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Institute for Teacher Education

Everly Hall 223 (Elementary), 226 (Secondary), and 221 (MEdT)
1776 University Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96822
Tel: (808) 956-4154 (Elementary)/(808) 956-4241 (Secondary)/(808) 956-5513 (MEdT)
Fax: (808) 956-7191 (Elementary & MEdT)/(808) 956-9808 (Secondary)
Web: coe.hawaii.edu/academics/institute-teacher-education

Faculty

A. K. Serna, PhD (Elementary Director)—school health education, teacher education
T. O’Neill, PhD (Secondary Director)—science and STEMS2 education
J. Yoshioka, PhD (MEdT Director)—science education, teacher education
S. Buelow, PhD—literacy and reading education
E. B. Chapman de Sousa, PhD—multilingual learners
C. Frambaugh-Kritzer, PhD—literacy
L. Fulton, PhD—elementary science education
S. H. Furuta, PhD—teacher education, elementary education
A. Makaiau, PhD—social studies and philosophy for children
C. Mangram, PhD—mathematics education
V. Matsumoto, PhD—teacher education, secondary education
K. Mawyer, PhD—science education
C. Miller, PhD—English language arts and philosophy for children
L. Muccio, PhD—early childhood education
H. Pope, PhD—elementary mathematics education, teacher education
S. Robinson, PhD—science education
J. Simpson Steele, PhD—performing arts
M. Smith, PhD—multilingual learners, elementary teacher education
P. Tan, PhD—mathematics education and inclusive education
D. Zuercher, PhD—elementary and middle level, literary health

Cooperating Faculty

from CRDG, EDCS, EDEP, KRS, LTEC, SPED

Degrees, Certificates, and Licensure Program Offered: BEd in elementary education (including minor), BEd in secondary education (including minor), Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT), Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education (PBCSE); State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEPs) in elementary education, secondary education, dual elementary and special education, dual elementary and early childhood education, dual elementary and multilingual learning, dual early childhood and early childhood special education, dual secondary and special education

The Academic Program<

The Institute for Teacher Education (ITE) offers undergraduate degrees in elementary and secondary education (BEd), a post-baccalaureate certificate in secondary education (PBCSE), an advanced degree in teaching (MEdT), and state-approved teacher education programs (SATEPs) in elementary and secondary education.

Elementary and secondary BEd students may be able to enroll in programs that can lead to recommendation to the state for dual licensure, such as elementary or secondary and special education licensure, elementary and multilingual learning licensure, elementary and early childhood (PK-3) licensure, or early childhood and early childhood special education licensure. All ITE programs focus on the educational needs of children and adolescents, teaching, learning, and curriculum. The students at UH Manoa are ethnically diverse as are the students in Hawai‘i’s school system. Students in ITE programs, therefore, learn and teach in a unique multicultural environment.

All students are required to own laptops for their courses. The heavy emphasis on the integration of technology into course work and clinical work reflects innovations in education. To learn more about this requirement, financial aid options for covering the cost, and whether the laptop the student may now own meets requirements for the program, please refer to o coe.hawaii.edu/node/479.

Undergraduate Study (BEd)

Basic Requirements

The undergraduate major programs include a strong liberal arts foundation, professional education courses, academic subject preparation, content pedagogy preparation, and clinical experiences.

Classified status in the College of Education is necessary for registration in most teacher education courses. Most require State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEP) admissions as well. Program sheets listing the specific requirements for the elementary and secondary BEd programs and for the SATEPs are available in the College of Education’s Office of Student Academic Services (OSAS). Students must fulfill all degree program requirements in effect for the semester in which they are admitted into the college. Those pursuing licensure must meet all SATEP requirements in effect at the time they are admitted to the SATEP. Please be aware that SATEP requirements may be changed by the licensing agency, the Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board (HTSB). Candidates pursuing licensure must meet all licensure requirements in place at the time of program completion.

For information on a Bachelor Degree Program Sheet, go to www.manoa.hawaii.edu/ovcaa/programsheets/.

Major Requirements

Elementary Program

The elementary SATEP major focuses on the learner and the learning environment in elementary school (K-6). Requirements include completion of the General Education courses specified for education majors, elementary emphasis and methods courses in elementary education, and clinical experience for a minimum of 120 credit hours. Students are typically assigned to cohorts and enroll in a sequence of courses. The traditional day program requires full-time enrollment. The Elementary BEd also offers a statewide distance education program. The Dual Elementary/Exceptional Students/Education program adds a focus on special education settings. The Dual Elementary/Early Education program adds a focus on PK-3 settings. The Dual Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education program adds a focus on PK-3 special education settings. The Dual Elementary/Multilingual Learning program adds a focus on the education of multilingual learners.

