The School of Education is dedicated to the fulfillment of the University's mission statement which specifically addresses the need for preparing minority students for careers in education and human services.
Baccalaureate programs leading to teacher certification in the fields of Art, Biology, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (IECE), Elementary Education, English, Mathematics, Music, Physical Education and Health, and Social Studies are offered. A teaching endorsement in Computer Science is also available. Coursework leading to the baccalaureate degree is offered in the field of Child Development and Family Relations, which prepares students to teach in pre-school programs and to work in related agencies. Additional programs are available for students interested in careers in Physical Education, Recreation, Sports Management, and Athletic Training.
The primary purpose of the Area of Teacher Education is to coordinate and administer all programs leading to teacher certification at the University. Educating teachers for a diverse society is of special significance to the Teacher Education faculty. Further, the program is driven by the philosophy that teachers have the power to free learners from conditions associated with being uneducated, undereducated, or miseducated. Thus, the Teacher Education Program works to ensure that teacher education graduates obtain the skills, knowledge, and dispositions needed to serve as "Liberators through Education" in elementary and high school classrooms of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, the region, and the nation.
The Area of Teacher Education offers baccalaureate degree programs leading to teacher certification in Art Education, Biology Education, Elementary Education, English Education, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Physical Education and Health, and Social Studies Education. An endorsement for teaching Computer Science is available. Teacher preparation programs are accredited by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). All programs lead to teacher certification by the EPSB.
The responsibility for teacher education programs at Kentucky State University rests with the Teacher Education Committee. The Committee is composed of 1) the Dean of the College of Professional Studies, 2) the Registrar, 3) the Chairperson and all faculty in the School of Education, 4) the Director of Libraries, 5) the Coordinator of the Communication Skills Center, 6) the Director of Testing, 7) the Director of Supervised Teaching, 8) the Student Placement and Data Coordinator, 9) three public school representatives, 10) faculty representatives from each academic unit in which the University offers teacher certification programs, and 11) two student representatives including the president of the University's chapter of the Student National Education Association and one other education student.
The overall goal of the Teacher Education Program is to produce the best possible teachers for preschool, elementary and secondary schools. Program objectives are to provide each student with the following:
Students desiring teacher certification at any level must apply formally to the Teacher Education Program. Application forms are available in the School of Education office and are due by posted dates in September and February. The Teacher Education Committee reviews all application materials in the fall and spring semesters. Failure to make timely application to the Teacher Education Program will delay a student's progress toward graduation, since admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite to all but two Education courses. NOTE: It should be understood that students are responsible for successfully completing courses that are required at the time they are applying for admission to the Teacher Education Program.