Education

The Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department, located in the School of Education and Human Development, in close collaboration with the College of Arts and Sciences, offers minors in Educational Studies and Special Education open to all interested undergraduates. For those interested in teacher certification, we offer an Education Studies Minor with Connecticut State Secondary Certification BA track (7-12) and three Five-Year Integrated Bachelor's-Master's Degrees with Teacher Certification in Elementary Education (1-6), Secondary Education (7-12), or Comprehensive Special Education (k-12). Candidates must have an approved major in the College of Arts and Sciences and will be advised by their major faculty advisor and by faculty in the Department of Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation. 

Undergraduates wanting to declare a minor in Educational Studies or Special Education should meet with the Program Director as early in their studies as possible. Anyone interested in applying to the Five-Year Program must first declare the minor. Decisions for formal admission to the Five-Year Integrated Bachelor and Master of Arts teacher education program are made by March 15 and October 15 for Level I and on February 1 for Level II. Information sessions for the minor in Educational Studies and Special Education and the Five-Year teacher education program are offered each semester, and the faculty of the Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department are available for individual advising by appointment throughout the year.

Teacher Education

Candidates interested in pursuing certification to teach Elementary Education (Grades 1-6), or Special Education (Grades Pre-K-12) can do so through the 5-year integrated Bachelor and Master of Arts Programs in Teacher Education. Candidates interested in secondary education certification (7-12) have two options: the four-year Education Studies Minor with Connecticut State Certification in Secondary Track or the Fifth-Year Integrated Bachelor and Master of Arts Programs in Secondary Teacher Education.

The Teacher Education Programs prepare scholar-practitioners who have the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to enact meaningful connections between theory and practice, promote a developmental model of human growth and learning, exercise ethical professional judgment and leadership, and advocate for quality education for all learners. As members of an inclusive community of learners, we (university faculty, experienced and aspiring classroom teachers, and community members and leaders) work together to create and sustain exemplary learning environments that empower K-12 students to become engaged, productive citizens in their communities. Across all programs, our foci for inquiry and action include the socio-cultural and political contexts of education and schooling, the complexities of teaching and learning, teacher work and professional cultures, culturally relevant understandings of human growth and development, and socially responsible uses of technology in schooling and society.

Descriptions of all the required education undergraduate and graduate courses are found in the graduate catalog for the School of Education and Human Development. Descriptions of undergraduate courses are found under appropriate departmental course listings.

Admission

Elementary and Secondary Education

To be admitted to the Five-Year Integrated Bachelors-Master’s degree teacher education programs, students must first declare the minor in Educational Studies; successfully earn 45 credits; maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 in their certification major and 2.67 cumulative GPA.

There are two phases of the admission process to the Five Year Program: Level I and Level II. Admission to Level I does not guarantee admission to Level II.

Application to Level I

To be admitted to the undergraduate phase of the teacher education program (Level I), students must:

  1. Declare a minor in Educational Studies.
  2. Major in an approved discipline within the College of Arts and Sciences.
  3. Successfully earn 45 credits.
  4. Possess and maintain a minimum of 2.67 overall GPA.
  5. Maintain a 3.00 GPA in their certification area major.
  6. Complete Level I Application to the undergraduate phase of the Five-Year Program (contact the program director).
  7. Meet with the appropriate Educational Studies & Teacher Preparation Program faculty to discuss major and minor requirements.
  8. Submit an application as early as spring of sophomore year and no later than spring of junior year. 

Application to Level II

To be admitted to the graduate phase of the Five-Year Program (Level II), students must complete and submit the following online by February 1 of their senior year (the application fee is waived for current students):

A complete application (apply online) which includes: 

  1. A professional resume
  2. A personal statement describing intent for studying in the program
  3. Official transcript (minimum GPA of 2.67 and 3.0 in major)
  4. Two recommendations
  5. Have taken one of the following tests: the Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE and provide official scores for their file. Applicants who do not have passing scores on one or more sections may be required to remediate any deficient area. Remediation may include re-taking and passing the sections that were not passed, taking additional coursework, or other remediation activities. If additional courses are required the candidate must complete the coursework at a grade of B (3.0) or higher and provide an official transcript to the School of Education and Human Development Dean’s Office prior to starting student teaching or internships. Students should contact their advisor for additional details and recommendations. If students provide their social security number to ETS at ets.org/praxis when registering for the Praxis Core exam, the reported score will automatically be uploaded to their Fairfield application file. Fairfield University’s code is 3390.
  6. An admission interview with program faculty
  7. Record of immunizations

