School of Education

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Paula R. Gossard, Ph.D., Acting Dean

Distinguished Professor Emeritus

Martha E. MacCullough, Ed.D.

Professor

Dianne K. Alexander, Ed.D., Program Advisor, Early Childhood/Elementary Education (PK-4)
Deborah L. MacCullough, Ph.D.
Jason D. VanBilliard, Ed.D.
Debbie L. Wolf, Ph.D., Chair, Music Education

Associate Professor

Stephanie F. Chung, Ed.D., Program Advisor, Special Education

Assistant Professor

Joseph W. Beeson II, M.S., Program Advisor, Secondary Education
Gregory J. Fanus, M.A., Program Advisor, Health and Physical Education
Christopher J. Palladino, M.Ed.

Part-time Faculty

Charlotte L. Gleason, M.L.S.
Diane K. Kloth, M.Ed.
Ann C. Rivera, M.S.Ed., Director, Student Teaching and Field Placement
Barbara Underhill, M.Ed., Program Advisor, TESOL

Adjunct Faculty

Rebecca Benjamin, M.S.
Rebecca Cella, M.Ed.
Krista Richardson, M.Ed.
Judy E. Severns, M.Ed.
Stephen M. Weir, M.S.
 

The School

The School of Education at Cairn University exists to prepare highly qualified, biblically-minded educators for the teaching and educational leadership professions.

Teachers must be able to orchestrate experiences that lead to student learning in an environment that fosters the development of the whole person. Teachers must be knowledgeable in their subject areas and must understand human development and learning. They must be able to put this knowledge to use in skillful lesson planning, decision making, and interactive methodology. Teachers must be motivators, facilitators, counselors, curriculum planners, diagnosticians, evaluators, human relations experts, disciplinarians, record-keepers, effective thinkers and learners, and reflective professionals seeking ongoing improvement and excellence. It is important that teachers be role models: people of unquestionable moral character, enthusiastic about life and learning, and committed to the high values of the teaching profession. The Christian educator must be committed to a Christian worldview and should apply these principles in service. The School of Education at Cairn seeks top quality entrants for the teacher preparation programs.

The School of Education, Undergraduate Division, has developed a set of competencies that, when fulfilled and/or accomplished, will produce a teacher marked by excellence. These competencies may be found in the School of Education Undergraduate Handbook.

Goals

1. Planning and Preparation. The candidate will demonstrate competence in developing learning goals, assessments, and instructional plans that evidence knowledge of learning theory, content, pedagogy, academic standards, and individual student needs.
2. Classroom Environment. The candidate will demonstrate competence in establishing and maintaining an inclusive, respectful learning community that instills within each student a strong sense of safety and belonging while upholding clear expectations for learning and conduct.
3. Instructional Delivery. The candidate will demonstrate competence in promoting active, engaged learning within each student through applying knowledge of content, delivery skills, and a variety of instructional and assessment strategies.
4. Professionalism and Character.  The candidate will be well-informed about educational research and policies, cultivate professional relationships, and maintain ethical conduct within and beyond the classroom.
5. Biblical Worldview. The candidate will demonstrate a biblical worldview that undergirds and informs content knowledge, instructional practices, and relationships with students, colleagues, and administrators.
    

The Programs

Elementary/Early Childhood Education (PK-4)

Program leads to the PK-4 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and the Standard ACSI (Association of Christian Schools International) Elementary certificate required by many Christian schools worldwide. This program may be blended with PK-8 Special Education, which leads to K-8 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and Standard PK-8 ACSI certification in special education. Students have the option of taking Elementary/Early Childhood Education (PK-4) as a single-degree (B.S. in Education) or double-degree (B.S. in Bible/B.S. in Education) program.

Elementary/Middle Level Education (4-8)

Program leads to the 4-8 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching, and the Standard ACSI Elementary certificate for Christian school teaching. This program may be blended with PK-8 Special Education, which leads to PK-8 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and Standard K-8 ACSI certification in special education.Students have the option of taking Elementary/Middle Level Education (4-8) as a single-degree (B.S. in Education) or double-degree (B.S. in Bible/B.S. in Education) program.

Secondary Education: English, Mathematics, and Social Studies

Programs lead to the 7-12 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and the Standard 7-12 ACSI certificate for Christian school teaching. These programs may be blended with the 7-12 Special Education, which leads to 7-12 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and Standard 7-12 ACSI certification in Special Education. Students have the option of taking secondary education as a single-degree (B.S. in Education) or double-degree (B.S. in Bible/B.S. in Education) program.

Health and Physical Education K-12

Program leads to the K-12 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and the Standard K-12 ACSI certificate for Christian school teaching. Students have the option of taking Health and Physical Education K-12 as a single-degree (B.S. in Education) or double-degree (B.S. in Bible/B.S. in Education) program.

