School of Teacher Education

113 McWhinnie Hall, (307) 766-3130
FAX: (307) 766-2018
Web site: www.uwyo.edu/ste

School Director: Alan Buss

School ot Teacher Education offers a wide variety of undergraduate teacher education degrees and minors, graduate degrees in curriculum and instruction, as well as several endorsement and certificate programs to prepare our students to be successful educators. Explore our diverse programs, career opportunities, and research possibilities with our dynamic faculty members.

Bachelor of Science

Agricultural education

Secondary Agricultural Education, B.S.

Bachelor of Applied Science

Career and Technical education

Secondary Career & Technical Education, B.A.S.

Bachelor of Arts

Elementary education

Elementary Education, B.A.

Elementary/Special education

Elementary Education/Special Education, B.A.

Secondary education

Secondary English Education with Concurrent Major in English, B.A.

Secondary Mathematics Education with Concurrent Major in Mathematics, B.A.

Secondary Modern Languages Education, B.A.

Secondary Science Education, B.A.

Secondary Social Studies Education, B.A.

Admission to the B.A. and B.S. Programs in the College of Education

New first-time students who meet the University of Wyoming’s standards for admissionmay declare their major in Elementary Education, Secondary Education in a specific content area, or Education Undecided (EDUD), provided that they have a minimum ACT Composite score of 21 and an ACT Math score of 21 or a minimum new SAT combined score of 1060 with a minimum SAT Math score of 530. A lower ACT/SAT Math score can be replaced by a Math Placement Examination (MPE) score of 2 or higher. Education Undecided majors should decide on a specific content area no later than the first semester of their sophomore year.

All incoming students pursuing teacher certification and/or teacher endorsement programs must undergo an initial criminal background check prior to full admission to the College of Education. A second background check is included as part of the state application process for the Wyoming Substitute Teaching Permit, which is required for admission to Phase II of the B.A. and B.S. programs.

For those students who do not meet the above admissions requirements, it is suggested that they major in exploratory studies (EXPL) so that they will receive more appropriate advising and access to support services through Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies until they have attained a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average (with at least 15 UW credits), and successfully complete an approved background check.

Current UW students who wish to change their major to Education but do not yet have a UW grade point average must wait until they meet the requirement of a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average, with at least 15 UW credits posted to their transcript. It is recommended that they complete a Program Change form and contact the Teacher Preparation and Advising Office in McWhinnie Hall, room 100 to initiate the background check process. Students’ progression through the Education curriculum could be delayed until all requirements are fulfilled and their major officially changed to Education.

Transfer students from out of state institutions, as well as from Wyoming community colleges wishing to declare a major in Education must have completed a minimum of 15 transferable credits, including the USP 2015 “Q” requirement (as determined by the UW Registrar), with a final grade higher than a C- to do so. Transfer students must have a minimum Transfer GPA of at least 2.750 and successfully complete an approved background check.

For transfer students not meeting these requirements, it is suggested that they major in exploratory studies (EXPL) so that they will receive more appropriate advising and access to support services through Advising, Career and Exploratory Studies until they meet requirement of a minimum 2.750 UW grade point average (with at least 15 UW credits), and successfully complete an approved background check.

Re-admitted students who return to UW after two or more semesters away, and wish to (re-)declare a major in Education, must have a minimum 2.750 UW GPA (with at least 15 UW credits) to do so and successfully complete an approved background check.

Academic Advising

Students are assigned an academic adviser who will assist in planning a program combining University Studies requirements, core content requirements, and professional education courses. Students are expected to consult with their adviser regularly. The Teacher Preparation and Advising Office coordinates advising and provides students and faculty with assistance in areas related to academic advising.