Students in the undergraduate or graduate program seeking certification must maintain at least a B (3.00) average in their major or the relevant content area courses in order to pursue the 5th year. In view of the teacher’s role in the school and community, candidates whose relevant academic productivity is marginal or inadequate, who do not embody a socially responsible professional disposition, or who demonstrate unsuitable personal qualities, will not be recommended for continuation in the teacher preparation program, student teaching placement, or state certification. In addition, all prospective and admitted candidates to an undergraduate teacher education program are expected to demonstrate the personal and professional dispositions that are embodied in the Mission Statement of the School of Education and Human Development and outlined in the ethical codes of their chosen profession.

Special Education

To be admitted to the Special Education Five-Year Integrated Bachelors-Master’s degree teacher education programs, students must first declare the minor in Educational Studies; successfully earn 45 credits; maintain a minimum GPA of 3.00 in their certification major and 2.67 cumulative.

To be admitted to the undergraduate phase of the special education teacher education program, students must:

Application to Level I

  1. Contact program director
  2. Declare a minor in Educational Studies: Special Education
  3. Major in any discipline and maintain a 3.0 GPA
  4. Possess and maintain a minimum of 2.67 overall GPA.
  5. Maintain a minimum of 3.00 GPA in the minor
  6. Successfully earn 45 credits.
  7. Earn a minimum grade of B in EDUC 2201 Explorations in Education and EDUC 3350 Special Learners in the Mainstream.
  8. Meet with the director of the Special Education Program to discuss major and minor requirements and complete the Level I application for the undergraduate phase of the Special Education Fifth Year Program. Applications can be completed as early as spring of a student’s sophomore year and no later than spring of their junior year. Level I applications are accepted on a rolling basis.

Application to Level II

To be admitted to the graduate phase of the Special Education Five-Year Program students must do the following by February 1 of their senior year (the application fee is waived for current students):

A complete application (apply online at fairfield.edu/applynow), which includes:

  1. A professional resume
  2. A personal statement describing intent for studying in the program
  3. Official transcript (minimum GPA of 2.67 and 3.0 in major)
  4. Two recommendations
  5. Have taken one of the following tests: the Praxis Core, SAT, ACT, or GRE and provide official scores for their file. Applicants who do not have passing scores on one or more sections may be required to remediate any deficient area. Remediation may include re-taking and passing the sections that were not passed, taking additional coursework, or other remediation activities. If additional courses are required the candidate must complete the coursework at a grade of B (3.0) or higher and provide an official transcripts to the School of education and Human Development Dean’s Office prior to starting student teaching or internships. Students should contact their advisor for additional details and recommendations. If students provide their social security number to ETS at ets.org/praxis when registering for the Praxis Core exam, the reported score will automatically be uploaded to their Fairfield application file. Fairfield University’s code is 3390.
  6. An admission interview with program faculty
  7. Record of immunizations

Students seeking certification must maintain at least a B (3.00) average in their major or the relevant content area courses in order to pursue the 5th year. In view of the teacher’s role in the school and community, candidates whose relevant academic productivity is marginal or inadequate, who do not embody a socially responsible professional disposition, or who demonstrate unsuitable personal qualities, will not be recommended for continuation in the teacher preparation program, student teaching placement, or state certification. In addition, all prospective and admitted candidates to an undergraduate teacher education program are expected to demonstrate the personal and professional dispositions that are embodied in the Mission Statement of the School of Education and Human Development and outlined in the ethical codes of their chosen profession.

Academic Advisement Notice

Teacher education candidates should seek academic advisement from their advisor in their major and an educator advisor to ensure that planned program requirements are fulfilled for their major and core requirements, educational studies minor, and their teacher education program.

Background Check and Fingerprinting

All students in school-based certification programs and registered in courses with fieldwork components may be required to be fingerprinted and have a background check conducted in the districts(s) where they are placed. Multiple fingerprinting and background checks may be required if placed in different districts. Please contact the course instructor or program director for information.

Teacher Internship Program

The School of Education and Human Development offers teaching internships for both certified and non-certified teachers studying for a Master’s Degree or Sixth Year Certificate at Fairfield.

The internship gives you a full-time, hands on experience in a public school setting and up to $15,000 towards your studies, while offering local schools additional competent staff members and potential future employees.

For more information or an application, students should email the internship coordinator, specifying whether they are interested in the internship for certified or non-certified teachers.

