NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Jan Fiderio at 603.283.2107

August 24, 2011 for Immediate Release

AUNE's Science Teacher Certification Concentration Receives Commendations

New Hampshire Council of Teacher Education cites creativity and rigor

(Keene, NH) -- The New Hampshire Council of Teacher Education (NHCTE) has reaccredited the Science Teacher Certification program in the Department of Environmental Studies at Antioch University New England (AUNE).

“Antioch University New England has a clear mission to educate graduate students for social justice and sustainability in a creative, rigorous, and self-directed manner,” according to the NHCTE report. “This mission is clearly woven throughout the curriculum and assessment processes.”

In its final report, NHCTE commended the Science Teacher Certification program on several points:

“The director of the science programs [Dr. Jimmy Karlan] is a faculty member in the environmental studies department. This unusual and admirable structure assures that curriculum review involves consultation and collaboration among content and education/ pedagogical faculties.”
“All student work illustrates an aesthetically pleasing valuing of the natural world. All interviews centered around the AUNE philosophy to a degree rarely evidenced with such consistency and fervor.”
“Internship placements are as individual as the students for which they are designed. A theme of community service and concern for the environment runs throughout them.”
“Science programs ensure candidates will demonstrate competency in the full depth and range of knowledge, skills, and dispositions for their certification area(s) by requiring that both cooperating teachers and supervisors complete checklists of certification standards at multiple intervals during the capstone experience. Such transparent incorporation of state standards is outstanding.”
“Antioch University New England has a clear mission to educate graduate students for social justice and sustainability in a creative, rigorous, and self-directed manner. This mission is clearly woven throughout the curriculum and assessment processes. While they are in the process of developing a more formal assessment system, the institution's goals and objectives are clearly a major component of everything they do.”
"The core faculty in all programs are to be commended for the personal relationships and individualized attention provided to candidates. Candidates consistently reported that faculty were supportive, helpful, and accessible, and that they provided constructive feedback. Individualized plans to support candidates needing alternative placements or additional time contribute to a positive experience for candidates.”
”The fact that the science teacher certification is embedded within the environmental [studies] department certainly reinforces systems thinking in looking at how the world is organized.” AUNE’s program is the only graduate program for science teacher certification in the country housed in an environmental studies department.

Students who graduate from AUNE’s program earn a master’s degree in environmental studies as well as a science teaching certificate. Find out more about the program here.

About Antioch University New England (AUNE)
Antioch University New England offers highly respected doctoral, master’s and certificate programs in education, environmental studies, management and psychology. Located in Keene, New Hampshire, this unique institution serves a thousand students each year. Our graduates have gone on to be leaders of positive change, working toward a more just and sustainable society. Founded in 1964, Antioch University New England is the oldest of Antioch University’s graduate campuses. Learn more at: www.antiochne.edu

About Antioch University
Antioch University serves more than 4,000 adult students around the world and across the country, online and at its five campuses in four states. Each campus offers degree programs that meet—and often anticipate—the pressing needs of its region and the wider world. The University is also home to the landmark PhD in Leadership and Change; Antioch Education Abroad, an exceptional opportunity of immersive service and study programs; and WYSO, a leading public radio affiliate and an essential source of global news and opinion.

Antioch University is a nonprofit private 501(c) (3) organization and member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. For more information, www.antioch.edu.

Last Updated: 8/28/11