Associate Professor Fusco, Chairperson, 128 Hagedorn Hall, (516) 463-7704
Associate Professor Thompson, Assistant Chairperson
Professor Singer, Assistant Chairperson

Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership

Associate Professor Fusco, Chairperson, 128 Hagedorn Hall, (516) 463-7704

Professor Singer, Assistant Chairperson
Professors Fromberg, Murphy, Torff, Whitton
Associate Professors Brooks, Davey, Elijah, Fusco, Gordon, Libresco, Smith, Stacki, Zwirn
Assistant Professors Joseph, Jurasaite-Harbison, Munn-Joseph, Plonczak, Stemn

Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership Programs
 
Teaching, Literacy, and Leadership Courses
 
General Information
Programs in elementary and early childhood education at the master’s level are designed to serve qualified graduate students who seek certification as teachers in the elementary schools of New York state or advanced work in curriculum and instruction, having obtained certification as classroom teachers.

Two master’s degree programs in elementary education—the Master of Science in Education for the noncertified person and the Master of Arts for the certified — have been designed to serve these separate purposes. In subsequent paragraphs the standard requirements and options in the two degree programs are outlined. Substitutions will be permitted with advisement where, in light of the student’s background and purposes, other courses are seen to be more appropriate.

Consideration for admission to a master’s program requires a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with a minimum of 30 semester hours in a liberal arts and sciences major. Admission is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

A completed application to the master’s program.
A minimum undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 in each of two categories:
overall course work;
liberal arts and sciences course work.
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 and in graduate course work.
An interview (a requirement in some programs).
The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate 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.

Applicants for admission to graduate programs in elementary and early childhood education are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Students who have not met the full admission requirements may be advised to complete prerequisite courses under a planned program before becoming eligible for full acceptance. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination will be used as an ancillary means of evaluation in some cases.

Prerequisites for Non-Certified Graduate Students
Admission of noncertified graduate students to the Master of Science in Education program is contingent upon the completion of a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

Prerequisites for Certified Graduate Students
Admission to the master of arts program is contingent on holding a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university, and evidence of certification in New York State. Note: Students who are not certified are eligible to apply for admission to the master of science in education degree.

General Information

The graduate programs in secondary education are offered by the Department of Curriculum and Teaching. They are designed to serve qualified students who seek either certification as teachers in the secondary schools of New York state or advanced work in curriculum and instruction of a particular subject after obtaining certification or experience as classroom teachers.

Two degree programs in secondary education—the Master of Science in Education for the noncertified person, and the Master of Arts for the certified—have been designed to serve these separate purposes. In subsequent paragraphs the standard requirements and options in these two degree programs are outlined. Substitutions will be permitted with advisement where, in the light of the student’s background and purposes, other courses are seen by the department to be more appropriate. No substitution is finally authorized until it is entered upon the Graduate Student Advisement Record (GSAR).

Applications for admission to graduate programs in secondary education are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. Students who have not met the full admission requirements may be advised to complete prerequisite courses under a planned program before becoming eligible for acceptance. Scores on the Graduate Record Examination or a standardized test to be specified by the department chairperson may be used as one ancillary means of evaluation in some cases.

Admission to a master’s program is based on a comprehensive review of multiple criteria, including the following:

A completed application form to the master’s program.
A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 in each of two categories: 1) undergraduate liberal arts course work, 2) course work in the area(s) in which certification is sought. Applicants with GPAs between 2.50 and 2.75 may be accepted provisionally, subject to special conditions.
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 and in graduate course work.
An interview, audition, and/or portfolio (requirements in some programs.)
A bachelor’s degree with a major (or equivalent) in the content area in which certification will be sought. (See specific program descriptions for alternative routes.)
The department understands that any single criterion may not reliably predict a candidate’s potential for success in a graduate 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.

Students in either master’s degree program who have not student taught or who are not scheduled to student teach as part of their degree program will be required to enroll in SED 217 or 218 as part of their degree programs.

Foreign language majors must submit satisfactory scores on the departmental proficiency examination or equivalent in the language for which certification is sought.

The New York State Teacher Certification Examinations are required for initial and professional certification in academic subjects (English, language other than English, mathematics, science and social studies). For special subjects (art, business, music and speech) required tests, see your adviser.

Before completion of the first 12 s.h. of the master’s program, students are required to complete the liberal arts component of the teacher certification examinations.

Pass/Fail option for matriculated graduate students
Students matriculated in a master’s degree program in secondary education may designate 3 semester hours of course work to be taken on a Pass/Fail basis, subject to the following conditions:

Completion of 12 s.h. of the planned program prior to the semester in which they first exercise this option;
approval by their academic adviser;
designated courses for Pass/Fail basis shall not include SED 201, 205, 213, or special matter-specific methods courses.

