School of Education

Return to: Academic Departments and Programs

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 and Elementary Education
Deborah L. MacCullough, Ph.D.
Jason D. VanBilliard, Ed.D.
Sheryl A. Vasso, Ed.D., Program Advisor, Graduate 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

Diane K. Kloth, M.Ed. 
Ann C. Rivera, M.S.Ed.
Barbara Underhill, M.Ed.

Adjunct Faculty

Rebecca Benjamin, M.Ed.
Rebecca Cella, M.Ed.
Patricia L. Cook, Ed.D.
Stephen P. Dill, Ed.D.
Daniel J. Egeler, Ed.D. 
James T. Fox, Ph.D.
Frank Severn, M.A.
Judy E. Severns, M.Ed.
Melissa Shipman, Ed.D.
David K. Wilcox, Ph.D.
 

The School

In a day when traditional and progressive educational philosophies continue to play tug-of-war and modern and postmodern worldviews vie for the public mind, Christian educators need to develop educational moorings to form the basis for intellectually coherent and professionally informed practice.  The School of Education exists to provide the best in teacher preparation and school leadership and administration.

The School of Education’s graduate programs began in 1992 with the distinct purpose of providing a quality education for teachers and administrators in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the nation, and the world.  The core curriculum, integrating a biblical worldview into professional areas of study, promotes academic excellence, celebrates wise and innovative practices, and champions a global perspective and human diversity.

Core Values of the School of Education’s Graduate Programs

The faculty and staff in the School of Education hold to the following core values:

Relationship with God
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.

Human Relationships
Love your neighbor as yourself; this includes friends, colleagues, students, and people everywhere, all of whom are made in the image of God.

Scholarship
An education that prepares toward excellence, the mind, the heart, and actions. Knowledge and pedagogical skills go hand-in-hand.

Global Perspective and Diversity
Knowledge and skills to prepare instructional events that meet the needs of diverse people groups and individuals.

Worldview Integration
All of life and learning are viewed from a biblical theistic worldview and our philosophy of education is informed by that view.
 

The Programs

M.S. in Education Program

The M.S. in Education program is designed to prepare educators to create quality learning experiences for students in an environment that fosters the development of the whole person. Graduate students form a community of learners who challenge and encourage one another and draw from one another’s experiences and perspectives. Students take advantage of their current employment or designed internships to practice what they learn in practical settings.

Competencies

The curriculum is designed to assist the student in meeting specific competencies. The goal is that the graduate is able to:

1. Design, implement, and modify instruction for students based upon their developmental levels, exceptionalities, and individual needs.
2. Select and implement models of teaching based on desired learner outcomes and curriculum objectives.
3. Apply theories of learning in designing and developing learning strategies and modifications.
4. Apply a personal, developed, educational philosophy and integrated biblical worldview in curriculum design, instructional methodology, assessment, and educational decision making.
5. Assess and design curriculum based on outcomes, ongoing learning assessment, differentiated learning, and authentic learning experiences.
6. Identify, critique, and use specific trends in education, including instructional technologies, to enable effective student learning.
7. Synthesize and evaluate educational research in order to improve teaching and learning.

M.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration Program

The M.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration program provides a biblical model of leadership that enables graduates to face the challenges of today’s educational setting with a strong knowledge base and managerial skills.

As a community of learners, graduate students in the program draw from one another’s experiences and perspectives. Students have the opportunity to immediately put into practice what they learn in the classroom in their employment and involvement outside of Cairn. The program strives to create an environment for graduate students that makes learning a reality, both in and out of the classroom.

