College of Education and Human Development

Mission

The College of Education and Human Development offers undergraduate degree programs through the School of Education and Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in Elementary Teacher Education, Early Childhood Education, Human Relations Administration and Human Services.  The college also offers five minors: Disabilities Studies, Educational Studies, Educational Technology, Human Development and Family Sciences, and Race, Culture and Equity in Education. 

Advisement

The College of Education and Human Development’s Student Services Unit coordinates orientation activities for new students, supports academic advisement, administers academic policy, and maintains students’ records. Students with academic questions or concerns, those interested in becoming involved in special opportunities available to College of Education and Human Development students, and those experiencing academic difficulties are all encouraged to contact their assigned faculty or professional advisor. For additional assistance and information, College of Education and Human Development students are welcome to contact the College of Education and Human Development Student Services Unit at (302) 831-2396 or email CEHD-advise@udel.edu.

Academic Enrichment Opportunities

The College of Education and Human Development is committed to students’ success and provides the resources and support services that will enable students to fully participate in the opportunities available throughout their undergraduate years. Undergraduates have an unequaled opportunity to gain valuable practical experience that complements their academic studies by participating in internships and practicum experiences in schools as well as projects through the College of Education and Human Development’s public service and research centers.

The College of Education and Human Development also promotes opportunities for students to enhance their undergraduate experience through the Dean’s Scholars Program; the College of Education and Human Development Summer Scholars Program; service, leadership and mentoring experiences; undergraduate research; and study abroad opportunities. All academic areas offer an Honors degree including research opportunities leading to a senior thesis for the Honors Degree with Distinction or the Degree with Distinction.

Dean’s Scholar Program

Teacher Education Programs

Responsibility for the coordination of the teacher education programs rests with the University Council on Teacher Education (UCTE). Teacher education programs in specific areas are administered by the Colleges of Arts and Sciences; Education and Human Development; Earth, Ocean, and Environment, and Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. Students who would like information about a teacher education program can contact one of the following coordinators:

4 + 1 PROGRAMS

Students have the opportunity to complete a traditional four-year bachelor’s program plus a master’s program in one additional (+1) year in six 4+1 programs.

• Autism/Severe Disabilities - UD students in the early childhood education major or elementary teacher education major/special education concentration can become eligible for teacher certification in autism/severe disabilities and earn an M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth in the +1 year.
• Elementary Special Education - UD students in secondary education majors or the elementary teacher education major/English as a Second Language, middle school, or urban education concentrations can become eligible for teacher certification in special education and earn a M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth in the +1 year.
• Secondary Special Education - UD students in secondary education majors or the elementary teacher education major/middle school concentrations can become eligible for teacher certification in special education and earn an M.Ed. in Exceptional Children and Youth in the +1 year.
  • For information about the above three special education 4+1 programs, contact: Dr. Joshua Wilson, (302) 831-2955, joshwils@udel.edu or Dr. Bridget Duda, (302) 831-8695, bduda@udel.edu.
• Teaching English as a Second Language - UD students in the undergraduate English major can earn the M.A. in TESL in the +1 year and become eligible for certification in English as a Second Language in 1.5 years. This does not presently apply to any other undergraduate majors.  Contact: Dr. Scott Stevens, (302) 831-2674, sstevens@udel.edu.
• Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education - UD students in the Early Childhood Education major complete advanced coursework and earn an M.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences with a concentration in Early Childhood Development and Inclusive Education in the +1 year.  Contact: Dr. Lynn Worden, (302) 831-6500, worden@udel.edu.
• Childhood Foreign Language Education - UD students in the early childhood education major or elementary teacher education major who demonstrate a minimum level of proficiency in Spanish can earn the M.A. in Childhood Foreign Language Education in the +1 year. Contact: Dr. Cristina Guardiola-Griffiths, (302) 831-1861, cmgm@udel.edu.

Field Experiences (Including Student Teaching)

Many courses include field experiences in which teacher candidates can develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions by working in settings with children and youth. University Council on Teacher Education policy requires that teacher candidates taking a course with a field placement have three types of clearances:

1. A valid federal and State of Delaware criminal background check on file in the Office of Clinical Studies by the first day of the semester.
2. A cleared TB test on file with Student Health Services before the first day of the placement.
3. A Child Protection Registry Form before the first day of the placement.