All applications for the internship program are reviewed on a rolling basis. You must be formally admitted to the Master’s Degree Program to be eligible.

Minority Teacher Incentive Grants

The Minority Teacher Incentive Grant Program provides up to $5000 a year for two years of full time study in a teacher preparation program, usually junior or senior year, as long as the student is an admitted education minor and completes all the requirements.

As an added bonus, students may receive up to $2500 a year, for up to four years, to help pay off college loans if they teach in a Connecticut public elementary or secondary school.

To qualify, students must be a full-time college junior or senior of African-American, Hispanic/Latino, Asian-American, or Native American heritage, and be nominated by the chair of the Educational Studies and Teacher Preparation Department. To apply, obtain a nomination form from the Connecticut Office of Higher Education's website.

Education

EDUC 2201 Explorations in Education    3 Credits

In this course, students/candidates discover how education is accomplished in schools through the social construction of teaching and learning. Through participant observation, service learning, reflections, assigned readings, class discussions and collaboration, candidates contribute positively to student learning in local schools and communities with diverse (socioeconomic, linguistic, race/ethnicity) populations, understand the complexities of schooling from multiple insider perspectives, and engage in the process of discerning whether to pursue a career in education. Successful completion of this course is one of the prerequisites for admission to the teacher education program. Approximately 25 hours of service in a local school is required. Previously ED 0200.

EDUC 2329 Philosophy of Education: An Introduction    3 Credits

This course applies the basic concepts of philosophy to education in general and to contemporary education theory in particular to acquaint educators with philosophical terminology, to improve the clarity of their thinking, and to encourage personal commitment to their own life philosophies. It also provides the opportunity to ask fundamental questions about the aims and purposes of education and schooling in a multicultural democratic society; the ethical dimensions of the teaching/learning relationship; the effects of poverty and injustice on the lives of young people, their families and communities; and the role of the imagination in transforming the world. A range of philosophical perspectives will be explored including Jesuit Education/Ignatian Pedagogy, Deweyan Progressive education, and Freirian Critical Pedagogy. Previously ED 0329.

EDUC 2341 Culturally Responsive Teacher    3 Credits

In this course, students will gain a deeper understanding of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to teach students from varied racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds. Students will examine their own assumptions about social identity and its influence on the teaching and learning process. Additionally, they will apply culturally responsive and sustaining strategies that promote high standards and inclusive learning environments.

EDUC 3241 Educational Psychology    3 Credits

This course considers a particular application of the more important psychological principles to educational theory and practice, embracing a systematic study of the educable being, habit formation, phases of learning, intellectual and emotional growth, and character formation. The course, which includes a 15-hour field experience in an approved, ethnically diverse public school setting, also examines individual differences, transfer of training, interest, attention, and motivation insofar as they influence the teaching process. Graduate equivalent: EDUC 5442. Previously ED 0241.

EDUC 3350 Special Learners in the Mainstream    3 Credits

This course familiarizes the mainstream professional with the special learning needs of children and youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, learning disabilities, emotional disturbances, severe disabilities, multiple disabilities, and those who are gifted and talented. Topics include methods of identifying and working effectively with children and youth with special learning needs in the regular classroom; the roles and responsibilities of counselors, psychologists, educators, and ancillary personnel as members of a multidisciplinary team in planning educational services for exceptional learners; and laws that impact on assessment, placement, parent and student rights, and support services. This course may require a fieldwork component as part of the evaluation process. Note: This course is not for those pursuing an initial certificate or cross-endorsement in special education; it is for general educators and students in affiliated fields of study. Previously ED 0350.

EDUC 4455 The Literate Learner: Developmental Reading in Middle and Secondary School Grades 5-12    3 Credits

In this course, designed for new and experienced middle and high school educators, candidates explore and use cutting edge theory and best practices in literacy research to support powerful student learning across curricular area, with an emphasis on reading comprehension at the secondary level. Candidates learn a repertoire of research-based strategies and tools to help diverse learners make meaning from a variety of texts in their subject area, including non-print and media texts. Areas explored include questioning techniques, concept development, study strategies, and assessment. Candidates will infuse critical and strategic instructional strategies for teaching reading and communication into content area curriculum. Candidates not currently teaching will be expected to work with a teacher in a high needs school for 25 hours in order to complete the requirements for the course. Previously ED 0455.

