A. What options are available at Warner for current elementary teachers?
B. What courses can you transfer into your Warner program?
C. What else do you need to obtain professional certification in New York State?
D. What do programs leading only to professional certification in your area look like?
E. What do programs enabling you to teach elementary children at different grade levels look like?
F. What do programs leading to certification for Teaching Students with Disabilities look like?
G. What do programs leading to certification for Teaching Literacy look like?
H. What do programs leading to other teaching certifications look like?
I. What do programs leading to school administration certification look like?
J. What courses are available as electives and for non-matriculated students?
K. Information about our admission process and criteria
L. Summary of Selected Programs of Study (with links)

The Warner School offers a variety of interesting options to meet all of these goals. All options can be pursued part-time while holding a full-time teaching job (although appropriate arrangements will need to be made whenever internships are required).

Options for elementary teachers pursuing professional certification
The new NYS requirements for obtaining professional certification require that you obtain a Masters' degree meeting certain conditions. At the Warner School, we offer a number of alternative Masters' degree that have been approved by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) as fulfilling the academic requirements for obtaining professional teaching certification in Early Childhood/Childhood education:

(d) If you are interested in teaching literacy and/or in improving your ability to enhance your students' ability to learn through literacy, we offer an M.S. Program leading to certification for Teaching Literacy (birth to grade 6) in addition to professional teaching certification in your current area. (see section G)

(e) If you are interested in obtaining certification to teach other subjects, we have various M.S. Programs that fulfill NYS academic requirements to obtain professional certification in your area while also leading to initial and professional teaching certification in any of the following areas:

1. Middle Childhood specialist in mathematics, English, social studies, biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, French, German, Spanish or Latin (grades 5-9)
2. Adolescence specialist (same choice of subjects) (grades 7-12)
3. Middle Childhood + Adolescence specialist (same choice of subjects) (grades 5-12)
4. Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) (K-12)

Each of these Masters' programs involves only 30 credits of graduate coursework, plus some field experiences if required for obtaining initial certification in the new area. If you are seeking certification in a different area, depending on your background, you may also have to take additional coursework in the subject matter of specialization. (see section H)

Options for elementary teachers who already have professional certification:
If you already have NYS Professional Teaching Certification in your original area, but are seeking initial certification in another area/ grade level, you have also the option to enroll in one of our non-degree programs leading to certification in:

• Teaching Students with Disabilities (same subject and grade level) (see section F)
• Teaching Literacy (grades 5-12) (see section G)
• Early Childhood (birth-grade 2) (for teachers with certification in Childhood) (see section E)
• Childhood (grades 1-6) (for teachers with certification in Early Childhood) (see section E)
• Middle Childhood as specialist in English, mathematics, social studies, biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, French, German, Spanish or Latin (see section H)
• Adolescence as specialist in English, mathematics, social studies, biology, chemistry, physics, earth science, French, German, Spanish or Latin (see section H)
• Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (K-12) (see section H)

This option will enable you to obtain the new certification you desire with the minimum number of courses and internships. The number of credits required, in this case, will depend on how many of the required courses and internships you have already taken as part of your previous certification and degree programs, and whether you also need to take additional coursework in the subject matter of specialization.

Teachers interested in an administrative career can also enroll in our 24-hour certification program or in a M.S. Program leading to NYS administration certifications. These programs will enable you to fulfill the necessary academic requirements to obtain New York State certification as a School Building Leader, required to assume administrative positions at the building level, and/or School District Leader, required to assume administrative positions at the district level. Neither program, however, would lead to professional teaching certification. (see section I)

We also offer a wide array of courses that are open to non-matriculated students interested in enhancing their knowledge in various areas of education. (see section J)

B. What courses can you transfer into your Warner program?
If you choose to enroll in any of our Masters program, you can transfer up to 10 credits of graduate coursework into your program - provided that these courses are relevant to your program (i.e., can substitute for some required or elective course on your program of study), you took them within the last 5 years and at the graduate level, and they are approved by the Office of Graduate Studies. Otherwise, required courses that you have already taken in previous programs can be substituted with electives.

