St. John's in the Spring

About

About the School of Education

Established in 1908, the St. John’s University School of Education was the second school in New York State to award graduate degrees to teachers. Today, the School has four departments: Department of Curriculum and Instruction; the Department of Administrative and Instructional Leadership; the Department of Education Specialties; and the Department of Counselor Education. In 2002, U.S. News and World Report featured the School in its list of "America’s Best Graduate Schools."

The School of Education has four major goals, consistent with the mission and distinctive purposes of St. John's University: to foster a culture of academic excellence and commitment to moral values; to provide for the professional development of faculty and students; to support and encourage excellence in teaching and scholarly research; and to serve as a partner and resource to the larger educational community. Specifically, the School’s purpose is to:

Mission

The School of Education prepares professionals and scholars who advocate for equitable, ethical education. We embrace culturally responsive, evidence-based practices that challenge students to be vanguards of powerful and positive changes in the world.

Vision

We envision excellence and innovation in socially responsible education that fosters intellectual curiosity, advocacy, and leadership in the local and global communities we serve.

Core Values

  • Ethical Leadership
  • Global Perspectives and Diversity
  • Integrity
  • Innovation
  • Social Responsibility

Strategic Goals

Goal 1: To provide technology-enriched academic programs, and innovative, flexible, scholarly pedagogical experiences that will ensure 100% of the School of Education’s graduates will enter the profession fully prepared to advocate for equitable social change.

  • Purposeful design, teaching, and assessment that is engaging, meaningful, and accessible to all.
  • Teaching that incorporates dynamic practices with an awareness of different learning styles.
  • Using varied means of assessment to promote student academic success and well-being.
  • Teaching that attends to students’ different social identities and backgrounds.
  • Design, teaching, and assessment activities that deliberately cultivate an environment in which all students are treated fairly, have equal access to learning, feel welcome, valued, challenged, and supported in succeeding academically.

Goal 2: To effectively integrate technology into a learning design that will create an active student learning experience.

  • Internal or external professional development on the effective use of technology.
  • Use technology to increase equity, inclusion, and to advance teaching and learning.
  • Create a culture in which students are empowered to use technology in innovative ways.
  • Develop a technology-enriched learning environment that enables all students to become active participants in managing their own learning.

Goal 3: To produce the highest quality of innovative research and scholarly activity that promotes equity and access.

Goal 4: To enhance our ability to become an antiracist School of Education.

  • Examine curriculum (course content, syllabi, resources) and implement a plan to educate students on issues of social justice and implications within their respective fields of study.
  • Examine internal policies and practices and develop a plan to eliminate bias.
  • Participate in internal or external training or workshops to understand implicit bias, microaggression, race, power, and privilege that will help advance racial equity.

Objectives

  • Afford a vibrant learning experience that supports the intellectual, professional and moral development of students.
  • Provide programs that enable the School’s students to function effectively and professionally in today’s dynamic, multicultural, multi-ethnic society.
  • Encourage students to develop a personal education philosophy consistent with the University's mission.
  • Foster basic and applied research in education and human services, in an environment that encourages collaboration among students and faculty.
  • Serve as a resource center to the educational community at large by providing leadership and supportive services for local, state and national associations; sponsoring professional meetings and seminars; and offering consultative services for schools and community agencies.

Affiliations

The School of Education is a member of the:

  • American Association of Colleges of Teacher Education (AACTE)
  • University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)
  • The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
  • Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP)