Kyle LaPaglia, Director, School of Education
FACULTY: Associate Professors: Leighann Forbes, Jill Merritt. Assistant Professor: Kyle LaPaglia. Assistant Teaching Professor: Lisa Brown.
Mission of the Gannon School of Education
The School of Education is committed to the preparation of educators as reflected through the Gannon University Judeo-Christian tradition. Through extensive field experience, modeling, professionalism, and collaboration, we deliver a student-centered, research-based professional education program that provides opportunities for diverse community experiences and promotion of personal growth and continuous learning.
Vision Statement of the Gannon School of Education
The Gannon University School of Education undergraduate programs will prepare skilled professional practitioners who deliver instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners.
Student Learning Outcomes for Initial Certification
Candidates demonstrate knowledge of research-based educational belief systems and pedagogical/subject matter content.
Candidates demonstrate a culture of learning.
Candidates assess and analyze student learning and make appropriate adjustments to instruction, including differentiation for diverse and exceptional learners and monitoring student progress.
Candidates establish and reflect on ongoing professional relationships with colleagues, students, parents, school districts, and the community to enhance student learning.
All Gannon University teacher certification programs have Pennsylvania Department of Education approval.
The School of Education currently offers the following initial certification baccalaureate program options:
Early Childhood and Special Education
Early Childhood Education PreK-4 (program)
Early Childhood Education PreK-4 and Special Education PreK-12 (program)
Special Education PreK-12 (program)
Middle Level 4-8
English/Language Arts and Reading (program)
Mathematics (program)
Science (program)
Social Studies (program)
English/Language Arts and Mathematics (program)
English/Language Arts and Science (program)
Mathematics and Science (program)
Social Studies and Mathematics (program)
Social Studies and Science (program)
Secondary Education 7-12
The School of Education also offers the following associate degree programs:
Teacher candidates may add-on grades 5 and 6 certification through testing. Candidates should contact their advisor for complete details.
Teacher Certification
In compliance with Pennsylvania Law, Act 354, all individuals entering School of Education programs must have and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or greater. All individuals seeking teacher certification in Pennsylvania must fulfill the requirements of the University for the Baccalaureate Degree as well as the professional education requirements of the School of Education. Teacher candidates must also achieve passing scores, as determined by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), on the required teacher examinations. The process and requirements for teacher certification are described in the Gannon University Teacher Certification Handbook as well as this catalog. To obtain specific information about certification in other states, teacher candidates should review information online at each state’s Department of Education web site.
Please note that current Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) standards and regulations take precedence over any information described in this document or the Gannon University Teacher Certification Handbook. Should PDE’s standards and regulations change, Gannon will change its requirements. Teacher candidates will be responsible for meeting the new guidelines for certification. Candidates must meet the PDE guidelines that are in effect on the day candidates submit their certification application. Please refer to the PDE website at https://www.education.pa.gov for changes in regulations.
Admission to the School of Education
Acceptance and enrollment at Gannon University does not automatically guarantee acceptance into the School of Education as a teacher candidate. Each teacher candidate must apply for official admission to the School of Education. Applications are available in the School of Education office. Teacher candidates are required to formally apply to the School of Education between their first 48-60 credit hours. This usually occurs between the first and second semester of the sophomore year, but application must be made no later than the end of the sophomore year. Continuation in the Education program is dependent upon acceptance into the School of Education.
The Education Review Committee evaluates applications for admission to the School of Education each semester. Individuals who meet the criteria are recommended to the Director of the School of Education for admission. The standards for admission and retention have been developed by the School of Education and require that teacher candidates accomplish the following academic requirements:
Candidates must earn a grade of C or better in all education courses.
An overall GPA of 3.0 or greater is required for acceptance into the School of Education. Computation of the overall grade point average considers all coursework completed at the point of application to the program.
