School of Education

Purposes

Point Loma Nazarene University’s School of Education offers selected credential and degree programs of academic rigor in an environment of vital Christianity in the Wesleyan tradition. Our commitment is to prepare thoughtful, culturally sensitive, scholarly professional educators who utilize the latest research and exemplary methods to ensure learning and achievement. The faculty is committed to equip students to become influential moral and ethical leaders in a highly competitive, diverse, and ever-changing society.

Tradition of Excellence

The School of Education is approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing to offer the following credentials: Multiple-Subject and Single-Subject and Special Education. The teacher education credential programs are offered in Arcadia, Bakersfield, the Inland Empire, and San Diego (Mission Valley). Exclusively in San Diego, undergraduates may take courses toward the credential; hence, the program described in this section refers only to that aspect of the program. Details of the broader education program are found in the Catalog for graduate studies. Faculty in the School of Education are practitioners and specialists in teacher education. The School articulates with all other academic departments and schools in the university regarding subject matter preparation of single-subject and multiple-subject teacher candidates. While the primary focus of the School of Education is to prepare teachers, many of the courses are also of value to those who are interested in professions such as social work, family and consumer sciences, religious studies, and early childhood education.

Career Opportunities

The professional program courses are sequenced to prepare candidates for success on the California Teaching Performance Assessment and in your teaching career. Throughout the program methodologies based on current practice and research are modeled and reinforced. The practice and application components of the methods courses are easily facilitated because the School of Education is field-based. Candidates are required to be in classrooms for approximately 85 hours of documented and evaluated observation and participation prior to student teaching.

Admission to the university may be considered Level 1 admission to the School of Education. However, it neither implies nor guarantees approval for student teaching (Level 2 admission). If, in the opinion of the School of Education, a student fails to meet acceptable professional and personal standards, it may disqualify any individual from attempting to complete preparation for a career in education. Students desiring to fulfill the requirements of a credential for public school service are advised to declare their intentions as early as possible in their academic careers. For the Multiple-Subject Credential candidate, this decision should be made during the first year of the student’s enrollment at the university. The Single-Subject Credential candidate should decide no later than the sophomore year. Transfer students should consult with the appropriate departmental/school advisor immediately upon matriculation.

All prospective teachers should plan their major requirements and those set forth by the School of Education to establish the proper sequence of courses and the fulfillment of all professional requirements. The Credentialing and Educational Placement Office provides a variety of services: transcript evaluation, credential applications, and career services for the student. The credential analyst acts as a liaison between the candidate and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
 
Major
Liberal Studies

Course Descriptions

Faculty

Laura L. Amstead, Ed.D.
Northern Arizona University
Interim Director, Arcadia Regional Center

Conni E. Campbell, Ed.D.
University of La Verne
Associate Dean for Undergraduate Programs,
Teacher Performance Assessment, and M.A.T.

Jerry R. Childs, M.A.
Point Loma Nazarene College

Shirlee M. Gibbs, Ed.D.
Northern Arizona University

Daniel N. Hall, M.A.
California State University, Bakersfield

Jill Hamilton-Bunch, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Associate Dean of Teacher Education and
Bakersfield Regional Center

James E. Johnson, Ed.D.
University of Southern California

Carol A. Leighty, Ed.D.
University of Southern California
Associate Dean for Educational Leadership

Andrea G. Liston, Ph.D.
Argosy University
Associate Dean for Accreditation,
Assessment, and Mission Valley Regional Center

Enedina Martinez, Ed.D.
Northern Arizona University

Gary N. McGuire, Ed.D.
University of La Verne

James C. (Corey) McKenna, Ph.D.
University of California, Santa Barbara

Marjorie A. Morwood, M.A.
Pasadena College

Robert G. Morwood, Ed.D.
University of Southern California

Ray O. Posey, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University

Gary L. Railsback, Ph.D., Dean
University of California, Los Angeles

Bernice L. Stanley, Ed.D.
Alliant International University

Dione Brooks Taylor, Ed.D.
Northern Arizona University