Education

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A teacher demonstrates the use of a microscope to grade-school children

Insight

The School of Education (SOE) develops effective, reflective, and engaged educators who value the identities of all students, their families, and the communities they serve. Central to our preparation programs is an extensive clinical practice that animates our vision to prepare innovative educators to serve in classrooms, local communities, and across global contexts with a deep commitment to justice-oriented approaches that elevate educational experiences, opportunities, and life outcomes for all learners while collectively working toward liberation for oppressed peoples. 

Effective, reflective, and engaged education candidates learn to provide meaningful educational experiences that promote achievement of learning objectives for all learners, based on knowledge of content, of learners, and of pedagogy and informed by appropriate assessment and analysis; they continuously reflect on and improve their own professional practice, based on information gleaned from data analysis, experts, peers, and research; and they collaborate with others to serve as instructional leaders, team members, and advocates in their schools, districts, and professional organizations. 

Experience

Credential candidates in all School of Education pathways participate in teaching practica that provide a developmental sequence of carefully planned substantive, supervised quality field experiences in diverse K-12 classroom settings. Experiences include opportunities to observe and apply democratic and collaborative practices such as co-teaching, another hallmark of the SOE’s clinical practice. Linking theory with practice, credential candidates and teachers work alongside students in their school site classrooms, employing laboratory practices in their P-12 classrooms, local communities, and beyond. SOE site supervisors, credential candidates, and District Employed Supervisors (DES) participate in a five-stage clinical supervision model that includes a pre-conference, observation and data collection, data analysis, post-conference, and reflection. Together, these clinical practice teams prepare highly qualified educators who are effective, reflective, and engaged.

Outlook

Chico State’s reputation of producing beginning teachers who are prepared to teach on day one is well-founded and well supported by evidence. According to the 2022 Commission on Teacher Credentialing Completer Survey, the majority of candidates who completed Chico State's credential program (Multiple Subject, Single Subject or Education Specialist) expressed feeling  “well prepared” or “very well prepared” to teach and meet student needs in their subject areas.

In addition, each year the School of Education hosts the Education Hiring Fair where more than 100 school districts come to Chico State to meet with teacher candidates. At this event, candidates can sign up for one-on-one or group sessions with district administrators, and administrator feedback from this event indicates that our graduates are highly regarded. The majority of our candidates receive and accept job offers during the final semester of the program. 

To help students prepare for this event, the School of Education hosts EdShop, with support from the Chico State Career Center and local school administrators. During this event, candidates learn about resumes, cover letters, interviewing skills, etc., and get to spend time with administrators in breakout rooms discussing interview techniques, what to look for in a future employer, and how to begin one’s career well-informed and well-prepared for the rigors of the education profession.

Accreditation

The School of Education and its programs are fully accredited by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC).

Programs

Undergraduate

Minors

Credentials

Graduate

Master's

Certificates