If you choose one of our non-degree programs, you can transfer in any of the required courses you have previously taken (either at the undergraduate or graduate level), upon approval by the Office of Graduate Studies.

      
C. What else do you need to obtain professional certification in New York State?

Professional Certification
Completing any of the Masters programs described here (with the only exception of the M.S. leading to administration certifications) will also satisfy all the academic requirements established by NYSED for obtaining Professional Teaching Certification in your original area of certification. In addition, however, you will also need to satisfy the following requirements:

• Attendance to the NYS-approved workshops on Child Abuse and School Violence Prevention & Intervention (if you did not comply with this requirement as part of your first certification program)
• Passing each of the following NYS Teacher Examinations:
  • LAST (Liberal Arts and Science Test) (if not done yet)
  • ATS-W (Assessment of Teaching Skills-written) (if not done yet)
  • ATS-P Video (Assessment of Teaching Skills-Performance)
  • CST (Content Specialty Test) (expected to be in place starting Fall 2003)
• Having completed a minimum of 3 years of teaching experience, with the first one conducted in a mentored situation.

Initial Certification in a new area
If you are seeking certification in a new area, in addition to the coursework and experiences that you will undertake in your program (as described in the next pages), you will also need to meet the following requirements established by NYSED for all those seeking an Initial Teaching in a new area:

• Attendance to the NYS-approved workshops on Child Abuse and School Violence Prevention & Intervention (if you did not comply with this requirement as part of your first certification program)
• Passing each of the following NYS Teacher Examinations:
  • LAST (Liberal Arts and Science Test) (if not done yet)
  • ATS-W (Assessment of Teaching Skills-written) (if not done yet)
  • CST (Content Specialty Test) (expected to be in place starting Fall 2003)
• Fingerprint-supported background check (if one is not already on file with NYSED)

D. What do programs leading only to professional certification in your area look like? 

We have designed our M.S. Program leading to professional certification in Childhood/Early Childhood (code PA1) education only to enrich your expertise in teaching the core subject matters at the grade levels you are currently teaching. As required by the New York State Education Department, this program includes a minimum of 12 credit hours of coursework that "integrates content and pedagogy" - that is, that focuses on developing a deeper understanding of English, mathematics, social studies and the sciences, as well as how these subjects can be taught most effectively. These courses have all been designed in collaboration between the Warner School of Education and departments in The College. This program also gives you maximum room for electives.

PA1 Program Requirements For more details, see PA1 Program of Study (30 credits of coursework)

E. What do programs enabling you to teach elementary children at different grade levels look like?

At Warner, we have both Masters' degrees (program codes: SA1 and SA2) and non-degree options (program codes NA1 and NA2) that will enable you to expand your flexibility and marketability by extending the grade levels at which you can teach. None of these programs requires additional coursework in content areas. The internship, when required, can be done while maintaining a full-time teaching job in most cases.

Note that several of the specialization courses are usually transferred in, especially for our graduates - thus further decreasing the number of credits needed to complete the non-degree program options, and allowing even more room for electives in the Masters' program options.

M.S. Programs Requirements (30-32 credits):
(For more details, see SA1 Program of Study if seeking extension to birth-grade 2, or SA2 Program of Study if seeking extension to grades 1-6.)

Non-degree program requirements (variable credits): Only the specialization courses and internships that you have NOT already taken.
(For more details, see NA1 Program of Study if seeking extension to birth-grade 2, or NA2 Program of Study if seeking extension to grades 1-6.)

F. What do programs leading to certification for Teaching Students with Disabilities look like?
We have designed our programs in inclusive education to provide you with an understanding of disability and its role in education, as well as the skills to suppport all children in your classroom. In order to do this, you must gain an understanding of the historical, social and legal contexts of disability and education. This understanding will prepare you to critically examine current practices in the education of students with disabilities. Based upon this analysis of current practices, you will begin to develop the knowledge and expertise necessary to become an exemplary teacher of diverse learners and a leader in developing school models based on collaboration, belonging and inclusion.

