A college student who plans for a career as a teacher must pursue a curriculum in teacher education, which leads to a Bachelor Science in Education degree and meets the academic requirements for a license to teach in the public schools of West Virginia.

All options have been organized in such a way that teacher education candidates completing this National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher (NCATE) and West Virginia Board of Education approved program may seek and have granted a West Virginia teaching license.

If candidates desire to teach in a state other than West Virginia, the NCATE approved program completed at West Virginia State University may qualify the candidates for a comparable initial certificate in the state of their choice. To be certain, the candidates should obtain the requirements of other states by contacting the appropriate state certification agency and use this information in planning their program of studies with their advisers.

Graduates of the program must firmly believe that all public school students can learn. This program requires candidates to demonstrate that (1) They are focused on public school student achievement and success. (2) They are role models for public school students. (3) They have the potential to be a member of the teaching profession. Candidates must demonstrate these three dispositions throughout the program that requires the completion of a rigorous academic content specialization, combined with a complementary sequence of related general education courses, and a professional sequence of education courses that contain at least 800 clock hours of field placements and student teaching.

The following student outcomes provide the bases for the Secondary Education program.

• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in the subject matter(s) of their chosen content specialization.
• Demonstrate understanding of diverse learners, learning processes, and pedagogy by planning, teaching, and assessing lessons that are developmentally appropriate and address national and state standards.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in integration of technology as well as the twenty-first century learning tools and skills in their own teaching as well as the learning processes of their students.
• Demonstrate the dispositions of a member of the teaching profession and exhibit behaviors congruent with the Teacher as a Human Developer conceptual framework.
• Demonstrate knowledge and skills in creating and maintaining effective learning communities by promoting communication within the school and its community and by developing classroom management frameworks that value diverse abilities and talents of all its members and facilitate respect for all students.

These outcomes are addressed in course content, with relevant class assignments, field experiences, student assessments, and program evaluation components and are articulated by the theme for the West Virginia State University teacher preparation program: Teacher as HUMAN Developer. The theme serves as a unifying concept or framework for the entire program, and conveys the essence of the philosophy regarding good teaching. Outcomes for program completers will be measured by multi-modal methods, including faculty panel review, grade point requirements, portfolios, performance assessments, evaluations in field experiences by qualified supervisors, speaking opportunities, exams, projects, and state and national assessments required by the West Virginia Board of Education. Additional information is contained in the Teacher Education Handbook, purchased by each candidate in Education 200.