Teacher candidates must also complete safety and Stewards of Children training to be prepared for the field.  They must successfully complete safety training by the second week of the semester of their first field experience. Additionally, all teacher candidates, regardless of whether or not they completed safety training prior to their junior year, must successfully complete the safety training by the end of the second week of the fall semester of the junior year. Teacher candidates may not attend field placements after the second week of the semester unless such documentation is on file with OCS. 

For information regarding the field experiences, contact the Office of Clinical Studies at clinicalstudies@udel.edu or visit their website. 

Teacher candidates must complete additional requirements to student teach, including course prerequisites, minimum GPA requirements, passing required competency tests, and other criteria as designated by their program. Consult the appropriate teacher education coordinator from the above list for the exact GPA requirements and other policies concerning qualifications for field experiences. 

Assessment Policies

Teacher candidates must meet the UCTE policy for entry into student teaching by meeting at least one of the following criteria:

1. Earn a GPA of at least 3.0 based on the most recent two years of the candidate’s general education.
2. Achieve an approved “College Ready” score in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics, per the chart on the Entry to Student Teaching webpage.
3. Be selected for entry by the candidate’s program under the 10% Waiver Policy per the policies on the Program-Specific Student Teaching Requirements webpage.

Individual programs may have additional requirements.  Teacher candidates should check with their program coordinator.

To receive institutional recommendation from the University of Delaware, teacher candidates must complete a state-approved teacher education program, earn a passing score on the Praxis Subject Assessment associated with that program, and earn a passing score on an approved performance assessment.  Teacher candidates must pass all required tests within one year of their graduation date.

Accreditation and Program Approval

The professional education unit of the University of Delaware is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The individual teacher education programs have received state-approved program status and have been recognized by national specialty organizations as having met their standards.

Certification

Teacher candidates who complete a University of Delaware state-approved teacher education program, including achieving a passing score on all tests required by the State of Delaware for teacher certification within one year of their graduation date, will receive the University’s institutional recommendation for teacher certification. Upon receiving the University’s recommendation, teacher candidates must apply for certification through the individual state’s Department of Education. Licensure requirements may change from year to year. Teacher candidates must meet licensure requirements at the time of their graduation, which may be different from licensure requirements in effect at the time they entered the University of Delaware. Each year, teacher candidates should consult the information posted on the University of Delaware’s Teacher Education website. For additional information regarding teacher licensure and certification, call (302) 831-3000 or email dcte-cert@udel.edu.

Delaware Center For Teacher Education
The Delaware Center for Teacher Education (DCTE) in the College of Education and Human Development, provides support services for all professional education programs. DCTE is the home of the Office of Certification and Accreditation, the Office of Clinical Studies, and Alternate Routes To Certification, and is affiliated with the Education Resource Center. For information about DCTE or one of these divisions call (302) 831-3000 or visit the website.

University Council on Teacher Education
The University Council on Teacher Education (UCTE) ensures that the University of Delaware offers only professional education programs of high quality that are in full compliance with State and national standards. The Council establishes, reviews, and approves policies pertaining to selecting, retaining, screening, and recommending candidates for licensure, clinical experiences, and other related matters as they pertain to professional education programs. For information about UCTE, visit the website.

Discovery and Service-Based Learning Opportunities and Clinical Experiences

As a professional, service-oriented college, the College of Education and Human Development stresses opportunities for learning through experiences that require students in all of our academic programs to apply their academic training and encourage them to develop their newly acquired skills and knowledge. The College of Education and Human Development has a unique combination of facilities that provide a wide range of practical experience settings and offers special programs that encourage personal and professional development.  Undergraduate students can also learn from valuable practical experience that complements their academic studies by working with faculty, staff and graduate students in the College of Education and Human Development’s public service and research centers or at one of our many partner agencies in local businesses, community organizations and schools. The College of Education and Human Development has a unique combination of facilities that provide a wide range of practical experience settings, and the College offers special programs that encourage personal and professional development. Undergraduate students can also learn from valuable practical experience that complements their academic studies by working with faculty, staff and graduate students in the College of Education and Human Development’s public service and research centeror at one of our many partner agencies in local businesses, community organizations and schools.  The College of Education and Human Development receives funding from the Delaware General Assembly to support undergraduates who are working on projects that benefit the people of Delaware.

