The Department of Curriculum and Instruction proudly boasts of its status as the oldest department at Grambling State University. Accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) since 1964, the department awaits an NCATE visit for re-accreditation in March 2009.
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction, like the university, is committed to enhancing services to the community and state by preparing certified teacher candidates who are scholars, teachers, learners and nurturers. The mission of Grambling’s teacher education program is to prepare certified teachers and other school personnel to effectively educate diverse student populations in pre-K through 12 school settings. In this endeavor, the department has collaborative relationships with the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science and Technology, local school districts, and other stakeholders, to ensure that program completers possess and demonstrate knowledge and skills reflective of standards specified by the University, State Board of Education, regional and national accrediting bodies as well as the department’s conceptual framework. The mission is accomplished in part by classroom experiences, use of technology, field-based experiences, professional and pre-professional experiences through meetings and conferences, research, student organizations and community service.
With more than 450 declared curriculum and instruction candidates, the department consists of 17 degree programs serving PK-3 to 7-12 students while offering both undergraduate and graduate degrees.
Effective summer 2002, the first cohort of candidates entered GSU’s state approved Practitioner Teacher Program designed as an alternative certification route to increase the pool of certified teachers in the state of Louisiana. Additionally, in keeping with the national demand for competent, certified teachers, GSU collaboratively redesigned the baccalaureate curriculum and instruction programs and aligned them with state and national standards to ensure that all teacher candidates and educational leaders receive the highest quality of instruction and practical experiences.
In an effort to assist candidates with successfully passing required PRAXIS examinations, the department makes available various opportunities for teaching and learning experiences to assess test readiness. For example, the most recent venture is the collaboration of the Division of Continuing Education and Special Programs with the department to offer a series of PRAXIS workshops. Through “Project ACHIEVE”, faculty in the department using activities and strategies designed to address specific content areas and test-taking skills will conduct PRAXIS Preparation Workshops. Additionally, Professional Accountability Courses such as ED 208, ED 209, and ED 210 will cover specifics respectively for PRAXIS I, PRAXIS II, and Principles of Learning and Teaching. Furthermore, computer labs are available with software such as PLATO to enable test practice.
In other related events, a PRAXIS Preparation Library is forthcoming to house information and materials useful for preparing for exam. Grambling also has the state adopted PASS-PORT electronic system for data- based collection, monitoring, and assessing student achievement. PASS-PORT, systems for tracking candidates’ progress and growth, teacher candidates as well as faculty can self-submit data related to standards and requirements at national, state, and local levels.
