Educational Practice and Policy

General Program Requirements

GPA Requirement Once admitted to the Program, applicants must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 or higher in all coursework. Students failing to maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 at the end of any term will be placed on academic warning and must correct the deficiency by the following semester or be subject to academic dismissal from the program.

Degrees are posted to the official university transcript through the Registrar’s Office at Candidate request. Completion of degree program is verified by the Registrar as per the Curriculum Plan.

Transfer of Credit
Transfer of credit may be awarded on the following basis:

A maximum of:
a. EdD Program: 24 semester units beyond the master’s degree may be transferred from a regionally accredited institution. All such coursework must have been earned in addition to the master’s degree required coursework.
b. MAEd / Credential Programs: 6 semester units beyond the bachelor’s degree may be transferred from a regionally accredited institution. All such coursework must have been earned in addition to the bachelor’s degree required coursework.
The request to accept credit to be transferred must be approved by the program director.
Credit that has been used to complete a second master’s degree may be considered for transfer to the EdD Program.
Credits must have been earned within seven years prior to the request for transfer. Waivers of this requirement may be considered by program faculty on a case by case basis. All waivers must be approved by the dean.
Extension courses or continuing education courses are not, in standard cases, acceptable for graduate transfer. However, courses completed at high levels through an accredited university or local district program may be considered by the program director and approved by the Dean of the Hufstedler School of Education for partial credit transfer.
Coursework being considered for transfer must be equivalent to Alliant coursework for which it is being applied. Students are required to submit transcripts, catalog course descriptions and other documentation.
All coursework must be completed successfully at credit or B levels or higher.

Learning Outcomes and Program Design

Teaching:
MAEd: Teaching
MAEd: Education Specialist

The Master of Arts in Education (MAEd) degree programs in Teaching and in Education Specialists are designed to provide a rich sequence of learning experiences in which graduates gain the requisite knowledge and skills to serve effectively as educational leaders, action researchers, and practitioners in Professional Learning Communities. The Teacher Credential Programs are embedded within the Hufstedler School of Education’s MAEd: Teaching Programs; the teaching credential and teaching credential may be obtained concurrently. The MAEd: Teaching degree program is also a “stand-alone” degree program which may be pursued independently from the credential program.

The Master of Arts in Education (MAEd): Teaching degree program builds academic cohorts of teachers online, engaging school and classroom leaders from throughout the world in online settings and virtual academic environments. The program is also delivered at our Mexico City campus in a cohort hybrid model engaging Candidates in both on-ground and online hybrid classes. The Teacher Credential Programs are embedded within the Hufstedler School of Education’s MAEd: Teaching Programs; the teaching credential and teaching credential may be obtained concurrently.

The Program supports and advances the following Outcomes, assuring Graduates will be able to:

Educational Practice and Policy: Teaching: Credentialing

Make subject matter comprehensible to all students
Assess student learning
Engage and support all students in learning
Plan instruction and design learning experiences
Create and maintain effective environments for learning
Develop as a professional educator

Educational Practice and Policy: Teaching: MAEd

Design critical thinking lessons, programs, and educational learning communities such that their students are aware of critical thinking strategies and can articulate how they are thinking critically.
Apply and advance teaching and learning theories, strategies, and pedagogical methodologies to their planning, classroom lessons, and curricular design such that professional learning communities are established, supporting high stakes learning for all learners.
Consistently apply and advance comprehensive, responsive and accountable assessment systems to their professional learning community to assure and advance the action-driven monitoring and evaluating of student progress.
Embed action research methods in their professional practice as well as applying informed evaluation of professional literature to their practice.
Consistently integrate informed methods and practices of technology into their professional learning community and practice.
Establish, support, and assure an inclusive and responsive school setting for all students, families, and communities.
Embed multicultural understanding and support, language literacy, and sociological concepts into their professional practice in order to create culturally responsive classroom in support of the diverse student population’s learning and advancement.