M.S. Programs Requirements (For more details, see PA3 Program of Study if you are an Early Childhood Teacher, or PA4 Program of Study if you are a Childhood Teacher) (30-35 credits):

Non-degree programs Requirements (variable credits): Only the specialization courses and internships that you have NOT already taken as part of your previous teacher preparation program(s) (4 courses for most of our graduates)
(For more details, see DA1 Program of Study if you are an Early Childhood Teacher, or DA2 Program of Study if you are a Childhood Teacher)
       

G. What do programs leading to certification for Teaching Literacy look like?
We have designed these programs to prepare specialists in literacy based on the International Reading Association (IRA) Standards for Reading Professionals (1998), which are consistent with New York State requirements for teaching literacy and our own educational philosophy and mission. As a result, you will come to understand the complexity of literacy as a social practice and to develop a critical understanding of the social context of literacy learning as the negotiation of multiple linguistic and cultural realities of contemporary society. Literacy, in our view, is not a neutral, decontextualized skill, but is a critical social practice that may be used not only as social critique but also as social action. To understand the complexity of literacy, our courses will offer you opportunities to not only examine traditional conceptions of curriculum, instruction, and assessment but to reform those practices.

M.S. Program Requirements (birth to grade 6) (36 credits):
(For more details, see SR1 Program of Study)

Non-degree program requirements (variable credits): Only the specialization courses and internships that you have NOT already taken as part of your previous teacher preparation program(s).
(For more details, see NR1 Program of Study)

H. What do programs leading to other teaching certifications look like?
Current teachers can pursue additional teaching certifications either as part of an M.S. program or as a non-degree program. These programs will include all the specialization courses specific to the new area of certification, as well as some internships; therefore, the courses required fo these programs will differ depending on the new area of certification sought. Whenever required courses overlap with those required for the original area of certification, they can be transferred and/or subsitituted as electives (as appropriate).

M.S. Program Requirements (30-35 credits):

Non-degree program requirements (variable credits): Only the specialization courses and internships that you have NOT already taken as part of your previous teacher preparation program(s).

Subject matter pre-requisites for certain specializations:
A Bachelor's degree with a major in a liberal art or science is a pre-requisite for ALL NYS teaching certification. In addition, certain areas of specialization have additional subject matter requirements that need to be met in order to be awarded initial teaching certification.

These requirements are:

• For specialists in English, French, German, Spanish, and Latin: at least 30 credits of coursework (at either the undergraduate or graduate level) in the subject matter of specialization.
  
  
• For specialists in social studies: at least 30 credits of coursework (at either the undergraduate or graduate level) in social studies subjects, including at least 21 credits in history and geography of the United States and the world, and coursework that provides a background in economics and government.
  
  
• For specialists in mathematics: at least 30 credits of coursework (at either the undergraduate or graduate level) in mathematics, including a two-semester sequence of calculus or equivalent; some coursework in algebra, geometry, probability and statistics is also strongly recommended (but not a prerequisite for admission).
  
  
• For specialists in biology, chemistry, physics and earth science: at least 30 credits of coursework (at either the undergraduate or graduate level) in science, including at least 18 credits in the science of specialization.
  
  
• For specialists in ESOL: at least 12 credits of coursework (at either the undergraduate or graduate level) in a language other than English (or otherwise demonstrated proficiency in a language other than English).

We expect students entering our programs to have already fulfilled these subject matter requirements. If this is not the case, in some exceptional case you may be allowed to enter our programs at the discretion of your advisor; you will, however, have to take the needed coursework before the end of the program in order to be recommended for certification to the New York State Education Department. Some subject matter courses taken at the graduate level can be used as electives in a Masters' program, provided that they are taken at the graduate level and have been approved by your advisor as part of your program of study.    

I. What do programs leading to school administration certification look like?

New York State offers two types of certification for school administrators. The School Building Leader Certification enables educators to assume administrative positions at the building level - such as curriculum specialist/leader, assistant principal, or principal in an elementary and secondary school. The School District Leader Certification, instead, enables teachers and building-level administrators to qualify for positions at the district level - such as assistant superintendent for instruction, program director, human resources director or superintendent. We offer a variety of options to pursue these certifications - within a non-degree program, a Master's degree or even a Doctor in Education degree. Below, we have indicated the most popular option to pursue both certifications at Warner.