Secondary Program

The secondary education program focuses on the learner and the learning environment in grades 6-12. Requirements include completion of the General Education courses specified for education majors, a major in a teaching field or academic content and content pedagogy courses equivalent to a major in a teaching field, foundations and methods courses in secondary education, and clinical experiences in 6-12 classrooms.

The College of Education offers secondary education majors in the following fields: English, world languages (Chinese, French, German, Hawaiian, Ilokano/Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian, Spanish), mathematics, music, science (biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, general science, and physical science), social studies (with concentrations in American studies, anthropology, economics, geography, Hawaiian studies, history, political science, psychology, or sociology).

Secondary education courses are offered in a required sequence that includes both seminar and field-based course work. The majority of education course work for secondary majors is offered and completed in three semesters starting in the spring of the junior year. Two courses (EDEF 310 and EDEP 311) sit outside the required program sequence. These two courses can be taken anytime prior to spring of the senior year. The majority of all content-specific course work should be completed prior to beginning education focused course work in the fall of the junior year. If you are interested in earning a concurrent major (i.e., majoring in mathematics and secondary education) please plan a meeting with OSAS early in your academic year to explore a detailed program plan.

Music education majors complete a coordinated program offered in conjunction with the Department of Music to prepare teachers for grades K-12. Prospective music education majors should see the chair of the music education committee in the Department of Music during their first semester. For more information, contact OSAS at osas@hawaii.edu.

Post-Baccalaureate Certificate in Secondary Education (PBCSE)

The PBCSE is a post-baccalaureate certificate program for the preparation of secondary school teachers (grades 6-12). It is designed for students who possess a baccalaureate degree and wish to obtain initial teacher licensure. Students admitted to the PBCSE will have completed an academic major or its equivalent appropriate to their proposed teaching subject. The PBCSE offers a cohesive, field-based experience that encourages students to integrate educational theory and practice in cooperating secondary schools. The program consists of interrelated courses totaling 33-36 credits. The PBCSE program is offered statewide via distance education, as well as at UH Manoa. For more information, contact OSAS at osas@hawaii.edu.

Admissions Requirements

All applicants to the PBCSE program will be evaluated competitively and considered for admission on the basis of an overall profile. Admission to the PBCSE is considered admission to a SATEP.

  1. Applicants must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited and UH Manoa recognized four-year institution of higher education. Additional undergraduate courses may be required. Thus, early advising is strongly recommended.
  2. Applicants must demonstrate content area mastery via the achievement of 30 post-secondary credits in their proposed licensure area or by receiving passing scores as set by the Hawaii Teachers Standards Board on the PRAXIS Subject Assessment Test.
  3. Applicants must demonstrate knowledge in their teaching field. Content knowledge may be verified by one of the following options: Passing score on licensure test adopted by the Hawai‘i Teacher’s Standards Board (HTSB) in the content field; or National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification in the content field; or Content major consisting of a minimum of thirty semester hours in the content field for a bachelor’s degree awarded by an accredited institution of higher education; or A minimum of thirty semester hours in the content field form an accredited institution of higher education, at least fifteen of which must be upper division level; or A master’s, specialist or doctoral degree in the license field awarded by an accredited institution of higher education.
  4. Applicants must meet admissions requirements designated by the UH Manoa Admissions Office and meet the COE’s requirement of 2.75 cumulative and major GPA. Students pursuing a secondary major in mathematics, physical education, or science may be considered for admission with a minimum cumulative and/or major cumulative GPA of at least 2.50.
  5. Applicants must demonstrate oral and nonverbal communication competencies through the successful completion of an interview.
  6. Applicants must demonstrate attitudes toward education, learners, and themselves as prospective teachers that are compatible with the standards and curriculum of the program.
  7. Applicants must document current (within the past five years) group leadership experience, paid or volunteer, with groups of youth between grades 6-12. A minimum of 40 hours of experience is required.

Admission requirements are subject to change. Call the Office of Student Academic Services for updated information.

Graduate Study

Master of Education in Teaching

The Master of Education in Teaching (MEdT) Program is designed for individuals who have previously earned a baccalaureate degree and who are seeking a field-based, graduate, teacher education program.

MEdT candidates are admitted in groups of approximately 25 students who work and learn together as a cohort. During the course of the program, MEdT candidates complete university course work and engage in research, teaching, and learning while fully immersed in K-12 school and community based field settings under the guidance of university faculty and school personnel. In seeking the simultaneous renewal of education, the MEdT Program has built educational partnerships with various groups outside of the university. These partners work with MEdT faculty to provide unique learning experiences and opportunities for MEdT candidates. While all cohorts offer the same set of core courses, the content within the courses may differ depending on the nature of the partnership each cohort coordinator has established.

