Teacher Preparation and Certification Program

Student Handbook

I. Preface

II. Overview

III. Development of the Tulane Model

                 A.   The Core Principles

                              i.    Educational Leadership

                             ii.    Rigorous Academic Foundation

                            iii.    Informed Reflective Practice

                            iv.   Technological Literacy

                             v.    Multicultural Literacy

                 B.   State and National Standards

IV. Governance of the Program                                                       

                 A.    Program Staff

                 B.    TPCP Advisory Council

V. Description of the Alternate Certification Program

                 A.    Program Options

                              i.     Secondary Content Focus Areas (6-12)

                             ii.     Early Childhood Education (PK-3)

                            iii.     Dance (K-12)

                 B.   Assessment

                              i.     PASS-PORT & Electronic Folios

                             ii.     PRAXIS Requirements

                            iii.     Program Evaluation & Development

                 C.    Advising and Program Planning

                 D.    Course Descriptions

VI. Early Field Experiences & Practicums

                 A.       Overview

                 B.       Field Experience Grid

                 C.       Office of Service Learning

VII.  Student  Teaching/Internship

VIII. Tulane University Policies 

Appendices:                                                                                                                                 

              A.          INTASC Core Principles

              B.          LaCET Standards

              C.          NAEYC Standards

              D.          NBPTS  Core Principles

              E.           ISTE National Educational Technology Standards

I. Preface

Welcome to the Teacher Preparation and Certification Program at Tulane University

Pursuing a career committed to optimizing student learning is indeed a dignified cause.  Polls have ranked “educator” as one of the most esteemed careers in our country, even with the many challenges that are associated with our educational structure.  Acquisition of the skills and knowledge involved in the art of teaching is one of the most interesting and enlightening ventures among all pursuits available to us.  Knowledge of subject matter and competency in applying this knowledge in teaching and learning situations are real demands made on a successful instructor and can only be acquired through training, study and a wide range of experience.  Students at Tulane University who choose the teaching certification route are commended for having chosen this path, and they are encouraged to aspire to the maximum achievement in their professional preparation.

Tulane University’s Teacher Preparation and Certification Program offers teacher education courses designed for students preparing to teach in PK-3, 6-12, and Dance K-12.  This handbook contains general information pertaining to teacher certification at Tulane University.  Students are urged to read this handbook carefully for information needed to complete the programs.  Readers may be referred to other sources for additional or complementary information.  Tulane students are encouraged to consult this handbook and other sources regularly.  While it is helpful to get information from friends or classmates, it is best to consult with an advisor or program director to get answers to specific questions.  Students are urged to check with advisors about program revisions or about their content majors.

Your impact in the classroom and beyond will be difficult to assess empirically, even though today’s political program argues otherwise.  Teacher Certification at Tulane offers you the opportunity to change and grow while providing a service to the community.  The education staff and faculty believe that the person you are becoming is the key to your effectiveness as a prospective teacher.  Preparation for teaching is a life-long, dynamic journey.  As your teachers, we are seeking to model this pilgrimage of openness and growth, both professionally and personally.

We welcome you on this pathway of growth.  As you have questions or concerns which may not be addressed in this Handbook, please feel free to visit us in the Teacher Preparation and Certification Offices in Newcomb Hall.   We anticipate a pleasurable visit.

Linda McKee

Director

Tulane University Teacher Preparation and Certification Program

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II. Overview

Although  Tulane  University  is  categorized  as  a  small independent 

southern  university,  it   prepares students in   eleven  different  schools  and colleges  ranging  from  liberal   arts   and   sciences   through   a    full  array  of professional   schools.   Tulane   is   committed   to   giving

students a   wealth  of  program  choices  rarely  equaled  among the nation’s independent universities.  This approach to education has fostered a community of interdisciplinary educators committed to enriching the capacity of individuals, organizations, and communities. The Teacher Preparation and Certification Program (TPCP) is housed within the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

The program’s purpose is to develop compassionate, knowledgeable, influential educators dedicated to fostering educational growth, creative expression, critical thinking, and community service and who will act and lead with integrity.   The TPCP strives to extend the University’s commitment to the preparing of prospective teachers by using an interdisciplinary approach designed to help candidates meet the needs of learners from all walks of life.

The broad goals of the Teacher Preparation and Certification Program are:

To recruit diverse classes of enthusiastic teacher candidates.

To apply principles of modeling, practice, reflection, and educational research to help candidates create for themselves a “toolbox” of skills to serve diverse learners.

To assist candidates in understanding and adapting their skills to ensure that all learners have the opportunity to be successful.

To provide constant and substantial opportunity for candidates to learn, practice, reflect, and grow in both college and field settings.

The program was developed in accordance with both Louisiana and NCATE Unit Standards, and the rationale for the program’s structure can be explained best through them. The primary goal was to produce rigorous certification programs that balance the import of disciplinary content knowledge with the teaching skills and dispositions needed to apply that content knowledge in diverse educational settings.  The program incorporates the rigor of a Bachelor’s degree from one of the participating departments with educational theory and methods coursework based on the best available research on teaching and learning.  Both individual courses and the program as a whole are  anchored in various principles set forth in professional standards documents (e.g., the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards, the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium, and various content specific organizations such as the National Council for the Teachers of English).The program is still in its youth, and the faculty and staff  are dedicated to continually assessing the program through both internal and external means, ensuring that  future candidates will experience a constantly improving program.

One of the most important components of the program is the wide variety of field experiences and clinical practicums.  Candidates spend a minimum of 180 hours in New Orleans classrooms before student teaching:  field experience in one or more of TPCP’s partner schools is required for every education course and for several of the core psychology courses as well.  These experiences begin as observations and develop to the

program’s capstone:  student teaching or internship. Tulane’s TPCP is particularly fortunate in its ability to ensure that candidates become comfortable with diverse learners due to its location at the center of New Orleans, one of the most ethnically and socio-economically diverse cities in the country.  The program’s candidates experience this diversity through their field experiences across the city and, in addition, experience first-hand both the promise and perils of school reform efforts currently underway in both high-performing and low-performing New Orleans schools.

The program has been developed by the Advisory Council for Teacher Preparation and Certification, comprised of professors from various content departments, principals and teachers from the Orleans Parish School System, current Tulane students, University administrators, and faculty and staff of the TPCP.  All share a common goal to create, evaluate, and improve the program on a regular basis to ensure that high quality standards are maintained.  The program is coordinated and governed by the Teacher Preparation and Certification Program’s faculty and staff who maintain the program, advise candidates, assess the professional development of candidates, and make recommendations for program improvement.