The Master’s Program in Urban Teaching focuses on assisting the early-career teacher in urban school settings in developing the skills needed for long-range success in the classroom.  The program follows a cohort model and is designed to be completed in one academic year and two summers.  All students in the cohort must have completed at least one year of full time teaching in a high-need urban school prior to beginning the program.  The program does not lead directly to certification; instead it assists the student in maintaining his or her current certification, and can serve as a launching pad to advanced certification.

After admission to the program, students will meet individually with an advisor who will assist them in developing a personal professional development plan, including identifying a course of study in an area of interest (areas of interest are noted below).

Course Requirements for Education Candidates

Program Sequence for Cohort

Summer 1:

• EDU 661-Culturally competent Teaching

Summer 2:

• EDU 662-Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Urban Learners

The Summer 1 core class focuses on understanding urban students’ sociocultural contexts with the goal of developing strategies for motivating students toward high achievement.  The Summer 2 core course focuses on advanced teaching strategies and differentiating/personalizing instruction for our students.

The Summer 2 course will be a hybrid course, combining traditional classroom sessions with on-line sessions.

Fall:

• EDU 847- Action Research
• Interest Area Course 1
• Interest Area Course 2

Spring:

• EDU 663- Seminar:Urban Success in PK1-12 Classrooms and Beyond
• Interest Area Course 3
• Interest Area Course 4

During Fall and Spring semesters, students focus on their interest area coursework and two year-long courses: Action Research and the Seminar. The Action Research course will begin with a 2-3 day intensive workshop in Mid-August, prior to the beginning of the school year. Students will learn action research models and techniques, and will design a research project that they will engage in during the course of the school year. The class will meet periodically throughout the year to build skills, monitor progress and problem solve collaboratively. The Multicultural Institute course will meet periodically during the school year and will address ongoing issues in urban teaching – some general issues pre-determined by the instructor, and some specific issues identified by students in the program.

Summer 1:

• EDU 654:Capstone:Successful Urban Education
• (2nd Summer) Interest Area Course 5

In the second Summer 1, students will complete their interest area coursework and the capstone course. The capstone will focus on synthesizing the academic year’s experiences, and preparing students to be leaders and change agents in urban schools. It will culminate in an Urban Teaching Symposium during which students will present the results of their action research projects.

Focus Areas (students select a concentration of 5 courses from one or two of these areas):

Additional or different cognate courses may be substituted for the above with the Program Director’s approval.  Up to 2 courses may be transferred from other institutions, as long as they did not fulfill degree requirements for another master’s degree.