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Teacher Education and Licensure
The Professional Education Unit
The Professional Education Unit at James Madison University includes all programs that prepare or extend the skills of teachers and other school personnel who work in P-12 schools. Although many of these programs are based in the College of Education, a number of them are housed in other colleges across the university.
| Program | Department Affiliation | College Affiliation |
|---|---|---|
| Art Education | School of Art and Art History | College of Visual and Performing Arts |
| Early Childhood | Early, Elementary, and Reading Education | College of Education |
| Elementary Education | Early, Elementary, and Reading Education | College of Education |
| Educational Technology | Learning, Technology, and Leadership Education | College of Education |
| English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) | Exceptional Education | College of Education |
| Foreign Language | Exceptional Education | College of Education |
| Middle Education | Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education | College of Education |
| Music Education: Choral and Instrumental | School of Music | College of Visual and Performing Arts |
| Physical & Health Education | Department of Health Sciences | College of Integrated Science and Technology |
| Reading Specialist | Early, Elementary, and Reading Education | College of Education |
| Administration and Supervision | Learning, Technology, and Leadership Education | College of Education |
| School Counseling | Graduate Psychology | College of Integrated Science and Technology |
| School Psychology | Graduate Psychology | College of Integrated Science and Technology |
| Secondary Education: English, Math, Science, Social Science | Middle, Secondary and Mathematics Education | College of Education |
| Special Education | Exceptional Education | College of Education |
| Speech Language Disorders | Communication Sciences and Disorders | College of Integrated Science and Technology |
| Gifted Education | Exceptional Education | College of Education |
Professional Education Unit Conceptual Framework:
Professional Educator Competencies
The Unit faculty, in collaboration with its P-12 school partners, drew from INTASC and National Board of Professional Teaching Standards, to define eleven core competencies that describe the knowledge, skills and dispositions that all beginning professionals should possess. Although originally focused on the teacher as a prototype, these core competencies provided a framework that was subsequently modified to apply to advanced programs preparing related school personnel. The modifications are grounded in standards and competencies compatible with and supported by professional educational organizations such as the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) and other professional content and discipline organizations and societies. The following competencies, therefore, are representative of a collaborative process used to establish well-defined, measurable, and meaningful dispositions, practices, and performances.
Candidates in all of JMU’s professional education programs are regularly assessed on these eleven core competencies and must demonstrate them successfully before completing their programs.
Competency One: The educational professional demonstrates personal qualities and dispositions that reflect effective development as a professional educator.
Competency Two: The education professional understands the structure, skills, core concepts, and methods of inquiry of the discipline(s) taught or practiced, is convinced of the worth of the discipline or subject, and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful to students.
Competency Three: The educational professional understands the latest research on how children learn and develop and how culture influences human development. The educational professional applies this understanding by providing, supporting, and encouraging learning opportunities that support intellectual, social, and personal development.
Competency Four: The educational professional understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
Competency Five: The educational professional plans, supports, and encourages instruction as well as other educationally-related activities and programs that are based on numerous variables including research-based best practices, knowledge of the subject matter, the nature of the learners, students’ learning strategies, the goals of the curriculum, and the community.
Competency Six: The educational professional uses an extensive repertoire of instructional strategies, including the utilization of a wide variety of educational technology and media, to develop students’ critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
Competency Seven: The educational professional uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages personal growth, positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
Competency Eight: The educational professional uses knowledge of effective verbal, non-verbal and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration and supportive interaction in the classroom.
Competency Nine: The educational professional uses a variety of assessment techniques, both formal and informal, for varying purposes.
Competency Ten: The educational professional is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of educational choices and actions and uses that understanding to adjust teaching, seek support, develop professionally, and improve educational practice based on such reflection.
Competency Eleven: The educational professional fosters relationships with colleagues, families, and communities to support students’ learning and well-being.