Single Subject Credential Program

The Single Subject Credential Program falls under administrative direction of the Teacher Education Program Director.  The program, itself, is coordinated by the Single Subject Credential Program coordinator, a faculty member who is released half-time for program coordination.  The program is governed by the Dean, who is also the Director of Teacher Education, the Associate Dean, and the faculty who teach within the program, including faculty from the Kremen School of Education and Human Development (KSOEHD) as well as faculty from each of the academic subject matter area departments associated with the Single Subject credential offered by the University (Ag, Art, English, Science (Biology, Natural Science, Chemistry), Math, Music, Foreign Language (French, Spanish), English, Social Science, & Industrial Technology).    Administrators, teachers, business leaders, and other community members provide input regarding the program via the Dean’s Council on Professional Education.

Communication and input regarding program policies, practices, curriculum, instruction, and clinical practice experiences are provided for in several ways. The program coordinator consults and meets on a regular basis with every facet of the governing faculty (the Dean, the Associate Dean, the Dean’s Council and the program faculty) as well as with the Admissions Office staff and the Office of Clinical Practice. All individuals from each governing fashion participate in making decisions with regard to every aspect of the program from admission through evaluation. Representatives of the governance faculty also serve on the Special Consideration Committee, a committee that formulates policy with regard to admission for the basic teaching credential programs and reviews individual applications for special admission.

With reference to clinical practice experiences, the selection of clinical practice placement school sites, district employed site mentor/master teachers, and university atigned coaches/supervisors is coordinated by the Office of Clinical Practice and the Single Subject program coordinator in consultation with the Dean and Associate Dean. School site administrators (and academic subject matter area advisors) play a key role in the selection of district employed site mentor/master teachers.  The KSOEHD has formal agreements with each of the clinical practice placement school districts in which it places student teachers. Both tenure/tenure-track and temporary faculty serve as university coaches/supervisors during the clinical practice experience.

Every semester, regular communication regarding the criteria for selecting clinical practice personnel, district employed supervisors, and school sites is generated by the Office of Clinical Practice in consultation with the Single Subject Coordinator.  Department chairs and program faculty, from within KSOEHD and the academic subject matter areas provide input into the design of the clinical practice experiences, and the assessment of credential candidates. This input is also supported by the Single Subject Advisory Board.  A board made of up of retired and/or current tenure/tenure-track and temporary faculty serving as university coaches/supervisors.

The Single Subject Credential Program is a one-year (two-semester) program consisting of 19 units of course work and 15 units of clinical practice. Courses in the foundations of education, the psychological theories of teaching and learning, the growth and development of adolescents, motivation, classroom management, student performance and assessment, the application of social justice practices as related to the social emotional learning of the adolescent learner, subject-matter area specific curriculum and instructional methods, differentiation to meet the needs of all learners, with a focus on special education, literacy in the content areas, and the delivery of comprehensive instruction to English learners.

Candidates immediately apply the knowledge and skills gained in these courses in their two semesters of clinical practice work, one part-time and one full-time. During their two fieldwork experiences, candidates can teach at two grade levels or in two subject areas. Both a traditional and an internship program are offered. Approximately 80 % of the candidates are enrolled in the traditional program. In either case, candidates work in ethnically diverse settings. Most candidates teach many students from low-income backgrounds, whether they do their fieldwork in an urban or rural setting.

In 2017, the program redesigned itself to meet the new Teacher Performance Expectations (TPE’s).  Revisions were made to the course syllabi, the signature assignments, and the program assessments. Included in these revisions was the inclusion of culturally sustaining pedagogy, developmentally appropriate practices, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL).  And, in 2019, an Integrated Teaching MATH Credential Option was approved.

Course of Study (Curriculum and Clinical Practice Experience)

The sequence of study is as follows: 

Course work is coordinated with fieldwork. Candidates are required to take CI 161 Methods and Materials in Secondary Teaching concurrently with initial student teaching, EHD 155A. Two courses, CI 151 Social Contexts of Teaching & Learning and CI 152 Adolescent of Teaching & Learning are also taken concurrently with initial student teaching as many of the assignments in these courses are carried out in clinical practice settings. Finally, LEE 156 Content Area Literacy for Secondary Classrooms is not usually not taken before initial student teaching in order to ensure that candidates have sufficient experiential background to comprehend the material presented in this course. Seminars related to initial and final student teaching are conducted every semester.  The purpose of these seminars is to provide teacher credential candidates with the opportunity to connect real- life classroom with the theories and principles they are learning in course work.

