Education (Teacher certification with Bachelor's degree)

The mission of the Department of Education is to develop - through research, service, and innovative teaching - reflective teachers and school leaders who are competent and caring lifelong learners. In addition to the mission statement, the Department of Education has four guiding principles that are used in development and delivery of all courses and programs. These principles are:

• Rigorous mind
• Compassionate heart
• Competent demonstration
• Reflective stance

"Rigorous mind" and "compassionate heart" are overlapping principles we want to build in our students. Tasks may require primarily one principle-describing a theory in leadership-yet many times an overlap occurs when one applies knowledge to the school setting-how can a theory in leadership be used to benefit the school environment and impact student learning? Hence, as these two principles "rigorous mind" and "compassionate heart" are played out, the essence of both is our commitment to requiring "competent demonstration" from our students whether they are aspiring to be teachers or school leaders or are presently teachers or school leaders pursuing an advanced degree. The fourth principle, "reflective stance," encompasses the first three principles, since it is critical that our students are continuously reflective in all aspects of their work. These four principles work with our mission statement to define our commitment to our students. Since programs in the Department of Education are aligned with state teacher certification standards, only individuals who demonstrate that they possess the knowledge, skills, professional attitude, and commitment to future students will be recommended by the institution for certification. The goal of the Department of Education and the University is to graduate teachers who reflect rigorous minds, compassionate hearts, competent demonstrations and reflective stances. That is, we seek students who are suitable to contribute to the teaching profession.

The teacher certification programs described below are approved by the Maine State Board of Education as meeting the state standards for certification.

1. Elementary Education Major with K-8 certification
   Students complete a four-year curriculum leading to a bachelor of science degree in elementary education and earn Maine certification to teach in grades K - 8. There is also an option to complete all of the courses in the program without participating in the internship. In this case, students complete a bachelor of science in Educational Studies without the K-8 certification.
2. Secondary Certification (grades 7-12) is based upon a solid academic preparation within an academic major. Students complete a four-year curriculum leading to a bachelor's degree in a content area. Maine state requirements mandate 24 credits in the major. Academic areas that lead to secondary certification are: biology (and associated life science majors), chemistry, English, environmental science, environmental studies, history, marine biology, mathematics and political science. Other majors, like psychology, can lead to partial fulfillment, and a consultation with a member of the EDU department can help direct students towards certification. The Education Department provides professional teacher preparation courses culminating in a semester of student teaching. Successful passing of the Professional Education Review Board leads to UNE recommending Maine state teacher certification. Areas of secondary certification are: English, life science, mathematics, physical science, and social studies.
3. Art Education Major with K-12 Certification
   Students complete a four-year curriculum leading to a bachelor’s degree in art education (a major offered in collaboration with the Arts and Communications Department) and earn Maine certification to teach art, grades K-12. 

Students who already hold a bachelor’s degree may complete a professional education core sequence to become eligible for state certification in grades K-8 or secondary certification (7-12). For more information see the Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Certification Program in the Graduate Catalog.

Candidates for all undergraduate education programs not already possessing a bachelor’s degree must meet the core requirements of the College of Arts and Sciences and the requirements for their major. Elementary certification requirements for the major rests solely within the Department of Education. Secondary certification students and art education students must meet two sets of major requirements involving their content major as well as the requirements for professional certification. Hence, undergraduates seeking secondary or K-12 art certification should consult first with their content advisor and next with their education advisor within the Department of Education. An additional application form must be filed for those seeking secondary or art education certification, since an applicant must have a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 in their content teaching area and all courses counted in the content teaching field must be passed with a “B” or better. 

Each undergraduate student will be reviewed for admission to advanced standing when s/he has completed approximately 60 credit hours. Advanced standing is earned by achieving minimums of a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in professional education courses with no course grade below a C; 3.0 in content area classes for those pursuing secondary or art education certification; and a 2.5 cumulative grade point average across all courses including the core curriculum and electives. Grade point averages will be calculated using only courses taken at UNE (the cumulative grade point average) and using transfer courses if accepted as a part of the professional program (the cumulative professional grade point average). Students who do not meet these grade-point average requirements must improve their grade-point average before continuing in education courses, or change their major to Education Studies. If a grade below C is attained in a professional education course, that course must be retaken until at least a C is received before additional education courses can be taken.

At the time of the 60-credit review, students must pass the Praxis I Pre-professional Skills Tests (PPST) or the Praxis I Computer-Based Test (CBT) using the state of Maine minimum scores. Undergraduate transfer students who bring in more than 60 transfer credits have up to one year to pass Praxis I or before the internship application deadline, whichever comes first. If Praxis I is not passed at the time of these deadlines, no further certification courses may be taken and if a student is at the point of internship, the application will not be accepted which automatically restricts the student from participating in the internship the following semester. Students must provide evidence of State of Maine Educational Technician II as part of the 60-credit review.

All students must show evidence of passing Praxis II before the internship application deadline.

Students may obtain PPST registration information and Praxis II registration information from the Department of Education office or from the Educational Testing Service website: www.ets.org.

In addition to these achievement requirements, students admitted to UNE's teacher education programs are assessed systematically for the purpose of determining their professionalism and suitability for teaching. Students complete self-assessment questionnaires in each professional education course and these are reviewed by faculty. If serious reservations arise in two or more of the assessments, a committee will convene to determine a student’s continuance in the program. Finally, students must pass the Professional Education Review Board (referenced later in this section of the catalog) at which competency in the Maine teaching standards must be shown.

