School of Education

General Information

Teacher Education Programs

Graduate programs in education are designed to equip teachers with the knowledge and skills they will need to have a major and positive impact on the learning of their future students. Our programs integrate current research findings, offer exposure to best practices through coursework and field experiences, incorporate instruction in the analysis and timely use of assessment data, and include the use of case studies to ensure proper modeling of real world teacher challenges. The graduate education and counseling programs offer opportunities for greater mastery of academic disciplines, development of professional theory and practice, study of problems confronting the professional in the field, and the building of competence for research. All programs are registered with the New York State Education Department and most lead to New York State certification.

Each graduate program includes three components: course work (including fieldwork); student teaching, practicum or internship; and a culminating activity. Criteria for continued matriculation include both the maintenance of academic standards and the demonstration of professional standards of performance in fieldwork settings.

Time Considerations

Candidates for a master’s degree in the School of Education must complete the program within a maximum of five years from the date of matriculation. Students may be granted a leave of absence by permission of their adviser and with the approval of the Office of Educational Services for serious illness, maternity,or military leave. In such cases the time limit is extended by the duration of the leave, not to exceed one year.

Students exceeding the time limit may be required to take more than the number of credits normally required for the degree. Course credits more than five years old when the degree is to be awarded are not applicable to the degree unless a time extension is granted.

Part-time students are permitted to take up to nine credits a semester; however, exceptions are possible with permission of the program coordinator and chairperson when resources permit. Opportunities for graduate study are available during the summer. Some programs may offer daytime courses for full-time students.

Most graduate courses in education held during the academic year begin at either 4:30 PM or 7:10 PM to meet the needs of students who are employed during the day. Summer courses are offered during the day, early evening or on-line.

The graduate programs prepare professional educators for a variety of roles in schools and other educational settings. A commitment to public urban education is evidenced in classroom activities, laboratory experiences, and field placements that reflect the ethnic and cultural richness and diversity of New York City.

Hunter College Elementary School and Hunter College High School serve children from nursery school through the 12th grade, and have an international reputation for the exploration of programs for gifted children. Their facilities are also available for observation, demonstration and research.

Research and Training in Teacher Education

A variety of programs in research and training in teacher education have attracted substantial support from federal, state and private sources. Projects currently in process include training in bilingual education, improvement of the teaching of secondary mathematics and science, educational technology, and preparation of rehabilitation counselors and teachers for children with disabilities. These projects afford graduate students an opportunity for advanced training or development of research skills.

Accreditation

The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Many of our programs have also received national recognition status from their respective specialized professional associations.

The Office of Educational Services

1000 West Building
(212) 772-4624

The Office of Educational Services (O.E.S.) provides support services to students enrolled in classes offered by the three teacher education departments of the School of Education. The primary areas of services provided include: advisement; assistance with registration; placements for fieldwork and student teaching; graduation audit; New York State certification; job placement; and various other student services such as course permits, transfers of credit, course waivers or exemptions, and leaves of absence.

The O.E.S. maintains regular office hours throughout the year and is open from 10-6 PM. Monday through Thursday and 10-4 PM. on Fridays, whenever the college is open.

Hours may vary during registration periods, during the summer months, and when classes are not in session. Office hours are posted outside 1000 West Building.

Admission

Graduate admissions to the School of Education are coordinated by:

Coordinator of Educational Services for
Admissions and Recruitment:

Mr. Andrew King
1000 West
(212) 772-4688
edadmissions@hunter.cuny.edu

Hunter’s graduate application is online:
http://ww5.hunter.cuny.edu/graduateadmissions/applying.

Note:

Check the admissions website for due dates. Students who have taken postsecondary coursework outside the USA have an earlier due date to submit applications. See the International Student portion of the admissions website http://studentservices.hunter.cuny.edu/international.htm.

Minimum Admission Requirements

Applicants will be considered for admission to matriculation if they are graduates of accredited colleges with baccalaureate degrees comparable to those of Hunter College, and if they meet the minimum criteria required by the specific program, each described below. Each applicant’s academic record, along with other factors, is considered.

Applicants who have taken all or part of their undergraduate education in a country where English is not the native language are required to submit an official TOEFL score report. These applicants must score at least a 575 on the paper-administered test or 233 on the computer administered test or 68 (less speaking component) on the TOEFL IBT. They must score at least 4.5 on the Test of Written English (TWE) or 22 on the IBT Writing Section; and 45 on the Test of Spoken English (TSE) or 23 on the IBT Speaking section. The TESOL PreK- 12 - old - MA program has its own requirements.