EDUC 4581 Directed Observation and Supervised Student Teaching: Secondary Education    6 Credits

This course offers a semester-long experience in a local school for qualified candidates in secondary teaching. Participants engage in observation and teaching five days each week. Emphasized concepts include classroom management dynamics, teaching techniques, lesson plan organization, and faculty duties. Candidates receive assistance from their university supervisors and the cooperating teacher(s), who must observe and evaluate each student. Candidates must register with the director of student teaching placement at the beginning of the previous semester. Previously ED 0581.

Educational Technology

EDTC 4301 Introduction to Educational Technology    3 Credits

This course covers the principles and applications of technology literacy in education. Topics include designing effective teaching strategies and environments conducive to learning, application of media and computer technologies in teaching, the use of the Web in teaching K-12, Microsoft Office applications, developing home pages, evaluating software, and examining new technologies for education. A field experience is included in this course. Previously MD 0300.

EDTC 4304 Imagining Libraries in the 21st Century    3 Credits

This course will focus on the ongoing transformation and re-orientation of public and academic libraries in an age of ubiquitous access to digital content. The role of the library will be examined from its mid-20th century position of largely storing paper-based materials and providing the professional services that allowed user to access those materials, to its evolving status as a service provider - offering everything from streaming videos and downloadable e-books to community events and craft- and technology-based maker spaces. The course will culminate with each student creating a digital vision of the library of the future.

EDTC 4305 Copyright, Censorship, and Information Control    3 Credits

This course will offer an in-depth examination of the larger question of who controls information. Beginning with a review of the concept and history of copyright laws as a means for assuring economic control, the course will then move into an analysis of censorship by schools, local communities, and national governments. A major portion of the course will also address the relatively new issue of information control effected by digital means - from the use of search engines and misinformation to influence public opinion to the tracking of individuals and the data harvesting that has become the primary economic driver of so many technology platforms.

EDTC 4312 Expanding Education through Informal Learning Environments    3 Credits

This course will examine the ways in which Informal Learning Environments (ILEs) are embedded in a wide range of the 21st century’s social and entertainment activities - and how these experiences of these types can be leveraged to move learning outside of its traditionally conceived homes in schools and libraries. Among the ILEs discussed will be zoos and aquariums, museums, mobile games, streaming content, escape rooms, and more. The course will culminate with each student producing an example Informal Learning Environment module using the technologies of their own choice.

EDTC 4313 Online Training for Lifelong Learning    3 Credits

This course will focus on ways in which teachers, trainers, and technology support professionals can use a variety of online tools to engage learners of all ages and types. Students will explore ways to effectively employ podcasts, screen captures, videos, and authoring software to create and support online learning, as well as how to consider relevant technological issues such as file types, bandwidth, policies, and mobile device access.

EDTC 4314 Literacies Across History and Cultures    3 Credits

This course will explore how humans have communicated their ideas across space and time – in essence, what does it mean to be what we now call “literate,” why did literacy arise, and what purposes does it serve? Students will endeavor to define different modes of communication (or literacies) in an age of globalization and of digital information, and look at these “literacies” through various historical, social, and cultural perspectives.

EDTC 4315 Technologies for Building Online Learning Engagement    3 Credits

This course will be offered as can be arranged by faculty with a local museum, library, non-profit, or other institution. Students will spend their semester do in-depth studies of the specific type of organization of focus, and will then collaborate in with staff at the organization to learn how the education takes place there and to complete a project that will be used as part of the entity’s educational offerings.

EDTC 4316 Informal Learning Environments (ILE) Practicum    3 Credits

This course will be offered as can be arranged by faculty with a local museum, library, non-profit, or other institution. Students will spend their semester do in-depth studies of the specific type of organization of focus, and will then collaborate in with staff at the organization to learn how the education takes place there and to complete a project that will be used as part of the entity’s educational offerings.

EDTC 4317 AI in Teaching & Learning    3 Credits

This course will explore the current possibilities and serious challenges of generative AI for classroom teachers and other educators of all types. Topics covered will include understanding how generative AI operates from a technological standpoint; the role that generative AI can play in a variety of educational settings, from K-12 public schools to universities to informal learning environments ; and the development of appropriate policies and guidelines to support AI use. No previous experience with AI or computer programming is required.

