Program Goals

Program goals are integrated into courses students take within the department and students must also exhibit mastery of these goals in their final portfolios as part of their comprehensive oral exam. Graduates of the M.Ed. in C&I will: 

1. Understand the relevance of research and theory to practice.  They can access, understand, evaluate, and use educational research and theory to improve practice. They understand theoretical paradigms for educational research and can interpret the meaning and applicability of research. They can use theory to frame and reflect on the value and meaning of practice. 
2. Understand major theories of curriculum and instruction both within and beyond the state curriculum.  They plan and implement learning experiences for students that meet multiple criteria, including community context, the teaching of rigorous content, students' engagement, and authentic assessment. 
3. Justify instructional decisions in terms of relevant research and theory, curriculum, and students' needs.  Their practices reflect responsiveness to context and culture, use of a systems approach to differentiation, and effective uses of technology. They employ a variety of community building, teaching, and assessment techniques and reflect on the effect of their instructional decisions in order to grow in their craft.
4. Become agents of change in their school communities.  They understand current educational policy, how it is developed, and the critical necessity of the teacher's voices in educational decision-making at all levels. They gain skills in advocating for children and youth, as well as in engaging communities to further educational equity and change. 
5. Gain expertise and assume roles that strengthen the profession through mentoring, curriculum development, professional development, study groups, and other means.