Music Education

Program leads to the K-12 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching and the Standard K-12 ACSI certificate for music education.  Students have the option of taking Music Education as a single-degree (B.Mus.) or double-degree (B.S. in Bible/B.Mus.) program. (Under the administration of the School of Music together with the School of Education)

Preschool-Kindergarten Education

Program leads to state private school licensure for nursery/kindergarten teaching and the Standard ACSI Early Childhood (nursery/kindergarten) teaching certificate. This program is designed to prepare the student for a professional career in the field of preschool education and leads to the B.S. in Bible degree.

Secondary Bible and History Education

Program leads to the Standard 7-12 ACSI certificate for Christian school teaching and the B.S. in Bible degree. The Commonwealth of PA does not certify in history. Social Studies should be selected if certification is desired.

Bible Education K-12

Program leads to Standard K-12 ACSI certificate for Christian school teaching and the B.S. in Bible degree. A student may opt to take the 7-12 Bible Teaching instead of the K-12 with slight adjustments.

TESOL

Program leads to the add-on ESL certificate from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and may be added to any of the above certification programs. This additional program prepares the student to teach English as a second language in several contexts with local schools being the focus.

Special Education PK-8 or 7-12

Program leads to a blended PK-8 or 7-12 Pennsylvania Instructional I certification for public school teaching in special education and the Standard PK-8 or 7-12 ACSI certificate in special education. This program can only be taken in conjunction with either the PK-4, 4-8, or any 7-12 program.

Dual-Level B.S. in Bible/M.S. in Education 

Students who qualify may enter one of the dual-level programs and earn both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in a reduced amount of time (normally five years and one summer). Seven of the above certification programs are available in this format (Elementary/Early Childhood Education (PK-4); Elementary/Middle Level Education (4-8); Health and Physical Education K-12; and Secondary Education: English, Mathematics, or Social Studies). Students may add-on certification in TESOL, Special Education PK-8, or Special Education 7-12. These programs lead to two degrees, the B.S. in Bible and the M.S. in Education. 

Education Minor

A minor in education is also available. A minimum of 18 credits of focused study in education is required and may be added to any of the existing undergraduate degree programs in the University.
 

Related Program Information

Requirements

Requirements for admission to and completion of a Teacher Education program are found in detail in the School of Education Undergraduate Handbook and the School of Education Student Teaching Handbook. Briefly, these include the following:

Admission to a Teacher Education Program

Admission to a Teacher Education program is a two-step process involving declaration of the student’s intent to become a member of the School of Education, followed by application for a specific program of certification.

Membership in the School of Education
Membership in the School of Education begins with admission to Cairn as a student meeting all published entrance requirements. A student may then declare for the School of Education by choosing a degree program in the School.

Application for PA Certification Candidacy
The student applies during the third or fourth semester (after completion of 48 semester hours) for acceptance into a specific program of certification. Acceptance is conditioned upon the following:

• Minimum overall GPA of 2.8 at time of application
• Successful completion of Field Observation (as part of Foundations of Education)
• Completion of English Composition and one American or British literature course with demonstrated competence of “C” or above
• Completion of two mathematics courses with demonstrated competence of “C” or above.
• Recommendation by the Office of Student Life
• Recommendation by the University advisor
• Completion of the PAPA test (Basic Skills Test) with passing scores in all three parts (or a combined SAT score of 1550)
• Completion of an oral communication assessment

Program completion

The student must:

1. Obtain a minimum GPA of 3.0.  (The University requires a 2.0 to earn a degree; a 3.0 is required for certification.)
2. Complete all courses in the chosen curriculum. 
3. Successfully complete Student Teaching measured by the PDE-430 evaluation process. A grade of “C” or above is required. A student earning a lower grade must take an additional student teaching experience after a one-semester intervention. 
4. Be approved for certification by the Teacher Education faculty. 

Certification

The student must meet all program completion requirements as noted above. Public school certificate candidates must also pass the related exit exams specific to their area of certification.

Specializations

Urban Specialization

The urban specialization includes an integrated set of experiences and seminars designed to specifically prepare men and women for teaching in an urban context. The program includes over 200 hours of pre-student teaching experiences in the city and well over 300 hours of student teaching in urban private and public schools. The program adds three semester credits in content pertinent to urban education. Any Teacher Education major may apply for the Urban specialization after completing a questionnaire designed to determine suitability.

International Education Specialization

This specialization includes an integrated set of experiences and seminars designed to prepare the future teacher for ministry in an inter-cultural setting such as an international or “missionary kids” (MK) school in another country working with TCKs (Third Culture Kids). The program includes pre-student teaching experiences in schools that are very diverse in population, and more than 200 hours of teaching in a mission or international school in one of several regions of the world. A minimum of seven weeks will be spent out of the country. Nine additional semester hours must be added to the regular education program in inter-cultural studies. Any Teacher Education major may apply for the International Education specialization after completing a questionnaire designed to determine suitability.

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