ADOLESCENT EDUCATION PROGRAM
(available on the Pleasantville campus)
Students preparing to teach children in middle or high school complete dual majors at Pace University. Adolescent students major in the subject area they want to teach plus Adolescent Education. Each of our Adolescent Programs is nationally recognized, and all of our adolescent programs lead to a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) and the Initial Teaching Certificate in Adolescent Education (Grades 7-12). In addition, candidates may opt to pursue a Bachelor’s Degree (B.A.) and Masters of Science Education (MSEd) in our 5th year Combined Degree program simultaneously.
Students in the Adolescent Education program choose a second major from one of the following areas:
*Requires approval by the Chair of the Department of Modern Languages.
In addition to the dual major, Adolescent Education students also complete the University’s 60-credit “Core Curriculum.” Many of the courses required for the subject major can be double-counted toward the Core Curriculum requirements. Each Adolescent student is assigned a faculty advisor and the advisor will assist students in selecting appropriate courses that satisfy their double major, as well as the Core Curriculum requirements.
The Adolescent Education program is considered a full time program and students progress through the program as a cohort, with required education courses offered only in specific semesters. This means that the School of Education has a very high on-time graduation rate. It also means that students may not reduce their education program to fewer than four years of study. Transfer students seeking to major in Adolescent Education should meet with an SOE advisor upon admission to the University.
Entry into the School of Education
Upon acceptance to Pace University, students who indicate their interest in Adolescent Education are designated as Pre-teach students. In their first semester, most Adolescent students take a special section of UNV 101: Introduction to the Pace Community. In the Pre-teach phase of the program, students also complete three Professional Seminars TCH 111, TCH 211A and TCH 211B as well as TCH 201: Understanding Schools and TCH 215: Curriculum and Teaching in Secondary Schools. Before students progress into the Teach phase of their program, they must apply and be formally admitted to the School of Education. For most students, this happens the second semester of the sophomore year. Once the student has progressed to the Teach phase of the program, the student becomes a teaching candidate.
Progressing through the School of Education
Candidates who progress to the Teach phase of the program are required to remain in good academic standing until they complete their program(s) and graduate. Good academic standing is generally defined as an overall GPA of 3.0, with the grade of B or better earned in each education course, and a P (pass) grade earned in fieldwork. In addition, candidates are expected to exhibit professional behaviors and dispositions both in and out of the classroom. The School of Education believes that all future teachers should take their own personal academic experience very seriously. To assist with your success, we offer a variety of different support opportunities. Each student, for example, is assigned a faculty advisor who works very closely with each of their advisees. In addition, the Department Chair, the Adolescent Program Coordinator, and staff in the Office of Student Support Services are available to assist you. Through our Center for Academic Excellence, we also provide quality, free tutoring in most subjects, with evening and weekend hours available.
Fieldwork and Student Teaching
Pace University takes a unique approach to preparing future teachers by requiring field work in public school very early in the program. In the first semester of sophomore year, Adolescent students are assigned to do fieldwork for one half-day per week in a local public middle or high school. Fieldwork includes observation in local secondary schools, with course assignments in TCH 201 linked to the fieldwork. Once candidates have progressed to the Teach phase of the program, they are assigned to a specific school, called a Center for Professional Development (CPD), where they will remain throughout the completion of the B.A. degree, and sometimes the MS.Ed., if they opt for the Combined Degree Program. As candidates progress through the program, they spend an increasing amount of time each semester in their CPD, culminating in a full-time student teaching experience at the end of their program.
Student Teaching Portfolio Requirement
All candidates must successfully complete a portfolio as part of the teacher preparation program. The portfolio requirements will be introduced to the candidates early in the program, and the portfolio itself will be due prior to program completion. Rubrics defining successful completion of the portfolio are available in the SOE portfolio guidelines document.
Pforzheimer Honors College
The School of Education is proud of the high number of Honors College students who are also Adolescent Education majors. We believe very strongly in the value of a broad liberal arts education, and that exposure to the extracurricular activities in the Honors College creates a better prepared middle or high school teacher in today’s complex society. Adolescent majors who have been invited to join the Honors College at Pace must work with their School of Education advisor, as well as the Honors College advisor, to prepare their academic schedules each semester.
Study Abroad
The School of Education is an advocate of the Study Abroad experience and strongly encourages students to take advantage of the plentiful opportunities to study abroad. We believe this will advance students’ understanding of the world and provide them with an extraordinary opportunity to experience a different part of the world first-hand. It is our belief that students who are considering the teaching profession should pursue any opportunity to enhance their understanding of the world around them. Adolescent Education majors who are interested in studying abroad are encouraged to do so within the first two years of their education program. However, it is still possible to study abroad in the junior or senior summers.
Combined Degree Fifth Year Program
The Combined Degree Program is a popular choice among our education majors because it offers each student the opportunity to graduate with both a Bachelor’s (B.A.) degree and a Master’s (M.S.Ed.) degree, and a minimum of two teaching certificates after 5 years of study. Students who are considering the Combined Degree program have until the first semester of their senior year to make that decision. Candidates in good academic standing and with the requisite number of undergraduate credits are automatically eligible for admission to the graduate portion of their program at that time. Adolescent Education majors who select the Combined Degree option choose one of the following graduate specialty areas:
1. Special Education
2. Literacy
3. Educational Technology
Certification
Upon completion of the program candidate are eligible for recommendation to New York State for an initial Adolescent (7-12) teaching certificate. New York State requires that candidates for all teaching certificates successfully complete New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE). For Initial certification, students must pass the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W), and in the subject area Content Specialty Test (CST) for each certificate sought. The passing score for each NYSTC exams is 220. Pace University integrates information about, and preparation for, these exams throughout each of our programs. (Students seeking certification in other states are required to pass examinations specified by that state.) We strongly recommend that candidates in our Adolescent programs complete the NYS teacher examinations according to the following schedule, so that any problems can be addressed prior to student teaching:
- LAST: completed by second semester of sophomore year
- Secondary ATS-W: completed by or before the semester of student teaching
- CST in the subject area: completed by the first semester of senior year
Candidates must also:
- Complete the Child Abuse Identification Workshop (through program)
- Complete the School Violence Intervention and Prevention Workshop (through program)
- Submit fingerprints to New York State Education Department for background check www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/ospra/index.html.
Certification Extensions
A certificate extension allows the holder of a teaching certificate to teach an additional student population, grade or subject.
Adolescent Education majors who are willing to take two additional education courses TCH 455 and TCH 456, and who take and pass the Content Specialty Test (CST) in their subject area, are eligible for a certificate extension to also teach that subject in Grades 5-6. Doing so means that a Adolescent Education candidate who completes the Combined Degree Program will be eligible for a minimum of 3 teaching certificates: the Initial Certificate, the Graduate Specialty Area Certificate, and the Middle School Extension Certificate—which makes the candidate much better prepared for success in the classroom, and more marketable as a teacher.
In addition, Adolescent candidates are eligible to pursue the Certificate in Bilingual Education Extension. The candidate must take two additional education courses TCH 351 and TCH 454 and complete field-based experiences in bilingual classrooms. The candidate must also take and pass the NYS examinations in both English and the target language.
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