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Refer to the Hofstra University Graduate Studies Bulletin for information about graduate programs offered by the School of Education, Health and Human Services.

Office: Second Floor, Hagedorn Hall
Telephone: (516) 463-5740
David F. Foulk, Dean
Karin J. Spencer, Associate Dean
Karleen Edwards, Assistant Dean for Advisement & Certification Services
Donna Levinson, Assistant Dean of External Relations
Anthony Robinson, Assistant Dean for Special Programs
John Lewis, Director for Professional Development Services

Hofstra University prides itself in having an “all-University approach” to teacher education. Since 1935 our history has been one of a four-year liberal arts college that early on expanded to serve the needs of such future professionals as engineers, business people and professional educators. Unlike many other institutions that began as teacher training colleges and later added a liberal arts component, Hofstra University enjoys a duality between liberal and professional studies, but is based on a University mission which places a liberal arts education of undergraduates in overriding priority.

Students should consult the Semester Planning Guide for specific offerings and consult with an adviser before registering for their programs.

Mission of the School of Education, Health and Human Services

The faculty of the Hofstra University School of Education, Health and Human Services are dedicated to the preparation of reflective and knowledgeable professionals who use scholarship to inform their practice. Collectively, we strive toward a more just, open and democratic society as we collaborate with and learn from children, adolescents, and adults in diverse social and cultural settings.

We encourage and support the scholarship and practice of our colleagues and students in their professional lives; our endeavors include research that contributes to the knowledge base for both educators and health and human services professionals. Thus, it is our intent to establish the School of Education, Health and Human Services as a place which nurtures communication, collaboration, and leadership both at Hofstra and in community settings.

For undergraduate academic programs, the goals of the School of Education, Health and Human Services include:

1. The cooperative education of students well-rounded both professionally and in the liberal arts;
2. The first professional training of entry-level professionals who will serve in the public and independent schools of the region and nation;
3. The development of analytic skills and sound judgments applied to content and also to professional issues; the ability to make warranted and thoughtful decisions about curriculum issues and student-related issues as well as issues relating to the conduct of the schools/agencies/organizations and the profession;
4. To set the groundwork for continued learning by the new professional, whether that learning is through job-related experiences or graduate study applicable toward professional certification.

The School is comprised of the following departments and their undergraduate programs or courses:

Counseling, Research, Special Education, and Rehabilitation (CRSR)
    American Sign Language (ASL)
    Creative Arts Therapy (CAT)
    Rehabilitation (REHB)
    Research (RES)
    Special Education (SPED)
Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership (TLL)
    Early Childhood Education (ELED)
    Elementary Education (ELED)
    Fine Arts Education (SED)
    Secondary Education (SED)
                Business Education (SED)
                Dance Education (SED)
                English Education (SED)
                Fine Arts Education (SED)
                Foreign Languages Education (SED)
                Mathematics Education (SED)
                Music Education (SED)
                Sciences Education (SED)
                Social Studies Education (SED)
            Music (SED)
Foundations, Leadership and Policy Studies (FLPS)
        Educational Studies  (EDST)
Health Professions and Kinesiology
        Community Health (HPFS)
        Health Education (HPFS)
        Health Sciences (HPFS)
Literacy Studies (LYST)
        Reading (READ)
Physical Education and Sport Sciences  (PESP)
        Athletic Training (PESP)
        Exercise Science (PESP)
        Physical Education (PESP)

Accreditation and Certification

The teacher education and educational leadership programs of the School of Education, Health and Human Services are fully accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). The accreditation includes the initial and advanced levels of professional education programs offered within the School.

Hofstra University’s School of Education, Health and Human Services programs are registered with the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Studies offered at the bachelor’s, master’s, advanced certificate, and doctoral levels are provided in the following teaching areas: early childhood (Birth-Grade 2); elementary education (Grades 1-6); secondary education (Grades 7-12); special subjects: fine arts, music, health, and physical education (all grades); and special education, TESOL, bilingual, literacy, and speech and language disabilities. Nonteaching areas include pupil personnel services and educational administration.