While all course work contributes in some way to preparing candidates in the critical areas of teaching English learners and teaching students with special needs, two courses are specifically focused on these areas, LEE 157 Teaching English Learners in Secondary Classrooms and SPED 158 Differentiated Instruction in Inclusive Secondary Settings.  LEE 157 focuses on how to teach English learners; whereas, SPED 158 looks at effective UDL instruction for students with disabilities and other special needs.

Prior to admission to the Single Subject Credential Program, all students are required to have had a supervised field experience in a public school classroom. The primary purpose of this experience is to ensure that candidates have had the opportunity to gain an accurate picture of the complex and demanding role of today’s public school teacher. Once admitted to the program, candidates have two clinical practice experiences, EHD 155A and EHD 155B.

The first experience, initial student teaching (or EHD 155A Student Teaching in the Secondary School), is a semester-long, part-time clinical practice placement, typically at a high school. In this clinical practice placement, credential candidates work towards solo or co-teaching two class periods per day, five days per week, in an appropriate single subject, subject matter specific classroom. At least one of the class periods contain a substantial proportion of students who are English learners and are receiving instruction in the academic subject as well as in English language development. The second experience is EHD 155B (final student teaching).  In this clinical practice placement, credential candidates are typically placed at a different school site, for a full school day. Over the course of this semester, candidates work up to solo or co-teaching a minimum of four periods or the equivalent per day.

In each semester of fieldwork, candidates are supervised by both a mentor/master teacher and a university coach/supervisor. In initial student teaching, university supervisors are expected to conduct six formal supervisory observational visits. In final student teaching, university supervisors observe candidates in the field six to eight times. In both semesters, university supervisors conference with each credential candidate in connection with each visit and provide them with written feedback each time.   Candidates are formally evaluated at the middle and end of each semester with reference to their progress toward meeting the TPEs as well as meeting other program expectations for student teachers. Throughout the program, candidates are advised by the Single Subject Program coordinator, a designated Clinical Practice adviser, and a designated faculty member from the Academic Subject Matter Department associated with their Single Subject credential in addition to the assigned university coach/supervisor.

Assessment of Candidates

Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers (FAST)

All teacher credential candidates enrolled in the Single Subject program are assessed utilizing the Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers (FAST).  It ensures that all credential candidates meet the six TPE’s as mandated by the State of California. 

• Site Visitation Project - This task assesses candidate’s ability to perform, document, and reflect upon his/her own instruction. This is a field-based assessment. It assesses the following TPEs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and takes place in the first semester of the program as part of initial student teaching.
• Teaching Sample Project - This task assesses the candidates' ability to plan and teach a one- to four -week unit, to assess student learning related to the unit, and to document their teaching and their students’ learning. This is a comprehensive, written assessment. It assesses the following TPEs: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6, and takes place during the second semester of the program as part of final student teaching.

All scores earned by the teacher date are recorded electronically on the KSOEHD’s data management system, Tk20.

Mid-term and Final Evaluations

Using a 4 point Likert-Scale, candidates are evaluated during and at the end of the every semester on the completion of the TPE’s out in the field.  In addition to the TPE’s, candidates are rated yes or no on initiative, criticism, punctuality, and their ability to interact professionally. All scores are recorded in Tk20.

Dispositions Survey

This survey assesses the candidates’ perception of the degree to which they exhibit the dispositions (collaboration, reflection, valuing diversity, critical thinking, ethical behavior, professional attitudes, and life-long learning) that Kremen promotes. It is administered as a pre-test in initial student teaching and as post-test in final student teaching. These scores are recorded on Tk20

Candidate Advice about Assessment

Candidates are informed in writing of how they will assess in the program via the program handbook and the FAST Manual.  Candidates also attend presentations describing the program's Single Subject system during the initial (EHD 154A) and final student teaching (EHD 154B) seminars.

