2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog
2024-2025 Undergraduate Catalog > College of Education > College of Education - General Information
The current listings of Faculty and Staff in the College of Education and Faculty and Staff in the University Library can be found on the Athens State University website.
The mission of the College of Education is to prepare knowledgeable, collaborative, reflective educators.
The College of Education educates pre-service teachers and educators who embrace student-centered learning, maintain a comprehensive knowledge of content knowledge, possess an excellent foundation of professional and pedagogical knowledge, and model social justice through social responsibility. Our graduates are able to do this through adherence to institutional, state, and national standards that support the conceptual framework.
Graduates from the College of Education at Athens State will have the knowledge to apply:
The Teacher Education Program at Athens State University promotes professional development of students who seek teaching as a career; students who will become Reflective Practitioners. The program is approved by the Alabama State Department of Education and accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Students are advised and assisted in each phase of their preparation program. The College of Education offers undergraduate degrees leading to Class B Certification in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Elementary/Collaborative K-6 Education, Health & Physical Education, Physical Education, Special Education K-6, 6-12 (Collaborative Teacher), and Technical Education. The College of Education also offers secondary certification in the following College of Arts and Sciences programs through a minor in Education: Art, Biology, Chemistry, English/Language Arts, History, Mathematics and Social Science.
The preparation of teachers is built on a liberal arts foundation. Those students preparing for teaching positions in the secondary schools pursue a content-area major through the College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in Education. Teaching certification requirements are completed through the College of Education. Students preparing to teach special education/collaborative, early childhood, and elementary education concentrate on subject matter relevant to the major. Those who are preparing to teach physical education pursue a broad program appropriate to both elementary and secondary schools. Students in the technical education program are preparing to teach their specialized skill areas. All groups complete their programs with specific and appropriate professional courses.
All programs are designed to assist students in acquiring the knowledge and abilities to become teachers who participate in positive interactions, show respect for self and others, exhibit interest in the learner and the learning process, assume responsibility, exhibit stewardship of diversity, advocate use of technology, and exhibit fairness and the belief that all students can learn. Faculty model varied methods, strategies, and techniques. Students demonstrate attainment of knowledge and skills in campus-based classes and field-based settings. Students will develop an electronic professional portfolio that reflects evolving professional growth and the ability to integrate general learning, subject matter, professional and pedagogical studies. The College of Education conducts follow-up studies of graduates in an effort to assess teaching effectiveness and to secure data vital to future planning and development and offers special assistance to beginning teachers.
Courses that require admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) cannot be fulfilled with transfer courses/credit (no exceptions). The State of Alabama articulation agreement requires the University to accept other courses taken at community colleges if such courses satisfy requirements specified for a given degree program. Changes to the requirements of the Teacher Education Program may occur at any time due to certification changes made by the State Department of Education. Students are advised to check updated program of study forms for these changes.
Students seeking a degree that leads to certification through a College of Education program, or a College of Arts and Sciences program with a minor in Education, are required to be fingerprinted and ABI/FBI cleared for the Alabama State Department of Education. The student shall be issued a suitability determination from the State Superintendent of Education. The student must provide the Teacher Education Services Department documentation of having cleared the criminal history background check prior to admission to a State-approved teacher education program.
A student whose suitability determination precludes admission to a State-approved teacher education program has the right to due process procedures in accordance with Alabama State Department of Education Rules.
Field experience, a requirement of the Alabama State Department of Education, is an invaluable opportunity to observe and be involved in real life teaching situations. During P-12 school visits, students will learn pedagogy and management strategies and, in some instances, be allowed to practice their teaching skills. Field Experiences must be completed in conjunction with assigned courses. Teacher Candidates cannot receive a grade of Incomplete in courses that include Field Experience requirements. Successful completion of each Field Experience component is required in order to progress in College of Education programs. For additional information about field experience visit the University website: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/field-experience/.
Commensurate with professional standards and university accreditation requirements, Athens State University faculty, staff, and field supervisors conduct ongoing assessments of candidates’ professional dispositions. Consequently, each teaching candidate’s professional dispositions will be evaluated throughout courses and field experiences to ensure candidates exhibit professional and ethical behaviors and dispositions at all times.
A Professional Review Board composed of education faculty members meets periodically to review unsatisfactory performance and progress of students referred by faculty members. Actions that can cause students to be referred to the Professional Review Board include, but are not limited to, an unacceptable score on a Professional Disposition or removal of student from field experience and/or internship. Certain actions or misconduct may be violations of the Student Code of Conduct, and may be subject to the disciplinary procedures of the Code. For additional information, see the Student Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures.