Initial Licensure MEdT

The Initial Licensure MEdT Program is a two-year initial licensure program for applicants seeking a teaching license at the elementary (K-6) or secondary (6-12) levels while engaging in a program of research and inquiry consistent with a graduate degree. Successful completion of the program results in both a recommendation to the Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board for licensure and a master’s degree from the College of Education. Dual certification options are available to add Hawaiian Language Immersion (K-12) or Special Education (6-12).

To earn their degree, Initial Licensure MEdT teacher candidates are required to complete 46 credits of MEdT and professional specialization courses as well as a Plan B paper or project. Each semester, the core course work involves one field course and one seminar. The combination of course work and structured time in partner schools give MEdT teacher candidates opportunities to integrate theory with field-based practice.

Teacher candidates in the Initial Licensure MEdT are assigned a field placement each semester by their cohort coordinators. Teacher candidates are encouraged to get involved with the school and community from the first day in their placements. Teacher candidates receive support from partner school mentors and staff and university faculty, and can expect the field work to become progressively more involved across the four semesters of the program. Teacher candidates’ performance in their field experience is assessed each semester by the candidate themselves, the school partners, and university faculty.

The professional specialization courses are meant to help teacher candidates further develop their knowledge of teaching, expertise in their content area and their strengths as agents of change and teacher leaders. Teacher candidates entering the program are expected to have completed an undergraduate program of study that has provided depth and breadth of knowledge in mathematics, science, social studies, or English/language arts needed to succeed as a secondary or elementary classroom teacher. Additional course work may be required if program faculty deem the content knowledge requirements are not being met sufficiently.

The Initial Licensure MEdT program is offered full-time in a face-to-face format for those residing on O'ahu. Courses may be held during the weekday, in the evening or on weekends. A hybrid (online and face-to-face) statewide option is offered for neighbor island residents.

Admission Requirements–Licensure MEdT

Admission requirements include: approval of Graduate Division at UH Manoa; minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0; and submission of passing test scores or other options approved by the Hawai‘i Teacher Standards Board (www.htsb.org). Specific exams or other options approved by the HTSB must be passed prior to the application deadline in order to meet license requirements and national accreditation requirements. The GRE is not required and cannot be used as a substitute. Applicants should visit the MEdT website for application instructions and current testing requirements at coe.hawaii.edu/academics/institute-teacher-education/med-teaching.

Professional Practice Non-Licensure MEdT

The Professional Practice Non-Licensure (PPNL) MEdT is a 30-credit, field-based, non-licensure track for veteran educators who are looking for a practical, hands-on, field-focused, clinically supervised master’s degree program.

This program is designed for experienced professional educators who often host or directly work with pre-service teachers in their schools and who want to extend their influence beyond the walls of their schools and classrooms by putting theoretical foundations into practice in a field-based setting. This field-based, clinically supervised program is designed not only to improve the knowledge and skills that all great mentors have but to get participants to start thinking about and acting upon their school and community in a global “pay it forward” context.

The PPNL MEdT program will focus on helping participants create a culture within their school and community that focuses on areas including, but not limited to, school improvement, creating professional learning communities, building collaborative networks among all of the school’s stakeholders, and applying results from research to improve instruction and student learning outcomes.

The PPNL MEdT is designed to provide field-based learning opportunities where participants can leverage the MEdT program’s existing relationships to allow collaboration between all partners (schools, professional development schools, College of Education, university, and community). Participants will co-construct mutually beneficial P-20 school and community arrangements, including technology-based collaborations, for clinical preparation and share responsibility for continuous improvement of candidate preparation.

The PPNL MEdT program is offered full-time in a hybrid (online and face-to-face) format. Courses may be held during the weekday, in the evening or on weekends.

Admission requirements–Professional Practice Non-Licensure MEdT

Admission requirements include: three years of teaching experience; mentoring experience; approval of Graduate Division at UH Manoa; and minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0; The GRE is not required. Applicants should visit the MEdT website for application instructions at coe.hawaii.edu/academics/institute-teacher-education/med-teaching.

Requirements for State Approved Teacher Education Programs (SATEPs)

Requirements for the college’s state approved teacher education programs in elementary and secondary education comply with best practices and standards adopted by the national professional associations and the national accrediting body for teacher education, and with the state’s requirements for teacher licensure.

ITE Courses