CSC’s Master of Education (MEd) Degree program is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Programs (CAEP). The MEd degree is designed for individuals holding an initial teaching certificate at either the baccalaureate or master level.
The completion of this degree program will normally entitle recipients to be certified at the professional level for positions in teaching and/or administration. A degree in teacher education, which included student teaching, is a requirement for Nebraska Certification.
The mission of the CSC Educator Preparation program, founded on educating Visionary Leaders, is to prepare graduate level candidates to use current best-practices, and effective pedagogical methods that positively impact PK-12 student learning. Candidates will develop advanced knowledge and skills, as appropriate to their specific program of study, in the area of Curriculum and Instruction.
Education in a democracy is accepted as the most important human activity for the maintenance, perpetuation, and advancement of the society. The Education program at CSC is dedicated to the development of visionary leaders. The program recognizes the institutional responsibility of developing leadership that promotes collaborative engagement and advocacy to influence policy development to serve all constituents in our profession. The faculty within the Education program act upon a set of common beliefs that reflect the importance placed upon the preparation of qualified professional educators who will assume leadership roles within the local education community, and the education profession at large. Students are valued as unique individual learners, each wanting to learn and also capable of making good learning decisions. Each student is a client to be served by the staff of CSC, and in turn the student (candidate) will serve others after graduation in their role as an educator.
CSC believes the educator’s role is to facilitate learning. The facilitation of learning is accomplished by creating opportunities for all learners to participate actively in the learning environment and to process knowledge through methods appropriate to their individual learning styles. CSC’s model is based to a great extent on the constructivist theory of learning. Various methods of instruction are planned to be consistent with sound theory and current research findings. Individual faculty members are free to use varied approaches and personalized techniques in instruction. In creating a non-threatening learning climate, allowances for learning styles are encouraged and responded to through appropriate teaching styles and open communication among all participants. Learning is believed to be inherently joyful and efforts toward developing and maintaining this end are supported. The demands of the subject matter are not diminished in the teaching effort which will produce the greatest positive change.
Chadron State College's Education Preparation Program is designed to produce Visionary Leaders. Visionary Leaders inherit our profession's quintessential traditions and tools, and are made aware of the best contemporary educational research and developments. CSC bequeaths a vital educational vision – one that honors both tradition and innovation – to our students.
The visionary leader model is depicted by three interlocking circles, each representing an interrelated area of the curriculum: Essential Studies, Specialty Studies, and Professional Studies. One circle, professional studies, consists of seven learning themes that make up the conceptual framework for the Education program. These learning themes are:
These seven themes constitute the conceptual framework for the professional preparation programs at CSC. All seven themes are interwoven throughout the professional preparation program curricula.
Each set of specific student learning outcomes for each advanced level program is listed under the corresponding program in the following pages.
Education is a profession that requires its potential candidates to be individuals of integrity. Prospective teachers and administrators must be able to demonstrate that they are individuals of strong moral character who can make mature decisions for themselves, and for their students. Teachers, administrators, and school counselors are responsible for the education, safety and well being for anyone in their charge. Therefore, the CSC Education Preparation Program is interested in training future teachers and other school professionals who show a high degree of moral character and the ability to act responsibly. These individuals must be able to serve as representatives of our College and our program.
With this in mind, should the College discover behavior which, in its reasonable judgment, establishes on the part of the candidate a lack of integrity, questionable moral/ethical character, or otherwise indicates a potential for risk to young persons and others in the educational community, the Education Program reserves the right to deny entry to, or dismiss anyone from, any program which leads to certification. More specifically, these kinds of behavior shall be adequate foundation to deny any candidate or potential candidate from participation in any practicum; pre-practicum; teacher, administrator, or counselor internship or similar field experiences; since the interests and safety of the children and young people present in the classroom, schools and other venues where these field experiences take place are paramount.
Problematic behaviors, which the Nebraska Department of Education reasonably determines to render the candidate a risk to the educational community, or demonstrates a likelihood of illegal activity, may be established by any credible means, including the facts surrounding a record of arrests and/or convictions. Similarly, behaviors which result in a finding by a court or other governmental body that the individual is:
The Nebraska Department of Education policy requires that a person with felony convictions or misdemeanor convictions involving abuse, neglect, or sexual misconduct shall not be allowed to participate in pre-teacher internship, administrative internship, laboratory and/or classroom field experiences or intern experiences without approval by the Nebraska Board of Education. To comply with this policy, the CSC Education Preparation Program will require each student/candidate to affirm under oath that he/she does not have any convictions in the above-named areas prior to each field experience placement, and to submit proof of a current background check. If a candidate does have any felony or misdemeanor conviction(s), he/she is required to meet with the CSC Certification Officer as soon as possible. Students with questions pertaining to convictions should also contact this Education Preparation Program office.
To be recommended for Teacher Licensure or certification, the student/candidate must have
Education Administration candidates must take the Praxis II examination for school administration (5411 Educational Leadership Administration and Supervision [ELAS]). A candidate seeking an additional endorsement after completing his or her degree program must complete the appropriate course work, and officially notify the Teacher Certification Officer upon completion of the endorsement program/course work requesting the endorsement be posted to the students official CSC transcript record. The student may then submit a Nebraska Application for Certification to the Nebraska Dept. of Education.
CSC Education Program students (at the initial and advanced levels) are required to abide by the Nebraska Teaching Professional Code of Ethics; see: https://nppc.nebraska.gov/sites/default/files/doc/CODE%20OF%20ETHICS.pdf . Students not abiding by the principles outlined in the Code of Ethics will not be recommended for teacher or administrative licensure by CSC.
Not all Master of Education programs lead to Certification. Certification is based on the requirements of Nebraska Department of Education. All teaching or administrative certificates in Nebraska have a minimum requirement that includes completion of an initial Teacher Education program that requires a Student Teaching experience at either the baccalaureate or master level. The Nebraska Department of Education also requires a minimum of 2 years successful teaching experience as a requisite to earning an administrative certificate. Therefore, graduate candidates seeking a recommendation from the Certification Officer should understand that recommendations will be based on meeting the Nebraska Department of Education requirements for the program in which the candidate is completing. Candidates who do not meet Nebraska certification requirements will use the Master of Education degree as their documentation of program completion and will not receive a recommendation for certification from the CSC Certification Officer.
CSC is a member of the Nebraska Council on Teacher Education, a teacher education governance and recommending body to the Nebraska Department of Education; therefore, all candidates majoring in programs leading to an endorsement and/or certification are subject to any program rule changes that may occur while a candidate is enrolled. If a candidate has not completed their program of study within three years following the program change, he/she will be required to adjust his or her program to reflect the required change.
The following are criteria for acceptance into Graduate Study in the MEd program:
Acceptances to graduate study, plan of study filing, application for graduate and oral examination are separate and independent steps in the degree program. Students must apply to be approved for each level.
Note: Graduate students must complete at least 24 course credits of graduate course work after being accepted for graduate study.
The Dean of Graduate Studies will examine documents submitted and make one of the following determinations:
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