Department of Education

We believe that purposeful and intentional teachers:

Demonstrate intellectual curiosity. We define intellectual curiosity as any interest that leads to inquiry. We believe that intellectual curiosity is a vital quality of an effective teacher. Intellectually curious individuals exist in a state of constant learning, reading, and researching. They persistently seek solutions to problems and connections between and among divergent topics.

Demonstrate philosophical, pedagogical, and academic grounding. Teachers know, know why, and know how. Purposeful and intentional teachers know – they have wrestled with complex questions and academic content. Purposeful and intentional teachers know why – they have developed a philosophical stance which informs their teaching decisions. Purposeful and intentional teachers know how – they have acquired a repertoire of teaching moves informed by their pedagogical studies, including the ability to select and use resources and technologies. They can clearly articulate their beliefs about teaching and learning, cite supporting research and philosophical underpinnings, and speak to informed applications in a variety of classroom settings.

Practice reflective and intentional teaching. Teachers hold a set of principles which guide the decision-making process and which inform practice. We believe that effective teachers do what they do on purpose – each teaching move is intentional and reasoned.

Practice advocacy for the community, the profession, and for all children. Teachers know, respect, participate in, and advocate for the communities in which they teach. As advocates for the teaching profession, they participate in professional organizations and contribute to the field. They advocate for whatever is necessary to meet the needs of individual members of their learning community as well as all children.

Students should plan to be fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) by the end of their sophomore year in order to proceed optimally through the program.

Before being admitted to TEP, students must:

• Complete 10 units of credit or the equivalent.
• Maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher overall, in professional studies, and in the teaching field.
• Successfully complete ED 201: Introduction to Education or EPy 260: Survey of Exceptional Children.
• Successfully complete the Exploratory Term teaching experience (ED 299).
• Complete a background check.
• Submit a self-assessment of professional dispositions (EDA), writing sample, and application prior to TEP interview.
• Interview with two or more members of education. Writing samples will be assessed at this time.

While these criteria are being met, students may take education courses that do not require TEP admission as a prerequisite, but students are not allowed to have more than five professional education courses before admission to TEP.

The following handbooks are available for currents students:
Field Experience Handbook
BSC-Clinical-Practice-Handbook

Forms for Teacher Education Admission:
TEP Application

Educator Disposition Assessment:
EDA Form

Communication Rubrics:
BSC Writing Rubric

Field Experience Logs and Instructions for All Students:                                   
Field Experience Log Instructions

Supplementary Secondary Biology

Supplementary Collaborative

Supplementary Secondary English Lanuage Arts

Supplementary Secondary History

Supplementary Secondary History and Social Studies

Supplementary Secondary Mathematics

 

Assessment Information for All Students:
Assessment Information and Current Teacher Testing Requirement Options

 

The educator preparation programs of the Birmingham-Southern College Department of Education are accredited by the Alabama State Department of Teacher Education and Certification (ALSDE). Birmingham-Southern College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

Click any hyperlink below to see the official program of study for that major.

Certification Programs and Class B Certificates:

Biology 6-12

Collaborative K-6

Elementary K-6

English Language Arts 6-12

History 6-12 

History and General Social Studies 6-12

Mathematics 6-12

To be eligible for a teaching certificate, a student must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and complete an approved Course of Study. Students must successfully complete all program requirements and also satisfy the following conditions to be recommended for a teaching certificate:

• Complete the College's graduation requirements.
• Achieve and maintain a grade-point average of 2.5 or higher overall, 2.5 or higher in professional studies, and 2.5 or higher in the teaching field. No grade below “C” in professional studies (including “C-”) is acceptable.
• Demonstrate proficiency in teaching by achieving a grade of “B-” or better in all student teaching internships.
• Complete a Criminal Background Check and fingerprinting process and be cleared by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation (ABI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
• Pass all standardized tests required for certification in your academic discipline as determined by the Alabama State Department of Education (ALSDE). See more information about required Praxis tests here.

The Teacher Education Program at BSC is subject to change from the Alabama State Department of Education without notice. Students should consult a faculty advisor or the certification officer concerning current certification requirements. You can email Treva Lester, our certification officer, at [email protected] or call (205)226-4810.

CAEP Accountability Measures

Measure 1: Completer Impact and Effectiveness (4.1)                                                                         

The EPP evaluates completers’ impact on K-12 student learning and teaching effectiveness using Tripod Survey data and data from the Candidate Preservice Assessment of Student Teaching (CPAST) instrument which the EPP also uses with a sample of completers in their first three years of teaching.

Completer CPAST Data Summary    

Completer Tripod Data Summary                                                                                       

Measure 2: Satisfaction of Employers and Stakeholder Involvement (4.2, 5.3)

The EPP collects data regarding satisfaction of employers through a survey developed by the Alabama Association for Colleges of Teacher Education (ALACTE) in addition to focus groups with employers and completers. Because the number of respondents is not readily available to EPPs and the response rate from employers and completers is low, to improve the response rate the EPP sends a survey directly to employers and completers using the same questions on the ALSDE survey. Sending the survey directly from the EPP to completers and employers with whom the EPP has relationships has significantly improved the EPP’s response rate.  

Employer Survey

Employer Survey and Focus Group Data

Completer Focus Group Data Summary

Completer Survey Summary

Measure 3: Candidate Competency at Program Completion (3.3)

The EPP uses multiple measures to measure candidates’ competency when completing the program. Those measures include the Candidate Preservice Assessment of Student Teaching (CPAST), EdTPA, the Educator Disposition Assessment (EDA), and the Final Intern Competency Assessment (FICA).

CPAST Data Summary

EdTPA Data Summary

EDA Data Summary

FICA  

Praxis Data Summary

Measure 4: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions for Which They Have Been Prepared

The EPP collects post-graduation employment data through surveys.

Employer Survey

Employer Survey and Focus Group Data

 

 

Call for Comments for Accreditation Visit

The Education Department at Birmingham-Southern College is hosting an accreditation visit by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) on October 29-31, 2023. Interested parties are invited to submit third-party comments to the evaluation team. Please note that comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered and should specify the party’s relationship to the provider (e.g., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates).

We invite you to submit written testimony to: CAEP, 1140 19th Street NW, Suite 400, Washington, DC 20036, or by email to: [email protected].

Such comments must be within the specified period and based on the core tenets of CAP accreditation standards of excellence, which recognize that:

In CAEP’s performance-based system, accreditation is based on evidence that demonstrates that teacher candidates know the subject matter and can teach it effectively so that students learn. In the CAEP system, EPPs must prove that candidates can connect theory to practice and be effective in an actual P-12 classroom.

A professional education provider that is accredited by CAEP is expected to be involved in ongoing planning and evaluation; engaged in continuous assessment and development: ensure that faculty and programs reflect new knowledge, practice, and technologies; and be involved in continuous development in response to the evolving world of education and educational reform.
 
Comments must address substantive matters related to the quality of professional education programs offered, and should specify the respondent’s relationship, if any, to the institution (i.e., graduate, present or former faculty member, employer of graduates). Copies of all correspondence received will be sent to the university for comment prior to the review.

 

Gay Barnes
Associate Professor of Education
Harbert 119
[email protected]

Dr. Ann Dominick
Visiting Assistant Professor of Education
Harbert 120
[email protected]

Louanne Jacobs
Professor of Education
Harbert 117
[email protected]

Treva H. Lester
Certification Officer
Harbert 123 
(205) 226-4810
[email protected]

Kelly Russell 
Associate Professor of Education
Harbert 126
[email protected]

Amelia Spencer
Professor of Education
Education Department Chair
Harbert 115
[email protected]