Degree Program Curricula

The following curricula summarize the programs offered by the College of Education. Students complete content courses in their major as well as professional education courses, some of which can also be counted toward their University Studies Program requirements. The University Studies Program requirements include:

Communication I (COM1) Credits: 3
Communication II (COM2) Credits: 3
Communication III (COM3) Credits: 3
First-Year Seminar (FYS) Credits: 3
Human Culture (H) Credits: 6
Physical and Natural World (PN) Credits: 6
Quantitative Reasoning (Q) Credits: 3
U.S. & Wyoming Constitutions (V) Credits: 3

The minimum total credit hours required to complete a degree in Education is 120. Of the minimum credit hours required to complete a program, 42 credit hours must be completed at the upper division level (3000-level or higher), with 30 of those credits being completed at UW. Additional College of Education requirements are:

2.750 UW Total Institution grade point average
2.500 grade point average in the content courses required for each specific major
A valid Wyoming substitute teaching certificate

Further information on each program is available in:

Teacher Preparation and Advising Office
McWhinnie Hall room 100
Dept. 3374, 1000 E. University Ave.
Laramie, WY 82071
(307) 766-2230

Acceptability of Coursework

Courses taken to satisfy professional education requirements and major content requirements must be taken for a conventional grade (A-F) unless offered for S/U grading only.

Professional education courses taken prior to the last 10 years will not be accepted in a degree and/or teacher certification program. The College of Education does not accept transfer credits for Professional Education or content area courses with equivalents at UW when the grade earned was less than a C. Please note that grades of C- will not satisfy this requirement.

The College of Education does not accept either teaching methodology or student teaching coursework or credits completed at other colleges or universities.

Student Responsibility

College of Education students are responsible for knowing and meeting graduation requirements. Students are expected to maintain a 2.750 UW Total Institution grade point average to enter Phases II and III and continue in the professional education sequence and to graduate. Prior to enrolling in professional education courses, students are expected to have met the specific program and course prerequisites as listed in this publication. Students are expected to make reasonable academic progress toward completion of a degree.

Teaching Endorsements

A teaching endorsement is not a standalone teacher certification program. Endorsements are issued by the Wyoming Professional Teaching Standards Board (PTSB) to state-licensed Elementary (K-6) and Secondary (6-12) teachers qualified to teach in specific subject areas, in addition to their initial certification(s).

Endorsements to Teach Additional Science Subjects

By state statute, the University of Wyoming’s College of Education is allowed to provide institutional recommendations for add-on endorsements in Biology, Chemistry, Earth Science, and Physics to those who have completed programs leading to licensure in secondary-level Science content areas.

Graduate Study

The College of Education is dedicated to offering high quality graduate programs that will provide students with the necessary skills to become educational leaders within their areas of specialization and expertise. All graduate students in the College of Education are expected to become scholars, researchers, and practitioners. They must, therefore, be knowledgeable about the ever-changing literature and research in education, the characteristics and needs of learners, and methods for facilitating learning. They must also understand the process of change and how to facilitate changes in learning settings that reflect what is known about the teaching/learning process. These skills are important to all graduate students, regardless of their areas of specialization or major emphasis.

Degree Programs

School of Teacher Education in College of Education programs fall under one of the following university approved graduate degree titles:

Master of Arts in Curriculum and Instruction
Doctor of Education (Ed.D)
Doctor of Philosophy in Curriculum and Instruction (Ph.D.)

Master’s Programs

There are three master’s programs in the College of Education and two of the three have additional specialization areas. They are designed to provide advanced study for educational professionals. Consult School of Teacher Education for program requirements and expectations.

Doctoral Programs

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

The College of Education Ed.D. program prepares students for scholarly inquiry and professional leadership in education. The program consists of (1) applied research, (2) courses and professional experiences in education and related fields designed to develop a comprehensive academic basis for leadership roles in education, and (3) applied professional experiences tailored to individual needs and career goals. Each student works closely with an adviser and a supervisory faculty committee to select courses, topics of research, and professional opportunities.

