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Curriculum and Instruction Option
The Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Option in the master's program in education promotes the development and enhancement of teacher leadership for classroom teachers. The program strives to instill an understanding of self and others in conjunction with the development of skills, knowledge, critical thinking, and compassion required for creating an equitable and engaging learning environ-ment for diverse learners. The C&I option has two programs: Professional Development and World Educational Links-Initial Certifica-tion. Students who enroll at Keene State College under the partnership program with Granite State College may enroll in the Professional Development program and complete the Demonstration of Professional Leadership component.
Curriculum and Instruction:
Professional Development
36 credits
The C&I Professional Development track is a two-year M.Ed. The C&I Professional Development program is designed for classroom teachers currently employed in an appropriate school setting. The goal is to provide a customized experience leading to the devel-opment of teacher leaders committed to school improvement. The program combines core coursework with an individually designed specialization and culminates with the design and implementation of a school-based research project that show-cases the individual student's area of expertise and leadership capacity. Students begin the program in the summer by taking the Foundations courses and are expected to complete their program of study in two years, including summer work. Six credits are taken during each term (summer, fall, or spring).
The Professional Development sequence is designed so that a small cohort of graduate students can proceed through the program together. Each student works closely with a faculty advisor to design an area of specialization that aligns with the National Board of Professional Teachers Standards and the student's personal goals. Through course work, seminar discussions, field work, reading, profes-sional conferences, etc., students explore teacher leadership in their area of focus. Throughout the program, students develop a portfolio to document professional learning and progress on the goals articulated in their approved program of study.
Action research is central to each student's plan of study. It is used as a tool for deep inquiry into the dynamics of teaching and learning in the school setting. Students are required to use the findings from their research to support a leadership initiative, which may include grant writing, leading workshops, writing articles and presenting at professional conferences. At the end of the program, students are expected to design their own exit exhibition, which provides them an opportunity to share their portfolio and demonstrate competency in the areas identified in their program of study.
The C&I Professional Development program offers flexibility and individualization for highly motivated professional teachers who are looking for a leadership role in a specified area of focus of their choice. Students can expect their graduate work at KSC to be a time of reflection and renewal as they explore themselves and their relationship with colleagues, students, family, and the community. Throughout the program students are challenged to deepen their understanding of the world from multiple perspectives, explore the dynamic nature of the teaching and learning process, demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors by meeting high expectations and standards, and contribute to a just and equitable world.
Admission Criteria – Curriculum and Instruction:
Professional Development
Candidates for admission to the Curriculum and Instruction: Professional Development program must submit an Application for Graduate Study in Education, including required materials, to the KSC Admissions Office. For additional information refer to the Graduate Application.
C&I Option – Professional Development Requirements
36 credits#
- FOUNDATIONS - Phase One
6 credits
- EDUCCI 610 Portfolio Development and Assessment
(1 credit), summer (first year)
- EDUC 602 Students, Families, Schools and Society
(2 credits), summer (first year)
- EDUCCI 625 Technology-integrated Teaching
(3 credits), summer (first year)
- SPECIALIZATION - Phase Two
18 credits #
- EDUCCI 635 Curriculum Theory and Development
(3 credits), fall (first year)
- EDUC 690 Special Topics*: Specialization I
(3 credits), fall (first year)
- EDUCCI 645 Assessment & Evaluation in Schools
(3 credits), spring (first year)
- EDUC 690 Special Topics*: Specialization II
(3 credits), spring (first year)
- EDUC 641 School Law
(3 credits), summer (second year)
- EDUCCI 695 Seminar: Teacher as Leader
(3 credits), fall (second year)
- DEMONSTRATION OF PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP - Phase Three
12 credits
- EDUC 670 Educational Research Foundations
(3 credits), summer (second year)
- EDUC 675 Educational Research Design
(3 credits), fall (second year)
- EDUC 680 Educational Research Capstone
(6 credits), spring (second year)
*Students identify and design their Specialization during the Portfolio seminar (EDUCCI 610). In some cases, graduate credits completed prior to admission to the program may be approved for credit toward the degree if the student demonstrates how these credits support the specialization. This approval takes place during the Portfolio seminar (EDUCCI 610), and may result in the waiver of one or both of the Special Topics courses.