Admission to programs is competitive; the number of qualified applicants may exceed the number of students who can be admitted.

Admission with Conditions

A student who is otherwise qualified for a particular program but who has not completed the course prerequisites to matriculation may be admitted to matriculation with conditions, provided deficiencies do not exceed 12 credits. Work to remove conditions must begin in the first semester and be completed in no more than three consecutive semesters. A course taken as a condition of matriculation will not be credited toward the master’ s degree.

Nonmatriculated Status

Applicants for matriculation who do not meet the overall GPA or certification requirements for the program but meet all other requirements for matriculation may, in a very small number of cases, be considered for admission as nonmatriculants if there is room in the program.

Students who are admitted as non-matriculants must reapply for matriculation at the beginning of the semester in which they take the 12th nonmatriculant credit. In the second admission review, the grades of the courses taken at Hunter as a nonmatriculant will be reviewed as evidence of academic capability for admission as a matriculant. Grades of “Incomplete” must be changed to letter grades before an applicant is considered for matriculation. To be considered for matriculation, the student must have an overall GPA of 3.0 and no grade lower than a B.

No more than 12 credits earned as a nonmatriculant at Hunter may be approved for transfer to the record of the student later accepted as a matriculant. Any course taken as a nonmatriculant for which a student receives a grade of C will not count toward the degree unless a special waiver is granted by the dean.

Changing Programs

Students who have been matriculated for one master’ s degree in the School of Education must formally apply through the Office of Admissions if they wish to change programs. Students wishing to change from one track in their program to another must complete a change of major form, available in 1000 West Building.

Readmission

Students should apply for readmission in April for the fall semester and November for the spring semester (check the Admissions Office for deadlines). A student with a GPA below 3.0 must apply for special permission for readmission on probation.

Degree Requirements

Master’s program requirements vary according to students’ qualifications and the requirements of the specific program. Students must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 in both graduate courses and undergraduate courses needed to satisfy admission conditions. Students should not expect to complete the master’s degree requirements by attending full-time, although this may be possible in some cases.

Candidates should consult their program coordinator or adviser about the comprehensive examination or culminating project at least one year in advance of the expected date of graduation.

All graduate students are expected to demonstrate competence in the use of technology. Most programs require passing the School of Education technological competency assessment before graduation. All students are assigned a college e-mail address to which important announcements and materials are sent.

Course Equivalency

Students who have taken graduate-level courses at another college may, with written approval, apply those courses to their program in two ways: “Transfer of Credit” or “Permit Credit.”

Transfer Credit

Graduate courses taken prior to matriculation are considered “Transfer of Credit.”

The following limitations apply:

No more than a total of 12 credits will be allowed for courses completed at other colleges, for courses taken on permit, or for Hunter College courses taken prior to matriculation.
Courses for which transfer and approval of credit are sought must have been completed within five years preceding the anticipated date of graduation.
Application for transfer and approval of course credits taken prior to matriculation may be made after registering for the first semester of matriculation.
Transfer of credit can only be granted for courses with grades of B or better.

Permit Credit

Graduate courses taken at other colleges or universities after matriculation are considered “Permit” credit. Students planning to take courses “on permit’’ at other colleges or universities during the period of matriculation must request and receive permission prior to taking the course. The student should obtain the appropriate form in Room 1000 West Building; attach course descriptions and obtain appropriate signatures from the department office; and return the completed form to Room 1000 West Building.

Progress Standards

Students at Hunter College must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 3.0 at the end of any semester will be placed on probation. If the student fails to raise his/her cumulative GPA to 3.0 after one semester on probation, the student will be debarred and will not be allowed to continue at Hunter College.

All matriculated students in programs that lead to New York State Certification and who do not have prior NYS teacher certification must submit their scores on the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST) of the New York State Teacher Certification Examination (NYSTCE) within completion of 12 credits of study. NYSTCE booklets are available in the Office of Educational Services, 1000 West. Any student who fails the LAST and obtains a score below 220 on the subtest of “Written Analysis and Expression” may be required to enroll in a reading/writing course before being permitted to register for any additional courses.