Preparation in the above areas combine to:

Convey deep scholarly knowledge of education and foster its application in practice;
Promote a broad understanding of various methods of inquiry in education and foster its application in practice settings;
Advocate practices that demonstrate a commitment to diversity in education;
Foster ethical and professional research and practice in education;
Promote excellence in applied professional practice.

The degree of Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) is offered to competent students who wish to pursue a program of study and to participate in appropriate activities in preparation for professional service and leadership in education. The program is designed to meet the needs of those for whom intensive research is not a practical prerequisite to professional goals. Doctoral students are expected to participate not only in organized coursework but also in other activities that will ensure breadth of outlook and technical competence.

Major: Education

Concentration in the Doctor of Education are:

Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Curriculum and Instruction

Education, Ed.D., Concentration in Mathematics Education

All Doctor of Education students will use research methods to explore practical leadership problems. Applied projects are problem-based and may be collaborative. Projects may involve evaluating curriculum, designing and implementing professional development or training, developing applications to be used in local settings (e.g., early childhood-12 education, corporate and government centers), as well as other projects designed to advance knowledge in a specific field or setting.

The following requirements apply to all projects:

Research-based (literature review)
Scholarly, academic writing using APA style
Primary or secondary data
Authored by individual or small groups of students
Uploaded to ProQuest for dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format, and uploaded to the Mountain Scholar Digital Collections for projects in a non-dissertation format

Suggested project formats and brief descriptions are:

Dissertation of Practice

A dissertation of practice is original practice-based empirical research with data collection expected from primary sources.

Local Case Study

A case study is a descriptive, exploratory, or explanatory analysis of a person, group, or event. Thomas (2011, p. 354) offered the following definition of case study: “Case studies are analysis of persons, events, decisions, periods, projects, policies, institutions, or others systems that are studied holistically by one of more methods.”

Faculty Directed Individual or Team-based Inquiry

This type of inquiry involves individual or a small group of students working together on a single project under the guidance of a faculty member. Data can be obtained from primary or secondary sources.

Documentary on an Educational Issue

A documentary is an in-depth and extensive study with an analysis presented in video form accompanied by a written summary of the purpose and outcome.

Submitted Manuscript

A full-length research manuscript must be submitted to a refereed mid- or top-tier national or international scholarly journal.

Program Evaluation

A program evaluation report typically uses both qualitative and quantitative research methods to examine and collect data on a current program that is in place in a school or another organization.

Additional project formats may be proposed and approved by the student’s committee as long as they meet the requirements listed above.

Final Project Processes

As in the traditional dissertation process, all students are expected to meet with their committees to gain project approval (at the pre-prospectus and/or prospectus stage). The Report of Final Examination will indicate whether or not the final project is acceptable to the committee. The deadline for submitting projects to Mountain Scholar Digital Collections or dissertations of practice or other projects in a dissertation format to ProQuest is the same as the Report of Final Examination, the last day of classes for the semester during which a student intends to graduate. All projects will be evaluated by committee members and also by the student.

Please note: After submitting the required steps for the Mountain Scholar Digital Collections you will receive a confirmation email. Please forward this email to your chair, Clayleen Rivord in the College of Education Dean’s Office, and Robert Ratterree in the Office of the Registrar.

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction

The College of Education Ph.D. program prepares students for careers of scholarly inquiry and teaching in higher education. The program consists of (1) continuous research or inquiry, (2) courses and professional experiences in education and related fields designed to develop a comprehensive academic basis for future work in research and teaching, and (3) teaching and other related experiences tailored to individual needs and career goals. Each student works closely with an adviser and a supervisory faculty committee to select courses, topics of research and inquiry, and teaching experiences.

All coursework in the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction program addresses the following goals:

To convey deep scholarly knowledge of education and related fields
To promote a broad understanding of various methods of inquiry in education and develop competency in several of those methods
To advocate practices that demonstrate a commitment to diversity in education
To foster ethical and professional research and practice in education
To promote excellence as a college teacher

Effective preparation for the Ph.D. stems from collaborative research and inquiry into topics of mutual interest by students and faculty scholars/researchers. A major portion of the program consists of the individual student and selected faculty members(s) jointly engaged in research and inquiry. Successful Ph.D. applicants tend to have high aptitude for research and inquiry and express interest in general topics which the faculty of the college are actively inquiring and researching.

