Letter for the Freshman Orientation Packet
Swarthmore College Education —> State Review
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Education at Swarthmore College
The goals of the Education Program at Swarthmore are to enable students to investigate educational theory, policy, research and practice from a variety of disciplinary perpsectives as well as to prepare students to enter the teaching profession, to work in the areas of educational research or policy and/or to do graduate study in Education or a related field. The Program encourages undergraduates to think critically and creatively about the processes of teaching and learning and about the place of education in society. The Program also is committed to preparing undergraduates to equitably and responsibly meet the needs of all students in an era of rapidly increasing racial, ethnic and linguistic diversity and technological change and to develop students’ abilities to fully participate in the civic, cultural and economic arenas. Students interested in Education at Swarthmore may complete the requirements for teacher certification and/or design a Special Major in Education and another discipline in either the Course or Honors Program.
Pennsylvania Teacher Certification
Swarthmore College offers competency-based teacher certification programs, approved by the State of Pennsylvania, in Biology, Chemistry, English, French, German, Mathematics, Spanish, and Social Studies (Beginning with the class of 2005, however, students will not be able to be certified in Social Studies. History, Economics and Political Science majors will complete Citizenship Education certification and Psychology and Sociology/ Anthropology majors will complete Social Science certification.) Students take a total of seven course credits in Education, including Introduction to Education (a PDC typically taken by l/3 of each graduating class, most of whom are not planning to teach), Educational Psychology, Adolescence, Curriculum and Methods, an Education elective of their choice, and Practice Teaching (a double credit course). To be certified, they also complete a major in their area of certification. As part of the certification program, students teach for a minimum of twelve weeks and receive weekly supervision from the College. Placement during Practice Teaching is available in a range of public (urban and suburban) and private schools, including several Friends schools, in the Philadelphia area. Students who would like certification in Elementary Education can do so through a collaborative program with Eastern College.
Students in Pennsylvania must have completed 48 credits (or12 Swarthmore College credits) to be admitted to the teacher certification program. In most cases, application for admission to the certification program is completed at the same time as the Sophomore Paper. For admission, students must have the following grade point averages: If a student enters the program in 2001-2002, they must have a GPA of 2.6, if in 2002-2003, they must have a GPA of 2.8; those entering from 2003-2004 on must have a GPA of 3.0. As alternatives to the 3.0 grade point average, Swarthmore College is allowed by Pennsylvania to grant waivers for admission under the certain conditions that will allow virtually all undergraduates at the College to be admitted to the certification program. Applicants admitted to the certification program must also present evidence of having completed 6 credits, or the equivalent, in college level Math courses and 6 credits, or the equivalent, in college level English courses. In the case of the Math requirement, courses outside of Math that fulfill the Natural Science Division distribution requirements can be substituted. AP credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5 in English Literature, English Composition, Calculus AB or AB/BC or Statistics will be accepted as the equivalent of three credits of English or Math..Scores of 560 or better on the SAT II Math Level 1C or IIC exam and scores of 600 or better on the SAT II Writing exam also will be accepted as the equivalent of three credits in the respective areas.
Teacher certification candidates in the Swarthmore College Program in Education are prepared to meet the standards required by PA Chapter 354 and Chapter 4 and to pass the PRAXIS teacher exams required by Pennsylvania. Swarthmore graduates have a l00% pass rate on all of the required PRAXIS exams. Pennsylvania teacher certification is reciprocal in most states.The course requirements for certification in specific subject areas are available on line at www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/Education/ and will also be handed out in all sections of Introduction to Education.
Introduction to Education
Introduction to Education, Education l4, is the prerequisite for other courses in Education. Most students take this course in the Spring Semester of their Freshman year or during the Fall or Spring Semester their Sophomore year. There are a few openings, however, for first year students in the Fall Semester.
Please see Eva Travers, Education Program Chair, if you have further questions.