The School of Education has an outstanding pass rate on the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations. The pass rate on the LAST for 2008-2009 was 100%; the pass rate on the ATS-W (Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written) for 2008-2009 was also 100%.

Student Teaching, Field Experiences and Practica

All teacher preparation, counseling, and school leadership programs require field experiences and student teaching or practica. Students must apply for student teaching in the fall semester if they have completed prerequisite courses and expect to student teach in the spring, and in the spring semester if they wish to student teach in the fall. In some programs student teaching is offered only once a year. Consultation with a program adviser is necessary in developing a program plan. All field experiences, practica, and student teaching take place in New York City schools. Applicants for admission and teacher candidates should be aware of this policy when planning their programs.

Graduation

All potential graduates must apply for graduation within the first three weeks of the semester in which they plan to graduate. A graduation audit form may be obtained from our website:hunter.cuny.edu/education under Current Students, Degree Audit. Completed graduation audits must be returned to Room 1000 West Building.

New York State Certification

The graduate education programs described below (unless otherwise indicated) have been approved by the New York State Education Department to lead to initial and professional certification for teaching in New York State. To be recommended for certification the student must complete the approved program of study, and file an on-line application for certification. Instructions for applying for certification are available in the Office of Educational Services and on the School of Education website.

Students must pass the required New York State Teacher Certification Examinations (NYSTCE) in order to be granted certification by the State. For an initial certificate, the State of New York requires the applicant to pass three examinations: the Liberal Arts and Science Test (LAST), the Assessment of Teaching Skills-Written (ATS-W) and the appropriate Content Specialty Test (CST) for their certificate. The ATS-W is offered at the elementary and secondary levels; students should check with the Office of Educational Services or an adviser if they are unsure about which version to take.

Students must officially graduate from one of our approved preparation programs in order to receive a recommendation for NYS Teacher Certification.

New York State certification is reciprocally accepted by many other states upon application, although other states do not accept the NYSTCE. Students with questions about certification should contact the Office of Educational Services at tcert.@hunter.cuny.edu.

Administration and Faculty

Acting Dean:

Sherryl Browne Graves
1000 West
(212) 772-4622

Associate Dean:

Carla Asher
1000 West
(212) 772-4621

Educational Services Coordinator for
Admissions and Recruitment:

Andrew King
1000 West
(212) 772-4688

Educational Services Coordinator
for Current Students:

Christina Kim
1000 West
(212) 772-4629

Departmental Chairs:

Department of Curriculum and Teaching
Jennifer Tuten
906 West
(212) 772-4639

Department of Educational Foundations
Gess LeBlanc (Acting)
1016 West
(212) 772-4710

Department of Special Education
Timothy Lackaye (Acting)
910 West
(212) 772-4700

Website: www.hunter.cuny.edu/education

Faculty

Curriculum and Teaching

Laura Baecher, Assistant Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; TESOL

Nadine Bryce, Assistant Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Reading and Language Arts

Jenny Castillo, Associate Professor; PhD, CUNY; Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Literature

Brian Collins, Assistant Professor; PhD, NYU; Bilingual Education

Yvonne De Gaetano, Associate Professor; EdD, Columbia; Philosophy, Social Sciences

Stephen DeMeo, Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Secondary Science Education

Ann Ebe, Assistant Professor; PhD, Univ. of Arizona; Language Reading and Culture: Reading and Writing Processes, Uses and Research

Anne M. Ediger, Professor; PhD, UCLA; Applied Linguistics

Terrie Epstein, Professor; EdD, Harvard; Education

Timothy Farnsworth, Assistant Professor; PhD, UCLA; Applied Linguistics

Dolores Fernández, Professor; PhD, Hofstra; Language and Cognition

Francis Gardella, Associate Professor; EdD, Rutgers; Mathematics Education

George Gonzalez, Associate Professor; PhD, Yeshiva; Developmental Psychology, Reading and Language Arts, Bilingual/Special Education

Robert Gyles, Professor; PhD, NYU; Mathematics Education/Curriculum and Instruction

Yang Hu, Associate Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; English Education

Deborah Ann Jensen, Associate Professor; PhD, Fordham; Language, Literacy and Learning