Major: Curriculum and Instruction, Ph.D.

Concentrations in the Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction are:

Curriculum Studies

Literacy Education

Mathematics Education

Science Education

Program Specific Graduate Assistantships

Applicants interested in a Graduate Assistantship must submit a graduate assistantship application at the time of admission application process or communicate with the advisor and school director thereinafternon.

The two schools of the College of Education provide support for master’s and doctoral degree programs.. Faculty and staff work to deliver these programs by providing campus-based courses, courses taught on-site at different locations in Wyoming, courses taught online, and courses taught in hybrid formats.

Faculty in the School of Teacher Education

Professors:

STEVEN M. BIALOSTOK, B.A. University of the Pacific 1975; M.S.W. California State University - Sacramento 1986; Ph.D. University of Arizona 1999; Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2015, 2000.

CYNTHIA BROCK, B.S. Oregon State University 1981; MGd Washington State University 1985; Ph.D. Michigan State University 1997; Wyoming Excellence in Education Literacy Chair 2015.

ANDREA C. BURROWS, B.S. University of Central Florida 1992; M.S. Florida State University 1994; Ed.D. University of Cincinnati 2011; Professor of Secondary Education 2017, 2011. Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs 2020.

ALAN R. BUSS, B.A. Brigham Young University 1989; M.A. 1993; Ph.D. University of Wyoming 1998; Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2020, 1997.

SCOTT A. CHAMBERLIN, B.A. Purdue University 1989 and 1993; M.Ed. University of Utah 1998; Ph.D. Purdue University 2002; Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2015, 2003.

LEIGH HALL, B.S. University of South Florida 1996; M.Ed. Peabody College of Vanderbilt University 1997; Ph.D. Michigan State University 2005; Professor of Secondary Education 2017.

JOHN KAMBUTU, B. A. University of Wyoming 1991; M. A. 1992; Ph.D. 1998; Professor of Educational Studies 2015, 1999. Wyoming Excellence in Education Literacy Chair 2020.

RICHARD KITCHEN, B.A. University of Colorado-Denver 1984; M.A. University of Montana 1990; Ph.D. University of Wisconsin- Madison 1996; Professor of Secondary Education 2017. Wyoming Excellence in Education Mathematics Education Chair 2020.

PETER WILLIAM MORAN, B.A. University of Wyoming 1987; M.A. Kansas State University 1993; Ph.D. 2000; Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2017, 2001.

LYDIAH NGANGA, B.S. University of Wyoming 1998; M.S. 2000; Ph.D. 2005; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2011, 2005.

LESLIE S. RUSH, B.S. Texas A&M-Commerce 1984; M.Ed. 1996; Ph.D. University of Georgia, 2002; Professor of Secondary Education 2014, 2002. Interim Dean 2020.

JENNA M. SHIM, B.A. California State University - Los Angeles 1994; M.M. Manhattan School of Music - New York 1996; M.S. State University of New York - Albany 2006; Ph.D. 2009; Professor of Educational Studies 2016, 2010.

TIMOTHY F. SLATER, B.S. Kansas State University 1989; B.S. Ed. 1989; M.S. Clemson University 1991; Ph.D. University of South Carolina 1993; Professor of Secondary Education 2008. Wyoming Excellence in Education Science Education Chair 2020.

ALLEN TRENT, B.A. Eastern Kentucky University 1986; M.S. University of Dayton 1992; Ph.D. The Ohio State University 2000; Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2012.

Associate Professors:

TAO HAN, B.A. Sungshin Women’s University, Korea 1984; M.A. University of Arizona 1993; M.A. University of Nevada-Reno 2002; Ph.D. 2006; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2016, 2010.

