Program Format

Sample Course of Study

The course of study will change depending on 1) your subject area (ESL certification/ master's programs require additional coursework); 2) whether or not you are seeking certification/master's in one or two subject areas and 3) the missing subject area coursework in which you wish to be licensed to teach. The course of study will be determined by your program advisor.

*Students preparing for licensure in English as a Second Language (ESL) must complete additional coursework.

**These courses are additional courses required for the master's degree. The other courses listed are those required for certification only and/or certification plus master's.

Content Area

Content area advisors carefully admit and advise students based on state/local expectations regarding both content area and professional coursework and experiences. Students must take any missing subject area coursework for each area in which they wish to be licensed to teach.

Degree Requirements

The Secondary M.Ed. consists of a 24-credit hour teacher licensure core, plus 12 additional credit hours to complete the degree. For ESL certification candidates, these requirements are 33 and 6 credit hours, respectively.

DELTA
Developing Effective Leaders in Teaching at Arlington

http://gsehd.gwu.edu/gsehd/Delta
The George Washington University DELTA Partnership in Secondary Education at the GW Graduate Education Center in Arlington is a flexible program option designed for working professionals and recent graduates who are seeking to become secondary school teachers. The DELTA (Developing Educational Leaders in Teaching at Arlington) Partnership leads to licensure in Secondary Education: 24 credit hours for all content areas except ESL (33 credit hours.) Licensure credits can be applied to a 36 credit hour master's degree in Secondary Education (39-credit hours for ESL). These additional four courses required beyond the licensure program are determined in conjunction with the academic advisor. The partnership offers reduced tuition rates and a schedule of evening classes designed for the recent college graduates and working professional with a fast track option to teaching licensure within 16 months; and a M.Ed. degree within 2 to 3 years.

The Field Experience Component in Secondary Education

The DELTA Partnership requires fieldwork conducted at school sites in conjunction with some of its coursework. Students in the DELTA program are required to conduct 60 hours of field observation prior to the student teaching internship. All Secondary Education students are also required to participate in a full-time, 15-week internship as the final licensure course (6 credits).The internship experience is the capstone of the program. Students often report that this experience is the most valuable part of their preparation. The semester-long, full-time internship allows the student to link theory to practice, fostering a realistic view of the teaching profession. Through the close supervision of GW faculty and school professionals, the students practice effective teaching skills.

Fairfax Transition to Teaching

http://www.gwu.edu/~ftt/
The Transition to Teaching Partnership, a challenging, innovative, graduate teacher licensure program, is a cooperative effort between The George Washington University (GW) in Washington, D.C. and Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) in Fairfax County, Virginia. The purpose of the partnership is to recruit highly qualified liberal arts and science graduates to the teaching profession. The partnership enables participants to obtain teacher licensure in specific content areas in secondary education after completing an intensive one-year internship/course sequence.

Similar to a medical residency, the partnership places teacher interns in Fairfax County high schools, where they function as full-time members of the professional teaching staff. While the primary responsibility of each intern is to act as a permanent substitute teacher in the assigned school, the interns also observe and assist in classrooms on a regular basis, team-teach, and, in the spring, complete their teaching internship requirement. Students are observed and supervised by members of the secondary education faculty of George Washington University during the year-long school placement and complete the necessary course work (twenty-four credit hours) required for teacher licensure through evening and summer classes at GW. The partnership begins in Late May and is a full-time commitment through the following August.

Model Partnership

http://gsehd.gwu.edu/gsehd/viewarticle+344
The Model partnership is a 13 - 14 month, full-time M.Ed. program option leading to eligibility for teacher licensure in the Secondary Education specialty areas of art, education computer science, English, English as a second language, foreign language, mathematics, science and social studies. A small cohort of students begins the program in late May or early June, proceeding through a carefully designed sequence of coursework and field experiences.

All but 3 courses will be held off-campus in Arlington, Virginia at the reduced-rate tuition. Main campus classes will be held in the Foggy Bottom area of Washington, D.C., one of the world's great learning environments and an urban center of intellectual and cultural renown.