Special Education

SPED 1010 Fairfield/Westport Transition    0 Credits

SPED 4403 Foundations in Research and Evaluation of Psychoeducational Issues in Special Education    3 Credits

This course is designed to introduce candidates to a range of children and adolescents with exceptional learning needs (ELN), to the intent of special education law and the process of identification and evaluation of exceptional learners, and to the foundational research on the complex issues and problems that affect these students. Topics include methods of identifying and working effectively with children and youth with special learning needs in the regular classroom; the roles and responsibility of counselors, psychologists, educators and ancillary personnel as members of a multidisciplinary team in planning educational services for exceptional learners; laws that impact on assessment, placement, parent and student rights, and support services. In this course, candidates are introduced to a range of quantitative and qualitative research designs and the methodological tools to analyze data. Through discussion of issues, candidates consider how research can be a valuable tool that helps teachers systematically reflect on learning and evidence-based practices. Using current scholarly research articles, each candidate investigates, writes, and presents on a psychoeducational issue that impacts a specific category of exceptional learners. This course requires a fieldwork component as part of the evaluation process. Crosslisted with SPED 5403.

SPED 4410 Autism Spectrum Disorders: Theories and Interventions    3 Credits

Prerequisites: EDUC 2201, EDUC 3350.

This course highlights current research on theories and etiology of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Candidates examine characteristics and behaviors associated with ASD. Specific diagnostic assessment and screening tools are reviewed to examine how these tools are utilized to identify infants and children with ASD. The course also focuses on providing the candidates with understanding the role of families. The course helps create a framework for implementing effective pedagogical interventions, profiling the strengths and challenges of various interventions. Graduate equivalent: SPED 5410. Previously SE 0310.

SPED 4411 Introduction to Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities    3 Credits

Prerequisites: EDUC 2201, EDUC 3350.

This course is designed to advance candidates' understanding and knowledge of intellectual and developmental disabilities by critically examining theories and research regarding the psychological, sociological, and educational aspects of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Candidates are expected to display levels of competency and proficiency in all three aspects. Graduate equivalent: SPED 5411. Previously SE 0311.

SPED 4413 Theories of and Introduction to Learning Disabilities    3 Credits

Prerequisites: EDUC 2201, EDUC 3350.

This course introduces students to the area of learning disabilities, exploring various theoretical constructs pertaining to numerous facets of the disorder (e.g., cognition, executive function, attention deficits, etc.), by tracing the history of its development and discussing current issues about the definition and the types of learning disabilities. Educational and social emotional sequelae and implications of processing impairments on learning are examined in the context of the assessment-teaching process (includes a 5-hour field-based project). Graduate equivalent: SPED 5413. Previously SE 0313.

SPED 4417 Introduction to Children and Youth with Emotional Disturbances    3 Credits

Prerequisites: EDUC 2201, EDUC 3350.

This core course introduces candidates to the area of emotional or behavioral disorders (EBD) by examining symptoms, etiology, diagnostic criteria, and assessment techniques of students K-12 who exhibit social, emotional, and behavioral deficits. Emphasis is placed on social and emotional development, the process of identifying students with EBD, analysis of behavior (ABA) and functional behavioral assessment (FBA), development of individual educational plans (IEPs) and instructional strategies designed to address the social and academic needs of students with EBD. This course includes a 2.5-hour field component. All students must have criminal clearance prior to registration. Graduate equivalent: SPED 5417. Previously SE 0317.

SPED 4565 Evidenced-Based Strategies in the Inclusive Classroom    3 Credits

This course builds on the foundational knowledge about exceptional learners examined during SPED 3350, and shifts the focus to strategies that can be used to differentiate instruction for exceptional learners in the inclusive classroom. General education candidates will learn about their role in the pre-referral/referral process and how to develop IEP goals and objectives. Next, candidates will be introduced to a range of social and academic assessment devices that are used to drive instruction. Using videos and case studies, candidates will analyze patterns of behavior in order to design evidenced-based classroom behavior management plans. By the end of the course, candidates will be able to make modifications to their curriculum and accommodations to their instructional delivery to meet the needs of exceptional learners. Prerequisite: SPED 3350

Professors

Bryan Ripley Crandall, PhD, Director, Connecticut Writing Project
Robert Hannafin, PhD, Director Educational Leadership
Emily Smith, PhD

Associate Professors

Anne Campbell, PhD, Director, TESOL, World Languages, and Bilingual Education Programs
Alyson Martin, EdD, Co-Director, Special Education
Orelus, EdD, Director, Teaching and Foundations
Emily Shamash, EdD, Chair, Co-Director, Special Education

Assistant Professors

Kimberly Barba, PhD
Nicole Fletcher, PhD

Assistant Professors of the Practice

Joshua Elliott, EdD, Associate Dean and Director, Educational Technology

Instructors

Jay Rozgonyi, MS, MLS