Urban Education - Social Studies Teacher Preparation for Grades 5-12 Metropolitan State University

Overview

The Urban Education - Social Studies Teacher Preparation for Grades 5-12 program within the School of Urban Education (UED) is designed to meet the needs of urban middle and high schools for teachers who can improve students' educational achievement. The UED prepares prospective secondary teachers who can use their understanding of diverse urban learners and communities along with content knowledge and build on the talents and resiliency of their students for success in school and life.

Metropolitan State University's approach to preparing social studies teachers is to help them build an active classroom, providing them with an education that consists of preparing diverse, reflective and resilient individuals who are outstanding in their commitment to teaching urban youth and creating equitable educational opportunities. More than any other program in Minnesota, we attract more teacher candidates who are of color, multilingual, low-income or ""first generation"" into teaching careers who can relate to the experiences of culturally and linguistically diverse urban youth and their communities.

Student outcomes

Students successfully completing this program will meet the following program learning outcomes:

• PLAN: Develop plans aligned to appropriate K-12 state learning standards with measurable goals that are appropriate for and culturally relevant to learners, connected to prior learning, and differentiated to support learner development.
• INSTRUCT: Deliver instruction that provides clear learning targets, communicates clear directions/explanations, engages learners in critical thinking, differentiate for diverse learner needs, check for understanding, and uses developmentally appropriate technologies while managing a safe and respectful learning environment.
• ASSESS: Use data-informed decisions to design instruction and assessment that is developmentally appropriate, formative, and summative in nature, and include timely feedback that is comprehensible, descriptive, and enables learners to recognize strengths OR areas for improvement.
• ANALYZE TEACHING: Analyze teaching by discussing and providing evidence of connections to educational research and/or theory.
• COLLABORATE: Demonstrate collaborative relationships with colleagues and members of the school community, and work with and learn from colleagues in planning and implementing instruction.
• ADVOCATE: Recognize and include cultural, linguistic and educational assets in advocating for learners and educators.
• Engage in the application of instructional strategies that are inclusive and respond to the needs of the various learning styles of students, as well as apply current interventions in ways that are responsive to the varied and broad ranging learning needs of students provided services under federal law.
• Demonstrate the ability to practice, design and implement interventions that promote the inclusion of students receiving services in ways that are individualized, as well as the least restrictive.
• Know and apply federal guidelines in ways that ensure due process and educational support for students identified and receiving services under various legal statuses associated with the field of special education.
• Participate in professional practices that promote and bring current knowledge about special education classrooms that are designed to meet the specific categorical needs of students.