Dr. Lynn C. Minor, Interim Dean
Room 2046, Education Center
Dr. Donald Leech, Associate Dean
Room 2047, Education Center
The James L. and Dorothy H. Dewar College of Education and Human Services prepares professionals for a variety of roles in educational settings and community agencies; fosters a culture of reflective practice and inquiry within a diverse community of students, faculty, and staff; provides leadership in the improvement of the education, health, and well being of citizens in this region, the nation, and the world; and develops effective, responsive scholars and practitioners who use theory and research to enhance their work in a global, diverse, and technological society. Course descriptions and programs of study leading to these degrees are listed by department. For detailed information about program majors and concentrations, visit the COEHS website.
Accreditation
The Dewar College of Education and Human Services maintains accreditation with the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), and all of its individual teacher preparation programs, including programs in Art Education from the College of the Arts and Spanish Education and French Education from the College of Arts and Sciences, are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.
The College of Education and Human Services includes the following undergraduate programs that are nationally recognized by specialized professional associations:
- Early Childhood Education (Association for Childhood Education International)
- Special Education-Deaf Education (Council for Exceptional Children)
- Middle Grades Education (Association on Middle Level Education)
- Spanish Education from the College of Arts and Sciences (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages)
Diversity
Diversity is a foundational element in the mission and vision of the Dewar College of Education and Human Services. As defined, diversity refers to the variety of personal experiences, values, and worldviews that arise from differences of culture and circumstance. Such differences include race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, language, abilities/disabilities, sexual orientation, gender identity, socioeconomic status, geographic region, and more. The Dewar College of Education and Human Services recognizes and embraces the critical role of diversity and concurs with the Valdosta State University Diversity Council that “effective management of Valdosta State University’s unique cultural characteristics will provide benefits to students, faculty, and staff in the form of enhanced educational opportunities, respectful workplaces and classrooms, reduced workforce turnover, reduced rates of poverty and low socioeconomic status and stronger strategic approaches to long term planning.”
Teaching Degree Programs in the College of Education and Human Services
| Art Education | P-12 |
| Early Childhood Education | P-5 |
| 1Deaf Education | P-12 |
| Foreign Language Education: French, Spanish | P-12 |
| Health and Physical Education | P-12 |
| Middle Grades Education | 4-8 |
| Workforce Education and Development | 6-12 |
| 1 | Denotes a 5-year program. The master’s degree is required for teacher certification. |
Other Degree Programs in the College of Education and Human Services
B.S.Ed. American Sign Language/English Interpreting
B.S.Ed. Communication Disorders
B.A.S. Human Capital Performance
B.S. Office Administration and Technology
B.A., B.S. Psychology
B.S.Ed. Workforce Education
Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Students must be admitted to Teacher Education in order to enroll in professional education course work. The date of admission to teacher education is the first day of the semester in which the student enrolls in a professional education course. Students must meet the following requirements to be admitted to Teacher Education:
- declared a major leading to teacher certification.
- earned at least 45 semester hours.
- maintained at least an overall 2.75 GPA.
- passed or exempted the GACE Program Admission Assessment or the GACE Basic Skills Assessment.
- successfully completed the Georgia Professional Standards Commission Educator Ethics-Program Entry Assessment.
Each teacher education program has a “2999” course (ACED 2999, ARED 2999, DEAF 2999, ECED 2999, ECSE 2999, FLED 2999, KSPE 2999, MGED 2999, SEED 2999, and SPEC 2999). The title of this course is “Entry to the Education Profession.” The “2999” course is required of all teacher education majors as well as certification students; the course is a prerequisite to the professional education course work in all teacher education programs. Students should enroll in the appropriate “2999” course the semester following the successful completion of 45 hours. Students should continue to enroll in the appropriate “2999” course each semester until an “S” grade is achieved. The following requirements must be met for students to earn a grade of "S" in "2999":
- be admitted to Teacher Education in the current major.
- hold a valid GaPSC Pre-service Certificate.
- have earned a grade of "C" or higher in ENGL 1101 and ENGL 1102; credit by exam assumes a grade of "C" or higher.
- maintain an overall GPA of at least 2.75.
- maintain professional liability insurance.
- meet all LiveText requirements.
Admission to Teacher Education and satisfactory completion of the appropriate "2999" course for the major are required to enroll in professional education courses. Transfer students who have been admitted to Teacher Education and hold a valid GaPSC Pre-service Certificate will be granted a one-semester waiver to take "2999" concurrently with professional education courses.
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission requires that all teacher candidates hold a valid Pre-service Certificate in the field in which the candidate is being prepared in order to complete field experiences and clinical practice in P-12 schools.
Students are required to maintain an overall 2.75 GPA in order initially to enroll in professional education courses and continue to progress through the professional program.
Progression/Retention in Professional P-12 Education Programs
Education majors are required to earn minimum grades of “C” in all professional education courses, in all courses in Area F of the Core Curriculum, and in those courses required in the major. Students must also maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA, update criminal background checks as requested, and assure professional liability insurance is current. Student progress will be monitored through (a) GPA, (b) observations, (c) faculty’s and public school teachers’ documented feedback, and (d) demonstration of appropriate dispositions. The status of students enrolled in these courses is monitored by the COEHS Advising Center to ensure that all requirements for program retention have been maintained. Students who do not maintain these requirements will be prevented from continuing in professional education course work, may be placed on a Professional Improvement Plan, and may be dismissed from the program.