In addition to fulfilling the required courses of study, the Commissioners Regulations mandate that all prospective teachers, pupil personnel and education leaders receive instructions regarding:

1. Identification of Child Abuse and Maltreatment
2. Fire and Arson Prevention
3. School Violence Prevention and Intervention
4. Prevention of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drug Abuse
5. Highway and School Safety/Prevention of Child Abduction

New York state legislation also requires all persons seeking certification as special education teachers or school administrators working in special education to have training in the area of children with autism. All of these requirements must be completed before the conferral of the degree and recommendation for certification.

Upon the successful completion of a Hofstra state-approved teacher education program, students are eligible for the University’ s recommendation for New York state certification. A request for recommendation must be submitted to the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services the semester in which the student is graduating. Students who apply directly to New York state for certification are responsible for learning about and satisfying the certification requirements set by the state. It should be noted that such requirements may differ from those in Hofstra’s registered programs.

All prospective early childhood (Birth-Grade 2), elementary (Grades 1-6) and secondary (Grades 7-12) and special subject teachers are required to pass the New York State Teachers Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) administered by National Evaluation Systems, Inc., for state certification requirements. Students should consult with the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services regarding the appropriate examinations for their area of study. Hofstra University has maintained an overall passing rate (2008-2009) of 96% on these examinations. The total number of program completers for the 2008-2009 academic year was 497.
 

* combined undergraduate and graduate programs

As a part of the continuing effort to improve teacher preparation, the New York State Board of Regents adopted amendments to the Commissioner’s Regulations which directly relate to teacher education program requirements, as well as changes in teacher certification titles.

Chapter 180 of the Laws of 2000, the Schools Against Violence in Education (SAVE), requires that applications for teaching and administrative certification and prospective employees of covered schools (school districts, charter schools and BOCES) undergo a fingerprint-supported criminal history background check. However, many school districts and institutions across the metropolitan New York area are now  requiring that all student teachers, observers, interns or externs receive fingerprint clearance before they are permitted to enter a school setting. Obtaining fingerprinting clearance will facilitate our ability to place you in educational settings that are required for a degree program.  Therefore, we request that you apply for fingerprint clearance upon acceptance to a program. Fingerprinting can be completed through the fingerprinting sessions arranged by the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services each semester at (516) 463-5747 or in Hagedorn Hall, Room 129. Additional  sites include the local police stations and the Board of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) in Garden City. Fingerprint clearance is also required for New York state certification.

New York state has interstate contracts with 42 other states and jurisdictions. Persons prepared in one of the contract states and who meet the contract requirements of the interstate agreement, are eligible for an initial certificate upon application with each individual state. New York State is also a member of the Northeast Common Market that offers a Northeast Regional Credential (NRC) to applicants. Some states, not part of the interstate reciprocity program, offer either full or partial reciprocity privileges to persons who are graduates of TEAC-accredited institutions. States not participating in either of the above reciprocity systems will accept certificate applications and evaluate them on an individual basis. For additional information on interstate reciprocity, students should visit the Office of Certification and Educational Support Services.

Students may obtain detailed and current information about certification requirements in various educational majors from the School’s Office of Certification and Educational Support Services.

School of Education, Health and Human Services Courses may not be applied toward liberal arts credit unless otherwise noted.

Policy on Ethical and Professional Performance

Students are expected to behave in an ethical and professional manner according to the guidelines for student conduct and academic honesty at Hofstra University and to the professional standards identified in their respective programs in the School of Education, Health and Human Services. Satisfactory interpersonal behavior and professional performance in classes and meetings, student teaching, internships, and practica are expected. If a report is received concerning an ethics violation, or an incident of inappropriate behavior as defined by the Student Judicial Code, established University procedures will be followed to investigate the issue and determine the course of action.

It is our policy that if a student is dismissed from two schools/placements before and/or during the student teaching semester, that student will be considered for dismissal from the teacher education program and may be counseled out of the program. Certification requirements will not be met and the student will not be recommended for certification by Hofstra University.

Programs

A program is a coherent sequence of course work and fieldwork designed to develop the professional competence of degree candidates. Programs offered by the School of Education, Health and Human Services are classified as either preprofessional or professional. The preprofessional programs are for students seeking their first teaching certification whether at the undergraduate or the graduate level or are preparing for entry-level positions in selected allied human services fields (non-school based). Professional programs are designed for individuals already certified (provisional or initial) to teach and those experienced as teachers (e.g., in private schools) and who wish to pursue advanced studies in a specialized field of education, and those who wish to pursue advanced studies in a specialized field in selected allied human services. Consult the Hofstra University Graduate Studies Bulletin and individual departments for advisement and specific program information.