The School of Education is authorized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education to permit candidates to proceed with Education coursework when the overall GPA is lower than 3.0 but at least 2.8. When all other criteria for admission to the School of Education have been met, candidates with GPAs between 2.8 and 3.0 may be granted permission to continue taking upper-level Education courses for one additional semester. Please refer to the Teacher Certification Handbook for further details of the 2.8 GPA policy.
All baccalaureate candidates, regardless of area of specialization, must have completed three credits of composition, three credits of an approved literature course, six credits of mathematics (103 or higher), and EDCR 106 with a C or better.
In addition, Early Childhood PreK-4,the dual Early Childhood PreK-4 and Special Education PreK-12, and Special Education PreK-12 majors must have completed ECED 104, ECED 200, EDCR 105, and SPED 101 with a C or better.
In addition, Middle Level 4-8 majors must have completed EDCR 105, EDCR 220, MLED 202, and SPED 101 with a C or better.
In addition, Secondary majors also must have completed EDCR 105 with a C or better and have passed EDFL 101.
As of the printing of this catalog, PDE has not determined the basic skill requirements. Students will be notified as soon as updates are available.
The School of Education has no control over PDE waivers or updates.
Candidates must earn an overall satisfactory rating in professional dispositions. Details are provided to teacher candidates during their first semester as Education majors, and details can be found in the Teacher Certification Handbook.
Denial of Admission to the School of Education
An overall grade point average of 3.0 must be maintained. Individuals who do not meet state mandated minimums are not eligible for admission into the School of Education. Incomplete School of Education applications will result in denial of admission.
Application essays that earn a score of less than 15 will have one opportunity for revision. If the second revision earns a score of less than 15, the candidate will be denied admission to the School of Education.
Retention in the School of Education
Once admitted to the School of Education, candidates must abide by the following retention policies to remain in the program:
Candidates must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or greater in all coursework.
Candidates must maintain a C or better in all required coursework in professional education and the chosen teaching specialization(s).
Candidates must successfully complete field experience requirements prescribed in the chosen teaching specialization(s).
Candidates must demonstrate professional dispositions that are appropriate for teaching and managing instruction in diverse learning environments.
The Director of the School of Education may recommend re-evaluation of status for any candidate previously admitted to the program when evidence exists that the individual may be unsuitable for the teaching profession.
Only candidates meeting the Pennsylvania Department of Education requirements at the time of application are eligible to be recommended for certification.
In some instances, the University may award a degree although the candidate is not eligible to be recommended for teacher certification.
Field Experiences Requirements
As freshmen, teacher candidates will complete their first field experience as part of EDCR106 Foundations of Education. This is an opportunity for candidates to complete a Stage 1 Observation field experience for a total of 10 hours in one or more different educational settings. A variety of experiences in public, private, and diocesan schools located in urban, suburban, and rural locations are directly linked to coursework. Expectations for each experience are described in the School of Education Field Experience Handbook.
Grades for field experiences in the PreK-4, 4-8, and Special Education PreK-12 baccalaureate, associate, or minor programs are included as part of specific courses. To pass the course, field experience ratings must be satisfactory.
All secondary majors must earn a passing grade in each field experience (i.e., EDFL 101, 102, or 103) before the next experience can be completed.
Students will be removed from a field experience if the Cooperating Teacher and University Supervisor determine that the field student’s performance is unsatisfactory.
Required Clearances, Trainings, and Testing
Prior to beginning the first field experience, all students enrolled as Education majors and students enrolled in an education minor must complete clearances, training, and testing mandated by the Pennsylvania School Code and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie.
• If a student is continuously enrolled in an education preparation program, the criminal background, child abuse and fingerprint information originally submitted shall remain valid for 60 months unless a field site requires clearances that are less than one year old when the field experience ends. Complete details are available in the School of Education office or on our website.
Candidates whose clearances are not on file during the first month of the semester in which they are enrolled for their first field experience will be required to drop the course from their schedules.
Out-of-state candidates are also subject to background checks and must follow the same directions as residents of Pennsylvania.