The following units offer special opportunities for undergraduate student participation:

• The College School is a school-year program that provides a supportive educational setting to children with learning differences.  Serving students in grades 1-8, The College School offers a rigorous and engaging curriculum, unique to a University setting. While not every student attending TCS has academic or social challenges that impact school success, ALL benefit from the personalized and encouraging approach it offers. Aspiring to provide a foundation that promotes best practice, research-based programs and an engaged community of students and families, The College School also serves as a laboratory site for University students aspiring to be teachers or practice in related educational fields.  The College School is located in Newark, DE on the University of Delaware’s Children’s Campus.   For further information, please visit www.collegeschool.udel.edu or call (302) 831-0222.
• The Early Learning Center is a National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited program and has obtained the highest quality rating by the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood.  Housed within the Department of Human Development and Family Studies, the Early Learning Center is a state-of-the-art inclusive early care and education facility.  The ELC offers quality childcare, PreK learning, and School-Age After Care and Summer Adventure program for children and families of all racial and economic backgrounds.  As an Inclusive Early Learning program, partnerships at the Early Learning Center include local school districts, New Directions Head Start, state of Delaware ECAP program and state Mental Health professionals as well as multiple programs within the UD campus. The ELC provides technical assistance and training for community early learning programs; is a laboratory for faculty and student researchers from several UD colleges; and a hands-on learning site for graduate and undergraduate students from across the campus in addition to area Vocational Students practicing Early Education and Care.  The ELC is also affiliated with the National Coalition of Campus Childcare.  For more information, please see https://www.elc.udel.edu/, or contact Dr. Diana Morello-DeSerio, Director, dmorello@udel.edu.
• The Laboratory School - 

  Housed within the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Education and Human Development, the University of Delaware Lab School welcomes over 175 children and their families annually to their developmentally supportive and inclusive part-time and full-time programs that range from infants to kindergarten. It has been awarded national accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the highest quality rating by the Delaware Institute for Excellence in Early Childhood. It is affiliated with the National Coalition of Campus Children’s Centers and the International Association of Laboratory Schools. Each year, the Lab School provides field placement experiences for more than 300 UD students preparing to enter fields of education, human services, psychology, social work, medicine, and more. The Lab School engages in curriculum development, exploratory studies, and is a research site for university faculty and students.

  The Lab School, located at 459 Wyoming Road on the Children’s Campus, opened in 1934 as among the first child study laboratories on university campuses, continues to fulfill the three part mission of Laboratory Schools:

• It provides supervised clinical experiences for University students preparing for professionals in fields serving young children and their families; all Early Childhood Education majors and students from majors across the University receive skilled coaching and mentoring from Master Teachers and other members of the Laboratory School staff.
• It serves as a site for research on young children, early learning, teaching, teachers, curriculum, and families of young children by University faculty, undergraduate and graduate students and the UD Laboratory School staff.
• It provides exemplary inclusive early education programs for area children and their families and serves as a model of high quality curriculum and teaching for early childhood practitioners in the region.

For further information visit www.labpreschool.udel.edu or contact Dr. Dorit Radnai-Griffin, Director, (doritrg@udel.edu).

THE COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS AND RESEARCH ASSISTANTSHIPS

The College of Education and Human Development offers students many opportunities for public and community service research assistantships and internships through its research and public service units. Undergraduates are able to work closely with faculty, staff and graduate students on key issues involving children, families, schools, communities, the environment, consumers and service institutions, and public policies. The following College of Education and Human Development research and public service centers, profiled in detail in the “Research Centers, Institutes, and Special Facilities” section of the corresponding Graduate Catalog, offer public and community research assistantships and internship opportunities:

• Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS)
• Center for Research in Education and Social Policy (CRESP)
• Delaware Academy for School Leadership (DASL)
• Delaware Center for Teacher Education (DCTE)
• Delaware Education Research and Development Center
• Early Learning Center
• Office of Educational Technology

Departments and Programs