All certification coursework including the internship should be completed within a five-year timeframe. A delay beyond the five years might warrant the retaking of course work. Furthermore, if state certification requirements change prior to your completion even within the five year timeframe, those changes must be incorporated into a revised plan program in order to meet state certification regulations.

 See University Undergraduate Admissions Requirements. 

Bachelor's Degree in Educational Studies without Elementary Certification

A student in the elementary education program may elect to pursue a bachelor's degree in education without leading to certification. Students would major in Educational Studies and follow much of the Elementary curriculum with the exception of the pre-service teaching internship. Instead, students will substitute a 1 -15 credit field placement/internship in a setting outside of a K-12 school system (EDU 465). Generally, this placement is with a social service agency that focuses on children.

Field Experience
The faculty in the Department of Education are committed to ongoing and frequent observation and involvement in schools. The teacher education programs at UNE have a specific competency-based focus to meet the Maine standards for teacher certification. All students engaged in teacher preparation will spend time in a field setting in each of the semesters for which they are registered for professional education courses. Involvement in the schools will be connected to specific, course-related tasks (e.g., observation, the teaching of lessons, conducting of experiments, administration of assessments, etc.) Sophomore and Junior level students must participate in a minimum of 30 hours field study per semester. Transportation to and from schools is the responsibility of the student. 

Internship
Without specific permission from the Education Department Chair, courses may not be taken during the internship semester, so all required coursework must be completed the semester prior to the internship (Note: There is one exception for secondary and art certification students. EDU 346, a 1 credit module, is part of the internship semester). Admission to the internship is not guaranteed (see section on “Admission requirements and successful progression in the program”). In addition, the student should have:

1. Sufficient knowledge regarding the components of effective instruction.
2. Sufficient knowledge of appropriate grade-level content and teaching methods.
3. Sufficient knowledge of the developmental needs of students.
4. Sufficient knowledge of how to establish and maintain effective cooperative relationships with school personnel, students, and parents.
5. Understanding of and empathy for working with students.
6. No serious reservations identified on the Professional Performance Student Self-Assessment and Review instrument that is conducted in every course.

The selection of individual internship sites will be made by the Certification and Placement Officer. Geographical location relative to UNE is a consideration. UNE has a collaborative relationship with many districts and selects both schools and teachers based on their interest in and ability to assist interns in demonstrating mastery of the Initial Certification standards. Placement in an internship is not guaranteed. The Department of Education, through its Certification and Placement Officer, will make a good faith effort to negotiate an appropriate placement. Schools have the right to refuse placement requests.

The 15 week student teaching experience must be done in a local Maine Public School that is in an established internship protocol with the University of New England. Only in documented cases of hardship of a non-financial nature will courtesy internships and/or internships with a non-partnered school be considered. Documentation of the hardship must be presented at the time of the internship application. Decisions to grant are made on a case by case basis. The Department of Education reserves the right to deny requests for courtesy internship placement for reasons it deems appropriate or necessary.

The University, at its discretion, will not place students in internship settings (1) where an intern's children or relatives are enrolled, or (2) where a spouse or relative of an intern is currently employed.

Professional Educator Review Board (PERB)

All students enrolled in the internship must demonstrate their teaching competence with respect to Maine's Standards for Initial Certification before the Professional Educator Review Board (PERB). The Board is comprised of professional educators from area schools as well as UNE faculty. Students are required to develop a portfolio reflecting their proficiency in meeting these state standards and present and defend the portfolio in front of the Board. Passing the PERB is a requirement for completion of the certification program and subsequently being recommended to the Maine State Department of Education for teacher licensure.

Maine Department of Education Chapter 114

Standard One: Learner Development

The teacher understands how students learn and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Standard Two: Learning Differences

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that allow each learner to reach his/her full potential.

Standard Three:  Learning Environments

The teacher works with learners to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation.

Standard Four:  Content Knowledge

The teacher understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners

Standard Five:  Innovative Applications of Content

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical/creative thinking and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Standard Six:  Assessment

The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to document learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s on-going planning and instruction.

Standard Seven:  Planning for Instruction

The teacher draws upon knowledge of content areas, cross-disciplinary skills, learners, the community, and pedagogy to plan instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals.

Standard Eight:  Instructional Strategies

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to access and appropriately apply information.

Standard Nine:  Reflection and Continuous Growth

The teacher is a reflective practitioner who uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students,  families,  and  other  professionals  in  the  learning  community),  and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Standard 10:  Collaboration 

The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

Standard   11:   Technology Standards for Teachers -  (NETS.T)

Effective teachers model and apply the National Educational Technology Standards for   Students   (NETS.S)   as   they   design,   implement,   and   assess   learning experiences  to  engage  students  and  improve  learning;  enrich  professional practice;   and   provide   positive   models   for   students,   colleagues,   and   the community. All teachers will meet the following standards and performance indicators. 

The Department of Education offers qualified students the option of graduating with Honors in the Research Track.

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Transfer Credit

Individuals who have full acceptance in the Teaching Certification Program can transfer up to, but no more than (6) education credits from other universities.

In-service or workshop-type courses that do not carry college credit will not be accepted for transfer equivalency.

No courses of any kind will be accepted from other institutions after your acceptance into the program at UNE without a course equivalency granted prior to the course’s being taken.