Isabelle Farrington College of Education
JAMES “JIM” C. CARL, PhD
Dean
The Isabelle Farrington College of Education fosters the development of women and men who demonstrate intellectual and professional integrity, value compassionate service to others, and take leading roles in communities governed by spiritual and moral values. As a professional college within a Catholic university rooted in the liberal arts, the Farrington College of Education is committed to providing learning experiences built upon deep respect for the dignity of the human person and a recognition of the responsibility of each individual to contribute to creating a more just society.
The College strives to teach educators the skills necessary for ethical responses to new and ever changing circumstances of a future filled with discoveries, technological advancements, and social change. The College provides opportunities for teacher candidates to gain knowledge, experience, skills, and values essential to begin a first career. The College is committed to professional and academic excellence, and measures this by the quality of its faculty, programs, resources, and candidates’ achievements. The college’s cooperation with professional partners in the PK–12 schools ensures that our candidates benefit from integrated academic, internship, and clinical experiences. This collaboration enriches the educational endeavors of the community and instills an ethic of service.
A key partner is Horizons at SHU. Located within the College, this summer and weekend program provides academic enrichment and social support to children in the Bridgeport schools.
Mission and Conceptual Framework
Guided by University and College mission statements, the faculty of the Farrington College prepare men and women to live in and make their contributions to the human community. Our primary purpose is to develop the capacities, talents, and abilities of our teacher candidates through an integration of theory and practice in a performance-based program. Our teacher candidates possess the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to facilitate the learning of all students. The overarching theme of our conceptual framework is “Promoting a Culture of Excellence in a Changing World,” based on our belief that a culture of excellence is promoted through four underlying principles: the educational practitioner possesses a comprehensive, integrated, and context-dependent professional knowledge base; effectively utilizes natural and acquired personal and professional skills; cultivates and consistently demonstrates professional dispositions and commitments; and is responsive to cultural, professional, and technological changes in the educational environment. The Farrington College of Education is committed to meeting the highest state and national standards for educator preparation. All degrees and certifications are approved by the Connecticut State Department of Education. The College follows state and national guidelines in all of its programs.
Teacher Preparation and Initial Certification
The Department of Teacher Education offers a professional curriculum approved by the state of Connecticut for certification as elementary and secondary school teachers. Prospective teachers must major in an academic discipline in addition to completing the teacher certification sequence. Thus, the teacher-graduate not only enters the job market with more than one skill, but also possesses an excellent academic background and a high level of professional competence.
Teacher education programs focus on the personal growth of the teacher, as well as the social and emotional qualities conducive to teaching effectiveness. The components of the program—coursework, fieldwork, and student teaching—assist candidates in broadening their knowledge of the academic content areas along with the pedagogical and developmental practices that support learning and active inquiry. Fieldwork and student teaching are specially designed to help candidates experience the interrelationship between educational theory and practice.
The Teacher Education department offers several teacher certification choices: Elementary Education Grades 1–6, Secondary Biology 7–12, Secondary Chemistry 7–12, Secondary English 7–12, Secondary General Science 7–12, Secondary History and Social Studies 7–12, Secondary Mathematics 7–12, and Spanish 7–12. These programs require the completion of 36 credits in the professional education sequence, of which 21 credits are completed by undergraduates. Additional University-approved credits are also required in each of the programs. For example, 3 credits in U.S. History is required.
Five-Year Program
There are two routes by which a candidate can achieve recommendation for initial teacher certification: the five-year program and the post-baccalaureate program.
Sacred Heart undergraduates apply for admission to the College of Education in spring of their sophomore year, complete seven certification courses while also satisfying BA/BS requirements, and complete the initial certification requirements in the fifth year. In addition, candidates complete the requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. During the fifth year, candidates also may serve as interns in the public schools. This internship includes a benefit equal to the tuition cost of 30 graduate credits. See the Department of Teacher Education for details of the graduate internship. For students in the five-year program only, the 400-level methods and curriculum courses are also applied to the requirements of the MAT degree. Including the seven undergraduate education courses, candidates in the program complete a total of 60 credits of professional education.
Students seeking certification as elementary school teachers major in Interdisciplinary Studies. Students seeking certification as secondary school teachers major in the corresponding academic discipline. Students seeking certification as elementary educators with cross-endorsement in art education major in Art and Design.
Post-Baccalaureate Program
Candidates seeking teacher certification may elect to postpone the planned program leading to initial certification until they have completed the bachelor’s degree. Sacred Heart undergraduates choosing this route apply for admission to the College of Education during fall of their senior year and begin education coursework as early as the late spring semester following undergraduate commencement.