The Model Program partnership in Teacher Education is based on the belief that secondary school teaching is socially significant work for serious minded and talented liberal arts graduates. Students in this uniquely designed partnership will become part of a diverse community that includes scholars and teachers interested in the improvement of teaching and learning in the public schools. Experiences are designed to promote the development of the knowledge, skills, and qualities essential for teaching effectiveness. The partnership stresses an integrated university-public school approach to the preparation of future teachers, at the master's degree level underscoring GW's commitment to teacher education.

Teachers 2000 Partnership

http://www.gwu.edu/%7Et2000
The Teachers 2000 Millennium & Teaching Corps Fellows Partnership is a cooperative effort between The George Washington University (GW) and Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), Maryland. Two programs fall under the umbrella of the partnership: the Millennium Teaching Fellows and the Teaching Corps Fellows. Both programs prepare individuals for teaching transition special education, English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), or secondary education disciplines. Tuition assistance is provided for all courses required for licensure, and stipends are available for Millennium Teaching Fellows.

Millennium Teaching Fellows

Highly qualified liberal arts and science graduates are recruited to the teaching profession as Millennium Teaching Fellows (MTFs). MTFs begin coursework during the summer and make a full-time commitment to the program in August. This involves both a day and evening time commitment. During the day, Fellows are assigned full-time to MDCPS middle or high schools; they attend GW classes one or two evenings a week.

The first year of the program, MTFs are assigned full-time to a Montgomery County Public School. During this assignment, Fellows observe, assist in classrooms, serve as a substitute teacher, and complete a formal ten-week internship in a MCPS secondary school. ESL Fellows seeking K-12 licensure will have the option for two five-week placements where one of those placements is at the elementary level. Clinical supervision is provided during this pre-service phase of the program. MTFs are then employed as full-time Teaching Fellows in the fall and continue to receive University support through weekly coaching, bi-weekly observations, and seminars. Fellows will complete all coursework and be fully certified to teach at the end of the first full year of teaching (year two of the program).

Teaching Corps Fellows

The Teaching Corps program is a unique opportunity for enthusiastic returned Peace Corps, AmeriCorps, Teach for America volunteers, and individuals with two or more years of teaching experience to hone their teaching skills and earn Maryland state licensure. The Teaching Corps Fellows (TCFs) begin a full-time commitment to the program in January. This involves both a day and evening time commitment. During the day, TCFs are placed as full-time interns in Montgomery County Public Schools middle and high schools and attend GW classes several evenings a week. They are assigned to cooperating teachers in order to fulfill a format ten-week internship requirement. After completing the internship successfully, TCFs have the opportunity to substitute teach and earn the daily rate of pay in schools across Montgomery County through June. Clinical supervision is provided by University staff during this pre-service phase of the program. Similar to Millennium Teaching Fellows, TCFs are then employed a Teaching Fellows in the fall and continue to receive University support through weekly coaching, bi-weekly observations, and seminar classes. The coursework required for certification is completed during the first year of full-time teaching so TCFs are fully certified to teach in year two.

Quest Program

www.gwu.edu/~quest
The QUEST Program provides the coursework for initial teacher licensure leading to a Master's in Secondary Education (M.Ed.) at GW's Virginia Campus.

The program is designed for recent college graduates and professionals transitioning from other fields who want to become secondary classroom teachers. This flexible, self-paced program provides licensure eligibility for those who are interested in teaching the following:

• Art
• English
• English as a Second Language
• Foreign Language (including ASL with proof of proficiency)
• Science (biology, chemistry, physics)
• Social Studies

Starting in the fall of 2005, daytime classes will be offered that work around the school day and calendar. Evening classes are also offered.

For further information, contact Dr. Janet Schiavone, Program Director, QUEST Secondary Teacher Preparation Program at (703) 726-3570 or jepage@gwu.edu.

PRAXIS I and II

Completion of GW's teacher preparation programs requires satisfactory results on the PRAXIS I and II (formerly known as the National Teacher's Examination). PRAXIS I measures a prospective teacher's competency in reading, writing, and mathematics. A passing score is required for admission. PRAXIS II is a subject assessment that measures content area knowledge and pedagogy.