# Note: Students participating in the Granite State partnership receive credit for their GSC coursework through EDUC 612 Demonstrated Certification Competence (18-24 credits) and enroll in the appropriate complementary courses. All courses in the Demonstration of Professional Leadership component of the degree are required.
Curriculum and Instruction:
Initial Certification/World Educational Links Track
39 credits
The Initial Certification/World Educational Links (WEL) Track of the C&I Option is designed for individuals who have completed a bac-calaureate degree in a liberal arts discipline. Additional coursework will be required if an applicant's baccalaureate degree does not directly relate to the area of certification they are seeking.
There are two certifications associated with this program: Elementary Education (grades K to 8) or Early Childhood Development (nursery to age 3). Applications for secondary certification are not being accepted for the 2008-09 academic year.
All students in the WEL program must be enrolled full-time and are placed in a field setting for an entire public school year (August to June). Students develop individual learning plans referenced to state and national standards for teachers. A mentor teacher in the classroom in which the student is assigned provides critical instruction and guidance in the development of a portfolio, documenting competence in certification standards and completion of the individual learning plan. Students meet as a cohort every Friday and on selected Saturdays during the fall and spring semesters. Courses in the Initial Certification/WEL program are offered only to full-time graduate students.
The WEL program requires an initial review of previous course work to determine missing competencies required to meet state stan-dards for teacher certification. Students must design activities, in consultation with WEL faculty, to address missing competencies.
The Initial Certification/WEL Track includes content and experiences that address both the Teacher Education Themes and the New Hampshire State Standards for Teacher Certification. In addition to the content in portfolio development and assessment, design and reform of American education, assessment in the classroom context, and curriculum development, students enrolled in the C&I Initial Certification/WEL Track are required to gain competence in life span development and classroom instructional management. Literacy and methods experiences at the level appropriate for the area of certification being sought are also required. Students who successfully complete all requirements in this program option receive the Master of Education degree and are recommended for initial teacher certification.
Admission Criteria – Initial Certification/World Educational Links
Candidates for admission to the C&I Initial Certification/WEL Track must submit an Application for Advanced Study in Education, includ-ing required materials, to the KSC Admissions Office. Furthermore, the following criteria must be met:
- observe and interact with children of various ages in different public school environments for at least 100 hours before completing the application process - strongly recommended
- program planning sheet - to be completed with the academic counselor in the KSC Office of Teacher Education & Graduate Studies after the application and transcripts have been submitted
- demonstrated competence in the selected area of certification
- a personal interview with a member of the WEL faculty
C&I Option – Initial Certification Requirements
39 credits#
- PHASE 1 - Exploring the Self as Teacher (Summer)
- EDUC 602 Students, Families, Schools, and Society (2 credits)
- EDUCCI 610 Portfolio Development and Assessment (1 credit)
- EDUCCI 621 Design and Reform of American Education
- EDUC 630 Life Span Development
- PHASE 2 - Knowing the Present (Fall)
- EDUC 601 Research Strategies in Education
- EDUCCI 631 Assessment and Evaluation in Schools
- EDUCCI 651 Curriculum Development
- EDUCCI 687 Classroom/Instructional Management
- EDUC 595 Methods with Field Placement
- PHASE 3 - Teacher Leadership (Spring)
- EDUC 560 Internship: Teaching
- EDUC 699 Capstone
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Educational Leadership Option
36 credits
(Meets New Hampshire Certification Competencies for Principal: Grades K-12)
School principals are leaders who function in many roles to meet the diverse needs of individuals and groups in an increasingly complex society and a rapidly evolving world. To lead effectively, school principals must be prepared with the knowledge, skills, and ethical understandings necessary to create an environment that promotes human potential in terms of learning and citizenship.