Act 34 Criminal History Record Check: The application for this clearance is available online only. Go to https://epatch.pa.gov and click on “Submit a New Record Check.” Once the application has been completed, be certain to print the official clearance found under the heading “PA State Police Response for Criminal Record Check.” Further details are available in the School of Education office or website.
Act 151 Pennsylvania Child Abuse History Clearance: The online application form can be found at https://www.compass.state.pa.us/CWIS. There is also a mail-in form available. Under the heading “Purpose of Clearance,” select “School Employee.” Online applicants will receive their clearance by mail within 14 days. For mailed applications, the clearance may take three to six weeks to receive.
Act 114 Fingerprinting Clearance: The fingerprint requirement includes all university students who are in a public or private school on field experiences of any type. Fingerprinting must be done in Pennsylvania, following these directions:
Go to https://uenroll.identogo.com and use service code 1KG6RT. This service code is unique to Gannon. Do not use this code for another purpose.
Once you enter the service code, click Continue; then, click Schedule or Manage Appointment.
Follow the on-screen directions and fill in the personal information. You are required to choose the official document you will bring to the fingerprinting center.
Choose the location for your fingerprinting appointment. You can make an appointment, or you can select Walk In.
Next, you will be given access to a service summary that you MUST print.
The fee can be paid online using a money order or a credit card. You may also make payment at the fingerprinting center, using a money order or a credit card.
Act 82 Arrest/Conviction Certification Form: The Arrest or Conviction Report and Certification Form associated with Act 82 must be completed by Education students prior to participation in classroom teaching, clinical or field experience. The Act 82 form is completed annually. See the form for all reportable offenses. The form is available in the School of Education office.
Act 126 Child Abuse Training (3-hours): The training includes recognition of the signs of abuse, mandatory reporting requirements, maintenance of professional and appropriate relationships with students, etc. ACT 126 training can be completed online free of charge at https://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu.
Protection of Children and Youth Training, Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie: All School of Education students must have completed the adult online Creating a Safe Environment training session prior to the first field experience. The two-hour training is offered free of charge at https://www.eriercd.org/protectyouth.htm. Important notes:
Do not use Internet Explorer as the browser
Connection to a printer is required
Print two copies of the certificate of completion, one for the School of Education and one to keep for a personal file.
Tuberculosis Test: Prior to the first field experience, students must submit a valid negative tuberculin test certificate to the School of Education office. The certificate must be less than one-year old at the time of submission. Arrangements for the test are the responsibility of the student.
Student Teaching Requirements
Student teaching is a capstone experience. To qualify for student teaching, teacher candidates must have met or exceeded all program requirements. In addition, candidates for student teaching must do the following:
Demonstrate acceptance into the School of Education.
Apply for student teaching one year prior to beginning the experience.
Demonstrate overall satisfactory ratings in professional dispositions.
Apply and submit clearances that will be less than one-year old by the end of the student teaching experience.
Have a valid negative TB test on file in the School of Education prior to the first day of student teaching. Arrangements for the test are the responsibility of the teacher candidate.
If candidates are graduating in the semester of their student teaching experience, they are encouraged to complete the content specific exams designated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education prior to student teaching. Passage of these exams is not a graduation requirement, but passage is required before Level I teaching certification can be approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
Individuals Returning for Initial Certification
Individuals with a BA or BS degree who are returning for certification must apply and be accepted through the University’s Center for Adult Learning and meet all criteria for admission to the School of Education. Post-baccalaureate teacher candidates are not responsible for meeting the basic skills requirements, but they must complete the School of Education application.
Exit Criteria
Undergraduate students must complete all graduation requirements for a bachelor’s degree with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or greater in all coursework.
Post-baccalaureate students must complete all requirements as indicated on their Program of Study with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 or greater in all coursework.
