Academic Programs

Teacher candidates completing the professional licensure program must meet a set of content and specific teaching area criteria that has been established by the Commonwealth of Virginia as well as most other states. In order to meet these requirements, students are advised to major in a liberal arts or science major. The Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies (IDLS), a major that provides students in the pre-professional program extended breadth and integration across the content areas of English/language arts, history/social studies, mathematics and the natural sciences is recommended though other majors may be selected with the approval of the special education program.

The special education pre-professional program enables one to become knowledgeable about the characteristics, diagnosis and remediation of children with developmental delays, learning and behavior problems. Study in the areas of emotional disturbance, learning disabilities and mental retardation is included and students completing the five year licensure program are prepared to serve as teachers of students with disabilities in a variety of educational placements. The licensure program is designed to prepare resilient educators who are advocates for children and youth with disabilities, are qualified for the complexity of their professional roles and are reflective problem-solvers. The program includes extensive field experiences.

Students should consult with the department head or undergraduate coordinator early during the first year or as soon thereafter as possible to obtain information concerning General Education, IDLS or other liberal arts or science majors, and special education requirements as well as the requirements for admission to Teacher Education. It is important for students to understand that they must meet the requirements for a baccalaureate degree and successfully complete all undergraduate pre-professional courses and experiences prior to being fully admitted to the M.Ed. program. Students must complete the M.Ed. program satisfactorily in order to be recommended for a teaching license in special education through JMU.

Students should note that prerequisites and corequisites are required for many of the courses included in the pre-professional special education program. Exceptions to meeting those requirements must be approved by the Exceptional Education department head.

Students should also be aware that program requirements may change at any time reflecting changes in teacher licensure enacted by the Virginia Department of Education or other accrediting agencies after the catalog copy is approved. Therefore, it is especially important for students to confer with their advisers and the program coordinator on a regular basis.

For students choosing the early childhood special education track, the program may lead to eligibility for a teaching license to teach children with disabilities, birth through age five.

To be recommended for licensure, all students must meet the following requirements:

• Complete General Education and IDLS/liberal arts or science major requirements.
• Complete the special education pre-professional program as it corresponds to the related teaching track.
• Meet all admission and retention criteria for teacher education.
• Meet admission requirements for the special education M.Ed. program.
• Complete the graduate portion of the licensure program.

• Dr. Solange Lopes-Murphy, Program Adviser
• Phone: (540) 568-2936
• E-mail: lopesmsa@jmu.edu

The mission of the minor in Teaching English as a Second Language is to prepare students to work effectively in promoting English language acquisition by children and adults who have not used English as their primary language. The minor will also serve to develop knowledge of cross-cultural education. The TESL minor draws heavily upon theories of linguistics, research on social and cultural variables that influence second language acquisition, and the knowledge required to facilitate second language learning.

Individuals who complete the program are prepared to design activities to accommodate the linguistic and social needs of ESL students in PreK-12 and to serve as resource persons for classroom teachers.

The requirements for adding the ESL teaching endorsement are:

• Completion of teacher licensure requirements in another teaching area prior to completing this program.
• Completion of course work in a language other than English with proficiency at the intermediate level or above as determined by the JMU Foreign Language Department.
• Completion of the 18 credit hour minor in TESL (outlined above) and the 12 hours of professional courses given below.

• ESL teachers need to develop theories of teaching and learning, understand the nature of teacher decision-making in working with non-native language speakers, and develop their personal strategies for self-awareness and self-evaluation.
• ESL teachers should have proficiency at the intermediate level in at least one language other than English and possess a broad range of knowledge that provides the cultural context for teaching students from differing cultural backgrounds.
• ESL teachers must be reflective decision-makers based upon professional preparation that develops critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

• Dr. Cheryl Beverly, Program Adviser
• Phone: (540) 568-6262
• E-mail: beverlcl@jmu.edu