The literature defines leadership as a direction-setting task. People who lead engage in visioning, purposing, and agenda setting. At the core is the principal’s role in the development of shared strategic visions for schools. Shared visions are the basis of a school’s culture and values, which suggest that leaders are people who facilitate the development of shared visions and thus create desired changes in culture and values.
A developmental and ecological perspective provides the theoretical framework for the program. The overriding theme of leadership drives the vision of school principal preparation. The developmental framework focuses on the needs, tasks, and challenges of children, adolescents, and adults in the school setting. The ecological perspective prepares future principals to work effectively with those systems that comprise and have an interrelationship with schools. These systems include school, family, community, and state, national, and global organizations.
A multicultural perspective is expressed by the commitment to prepare principals who can work effectively with diverse populations of children, adolescents, and adults. This emphasis encompasses sensitivity to individuals in an organizational setting. School principals work with students, teachers, paraprofessionals, staff members, other professionals, parents, board members, community members, and central office personnel in a variety of curricular and cocurricular planning and activities. Leadership, team building, and communication skills are crucial to working with all constituencies, including large groups, small groups, and individuals in conferencing.
An integral component of the program is the thorough development of each student’s understanding of what makes organizations effective; motivation, human development, learning, and learning styles; and mediation and conflict resolution, oral and written communication, and delegation.
School principals must be models of and knowledgeable about ethical and legal standards and must be capable of applying those concepts in the complexities of a school setting. They must have knowledge of the legal and ethical parameters regarding confidentiality, personal and group safety, personal biases and limits, consultation with colleagues, and the need to refer an issue to another individual, central office, or outside agency.
Admission Criteria – Educational Leadership Option
Candidates for admission to the Educational Leadership Option must submit an Application for Graduate Study in Education, including required materials, to the KSC Admissions Office. For additional information, refer to the Graduate Application.
Educational Leadership Option Requirements
36 credits
- Introduction to Graduate Studies
5 credits
- EDUC 601 Research Strategies in Education
- EDUC 602 Students, Families, Schools, and Society (2 credits)
- Educational Leadership Option
22 credits
- EDUCEL 610 Portfolio Development and Assessment (1 credit)
- EDUCEL 621 Organizational Leadership
- EDUCEL 622 School Effectiveness and Reform
- EDUCEL 631 Staff Selection, Supervision and Evaluation
- EDUC 641 School Law
- EDUCEL 652 Budget and Facility Management
- EDUCEL 697 Internship (fall)
- EDUCEL 697 Internship (spring)
Graduate-Level Electives
6 credits
Capstone Experience
3 credits
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School Counselor Option
48 credits
(Meets New Hampshire Certification Competencies for Guidance Counselor: Grades K-12)
The Keene State College School Counselor Program is designed to encourage the development of school counselors who are, as de-scribed in the American School Counselor Association National Standards, actively involved in school transformation: "catalysts for educational change … [playing] a leadership role in educational reform" (Campbell and Dahir, 1997, p. 3). The program prepares future school counselors to work as advocates for their students and to create developmental school counseling programs that are compre-hensive in nature and focused on equity and success for all students. The program promotes an understanding of the roles and re-sponsibilities of the school counselor in the 21st century and the enhancement and development of relevant school counseling skills and strategies.
Developmental, ecological/systemic, and multicultural perspectives provide the theoretical frameworks. The program is based on the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Standards (Campbell and Dahir, 1997), the ASCA National Model: A Frame-work for School Counseling Programs (American School Counselor Association, 2003), the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) standards (CACREP, 2001), and the New Hampshire state standards for school coun-selors, which, together, provide the framework for the program.