Abigail Jewkes, Assistant Professor; PhD, Univ. of Michigan; Education

Karen Koellner, Associate Professor, PhD, Arizona State; Mathematics

Marcia Knoll, Associate Professor; EdD, St. John’s; Curriculum and Teaching

Carmen Mercado, Professor; PhD, Fordham; Reading and Language Arts

John Niman, Professor; PhD, Columbia; Mathematics and Mathematics Education

Barbara Ottaviani, Assistant Professor; EdD, Columbia ; Instructional Technology

Janet Patti, Professor; EdD, Northern Arizona; Education

Anthony Picciano, Professor; PhD, Fordham Univ.; Educational Administration, Technology

Jody Polleck, Assistant Professor; PhD, NYU; English Education

Dennis Robbins, Associate Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Science Education

Christine Rosalia, Assistant Professor; PhD, Teachers College, Columbia; Educational Communications & Technology

Melissa Schieble, Assistant Professor; PhD, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; Curriculum/Instruction

Debbie Sonu, Assistant Professor; EdD, Teacher’s College, Columbia; Curriculum and Teaching Urban-Multicultural Education

L. Christina Taharally, Associate Professor;EdD, Univ. of Massachusetts (Amherst); Early Childhood Education

Virginia Tong, Assistant Professor; PhD, NYU; Bilingual Education

John Toth, Assistant Professor; PhD, European Graduate School; Media & Communications

Jenny Tuten, Associate Professor and Chair; PhD, Fordham; Language and Literacy Education

Rachael Welder, Assistant Professor; PhD, Montana State; Mathematics and Mathematics Education

Sandra Wilde, Professor; PhD, Univ. of Arizona; Elementary Education

Jason Wirtz, Assistant Professor; PhD, Michigan State; Rhetoric and Writing

Educational Foundations

Markus Bidell, Associate Professor; PhD, Univ. of California, Santa Barbara; Clinical Counseling/School Psychology

Sarah Bonner, Associate Professor; PhD, Univ. of Arizona; Educational Psychology

Tamara Buckley, Associate Professor; PhD, Teachers College, Columbia; Counseling Psychology

Elizabeth Cardoso, Professor; PhD, Univ. of Wisconsin-Madison; Psychology

Peggy Pei-I Chen, Associate Professor; PhD, CUNY; Educational Psychology

Henry L. Evans, Lecturer; MFA, Columbia; Writing

Sherryl Browne Graves, Professor and Acting Dean; PhD, Harvard; Clinical Psychology, Public Practice

Priscilla Hambrick-Dixon, Associate Professor; PhD, Univ. of Michigan; Education, Psychology

Calliope Haritos, Associate Professor; PhD, CUNY; Developmental Psychology

Mario A. Kelly, Associate Professor; EdD, Univ. of Rochester; Developmental/Educational Psychology

Kimberly Kinsler, Professor; PhD, CUNY; Educational Psychology

Gess LeBlanc, Associate Professor and Acting Chair; PhD, CUNY; Developmental Psychology

John O’Neill, Professor; PhD, Syracuse; Rehabilitation Research

Ruth Rose, Lecturer; MA, Southern Illinois; Linguistics/EFL

Cynthia Walley, Assistant Professor; PhD, Old Dominion; Counseling

Jeanne Weiler, Associate Professor; PhD, SUNY (Stony Brook); Social Foundations of Education

Arnold Wolf, Professor; PhD, NYU; Philosophy

Special Education

Jamie Bleiweiss, Assistant Professor; PhD, SUNY (Stony Brook); Clinical Psychology

David Connor, Associate Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Curriculum and Teaching, Learning Disabilities

Donia Fahim, Assistant Professor; PhD, Birkbeck College, London; Applied Linguistics

Elaine Gale, Assistant Professor; PhD, Univ. of Colorado, Boulder; Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences

Katherine Garnett, Professor; EdD, Columbia; Assessment and Curriculum Development–Learning Disabilities

Sara Hines, Assistant Professor; PhD, Univ. of Maryland, College Park; Special Education

Timothy Lackaye, Assistant Professor and Acting Chair; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Learning Disabilities

Thomas C. McIntyre, Professor; PhD, Univ. of Connecticut; Emotional and Behavior Disorders

Angela Mouzakitis, Instructor; MS, Queens College, CUNY; School Psychology

Jennifer Samson, Assistant Professor; EdD, Harvard ; Human Development and Psychology

Rosanne K. Silberman, Professor; EdD, Columbia; Visual Impairment, Severe/Multiple Disabilities

Ellen Trief, Professor; EdD, Teachers College, Columbia; Visual Impairment, Severe/Multiple Disabilities