Teacher Certification Requirements

Upon successful completion of a teacher education program, students will be eligible to apply for the University’s recommendation for New York State Certification. Students are required to have passing scores on each of the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE): the Liberal Arts and Sciences Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W), and the appropriate Content Specialty Tests (CST’s). Students not receiving passing scores on all New York State required examinations will not be eligible for certification.  In addition to fulfilling educational requirements, the New York State Education Department requires that all prospective teachers being recommended for teacher education programs receive instruction for the purpose of preventing child abuse, maltreatment and child abduction and preventing alcohol, tobacco and other drug abuse.  In addition, a seminar on SAVE legislation, and a seminar on safety education and fire and arson prevention are required in accordance with the Education Laws. No student is recommended for certification without the completion of all of these requirements. Please contact the Advisement and Certification Office for information regarding the fingerprinting requirement and any other specific requirements regarding certification.

Foundations, Leadership and Policy Studies

Associate Professor Thompson, Chairperson, 277 Hagedorn Hall, (516) 463-5749

Professors Caldas, Osterman
Associate Professor Duarte
Assistant Professors Byrne-Jimenez, Gasko, Lightfoot

Foundations, Leadership and Policy Studies Programs

Foundations, Leadership and Policy Studies Courses

As part of the doctoral program, students also receive a Professional Diploma.

The Master of Science in Education in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies provides an interdisciplinary exploration of important foundational and policy issues in education and basic introduction to educational leadership, with an option for a concentration focused on K-12 or higher education settings. This program does not lead to New York State certification.

The Certificate of Advanced Study (CAS) in Educational Leadership is an introduction to school leadership and supervision that prepares students for entry level leadership and supervisory positions. Prerequisites include at least two years of certified PreK-12 teaching or pupil personnel experience and a master’s degree. Completion of this program qualifies the student for the New York State School Building Leader Certificate and the School District Leader Certificate. The Certificate of Advance Study (CAS) in School District Business Leader prepares students for entry-level leadership and supervisory positions in school district business offices.

The doctoral program in Educational and Policy Leadership is a three-phase administrative leadership preparation program. Integrating theory, research, and policy, it prepares educators to be critically oriented and self-aware agents actively working to support learning of children and youth.

Applications for admission are made to the Graduate Admissions Office. To be accepted into one of these programs the applicant must meet the admission requirements specified in the description of that program.

Graduate Programs
The graduate programs in foundations of education are designed for students with varied backgrounds and interests. While some candidates plan to pursue careers in education, others are primarily interested in the interpretive study of educational values, beliefs, theories, and practices. The degree programs include courses relating to educational thought and to philosophical, historical, and social foundations of education and relevant electives. Electives in such diverse disciplines as anthropology, psychology, sociology, political science, and economics, are all considered relevant to the foundations of education program. These degree programs will provide either permanent or professional certification for those students who have obtained provisional or initial certification.

Admission to the programs is dependent on holding a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, submission of official college transcripts, and a personal interview with appropriate graduate faculty. In addition, each student must provide both a recent writing sample and a statement of purpose for wishing to enroll in the program. Though individual programs vary to reflect diversity in students’ interests, most follow general requirements.

Literacy Studies

Associate Professor Goodman, Chairperson, 291 Hagedorn Hall, (516) 463-5372

Professor Taylor
Associate Professors Cohen, Flurkey, Garcia, Henry, McGinnis, Zaleski
Associate Professor Garcia, Director of the Reading/Writing Learning Clinic

The Reading/Writing Learning Clinic offers noncredit clinical services for the University and for the community-at-large.

Literacy Studies Programs

Literacy Studies Courses


Program Statement


The faculty in literacy studies are committed to the exploration of issues of literacy and social justice. Our degree programs have been updated and are designed to maximize opportunities for students to work closely with a faculty that is committed to excellence in teaching. The faculty has received national and international recognition for their research and scholarship. They are committed to providing students in literacy studies with opportunities to participate in intellectual discussions that frame current understandings of school literacy practices and literacy practices that occur in family and community settings. The Literacy Studies Department provides support for families and communities as well as teachers and students in the New York metropolitan area.

Our programs prepare effective literacy educators who will work at the crossroads of home, school, and community discourses to forge instruction that is meaningful and life-affirming to learners. Our students will engage in critical explorations of:

literacy practices in schools;
local and vernacular literacies of families and communities; and
the relationships between literacy and social class, ethnicity, race, gender, poverty, language of origin and disability.
Graduate students will join with faculty in a critical exploration of the ways in which students are taught to read and write in schools in urban, suburban, and rural communities. Attention is paid to the relationship between oral and written language from a variety of perspectives — social, cognitive, phonological, syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic. Faculty share the belief that all students bring rich language and literacy backgrounds to school that serve as a resource for learning. Graduate students will view theory and practice as inseparable and will possess the ability to engage in reflective practice.