Competencies

The curriculum is designed to assist the student in meeting specific competencies. The goal is that the graduate is able to:

1. Apply theories of educational leadership, including systems theory, data-driven decision making models, hiring, mentoring, team building, and cultivation of a school culture that promotes learning.
2. Effectively communicate and personally interact with organizations in the social and political environment, including school boards, community organizations, state boards, accrediting agencies, special interest groups, and other professional organizations.
3. Understand and apply historical and contemporary issues of school law to employment, discipline, privacy, safe schools, crisis planning, drug-free schools, sexual/physical/emotional abuse and harassment, and due process.
4. Retain and apply fiscal operations of school budgeting, including facilities management, strategic planning, long-range planning, the budget process, technology implementation, and resource allocation.
5. Professionally demonstrate a holistic understanding of administrative best practices and procedures.
6. Develop action research in the school environment and summarize conclusions through professional journal writing, APA style.
7. Develop curriculum and plan instruction for students based upon their developmental levels and cognitive, physical, social, language, and individual needs and be able to provide professional development in these areas.
8. Apply a personal, intentional educational philosophy in curriculum design, instructional methodology, assessment, and educational decision making.
9. Assess and design curriculum based on outcomes, ongoing learning assessment, differentiated learning, authentic learning experiences, and PA Academic Standards.
10. Identify, critique, and use specific trends in education to promote effective student learning and professional development.
11. Design, conduct, and evaluate educational research to improve instruction and learning.
12. Integrate a Christian worldview with the school curriculum.

International Program

The School of Education began offering an M.S. in Education degree with an International Education specialization at Cairn’s European Campus in Kandern, Germany, in 1997. In 2011, the M.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration program offered its first courses in Europe. The European Campus uses the facilities of Black Forest Academy. Kandern is located approximately twenty-five minutes north of Basel, Switzerland, and fifteen minutes from Alsace, France.
 

Related Program Information

Certification

Twelve areas of teacher certification are offered through the School of Education. Master of Science in Education students who are not already certified may work toward PA Instructional I and/or ACSI certification in a blended master’s and certification program.

K-12 school principal certification is available to qualified candidates in the Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Administration program. Both PA public school K-12 and ACSI private school K-12 certificates may be earned through the program.

Distance Learning

It is possible for students to pursue a graduate degree with Cairn University even if they live a distance from the main campus in Langhorne.  Several options are available.

E-Courses, Conferences, and Weekend Courses

Some courses are offered via the internet in an e-course or hybrid format. Every year several courses are rostered at regional, national, or international conferences and/or on weekends on the main campus.

International Site

It is possible to take the M.S. in Education program through summer modules in Kandern, Germany, at the Black Forest Academy.  Careful planning may allow students to combine the program with courses on the main campus.  Core courses in the M.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration program are also available at the international location.

International Convention Courses

The School of Education’s graduate programs offer courses at the ICEC conferences sponsored by the Association of Christian Schools International.  Courses have been taught in Germany, South Korea, Hungary, Malaysia, Ecuador, Kenya, Philippines, and Hong Kong.

Cohort Programs

Cairn has developed a three-year delivery of the M.S. in Education Degree program using a cohort approach in which ten or more students complete online courses during the fall and spring semesters and meet for one or two weeks in the summer to take face-to-face courses. This program can be offered at campuses around the world by agreement with Cairn.

Independent Research

The Action Research Project and Instructional Design Project are culminating projects in which research is conducted and completed by students who are assigned an advisor/reader.  For candidates for the PA K-12 Principal certification, the ARP is completed under the internship mentor in a school. These projects are highly practical and are the culmination of the professional experience at Cairn.

Internships

In the M.S. in Educational Leadership and Administration program, students may take a three-credit K-12 administrative internship at an accredited school or organization under the mentoring of an approved administrator. The internship covers all levels of administration, K-12. The internship is required for those desiring to obtain the PA K-12 Principal certification or the ACSI K-12 Principal certification and requires a total of 360 hours that includes the Action Research Project and intervention.

Diversity

A strength of the School of Education’s graduate programs is the diversity represented in every class.  Strategic interactions with educators who share unique experiences and wisdom provide a dynamic learning environment. Students in the programs are evangelical, yet come from varied church backgrounds.

Return to: Academic Departments and Programs