School of Education Overview
Preparing Teachers of Excellence
The mission of the teacher education program is to prepare teachers of quality who are competent, reflective educators of character and are committed to professional excellence.
Preparing Teachers of Excellence Through:
• Knowledge of Self
• Knowledge of the Student-Learner
• Knowledge of Content and Practice
• Knowledge of School and Community
In line with the university’s mission, the School of Education seeks to produce teachers of excellence by integrating learning and Christian faith to prepare professional educators to be effective for teaching and serving in a global society. The teacher education program is anchored in Anderson University’s commitment to the liberal arts curriculum for the humanities, fine arts, mathematics, and social and natural sciences, as the essential foundation for developing competent educators.
The School of Education offers undergraduate professional education in courses leading to licensing at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Students graduating from the program are defined as “highly qualified,” meeting the No Child Left Behind required status for teachers.
Education programs at the undergraduate level are based on essential knowledge, established and current research findings, and sound professional practice. The INTASC Principles, developmental standards of Division of Educator Licensing and Development, the philosophies and practices of the SOE and its content area faculty, and the collaborative P-12 educators guide the philosophy, objectives,
and outcomes of the initial programs.
Graduates of the AU teacher preparation program will be teachers of quality who are reflective in their practice and see the integration of character education within their teaching as a professional responsibility.
SOE Graduates Possess the Following Characteristics:
• Teachers of Quality and Competence: The quality teacher encompasses the traits of constructivism, reflective practitioner, inclusion of all students into the learning process, and analyzes the factors that affect teaching and learning. Through such analysis, the teacher is continually developing understandings regarding what content is important to teach, how students learn, and how to teach so that students will learn.
• Professional Commitment: The teacher is committed to building relationships with students, parents, and colleagues, and is committed to the profession by involvement in professional development, leadership, and decision-making roles within the school and community.
• Character Education: The teacher creates caring environments and maintains ethical and moral environments in the classroom by respecting all students’ individual abilities, learning styles, and intellectual desires. Anderson University’s School of Education has the distinction of offering specialized training in Character Education to preservice teachers and our students may graduate with a Specialization in Character Education.
The School of Education also offers Master of Education degrees in curriculum and instruction and in school leadership: administrative licensing (see Anderson University Graduate Academic Catalog).
Title II Accreditation and Institutional Report Card
As a university preparing students for careers in public education and related professions, Anderson University is subject to regulations and guidelines established and implemented by the Indiana Office of Educator License and Development and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Programs judged to meet the national and state standards receive “program approval” status. Students who satisfactorily complete the requirements for licensure become eligible for a teaching certificate in Indiana and other states with reciprocal arrangements.
In 1998, the U.S. Congress enacted an amendment to the Higher Education Act that required a testing process for all teacher education programs. For the 2006-07 cohort of program completers, the School of Education at AU had an institutional pass rate of 100 percent on aggregate basic skills tests (PRAXIS I) and a 100 percent aggregate pass rate on content area tests (PRAXIS II). 2006-2007 Title II Report.
