Academics

The M.A.T. and M.Ed. are professional programs; students are expected to attend all classes and field trips in the program as well as to be prepared for class unless family illness or an emergency prevents them from doing so. The G.P.E. Office should be notified by phone or e-mail in case of absence.

Compliance with Earlham College Policies and Procedures

As members of the College community, M.A.T. and M.Ed. students are expected to adhere to the policies of Earlham College. Many of the policies included in the Earlham College Curriculum Guideand/or the Earlham College Student Handbook have special application to graduate students. Of particular importance are the Mission Statement, Community Principles and Practices, A Model of Religious Life and the Learning Disability Policy. Policies concerning alcohol, illegal drugs and firearms, smoking, academic integrity, non-discrimination and harassment apply to graduate students as do policies for Safety and Security. All College policies are available online.

Immediate dismissal from the program may occur for illegal or unethical behavior inconsistent with school, state or federal laws, or the Earlham College Community Principles and Practices.

Graduate students are billed through the Earlham College Business Office following the College's billing, payment and refund policies.

The traditional letter grades "A - F" with a plus or minus are used in grading G.P.E. students. However, graduate students must achieve a grade point average no lower than 3.0 to successfully complete the program.

CR — Credit only grades are used for certain courses and are not computed into the Grade Point Average.

NG — Instructors use the NG as a placeholder on the student's transcript when deadlines have been missed because of issues with the K-12 public school schedule. All NG grades are converted to a final grade by the end of the semester following the semester when the NG was given.

I — Incomplete

Earlham's G.P.E. programs support adult students in their pursuit of further education while at the same time realizing that professional and personal limitations may occur. When a graduate student cannot finish the required coursework during the normal semester due to either professional or personal circumstances, students have the opportunity to receive a grade of Incomplete for the current semester. This process is followed:

1. Students, along with their professor or supervisor, fill out an Incomplete Form that includes an agreed-upon plan for completing the coursework.
2. The typical plan calls for all work to be completed within the next semester.
3. The director signs off on all plans.
4. The professor or supervisor is responsible for working with the student to implement and fulfill the plan.
5. For any circumstances not covered by the above, the director serves as the plan supervisor.

Along with traditional grades, performance assessment standards are used to assess graduate students' work. Candidates must demonstrate competence at the Distinguished or Proficient level on the Indiana Developmental Standards for Educators, and Earlham M.A.T. standards and principles to be eligible for recommendation to the state of Indiana for teacher licensure. The different standards describe what every teacher should know and be able to do.

Levels of performance standards are defined below:

Distinguished

The candidate demonstrates an exemplary understanding of the standards and the ability to create a community of learners that highly motivates and engages students to assume considerable responsibility for their own learning. This candidate has the potential to be an outstanding first-year teacher.

Proficient

The candidate clearly understands the concepts underlying the standards and implements them well. The implementation is consistent and effective. The candidate demonstrates the likelihood of becoming an excellent teacher with more experience and mentoring.

Basic

The candidate appears to understand the concepts underlying the standards and attempts to implement these elements. Implementation is inconsistent and/or not entirely successful. Additional reading, observation and experience, supported by mentors, may enable the candidate to become proficient in this area. The candidate needs significant guidance and ongoing skill development to be successful in the classroom.

Unsatisfactory

The candidate does not appear to understand the concepts underlying the standards. Work on the fundamental practices associated with the standards is required to enable development in this area. Teacher certification will not be granted at this level.

Not Observed

The evaluator finds no evidence of this standard during the observation.

Not Applicable

The evaluator determines that this standard is not applicable to the observation situation.

1. Students, along with their professor or supervisor, fill out an Incomplete Form that includes an agreed-upon plan for completing the coursework.
2. The typical plan calls for all work to be completed within the next semester.
3. The director signs off on all plans.
4. The professor or supervisor is responsible for working with the student to implement and fulfill the plan.
5. For any circumstances not covered by the above, the director serves as the plan supervisor.

The Earlham College Graduate Programs in Education mission includes outreach to local educators in the community. Part of that outreach is offering courses for graduate credit to teachers who wish to increase their knowledge in specific areas. Enrollment in a degree program is not required to earn graduate credit for these courses. These courses are consistent with policies and principles of the Earlham College Graduate Programs in Education. The specific content of the courses changes yearly to meet the changing needs of educators.

ED 585 SOCRATIC SEMINAR TRAINING FOR THE CLASSROOM TEACHER (3 credits)
Focuses on critical thinking skills, Socratic questioning techniques for discussions, and Socratic questioning techniques for literacy instruction. Participants develop specific strategies to apply to their classroom practice.

ED 587 TEACHING FOR UNDERSTANDING SUMMER INSTITUTE (3 credits)
Explores current trends in education that relate to teaching for understanding. Participants develop a specific plan to apply to their own classrooms.