Internship

The Internship and Single Subject program coursework/field experience differ only in the clinical practice experience. The coursework is identical; but, in clinical practice Single Subject candidates take one semester of final student teaching and at times interns will take two semesters as a paid teacher. Both programs include a university supervisor, however, the intern teacher will have an on-site cooperating teacher rather than a mentor/master teacher and a support provider paid by the internship program. 

• Kremen School Organizational Chart
• Single Subject Credential Program Organizational Chart

Faculty Overview

• Temporary Single Subject Program Faculty Position Announcement
• University Coach/Supervisor Announcement
  • Single Subject Job Description
  • Single Subject Application Process 

Single Subject Course Sequence

Single Subject Academic Subject Matter Pathways:

• Agriculture
• Art
• English
• French
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education
• Science: Biology
• Science: Chemistry
• Social Science
• Spanish

•  Course Matrix

• Teaching Performance Expectations: Part 2 - Subject Specific TPEs

•  Kremen School Memorandum of Understanding with School Districts

Single Subject Mentor-Cooperating/Master Teachers
PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM SUPERVISION TRAINING – AVAILABLE FREE TO ALL SINGLE SUBJECT MENTOR/MASTER/COOPERATING TEACHERS.

The Intersegmental Project is a free, (Australian based), eight hour, asynchronous (self-paced) online course approved by the CCTC, offered at cn.com, and affiliated with the California Council on Teacher Education. The course consists of three, professional development training modules designed to support mentor teachers working with candidates in a teacher preparation.

1. Module One -- Coaching Adult Learners
2. Module Two -- Instructional Strategies for ALL Learners
3. Module Three -- Inclusive Education

Those who participate will receive a certification badge for each completed module and a certificate of achievement for all three modules. Mentor-cooperating/master teachers can also receive credit for previous professional development training. The course is also eligible for continuing education units (CEU’s) through the Division of Continuing and Global Education (CGE) at Fresno State.

Program candidates are placed in schools in the surrounding region. Every effort is made by program faculty to ensure that candidates are in the best possible placement to support their development. As demonstrated by the data represented below, our region is home to some of the most diverse student populations in the state, meaning candidates in all programs have opportunities to develop as practitioners while working with students from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as students with disabilities.

• Documentation of Candidate Placements

• SS Handbook 
• CURRENT STUDENT INFORMATION and Student Teacher Expectations along with Mentor and University Coach Resources

• Clinical Practice EHD 155A Syllabi
• Clinical Practice EHD 155B Syllabi

• EHD 155A/155B Observation Form (PDF) 
• EHD 155A Mid-Term Evaluation of Student Teacher
• EHD 155A Final Semester Evaluation of Student Teacher
• EHD 155B Mid-Term Evaluation of Student Teacher
• EHD 155B Final Semester Evaluation of Student Teacher

Description of process ensuring appropriate recommendation

The planned curriculum of coursework, including fieldwork, embeds multiple opportunities for the program to ensure that only qualified candidates are recommended for the preliminary Single Subject credential. This is accomplished through the completion of all credential coursework assignments, fulfillment of all clinical practice requirements including documentation of the TPE’s, and earning a passing score on the Fresno Assessment of Student Teachers (FAST) assessments every semester.  In addition, every semester a grade report is run by the Admission Analyst to ensure that credential candidates are maintaining a 3.0 GPA throughout the program.  Also at the completion of final student teaching and/or field placement, the candidate in collaboration with mentor teacher and the university coach must complete an Individual Development Plan (IDP) documenting their TPE goals.  Once the candidate has successfully met the listed credential requirements, he or she is sent an email from the Preliminary Credential Analyst listing steps to apply for their preliminary credential and instructions for submitting the application packet to the Credential Office.  The application must be accompanied by the IDP plan, and is reviewed and requirements verified by the Credential Analyst. This information is also available to the candidates in the Single Subject Website at: http://fresnostate.edu/kremen/teaching-credential/cred-cert.html 

• Candidate Credential Application
• EHD 155A University Coach Evaluation
• EHD 155B Teacher Candidate End of Semester Checklist
• EHD 155B Clearance Application Form

• Individual Development Plan Form