The School of Education, Health and Human Services also offers co-major programs to undergraduate students interested in education as an additional field of study and inquiry. Consult individual department for advisement.

To locate information about preparatory programs for teaching and other educational roles, and roles in selected allied human services, consult the chart for Undergraduate Preprofessional Programs. Use the chart to identify the schools and departments offering the program of interest. 

Undergraduate Preprofessional Teacher Preparation Programs

Degree candidates are admitted after application to specific programs within the School of Education, Health and Human Services. Undergraduate degree candidates typically successfully complete a prescribed distribution of liberal arts and sciences course work, designated by each program before admission to the program. Enrollment is open to students showing qualities which indicate potential as teachers of children and youth. Judgments concerning these qualities are accumulated in reports plus field-based experiences from several of the students’ instructors, including faculty in liberal arts and education and cooperating teachers in the schools. Prospective teachers should obtain applications from the proper department in the School of Education, Health and Human Services even though initial enrollment may be in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, New College for Interdisciplinary Studies for Interdisciplinary Studies, the Zarb School of Business or the School of Communication.

Enrollment

Prospective teachers in the following fields enroll as a major in the School of Education, Health and Human Services: art, dance, music, health education, physical education. Preparation for teaching in early childhood and elementary schools requires dual enrollment in either a bachelor of arts program in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (excluding dance, drama, fine arts, music and speech-language-hearing sciences) or the bachelor of arts degree program in Speech Communication, Rhetoric, and Performance Studies in the School of Communication, as well as in the School of Education, Health and Human Services for completion of the professional education courses leading to the co-major. Students preparing to teach in secondary schools enroll in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences or the Zarb School of Business as a major in a teaching content and co-major in secondary education. The chart is a guideline of teaching fields and their respective departments.

A student preparing to teach early childhood, elementary, or secondary education should, by the beginning of the sophomore year, select a co-major in the appropriate college. With an adviser from the chosen department, the student should develop an approved plan of study which satisfies the requirements of that department as well as the School of Education, Health and Human Services program. Students preparing to teach art, dance or music should enroll in the Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership during the freshman year. Students preparing to teach physical education or health education should enroll in the Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences or Health Professions and Kinesiology during the freshman year.

Frequently it is necessary for students to take more than the minimum 124 semester hours for graduation in order to meet the subject requirements of their academic department in the Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, School of Communication or the Zarb School of Business* and the teacher education requirements of the School of Education, Health and Human Services. 

*Note:  Zarb School of Business minimum is 128 semester hours for graduation..
 

Prerequisites for Teacher Candidates

Undergraduate students preparing to teach at the early childhood, elementary or secondary level need to apply to the Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership the beginning of the sophomore year.
   
Admission to the program is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

    * A completed application to the program.
    * In the case of elementary education,
          o a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in overall course work;
          o a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in liberal arts course work.
    * In the case of secondary education,
          o a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in overall course work;
          o a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the area(s) in which certification is sought.
    * A written personal statement of professional intent and rationale.
    * Two letters of reference that address the applicant’s potential to succeed in the teaching profession. An interview, audition, and/or portfolio requirements in some programs).

The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in the program. Consequently, candidates are welcome to apply if they do not meet one of the criteria but feel that other aspects of their experience may compensate.

Undergraduate students should plan with their liberal arts adviser to take the majority of their distribution and liberal arts co-major courses before the junior year. During the upper junior year and the lower senior year, early childhood and elementary education majors will respectively need to plan to alternate a semester of mornings and a semester of afternoons in order to participate in Birth-6 schools. The upper senior year requires full-day student teaching.

Early Childhood and elementary education candidates should select a foundations of education course (FDED 111 or 127) during the first semester of the sophomore year. Once they have been accepted by the Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership, they should also submit a Change of Major form (to declare two majors) to the Office of Academic Records. This form should be signed by program advisers in both areas of study.

Secondary education candidates should register initially in FDED 111 or 127, SED 102 and SED 151. These courses may be taken in any order or concurrently; these courses fulfill prerequisite requirements for continued studies in the undergraduate secondary education professional sequence.