The program’s developmental perspective focuses on the needs, tasks, and challenges of children and adolescents as they grow and of the school counselor throughout her or his career. Therefore, we also emphasize the evolution of self-awareness and the skills required to be a lifelong reflective practitioner. The program is designed to create the conditions for self-reflection and awareness within the context of the role of school counselor in order to foster this awareness and these skills.
An ecological/systemic perspective prepares counselors to work effectively with the systems that form the context of students’ lives. These systems include the peer group, school, family, and community. An ecological perspective considers the impact of community, national, and global events on students and the spectrum of effective school counselors’ responses to these events.
A multicultural perspective is woven throughout the program; we are committed to preparing counselors who can work sensitively and effectively with diverse populations, including the range of cultural, ethnic, gender related, class, and racial diversity that exists in schools and in society. This emphasis includes attention to the range of learning differences and styles of the student population.
The ASCA national standards are “the essential elements of a quality and effective school counseling program. The standards address program content and the knowledge, attitudes, and skill competencies that all students … develop as a result of participating in a school counseling program.…The content of school counseling programs focuses on three widely accepted and interrelated areas: academic development, career development, and personal/social development” (Campbell and Dahir, 1997, pp. 3-5).
The ASCA National Model: A Framework for School Counseling Programs (American School Counselor Association, 2003) focuses on “a comprehensive approach to four elements: program foundation; delivery; management; and accountability” (ASCA p. 10). According to the ASCA national model, the foundation is based on the beliefs and philosophy of the individual school, its mission statement, and the ASCA national standards. The delivery system includes the school guidance curriculum, planning for individual students, responsive services, and system support. The management system includes organizing advisory councils, gathering and using data to make decisions and plan programs and interventions, and the use of action plans and other organizational tools to document and assess the program and how it is making a difference for all students. “School counselors must be proficient in retrieving school data, analyzing it to improve student success and using it to ensure educational equity for all students” (ASCA p. 10). A commitment to advocacy, leadership, collaboration, and systemic change provides the overall framing of this approach.
The Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP 2001) focuses on the development and enhancement of high-quality standards for graduate programs in counseling. The CACREP standards are the national standard for designing and assessing graduate programs in counseling, therefore, these are the standards we used in conjunction with the New Hampshire state standards to design and assess the Keene State program.
In order to work effectively with students, faculty, staff, families, and community stakeholders, school counselors need to have effective skills in communication, individual counseling, small-group guidance and counseling, and classroom guidance. Leadership in facilitating communication and team-building among faculty and staff members and with families and students are critical components of the school counselor’s role. Effective leadership requires interpersonal and consultation skills and the ability to mediate and resolve conflicts. Skills in behavior management, crisis intervention, and referral and provision of services are crucial, as is an understanding of how to work with learning differences and emotional and health-related problems.
School counselors need to be well grounded in current ethical and legal standards. Ethical practice must be infused in and guide all of their work. Awareness of the guidelines of professional organizations is of the utmost importance. Legal and ethical considerations include understanding the parameters surrounding confidentiality and knowing one’s own biases and limits, when it is necessary to consult with colleagues, and when to refer students to another individual or agency. An ethical school counselor actively seeks to continuously learn more about this ever-growing field and is careful to seek appropriate peer review and clinical supervision throughout his or her career.
The School Counselor Option is field-based; each course requires students to apply course content to a school or counseling context. The program is also sequential in design, with each course cluster providing a base for subsequent courses. Two semester-long School Counseling Internships (elementary and secondary) include a weekly seminar and require students to demonstrate mastery level counseling in a school setting. Program flexibility and individualization occur within the courses as students design and try out interventions based on interpretations of theory and research into identified best practices.
Admission Criteria – School Counselor Option
Candidates for admission to the School Counselor Option must submit an Application for Graduate Study in Education, including re-quired materials, to the KSC Admissions Office. For additional information, refer to the Graduate Application.
