SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
DONALD C. BECKMAN, Ed.D., Director
FACULTY: Professor: Donald Beckman. Associate Professors: Kathleen Kingston, Patricia Pollifrone, DeLayne Shah. Assistant Professors: Roberta Barilla, Margaret Clark, Sharon Crisman, Francis Grandinetti, Kimberly Grove,
MerriBeth Meyer, Janice Whiteman. Instructors: Shelly Bentley, George Sucha
The School of Education offers three dual certification baccalaureate program
options:
Early Childhood Education/Elementary Education
Elementary Education/Special Education
Special Education/Early Childhood Education
The School of Education also offers a triple major in Elementary/Early Childhood/Special
Education.
A single certification is also available in Elementary Education with a concentration in
English, History, Mathematics, or Science.
The School of Education offers a two-year Associate Degree in Early Childhood/Early
Intervention.
Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education students are provided with
five extensive practicum experiences every term beginning second semester in the
freshman year.
Secondary Education students participate in three extensive practicum experiences.
Secondary Education certification is offered as a dual major for students in:
Biology
Social Studies
English
Mathematics
K-12 Certification is offered in the following area:
Foreign Languages - Spanish K-12
Full acceptance into the Education major requires a 3.0 grade point average for high school
seniors, a minimum SAT score of 970 (New SAT admissions requirement is 970 out
of 1600 combined score on Critical Reading and Math.) or ACT score of 21 and a high school ranking in the top
50% of the graduating class.
Students can enter Gannon University in pre-education, which enables them to work with an
advisor from the School of Education, to schedule from the education course requirements
and to participate in an education practicum during the second semester of their freshman
year. Students may change their major to education when they have obtained an overall grade
point average of 3.0.
Please note that current Pennsylvania Department of Education standards and regulations take
precedence over any information described in this document. (http://www.pde.state.pa.us)
Teacher Certification
In compliance with Pennsylvania Law, Act 354, all students entering School of Education
programs in 2004 must have and maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better. All students
seeking teacher certification in Pennsylvania must fulfill the requirements of the University
for the Baccalaureate Degree as well as the professional education requirements of the School
of Education. Students must also achieve passing scores, as determined by the Pennsylvania
Department of Education, on the required Praxis Teacher Examinations. The process and
requirements for teacher certification are described in the Gannon University Teacher
Certification Handbook as well as this catalog. To obtain specific information about
certification in other states, students should review information online at each state's
Department of Education website.
Admission to the School of Education
Acceptance and enrollment at Gannon University does not automatically make one a
candidate in the School of Education. Each student must apply for official admission to the
School of Education.
The Education Review Committee reviews applications for admission to the School of
Education each semester. Students who meet the criteria are recommended to the Director of
the School of Education for admission. The standards for admission/retention have been
developed by the School of Education and require that a student accomplish the following:
A. Academic Requirements
- Students should officially apply for admission to the School of Education when 48
credit hours have been earned. Students may make application in the semester in
which the 48th credit hour will be earned.
- Elementary Education students within the 48 credit hour total, must have
satisfactorily passed LENG 111, LENG 112, LENG 240 series, 6 credits of math (105 or
above), and PSYC 111. In addition students must complete EDCR 100, EDCR 101, and
EDCR 103, with a C or better and have passed EDFL 110. Students must also have
completed EDCR 200, EDCR 201 and EDCR 202 with a C or better and have passed
EDFL 210.
- Secondary Education students, within the 48 credit hour total, must have satisfactorily
completed LENG 111, LENG 112, LENG 240 series, 6 credits of math (105 or above).
In addition students must have satisfactorily passed EDCR 101, EDCR 103 with a C or
better and have passed EDFL 101.
- Within the 48 credit hour total, students must have completed a minimum of 9
additional credit hours required in at least one area of teaching specializations (i.e.,
elementary education, early childhood education, special education, or secondary
education concentration).
- Students must have obtained an overall grade point average of 3.0 or better.
Computation of the overall grade point average considers all coursework completed
at the point of application to the program.
- Students must submit performance scores at or above the passing level on the Praxis
Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) in the areas of reading, writing and mathematics.
The School of Education has no control or responsibility for the timely receipt of
test scores. Applications to the School of Education are assessed upon the most recent
test scores on file. Students who are learning disabled may make request for adapted
testing conditions as specified by Praxis.
- All students are required to follow the program sequence for each semester.
Exceptions must be approved by their advisor and the Director of the School of
Education.