ANA HOUSEAL, B.A. University of Iowa 1985; M.A. University of Northern Iowa 1998; Ph.D. University of Illinois 2010; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2017, 2011.

LINDA HUTCHISON, B.A. Humboldt State University 1978; M.A. Stanford University 1986; Ph.D. University of Washington 1992; Associate Professor of Secondary Education 2000, 1993.

TRICIA JOHNSON, B.S. Lehigh University 1991; M.Ed. 1993; Ed.S. George Washington University 1997; Ed.D. Columbia University 2004; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2012.

PATRICK MANYAK, B.A. Pepperdine University 1988; M.S. 1990; Ph.D. University of Southern California-Los Angeles 2001; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2007, 2001.

AMY ROBERTS, B.S. Indiana University 1986; M.A. Portland State University 1991; Ph.D. Indiana University 1996; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2004, 1998.

KATHERINE MUIR WELSH, B.A. University of California-Berkeley 1986; Single Subject Teaching Credential (Life Sciences) University of California-Santa Barbara 1990; Ph.D. University of California-Los Angeles 2002; Associate Professor of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2008, 2002.

Assistant Professors:

ALI BICER, B.S. Celal Bayar University
2006; M.S. Texas A&M University 2012; Ph.D.
2016; Assistant Professor of Elementary and
Early Childhood Education 2019.

TODD REYNOLDS, B.A. University of
Northern Colorado 1998; M.A. 2004; Ed.S.
2008; Ph.D. University of Wyoming 2015; Assistant
Professor of Secondary Education 2019.

ALISON MERCIER, B.S. North Carolina State University 2000; M.S. University of North Carolina 2020; Assistant Professor of Secondary Education 2020.

Senior Lecturers:

NIKKI BALDWIN, B.A. University of Wyoming
1994; M.A. 2005; Senior Lecturer of
Elementary and Early Childhood Education
2020, 2009.

KIMBERLY GUSTAFSON, B.A. University
of Wyoming 1998; M.A. 2003; Ed.D. 2010;
Senior Lecturer of Elementary and Early
Childhood Education 2019, 2007.

JASON KATZMANN, B.S. Texas Women’s
University 1994; M.A. Colorado College 2000;
Ph.D. University of Northern Colorado 2007;
Assistant Professor of Educational Studies
2016, 2007.

AMY SPIKER, B.A. University of Wyoming
1989; M.A. 2004; Senior Lecturer of Elementary
and Early Childhood Education 2016, 2007.

Assistant Lecturers:

LINDSEY FREEMAN, B.S. University of Wyoming 2011; M.A. 2018; Assistant Lecturer of Educational Studies 2019.

JENNIFER GERINGER, B.A. University of Texas - San Antonio 1991; M.S. University of Wyoming 1997; Ph.D. 2001; Assistant Lecturer of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2015.

JANET LEAR, B.S. Univerity of Wisconsin-Madison 1990; M.A. University of California, Berkeley 1998; Ph.D. University of Denver 2017; Assistant Lecturer of Educational Studies 2019.

ROCHELLE MCCOY, B.A. Western Governors University 2006; M.A. 2012; Assistant Lecturer of Elementary and Early Childhood Education 2019.

JOSEPH SCHROER, B.A. University of Cincinnati 2002; B.S. 2005; M.A. 2001; Ph.D. 2007; Assistant Lecturer of Educational Studies 2019.

Associate Lecturers:

ROD THOMPSON, B.A. University of
Nebraska at Kearney 1991; M.A. University
of Northern Iowa 1998; Associate Lecturer of
Educational Studies 2019.

Professors Emeritus:

Michelle Buchanan, Barbara A. Chatton, Margaret Cooney, Lydia Dambekalns, Judith Z. Ellsworth, Patricia McClurg, R. Timothy Rush

Courses

Agricultural Education

Curriculum and Instruction

Early Childhood Education

Educational Studies

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