School Counselor Option Requirements
48 credits
- Introduction to Graduate Studies
11 credits
- EDUC 601 Research Strategies in Education
- EDUC 602 Students, Families, Schools, and Society (2 credits)
- EDUC 630 Life Span Development
- EDUC 641 School Law
- School Counselor Option
31 credits
- EDUCSC 610 Program Orientation/Portfolio Development (1 credit)
- EDUCSC 622 School Counseling: Roles, Responsibilities, and Interventions
- EDUCSC 623 The Inclusive School Counselor: Diversity and Multiculturalism in Schools
- EDUCSC 626 Professional Seminar in School Counseling
- EDUCSC 631 Assessment and Evaluation for School
- Counselors
- EDUCSC 641 Career Development
- EDUCSC 651 Methods and Skills of Counseling
- EDUCSC 652 Group Counseling in Schools
- EDUCSC 662 School Counseling: Theoretical Foundations
- EDUCSC 696 Internship: Elementary
- EDUCSC 697 Internship: Secondary
Graduate-Level Electives
6 credits
Course(s) to be determined in consultation with faculty advisor.
Capstone Experience
3 credits
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Special Education Option
39 credits
The Special Education Option is designed to support the professional development of educators by extending learning opportunities in the area of special education. In collaboration with Granite State College (GSC), individuals can complete initial or advanced certification in special education at GSC and utilize 18 to 24 GSC post-baccalaureate credits and current certifi-cation toward a M.Ed. in Special Education at KSC. This is articulated through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with GSC. Prospective students produce evidence of special education certification, post-baccalaureate credits from GSC, com-plete an application to Graduate Studies in Education, and follow additional requirements outlined in the MOU with Granite State College. Students who seek General Special Education certification at KSC should refer to the post-baccalaureate pro-gram or undergraduate program.
Candidates begin their graduate studies at KSC after completion of coursework at Granite State College, certi-fication in special education, and acceptance in the Special Education Option. KSC students and advisors meet to project a timeline for program completion, discuss options, and complete a program planning sheet. Students begin participation in the Option by registering for and completing the Demonstration of Professional Leadership coursework (12 credits). Students who complete less than 24 credits at GSC must complete KSC graduate elective credits before begin-ning the Demonstration of Professional Leadership coursework. Once students successfully complete these courses and in some cases additional electives, credit will be awarded via EDUC 612 Demonstrated Certification Competence.
Granite State College General Special Education Certification
Post-baccalaureate students from GSC who complete certification in General Special Education (K-12) may apply transfer credit toward a M.Ed. at KSC. The Granite State College General Special Education certification program is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Individuals complete a minimum of 24 credits at Granite State College, including special education certification. Students complete the Demonstration of Professional Leadership coursework (12 credits) and then transfer the 24 credits to KSC.
Granite State College Advanced Special Education Certification
Post-baccalaureate students from GSC who complete at least one advanced-level certification in special education ("Emo-tionally Disturbed," "Learning Disabilities," and/or "Mental Retardation") may apply transfer credit toward a M.Ed. at KSC. The Granite State College advanced special education certification options are approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education. Individuals complete a minimum of 18 credits at Granite State College, including at least one advanced-level certi-fication. Students transfer these credits to KSC and complete the Demonstration of Professional Leadership coursework (12 credits) for the M.Ed. For those who do not transfer 24 credits, additional KSC graduate-level elective coursework will be required.
Special Education Option Requirements
(36 credits)
- Demonstration of Professional Leadership (Summer, Fall, Spring)
12 credits
- EDUC 670 Educational Research Foundations (Summer, 3 credits)
- EDUC 675 Educational Research Design (Fall, 3 credits)
- EDUC 680 Educational Research Capstone (Spring, 6 credits)
- Granite State College Post-Baccalaureate Credit Transfer
18-24 credits
- EDUC 612 Demonstrated Certification Competence (18-24 credits)
- Keene State College Graduate Electives* (for students who transfer less than 24 credits at GSC)
up to 6 credits
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