School of Education

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Mission Statement

Rooted in the Sinsinawa tradition, the School of Education at Dominican University improves the human condition through education. We develop and support effective educators who transform ideas and challenges into solutions that impact diverse schools and communities to create a more just and humane world. We respond to the challenge that with knowledge comes ethical responsibility. The Dominican educator is passionate and prepared to “go where the work is great and difficult.”

Vision Statement

“At the heart of ministry is relationship.” (Sinsinawa Dominican Constitution)

In the spirit of caritas and veritas, the School of Education at Dominican University is a distinctive institution recognized for preparing effective educators who reach beyond the classroom and honor education equity as a basic human right and source of empowerment. Through signature programs and strategic alliances, we develop passionate teacher-leaders who advocate for their students and families in a rapidly changing educational landscape.

Diversity Statement

The School of Education (SOE) believes that learning is accessible to all community members in a setting that has established and sustains a commitment to inclusion, growth, mutual respect, and kindness. The SOE embraces access, belonging, equity-minded perspectives, and a strong commitment to inclusive and relationship-centered work so that each member can flourish, deepen understanding, and succeed in the pursuit of life and career goals as professional educators. The SOE supports and values the uniqueness of all persons, spanning multiple and intersectional dimensions of diversity, age, race, gender, religion, language, ethnicity, intellectual and physical abilities, sexual orientation, social or economic class, nationality, and varied perspectives. In this spirit, the SOE is committed to critical pedagogy that actively seeks, uncovers, and addresses impediments to equity and affirms the dignity of the human person and concern for the common good.

Core Values

The School of Education is committed to fostering values of scholarship, leadership and service among teacher candidates and their students. By offering a course of study that emphasizes the acquisition of professional knowledge, the expansion of personal insight and an appreciation of diversity, the School of Education continues to further the mission of Dominican University.

Our education programs are built on a solid academic foundation and integrate the core values of rigorous scholarship, collaborative leadership, and a commitment to service. Every program combines a theoretical base with an intensive practicum experience, giving our candidates broad exposure to the responsibilities of the teaching and leadership positions they aspire to attain.

Goals

To pursue our mission, the School of Education and its faculty are committed to these goals:

• Align programs with standards of specialized professional associations and standards of the State of Illinois. (scholarship)
• Model research-based teaching practices. (scholarship, service)
• Promote and model respect and appreciation for diversity of all kinds. (leadership, service)
• Integrate technology as a source of knowledge, a tool for teaching, and an avenue for collaboration. (leadership, service)
• Foster candidate understanding and application of the connection between theory and practice. (scholarship, service)
• Prepare candidates to demonstrate competence in their respective content area. (scholarship)
• Collaborate with the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences in preparation of candidates. (scholarship)
• Challenge candidates to reflect on their teaching and learning experiences. (scholarship, leadership)
• Provide field and clinical practice experiences that engage candidates in diverse school settings through partnerships and collaboration with K-12 schools. (service)
• Develop partnerships with elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators who serve on the unit’s advisory groups. (leadership)
• Seek out and provide service opportunities for candidates within and beyond school communities. (service, leadership)

Student Learning Outcomes:

Teacher Candidates/Students will be able to:

• Use disciplinary content, pedagogic knowledge, and understandings of child/adolescent development to plan and implement engaging, multimodal, active instruction supportive of growth for individual, diverse learners.
• Use knowledge of child/adolescent development, students’ personal/cultural capital,experiences, and diagnosed learning differences to create safe, inclusive, equitable, and accessible learning environments for all.
• Use a variety of formal, informal, formative, and summative assessments to continuously evalutate, differentiate, and inform learning to guide instruction. 
• Demonstrate proficiency in oral and written language skills, interpersonal skills, and technological/media communication techniques to promote productive inquiry, collaboration, and advocacy for communities near and far.
• Interact with families to establish productive, respectful relationships that support and empower the children, their families, and their communities.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professional growth and culturally responsive teaching excellence reflective of the ethics and dispositions aligned with the Dominican educator.