27-hour non-degree program leading to School Building and District Leader Certification (27 credits):

• 7 courses in school administration; (Leadership & Organizational Dynamics; Instructional Leadership; Measurement, Program Evaluation and School Improvement; Legal Foundations and Governance; Managing School Resources; Management of Human Resources; Leading the School District)
• a 15-week full-time (or equivalent) internship in educational administration

Note: To be certified as a school administrator, New York State requires some teaching experience, and permanent or professional certification in teaching or pupil services

See programs leading to NYS School Administration Certification for more information. Please contact a faclty in the Educational Leadership department for more information if you plan to pursue one of these options.

J. What courses are available as electives and for non-matriculated students?
The Warner School offers a wide selection of courses that can be taken by non-matriculated students interested in enhancing their knowledge and expertise in various areas of education. These courses also provide a rich set of choices for elective courses, whenever electives are part of any of the programs described so far.

All courses offered during the academic year meet after 4:45 pm, so that you can attend them after the end of your school day. We also offer several courses during the summer.

Choices include, but are not limited to, the following courses:

Courses promoting instructional innovation with young children:

• Theory & Practice in Teaching & Learning Literacy in Elementary School (Fall)
• Theory & Practice in Teaching & Learning Mathematics in Elementary School (Fall)
• Theory & Practice in Teaching & Learning the Arts in Elementary School (Summer + Fall)
• Theory & Practice in Teaching & Learning Science in Elementary School (Spring)
• Theory & Practice in Teaching & Learning Social Studies in Elementary School (Spring)
• Integrating Curriculum in Early Childhood (Alternate summers)
• Children's Literature and Literacy Learning (Summer)

Courses on diversity and inclusion:

• Race, Class, Gender and Disability in American Education (Summer, Fall, Spring)
• Disability and Schools (Summer, Fall)
• Teaching and Learning in Inclusive Classrooms (Fall)
• Collaborative Teaching Partnerships in Inclusive Classrooms (Summer)
• Instructional Strategies for Inclusive Classrooms (Spring)
• Disability and Early Childhood (Alternate Summers)
• Early Interventions for 0-3 Year-old Children with Disabilities (Alternate Summers)
• Early Interventions for Preschool Children with Disabilities (Alternate Springs)

Other courses of potential interest to all teachers:

• School, Family, and Community Partnerships (Fall)
• Leadership and Organizational Dynamics (Summer)
• Teaching, Curriculum and Change (Summer, Fall, Spring)
• Literacy Learning as Social Practice (Summer, Fall)
• Language and Literacy in Education (Fall)

• Original transcripts from all the higher education institutions attended.
• Writing sample (scholarly paper).
• Personal statement about career goals, interests, and objectives in entering the program.
• At least 2 letters of recommendation.
• TOEFL scores (for international applicants who are not native English speakers).

In addition, you have to schedule an individual interview with a Warner School faculty member affiliated with the teacher preparation program you have applied to. Applicants seeking Initial Certifications may also need to complete a Tracscript Review Form prior to the interview. The faculty member completes an interview report that is then added to your application file.

At each of our four admission cycle (taking place in February, April, July and November each year), all of these materials are reviewed by the entire faculty in the Teaching and Curriculum department, and then by the Admission and Financial Aid Committee of the Warner School, taking into consideration the following admission criteria:

1. Applicants must have received a Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution or equivalent by the time they enter the program.
2. Applicants must have the ability to do graduate work at the University of Rochester, as demonstrated by their past academic performance and their academic writing skills.
3. Applicants must have sufficient knowledge of the subject matters they intend to teach, appropriate to the specialization and grade level of the certification(s) sought.
4. Applicants must demonstrate sufficient communication and interpersonal skills to serve students well in an instructional setting.
5. Applicants' career goals, teaching interests, academic background, attitudes and teaching philosophy must be consistent with the programs offered by the Warner School and its stated mission.

MAT applications are also reviewed by the relevant department in The College.

An application is also required if you want to enroll in one of our non-degree programs.

When admitted into a program, you will be assigned an academic advisor, who will support and monitor your progress throughout the program. You will also be expected to attend an orientation meeting intended to help you finalize your program of study

L. Summary of Selected Programs of Study (with links)