Junior standing is a prerequisite to enrollment in all courses offered by the School of Education, Health and Human Services except ELED 41, SED 102, SED 151, all foundations of education and many physical education courses.

Student Teaching: is the final phase of the professional education sequence. Students must formally apply to the Office of Field Placement well in advance of the intended student teaching semester.

Applications for Fall student teaching are due February 15; applications for Spring student teaching are due May 1. Students should refer to their program as listed in this Bulletin for details on prerequisites and minimum grade point average requirements for student teaching

Selection Process

The School of Education, Health and Human Services has implemented a policy of careful initial and continuing selection of students and courses offered by the School. Generally, courses are not open to students who have not been accepted into the School of Education, Health and Human Services. Exceptions are courses in foundations of education, educational psychology and physical education.

At the end of the sophomore year students who have applied for enrollment in the School of Education, Health and Human Services will be assigned by the selection offices to one of three categories:

Accepted, meaning that an applicant may continue in teacher education at Hofstra;

Accepted provisionally, in secondary education, meaning that an applicant may continue work in professional education although specified deficiencies must be made up;

Rejected, meaning that an applicant may not enroll in any course offered by the School.

Students who have been accepted may be dropped from programs in education at a later date in cases where academic performance, judgments of field-experience supervisors and cooperating school personnel or other factors make such steps advisable.

University Degree Requirements

Bachelor of Science

The Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences or the Department of Health Professions and Kinesiology offers the following programs leading to the Bachelor of Science degree:

    Athletic Training 
    Community Health 
    Exercise Specialist 
    Health Education 
    Health Science 

Bachelor of Arts

The Department of Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership  offers a program leading to the Bachelor of Arts degree with a co-major in the liberal arts combined with one of the following: early childhood education, elementary education, dual certification in early childhood and elementary education, or secondary education.

Bachelor of Science in Education

For the students taking programs (art , dance , music , physical education ) leading to the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, the following requirements must be fulfilled:

1. The successful completion of the required semester hours for the major and a cumulative grade-point average of 2.5 (physical education) or 2.75 (art, dance, music) in work completed at Hofstra.
2. The liberal arts requirement for the specialization must be fulfilled.
3. There are two requirements that must ordinarily be completed in residence at Hofstra: the minimum semester hours in the field of specialization, and the last 30 semester hours. See specific program for requisites.
4. The following general requirements, as listed under each specialization:
   

   WSC 1  and 2  or placement examination
   Humanities
   Natural science
   Social science

5. The major and additional requirements as stated under the field of study.

School-Based Employment Opportunities

Hofstra University and faculty in the School of Education, Health and Human Services are committed both to attracting excellent candidates to our programs, as well as assisting them in locating employment upon graduation. Teaching candidates are strongly encouraged before enrolling in a given program to review the employment prospects in their chosen field. Such opportunities, of course, differ among teaching areas and within regions of the country. Data about the profession, including supply and demand by region and certification area, are routinely available and updated regularly on such Web sites as www.highered.nysed.gov, www.bls.gov/oco or www.vault.com (accessible via the Hofstra Career Center Web site). Additionally, The Hofstra Career Center provides students with complimentary copies of the American Association for Employment in Education’s Job Search Handbook which, contains a wide array of resources including a supply and demand feature.

Potential candidates for teaching careers, as well as those nearing graduation, should visit the Hofstra Career Center in the M. Robert Lowe Hall on the Hofstra campus. A wide range of services are available to future educators. Such services include: career counseling in job hunting, assistance with résumé building, mock interviews, lists of school districts across the nation, an on-campus interview program, and a on-line job/internship posting and credential file service. Most students, especially those hoping to gain employment with area and out-of-state school districts, use the Hofstra Career Center to focus their search and coordinate initial interviews.

The Hofstra Career Center’s Web site hofstra.edu/career contains an array of resources and information for students enrolled in an education program. Additionally, the site refers students to our own Pride-Career Management System where both local and national employers post employment opportunities, and outside web sites such as, the New York State Education Department, New York City Department of Education, the National Association of Independent Schools, and many more dedicated employment sites. At Hofstra, education majors find an excellent and dedicated faculty, outstanding career support services, and extensive electronic links to education career information and employment opportunities.

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