Teacher Candidate Proficiencies

The faculty of the School of Education, informed by specialized professional association standards and the Illinois State Board of Education standards, has identified candidate proficiencies that are shared across all of the programs it offers. The proficiencies are linked to the three critical conceptual framework elements of scholarship, leadership, and service. Through courses, field experiences, and clinical practice, candidates develop and demonstrate mastery of these proficiencies. The proficiencies are detailed below:

• Demonstrate competence in their respective content area and/or area of licensure in combination with competence in liberal arts and sciences. (scholarship)
• Engage in reflective practice in their course work and experiences in the field. (scholarship)
• Demonstrate the ability to design, deliver, and interpret the various forms of assessment/evaluation appropriate to their roles in the educational setting. (scholarship)
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based teaching practices appropriate to their content area and proficiency with a variety of effective instructional methodologies. (scholarship, leadership, service)
• In acknowledgement of the impact of diversity on student learning and behavior, address socio-cultural differences, differentiate and create modifications appropriate for the academic, motivational, behavioral, and interest needs of students. (leadership, service)
• Demonstrate the ability to use technology for administrative and instructional tasks. (leadership, service)
• Demonstrate the ability to plan effective instruction, learning experiences, and school and classroom environments that allow all students to achieve. (scholarship, service)
• Demonstrate leadership in collaborating with colleagues, families, and students in responding to real-life problems in a multicultural society. (leadership, service)

Teacher Candidate Dispositions

Candidates are expected to demonstrate these dispositions in their work with colleagues, families, peers, and students. Through candidates’ assignments, course experiences, and performances in field and clinical placements, faculty will evaluate and provide candidates with feedback regarding these dispositions:

1. Collaboration. The ability to work together; exchange ideas; share in the learning process; respect different perspectives; build consensus by communicating efficiently and effectively.
2. Honesty/Integrity. The ability to demonstrate truthfulness to oneself and to others; demonstrate trustworthiness
3. Respect. The ability to honor, value, and demonstrate consideration and regard for others.
4. Reverence for Teaching and Learning. Demonstrated by respect and seriousness of intent to acquire knowledge and pedagogical skills.
5. Reflection. The ability to review, analyze, and evaluate the success of past decisions in an effort to make better decisions in the future.
6. Flexibility. Demonstrated by willingness to accept and adapt to change.
7. Responsibility. The ability to act independently, demonstrating accountability, reliability, and sound judgment.
8. Commitment to Social Justice. The ability to analyze and respond to injustices in the human experience by challenging social inequities, ensuring fairness, and demonstrating the belief that all children can learn.

A candidate’s status in the School of Education is subject to ongoing assessment to determine that each candidate is progressing in the attainment of the knowledge, skills and dispositions of an effective educator. In cases where a candidate’s dispositions in class or while participating in field hours or clinical practice raise concerns about his or her ability to perform satisfactorily in an educational environment, an intervention/remediation plan is put into place.

The plan is meant to support the candidate in demonstrating the expected dispositions. A similar process is put into effect when a candidate’s performance indicates that academic expectations are not met. Following implementation of the intervention plan, an assessment is conducted to determine whether the dispositional or academic concerns have been addressed and whether an additional plan needs to be developed.

Policy on Background Investigations

The School of Education at Dominican University is committed to the protection of all children and young people. To that end, it seeks to work with school districts and civic communities to make schools a safe environment for the student body. All candidates for licensure are required to submit to a national, state, and local criminal background investigation. Students and candidates may not participate in field experience until a background investigation is on file in the office of the College of Applied Social Sciences.

Licensure Requirements

To be recommended for Illinois State Board of Education licensure, candidates must complete an approved program, pass the required state tests, including the edTPA, and demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified by the School of Education. In addition, the candidate must meet any other requirements specified by the Illinois State Board of Education. In some cases, the Illinois State Board of Education may enact new rules or legislation that result in changes in licensure requirements. Should changes occur, the School of Education is bound to adhere to the new regulations. As a result, candidates may be required to meet new requirements other than those that are identified in this bulletin, online, or other School of Education publications at the time they began their program of study at Dominican.

Illinois Professional Educator Licensure Program Requirements: 

Teacher candidates must take and pass Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved assessments:

1. IL Content Area Test (prior to student teaching)
2. edTPA Teacher Performance Assessment (during student teaching)

All education courses presented for licensure must be passed with a C- or better and an overall GPA of 2.75 is required. 

Candidates seeking licensure in the State of Illinois must pass tests administered by the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS). For more information, see www.isbe.net.

Registration information, study materials, and information about the tests, including information for persons with disabilities requesting accommodations, are available on the Illinois Licensure Testing System’s website, www.il.nesinc.com. Other test preparation materials for state tests are available from School of Education advisors.

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