ACT 91 SUBSTITUTE TEACHING POLICY FOR GANNON UNIVERSITY STUDENT TEACHERS OR RESIDENCY II STUDENTS
Assumption
School districts and Gannon University’s teacher preparation programs desire to partner in good faith so that both the development of the student teacher is appropriately supported during the student teaching experience and the needs of the school district for substitute teachers can be partially alleviated with the use of qualified student teachers in their buildings.
Context
Student teachers are enrolled in a Gannon credit bearing course titled student teaching and are paying tuition for the experience of student teaching under the daily mentoring of a cooperating teacher and supervision by a university appointed supervisor.
The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) provides minimum requirements for student teaching. These requirements must be met for an individual to be recommended for certification in Pennsylvania. A minimum of 12-weeks of supervised student teaching is required by PDE. Gannon University requires 14-15-weeks of student teaching, depending upon the university calendar.
Gannon University has specific requirements for the awarding of a degree, and the PDE approved teacher preparation programs within the School of Education have additional requirements for students who are participating in student teaching.
Gannon University is grateful to the school sites who host our student teachers.
Requests of the School District (School Site/Education Facility)
School districts who wish to use a Gannon University student teacher as a substitute teacher should establish a process for providing the “locally issued permit,” as described in the legislation, to the student teacher.
If student teachers are being considered for substitute teaching, the process for becoming an approved substitute teacher is to be communicated to the student teacher directly.
School districts should give student teachers the opportunity to decline an offer to act as a substitute teacher on any given day, just as other substitute teachers can.
School districts should inform building administrators that only approved student teachers are to be used as substitute teachers.
Building administrators will adhere to this Act 91 Substitute Teaching for Student Teachers Policy provided by Gannon University.
School districts may enact stricter guidelines for using student teachers as substitute teachers or choose not to use student teachers as substitute teachers.
Responsibilities of the University and the University Supervisor Assigned to the Student Teacher
University supervisors will observe their Gannon University student teachers on a schedule determined collaboratively by the cooperating teacher, university supervisor, and student teacher.
University supervisors will use the Gannon University Performance Assessment by University Supervisor (GU-PASU 91) form, starting with the first formal observation of the student teacher. The first formal observation of the student teacher must be one that requires the student teacher to deliver instruction and manage the classroom for the full assigned class period.
Student teachers who earn a “proficient” level of performance in 75% of the items in each of the four categories and no “unsatisfactory” level of performance in any of the items in each of the four categories of the GU-PASU 91 form will be identified as Eligible for Substitute Teaching.
The university supervisor and the student teacher will sign the GU-PASU 91 form and a copy will be given to the student teacher and submitted to the student teaching office.
If the student teacher is deemed Not Yet Eligible for Substitute Teaching, the GU-PASU 91 form will be used in subsequent observations until an evaluation of Eligible for Substitute Teaching is reached.
The Director of Clinical Experiences will provide a Prospective Teacher as a Substitute Teacher letter directly to the student teacher when requested.
Responsibilities of the Student Teacher
Student teachers who desire to be considered for substitute teaching while student teaching will initiate the school district’s process for becoming an approved substitute teacher.
Student teachers will submit all required paperwork to the school district or substitute teaching service to become an approved substitute teacher.
Student teachers will submit the GU-PASU 91 form, that affirms their eligibility to substitute teach while student teaching, to the appropriate school official or substitute teaching service representative, if requested.
Student teachers who complete the appropriate steps to become an approved substitute teacher and receive an Eligible to Substitute Teach designation by their university supervisor on the GU-PASU 91 form may accept substitute teaching opportunities under the conditions identified in Table 1.
Student teachers must notify their university supervisor as soon as possible about any substitute teaching assignments and keep a log of those assignments.
Table 1
Substitute within their Host Teacher's Classroom | Substitute within the same Building as their Host Teacher's Classroom but not in their Host Teacher's Classroom |
|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Student teachers are not permitted to substitute teach outside of their assigned student teaching building
For questions, contact the Director of Clinical Experiences