The educational progress of all students is a major concern for the COEHS. Students who achieve at high levels are awarded commendations by the department of their major and the COEHS Scholarship and Honors Committee. Students who experience difficulty may be placed on a Professional Improvement Plan. The college and university provide many opportunities for students to ensure a successful academic career.
Advising Center
The Advising Center in the Dewar College of Education and Human Services was created specifically to be an advocate for students who are majoring in COEHS degree programs. The Center assists students in planning their program of study and provides a strong support system for addressing individual concerns.
Professional P-12 Education Field Experiences
Valdosta State University’s teacher preparation program places a strong emphasis upon professional field experiences in public school settings. Many of the major courses require that students be involved in field-based activities; these activities will be coordinated by the instructors responsible for the courses and the Office of Clinical Experiences and Certification. With each of the field-based courses, students will be evaluated on their performances in the public school environment. Faculty members responsible for the courses will discuss any concerns with the student and may report these concerns to the student’s department head. Repeated concerns or serious singular offenses in any field experiences will jeopardize the students’ continuation in professional education course work. Generally, students will not be placed beyond a 60-mile radius of VSU. The Dewar College of Education and Human Services reserves the right to refuse to place a student at any particular school or within any particular school system. The COEHS reserves the right to make all final decisions about field placements. For additional information, consult with the Office of Field Experiences and Certification.
Student Teaching
Student teaching is the culminating professional experience and is scheduled during the last term of university enrollment. The requirements to student teach are: (1) admission to Teacher Education; (2) overall GPA of at least 2.75; (3) completion of all coursework; (4) a grade of “C” or higher in all Area F courses, all professional education courses, and all major courses; (5) completion of criminal background check; and (6) current liability insurance; and (7) valid pre-service or other teaching certificate. Students are not permitted to take any coursework concurrently with student teaching except the student teaching seminar. Student teaching applications and submission deadlines are available on the COEHS Office of Field Experiences and Certification website.
Student teaching is not offered in the summer. Students are not permitted to student teach in a school from which they graduated in the last seven years, where they have family members employed or enrolled, in which they have worked as a paraprofessional, or in a system in which they have family members employed in the system office in an administrative capacity or on the board of education. Student teachers are required to take the appropriate GACE Content Assessment for their major and successfully submit the edTPA portfolio for their major by the completion of student teaching.A successful submission of edTPA occurs when the student receives a composite score from Pearson for his or her portfolio submission. Students do not have to pass the GACE Content Assessment or edTPA in order to complete student teaching successfully, but they do have to provide evidence that they have taken both GACE Content Assessment tests for their major and successfully submitted the edTPA portfolio. Students who do not meet this requirement will receive an Incomplete (“I”) in student teaching for the semester and will not graduate.
A student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (“U”) for student teaching or who has been withdrawn from the student location at the request of the school may apply for student teaching only one additional time. At any time a student is removed at the request of a school, a COEHS Professional Improvement Plan must be completed. The Professional Improvement Plan will describe criteria for successful completion of the remediation. The student will be required to complete a prescribed plan before being permitted to attempt student teaching a second time. During this second semester of enrollment in student teaching, a student who receives a grade of Unsatisfactory (“U”) or who is requested to be removed from the student teaching location by the school will be permanently dismissed from all COEHS teacher education programs and will not be recommended for teacher certification by Valdosta State University. The student may appeal this action through the COEHS appeals procedure. Generally, student teachers will not be placed beyond a 60-mile radius of VSU. The COEHS reserves the right to refuse to place a student teacher at any particular school or within any particular school system. Every effort is made to place student teachers at one of their preferred schools or systems; however, the COEHS reserves the right to make all final decisions about student teacher placements. For additional information, consult with the Office of Field Experiences and Certification.
Appeals Procedure
The COEHS has an appeals process in place to help students and faculty resolve academic issues. The process endeavors to protect both faculty and students by assuring a process that allows dialogue at each step. In general, students who wish to appeal must first discuss the problem with their instructor/staff member or advisor. While the initial appeal may be informal, such as a conversation between the faculty/staff member and the student, if the situation is not resolved, the formal appeals process is initiated. The appeals process is student driven, so students may decide at each stage if they wish to go to the next stage. The student must initiate this process within 10 instructional days after notification of the decision. The following links For an outline of the appeals process for all academic matters and other concerns, click here.
Teacher Certification
Georgia Teacher Certification Testing Program
The Georgia Professional Standards Commission requires applicants seeking initial certification to demonstrate proficiency in their certification area by passing the tests appropriate to their program of study. These certification tests are the GACE Content Assessments, and registration applications are available online. The Georgia Professional Standards Commission also requires applicants seeking initial certification to complete the Georgia Educator Ethics--Exit assessment and pass the state-approved performance-based effectiveness assessment (edTPA). A passing score must be obtained on both the GACE Content Assessment and the edTPA before a candidate may be recommended to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for a certificate of eligibility. The GACE Program Admission Assessment (or exemption) and Georgia Educator Ethics--Entry assessment are also required for certification, but they are met through the admission requirements for Teacher Education.
Certification Programs for Students with Degrees
Students who already have a degree and are coming to Valdosta State University to obtain a teaching certificate must meet admission to teacher education requirements and be accepted into a certification-only program. The student’s prior academic course work will be used to design a plan of study to satisfy the standards for certification through the approved GaPSC program. A part of the certification requirements, as determined by each department for individual students, must be completed at VSU.
The College of Education and Human Services reserves the right to refuse to recommend an individual for professional certification to the Georgia Professional Standards Commission who has not completed part of his or her coursework at VSU.
Specific questions regarding certification should be directed to the department.