Candidates also complete requirements for the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. Internship opportunities are available for two semesters of the full program (certification plus MAT). Teacher certification requires 36 credits; the MAT degree requires an additional 12 credits of graduate work that can be typically completed within two years. Specific details of the post-baccalaureate program are provided in the Graduate Catalog.
Horizons at SHU
JEFFREY RUMPF, MS
Executive Director
Horizons at Sacred Heart University is an affiliate of Horizons National, an organization that provides academic and social support to underserved children in urban areas. Horizons at SHU serves children and youth from the City of Bridgeport with the purpose of narrowing the academic achievement gap between city and suburban students. The program’s mission is to create a dynamic learning environment during the summer and on Saturdays during the school year. The children spend their time honing their literacy and math skills as well as enjoying cultural and physical activities such as swimming, violin and guitar instruction, dance and gymnastics, gardening, science experimentation, martial arts, and more.
International Opportunities
The Farrington College of Education offers international experiences in Dingle, Ireland and Cartago, Costa Rica. These programs are open to all teacher preparation candidates as well as others considering careers in education.
The Irish experience takes place during the winter intensive session. Candidates experience the Irish educational system in an up close and personal way, observing classrooms in action, learning from Irish teachers and administrators, and meeting Irish teacher candidates. The course ED 341 Irish & American Education in Comparative Perspective counts in lieu of ED 152 Education in the United States or ED 229 Multicultural Education. For candidates who have already taken these courses, the Irish course also may serve as an MAT elective.
The Costa Rican experience takes place during the summer. Candidates take classes at the Costa Rica Institute of Technology and stay with host families. They enroll in a Spanish-language course and ED 301 Exploring Teaching in Costa Rica. The education course counts in lieu of ED 229 Multicultural Education course or it serves as an MAT elective.
Faculty
Department of Teacher Education
ANTOINETTE BRUCIATI, PhD
Associate Professor
KAREN CHRISTENSEN, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Griswold Campus
ERIC B. FREEDMAN, PhD
Assistant Professor
MICHAEL GIARRATANO, ABD
Department Chair and Clinical Assistant Professor
VELMA HELLER, PhD
Director of Elementary Education and Clinical Assistant Professor
KEVIN LINER , MA
Instructor
MARIA LIZANO-DIMARE, EdD
Associate Professor
KARL M. LORENZ, EdD
Director of Secondary Education and Clinical Associate Professor
EDWARD T. MURRAY, PhD
Director of Master’s Programs and Associate Professor
GERALD NEIPP, EdD
Clinical Assistant Professor
TERRY NEU, PhD
Director of Special Education and Clinical Assistant Professor
SUSAN RINGLER PET, PhD
Assistant Professor
LAUREN J. RAPACKI , PhD
Assistant Professor
CIMA SEDIGH, EdD
Director of Five-Year Program and Associate Professor
MARY YAKIMOWSKI, PhD
Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor
Department of Leadership and Literacy
CHARLES BRITTON, EdD
Assistant Professor
CYNTHIA A. DIETERICH, PhD
Assistant Professor
THOMAS FORGET, PhD
Associate Professor
MARK E. FRIZZELL , PhD
Clinical Assistant Professor
RANDALL GLADING, PhD
Assistant Professor and Department Chair
KRISTIN RAINVILLE, EdD
Assistant Professor
DAVID TITLE , EdD
Assistant Professor
KAREN WATERS, EdD
Director of Literacy Programs and Clinical Assistant Professor
MARY E. YAKIMOWSKI, PhD
Assistant Dean and Assistant Professor
Application Process
Undergraduate candidates apply for admission to the five-year program in the fall of their sophomore year and begin professional education coursework in their junior year. Applicants who are entering the post-baccalaureate program may apply during fall semester of their senior year. All applications are managed through the Graduate Admissions Office.
Sacred Heart University adheres to all state regulations regarding teacher preparation.
Candidates must meet the following entrance requirements:
- Complete the Online Graduate Education Form.
- Pass the Core Academic Skills for Educators exam or qualify for Connecticut Department of Education waiver.
- Provide evidence of state and national criminal history background check.
- Present an essay (1–2 pages) discussing a recent experience interacting with children and/or youth and how this experience relates to expectations for a teaching career.
- Meet with a faculty advisor in the Department of Teacher Education to review transcripts and develop a preliminary plan of study.
- Maintain a cumulative undergraduate GPA of at least 2.67.