Students seeking a degree that leads to certification through a College of Education program, or a College of Arts and Sciences program with a minor in Education, must apply and be accepted into the Teacher Education Program (TEP). Students applying for admission into the TEP Program must meet all the TEP admission requirements. No more than five courses in the Professional Studies Requirements of the program of study may be completed before admittance to the TEP Program. Check plan of study for approved courses. Courses that require admission to the TEP Program are not accepted as transfer credit (no exceptions). For additional information about the Teacher Education Program (TEP) visit the University website: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/tep/.
Students must demonstrate academic competence in the required content. The following Grade Point Averages (GPA) are required for admission into the TEP Program, and for graduation in the degree programs that lead to certification:
Cumulative GPA 2.50; Professional Studies GPA 2.75; Teaching Field GPA 2.75
The State Department of Education retains the right to deny credit for a course with a prerequisite of admission to the Teacher Education Program if that course was taken prior to admission. Students seeking certification who are not admitted to the Teacher Education Program and who register for courses that require admission will be withdrawn from the course by the College of Education.
The professional Internship Program for interns bridges the gap between theory and practice. The Internship experience is regarded as the most significant laboratory experience in teacher preparation. It is regarded as a period of learning for the intern under the supervision of the classroom teacher, local school, and an Athens State University supervisor. Students must apply for internship during the open application window to be added to the placement roster. Successful completion of the internship course, including passing of the edTPA portfolio assessment, is required for graduation. For additional information about Internship visit the University website: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/internship/.
The State Board of Education periodically revises the requirements governing certification in the State of Alabama. Therefore, requirements for degrees leading to certification are subject to change from those published in this catalog. Students are advised to secure a current plan of study from their advisor(s) to ensure that degree requirements and certification requirements are met.
Issuance of Alabama teaching certificates is the legal responsibility of the Alabama State Department of Education. Universities and colleges cannot issue a professional certificate. However, in order to be certified at the professional “B” level, a student must complete an appropriate plan of study at a college or university which has been approved by the State Department of Education. When a student completes the plan of study, the institution recommends to the State Department of Education that the appropriate certificate be awarded. For additional information about certification through Athens State University visit the University website: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/certification/.
A student cannot be recommended for certification based on completion of a program for which State approval expired more than seven years prior to the date of program completion.
Students seeking a degree that leads to certification through a College of Education program, or a College of Arts and Sciences program with a minor in Education, and subsequent licensure and certification by the State of Alabama, are required to pass the appropriate Praxis II content exams and Reading assessment (if applicable) for their program of study. After applying for internship, it is then the student’s responsibility to schedule, complete tests, and receive test scores prior to being “cleared” for internship (student teaching). A complete listing of these exams along with required scoring information can be reviewed on the College of Education’s webpage: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/praxis/.
In order to provide support and to assure continued application of and growth in these professional qualities, additional services are available and include remediation within the first two years after the Professional Educator Certificate. The College of Education at Athens State University encourages graduates and public school personnel to contact the College for any of the following support services:
The College of Education offers multiple fully online concentration options under the Bachelor of Science in Education -Technical Education degree. Additional online program options are available at the graduate level. All coursework for these majors may be completed via distance learning. For further information regarding distance education, refer to the Academic Policies section in the Introduction and General Information portion of the catalog or the University website.
Transferred courses and/or credits used to meet approved program requirements in professional studies, instructional support, or other approved program requirements (other than general education courses and Arts and Sciences courses used to meet academic major requirements) must have been completed at a regionally accredited institution that prepares teachers on the same degree level of certification.
Transfer courses/credit cannot be used to fulfill certain course requirements in programs leading to certification offered by the College of Education, or by the College of Arts and Sciences with a minor in Education. For a complete list of these courses refer to College of Education website: https://www.athens.edu/academics/education/departments/tes/transfer-credits/.
Courses, credits, and/or degrees accepted from institutions outside the United States shall be substantiated by an evaluation of the foreign credentials from a state, federal, or private foreign credential evaluation service recognized by the Alabama State Department of Education Teacher Education and Certification Office. The evaluation must show that courses, credits, and/or degrees were earned at an institution equivalent to a regionally accredited institution in the United States.
Remedial coursework is not accepted for transfer and cannot be used to meet program requirements. It may, however, fulfill prerequisite requirements, if applicable.
If an individual completes a Class B program at an institution and wants to return to the same institution for a new Class B program, professional studies courses common to both approved checklists are not subject to the five-course limit. However, if the individual has taken more than five professional studies courses on the checklist of the second program, no additional professional studies courses may be taken prior to unconditional admission.
Federal Regulations 34 CFR §668.72(c)2 and 34 CFR §668.43(a)(5)(v) require Athens State to provide public disclosures on educational programs designed to meet educational requirements for a specific professional license or certification required for employment in an occupation. To review specific program and state information, go to Professional Licensure Directory.