Educational Administration:
MAEd: Educational Administration
EdD: Educational Leadership and Management

The MAEd: Educational Administration program prepares practicing educators for leadership in educational settings. The Program emphasizes the development of knowledge, skills and dispositions characteristic of effective and innovation administrative leaders inclusive of capacity for problem solving, conflict resolution, and working with diverse individuals, families, and communities. Practical situations in educational settings are thematically integrated with theory in all aspects of the curriculum. The MAEd: Educational Administration is a 30 semester unit program. A California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) Preliminary Administrative Services credential may concurrently be obtained with the MAEd: Educational Administration degree. Of note, the Administrative Services credential may be obtained without the MAEd degree.

The Program supports and advances the following Outcomes, assuring Graduates will be able to:

Facilitate the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning shared and supported by the school community.
Advocate, nurture, and sustain a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.
Ensure management of the learning organization including operations and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
Collaborate with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
Model a personal code of ethics and developing professional leadership capacity.
Understand, respond to, and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.

The Hufstedler School of Education’s Doctor of Education (EdD) degree in Educational Leadership and Management prepares the Candidate for leadership in a comprehensive consideration of educational settings inclusive of public and private schools, lower and higher educational settings, government organization and bodies, as well as other private and public organizations. The EdD: Educational Leadership and Management is a 61- semester unit program inclusive of educational theory and applicable research. The Program relies upon the Professional Learning Community design, utilizing the cohort model. Cohorts begin the Program as a unit with a fall semester start and matriculate through the program as a community, utilizing both online and cohort meetings for program effectiveness. The Program includes three major components:

completion of requisite coursework, followed by
completion of requisite Comprehensive Examinations at the conclusion of coursework,
completion of and faculty affirmation of dissertation research and publication.

The EdD: Educational Leadership and Management program graduates are competent, confident, and conscientious educational leaders, committed to service and social justice for all in a global society, with the knowledge, skills and abilities to exemplify the following Outcomes:

1.       Lead change in educational organizations in a diverse and global society.
2.       Understand the philosophical and social underpinnings of world educational systems, multiculturalism and futuristic educational trends and developments.
3.       Evaluate the political, societal, economic, legal and cultural influence on learning organizations.
4.       Demonstrate and articulate effective theories and principles of teaching and leading adults learners.
5.       Model personal and professional ethics, integrity, justice and fairness.
6.       Evaluate sand design research that addresses educational issues.

Administrative Services

The Administrative Services Preliminary Credential Program at Alliant is CCTC accredited and has been designed to provide the practicing professional with support in advancement of their professional knowledge, skills, capacities, and dispositions in support of educational leadership in a California K-12 public school. The PAS credential program is 30 units; an additional 3-unit course is required for the concurrent Master of Arts in Education (MAEd): Educational Administration degree.

Teaching (Multiple Subject and Single Subjects)
Education Specialist (Mild / Moderate Disabilities)

The Hufstedler School of Education Teacher Education and Credentialing programs recognize and support that Candidates bring many different skills, experiences and capacities to our program. Multiple routes to preliminary credentialing are offered to reflect such. Candidates enrolled in / admitted to either the General Education: Student Teaching or Standard Intern Teaching tracks are also concurrently admitted to/enrolled in the MAEd: Teaching program. Additional MAEd course requirements discussed in previous section.

Candidates enrolled in/admitted to the Education Specialist, Autism Authorization, or General Education (Multiple of Single Subjects Credential Program) : ECO (Early Completion Option) Programs select, upon admission, to either be admitted to the MAEd + Credential program OR the Credential only program. Additional MAEd course requirements discussed in previous section.

Teacher Education and Credentialing programs offer preparation in the following credential areas through the following tracks, all California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) approved:

General Education: multiple and single subject credential programs leading to a preliminary teaching credential:

Student Teaching
Standard Intern Teaching
Early Completion Option (ECO) Intern Teaching (Multiple Subject or Single Subject: English, Science, or Mathematics credentials only)

Education Specialists: Mild/Moderate Disabilities:

Intern credential leading to a preliminary credential
Clear credential

Autism Authorization

The Autism Authorization Program is a CCTC-approved program which allows Candidates to advance in research-driven learning environments of cohorts. Programs are developed in collaboration with local school districts and county offices of education to meet the needs of the practitioner. This 12-unit program enriches both the practice and knowledge of the education specialist. Applicants must possess one of the following California education specialist credentials:

Mild/Moderate Disabilities
Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Physical and Health Impairments
Visual Impairments

Certificates

The Hufstedler School of Education’s Educational Practice and Policy Programs offers multiple certificates for professional development of the educational practitioner. Programs are designed utilizing both continuing education credit and MAEd (master’s degree level) credit. The Program continuously collaborates with partners, inclusive of schools, universities, government agencies, and businesses, to design, develop, and deliver professional development certificate programs to meet the growing, demanding, and ever-changing needs of employees at all levels. In its adherence to the Professional Learning Community design, the Program finds that cohort models composed of practitioners with shared workplace expectations and elements to be the most effective model for deliver of our Certificate Programs. Employers are encouraged to collaboratively work with the faculty of HSOE to address, through academic and professional practitioner theory and application, demanding needs of their employees in our Certificate Program.

Credentials and Authorizations

All HSOE credential and authorization preparation programs are approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC). Application for California Teaching or Administrative Services credentials or authorizations is made through the university’s Credential Analyst. Candidates who concurrently enroll in both the MAEd Program and the Credentialing Program are required to meet admissions standards and requirements for both tracks. All credential programs receive CLAD /CTEL authorization embedded within the credential program.

Recommendation for Credential or Added Authorization as approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC)

Upon successful completion of the credentialing or authorization coursework, Candidates, through the university Credentials Analyst, apply to the CCTC for their authorized teaching credential. The following elements are required as a part of this application dossier:

Intern Credential (multiple subject, single subjects, education specialists):

41-4 credential application form
Official BA/BS transcript
Receipt of Livescan fingerprinting and background clearance
US Constitution competency
CBEST
CSET
120 hours of Pre-service course (Standard Interns and Education Specialists)
Teaching Foundations Exam (ECO)
Offer of Employment Letter
Statement of Release form

Preliminary Credential (multiple subject, single subjects):

41-4 credential application form
All credential coursework completed (C- or higher/min. GPA of 3.0 required)
Verification of foundational computer education
Tuition balance paid in full
Proof of valid Intern credential
RICA (Multiple Subject credentials only)
CSETs for any additional bilingual or subject matter authorizations (optional)
CalTPA Tasks 1-4 passed with scores of 3 or 4
CPR Certification Card
Exit Packet
Program Completion Documentation
Standards Verification
Field Supervisor Verification
Cross Cultural Competency Verification

Preliminary Credential (Education Specialist: mild/moderate disabilities):

41-4 credential application form
All credential coursework completed (B or higher/min. GPA of 3.0 required)
Verification of foundational computer education
Tuition balance paid in full
Proof of valid Intern credential
RICA
CSETs for additional bilingual authorization (optional)
Completed Individualized Induction Plan
Currently valid CPR certification card
Exit Packet
Program Completion Documentation
Standards Verification
Field Supervisor Verification
Cross Cultural Competency Verification

Clear Credential (Education Specialists: mild/moderate disabilities):

41-4 credential application form
All credential coursework completed (B or higher/ min. GPA of 3.0 required)
Verification of advanced computer education
Tuition balance paid in full
Proof of valid Preliminary/ Level I credential
Currently valid CPR certification card
Completed Individualized Induction Plan
Exit Packet
Program Completion Documentation
Standards Verification
Field Supervisor Verification
Cross Cultural Competency Verification

Autism Spectrum Disorders Authorization:

41-4 credential application form
All credential coursework completed (B or higher/ min. GPA of 3.0 required)
Tuition balance paid in full
Proof of valid Level I or Level II Education Specialist Instruction Credential
Program Completion Document

Candidate who are not recommended to Student Teaching or are not recommended for Preliminary Credentialing are referred to the Student Evaluation and Review Committee (SERC). The SERC will hear the Candidate’s appeal before making final recommendation. In cases where the Hufstedler School of Education SERC declines to recommend a student for a credential, the Candidate may apply directly to the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC).

Bilingual Authorization

The university Credentials Analyst will, as a courtesy to its Candidates and Graduates, collaboratively recommend credential holders for a Bilingual Authorization upon verification of successful completion of the CSET: LOTE (Languages Other Than English) examinations: Subtests II or III (depending on the language), Subtest IV, and Subtest V.