment at JMU.  Part-time students should consult with their education advisor.

Field Experiences

Field experiences (including practica and internships) are required for candidates in all programs of the professional education unit. The number and nature of these experiences may differ based on program structure and candidates’ individual needs and/or goals. Transportation and other arrangements for the practicum and internship courses/experiences will be the candidate’s responsibility.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is required as an integral part of the sequence of professional experiences in all teacher education programs.

Candidates must student teach in the area for which they are seeking licensure or endorsement. A candidate seeking endorsement in more than one general area must complete a student teaching experience in each area.

Student teaching placements are made in accredited Virginia public and private schools, programs and agencies.

Application Deadlines

Student teaching applications are accepted during the fall semester for the next academic year. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of all application requirements and deadlines.

Full-time post-baccalaureate students need to apply for student teaching during their first term of enrollment at JMU.  Part-time students should consult with their education advisor.

Teacher Education Licensure

In order to be eligible for licensure, teacher education candidates must meet all requirements for completing the licensure program. Those candidates interested in being licensed in Virginia must apply because this license is not issued automatically. Virginia licensure requirements include the Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment (VCLA) for all licensure areas and the Praxis II Specialty Area Tests for most licensure areas. Virginia also requires the Reading for Virginia Educators for selected programs. It is recommended that candidates applying for out-of-state licenses first obtain the Virginia license. Out-of-state licensure requirements and application forms must be obtained directly from the desired state agencies. Other states may have additional testing and GPA requirements that the applicant must meet.

Educational Technology and Media Center

Dr. Richard G. Clemens, Director

Phone: (540) 568-6302      Websitehttp://www.jmu.edu/coe/etmc

The primary goal of the Educational Technology and Media Center (ETMC) is to support students, faculty and staff in their effective use of technologies for learning. This goal is achieved through access, instruction and promotion of educational technologies available within the center.

ETMC houses more than 5,000 items including K-12 textbooks, DVDs, computer software and a variety of other instructional resources. The center houses the children and youth literature collection of James Madison University totaling more than 15,000 volumes.

Computers throughout the facility allow students to work with computer-assisted instruction, web page creation, word processing, digital images, analog and digital video, page layout, data analysis and the creation of multi-media computer presentations. The growing capabilities in instructional technology are evident in this center where interactive video conferencing, video-streaming and other newly emerging technologies expand the potential for learning in multiple environments. Faculty also have access to mobile carts housing laptops, iPads and other mobile device technologies for use in their instructional practice.

For students desiring licensure in Virginia’s schools, ETMC provides opportunities to learn and use many forms of instructional technology. ETMC has a range of production facilities including traditional media, audio and video editing areas, and digital technologies that enable students and faculty to produce a wide variety of instructional materials. College of Education students may also check out digital cameras, camcorders, audio recorders, iPads and laptop computers for their instructional practice.