Supplemental Information about Lesley University's Teacher Preparation Programs

Overview of Lesley's Education Programs

Teacher preparation was at the root of Lesley's founding nearly a century ago, and it remains at the core of the University's mission. Today, Lesley University trains more teachers than any other institution in Massachusetts. More educators turn to Lesley's graduate programs for their Master's degrees than any other university in the United States. Lesley's scope and impact are significant: Lesley's Technology in Education Program is the oldest and the largest in the country, and the New England Reading Recovery Center at Lesley provides early literacy programs and professional development to schools throughout the region. The impact of Lesley graduates is highly significant in the Commonwealth and throughout the country.

Students pursuing certification and/or degrees in education at Lesley study in one of four academic units:

• School of Education
• Lesley College
• Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences
• The Art Institute of Boston

All four of Lesley's Schools offer educator preparation programs leading to licensure in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These include baccalaureate-level programs at Lesley College and post-baccalaureate programs at the School of Education, the Graduate School of Arts and Social Sciences, and the Art Institute of Boston. All of Lesley's licensure preparation programs are approved by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have been revised to meet the new requirements of Massachusetts' Regulations for Educator Licensure and Preparation Program Approval (603 CMR 7.00) by their effective date of October 1, 2003.

Lesley's education programs are marked by their commitment to school-based reform, action research and a philosophy of providing lifelong learning for educators. Lesley offers its students a superior education through challenging coursework, classroom-based research and reflection, and clinical experiences that model a strong commitment to cultural pluralism, inclusive communities, and the integration of technology in education. These experiences, in turn, inspire graduates to take leadership roles in helping to initiate reform in their schools and to contribute to the restructuring of education for future generations.

Major strands of Lesley's education programs include:

• Collaboration--working with others to create schools that are learning communities for adults as well as children.
• Inclusion--meeting the needs of a broad range of learning styles and needs. and needs.
• Multicultural education--serving children from different racial, ethnic and linguistic groups.
• Social justice--creating peaceful and just classrooms, schools and communities.
• Experiential and constructivist education--immersing teachers in classrooms and schools to make connections between theory and practice.
• Technology--using technology to enhance teaching and learning.

Lesley's educator preparation programs are based on modeling effective teaching led by Lesley faculty, who continue their direct participation in K-12 schools in many different communities across the state and the country.

Lesley's educational strengths in its teacher preparation and other education-related programs include:

• Special Education and Inclusion
• Literacy
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Middle and High School Education
• Technology
• Creative Arts in Learning
• Expressive Therapies
• Counseling Psychology
• Visual Arts

Over the last five years, an average of 95% of students in Lesley certification programs who were seeking jobs in education found jobs in the field of education, according to survey data. Our graduates find teaching positions in public and independent schools locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. Over the last five years, school districts employing Lesley graduates were located in: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, Puerto Rico, England, and Belgium.

More information about bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs as well as certificate and continuing education offerings for educators is available on the University's Web site at www.lesley.edu.

Lesley meets the needs of diverse populations:

Lesley University's programs are designed to serve traditional-aged college students as well as working adults who are returning to school to prepare for new careers and career advancement. In addition to traditional semester-based programs offered on its Cambridge campus, Lesley offers programs in formats that are designed for busy professionals who combine family, work and other commitments with rigorous undergraduate or graduate study. The formats include intensive weekend programs, online programs, intensive short-term residencies and opportunities for individually-designed programs of study. Lesley's off-campus programs are offered at locations across Massachusetts and in 22 other states. The off-campus programs seek to serve students in areas underserved by other colleges or universities.

At the heart of Lesley University's Diversity Initiative is the goal of creating learning environments that prepare each Lesley student to become a positive force for diversity within his or her community. Toward this goal, the Lesley University community strives to achieve increased diversity among its students, faculty, and staff; to value the cultural contributions of all its members; to enhance multiculturalism in the professions; and to serve as a model pluralistic community.

Lesley values partnerships:

Lesley University offers a number of partnership and collaborative programs with public school systems and independent schools to prepare new teachers. These programs are jointly administered, designed and taught by the combined faculties of the partner schools and Lesley University. Examples of schools with which Lesley maintains teacher preparation partnerships include: Brookline Public Schools (Brookline, MA); Belmont Day School (Belmont, MA); Brookwood School (Manchester, MA); Buckingham, Browne and Nichols School (Cambridge, MA); the Carroll School (Lincoln, MA); the Pike School (Andover, MA); and Shady Hill School (Cambridge, MA.

In addition to new teacher preparation, Lesley University also provides professional development, mentoring, and other academic services to school communities through partnerships with schools and districts. Examples of schools with which Lesley maintains professional development or other academic partnerships include: the Baldwin, Harrington, Peabody, and Tobin Elementary Schools in Cambridge, MA; the Hosmer Elementary School and Watertown Middle School in Watertown, MA; and the Timilty Middle School, the Lewenberg Middle School, and the Snowden International School in Boston, MA.

Lesley Mission Statement

Lesley University prepares women and men for professional careers in education, human services, management and the arts. Since 1909 when the School was founded to train early childhood educators, Lesley has been a leader and innovator in educating for the professions that put people first. A commitment to the liberal arts, scholarly inquiry and lifelong learning forms the foundation of Lesley's educational philosophy.

Lesley University offers a variety of graduate and undergraduate programs on its Cambridge and Boston campuses and in regional, national, and international locations. Central to the mission of all its programs is a commitment to excellence, creative instruction, the integration of academic and field-based learning, and responsiveness to the needs of society and the student. Lesley began as a professional school for women and remains committed to providing equal educational opportunities to those historically underserved by higher education.

A distinctive and fundamental aspect of education at Lesley University is the conviction that people matter and that the professionals who respond to their needs provide a unique service to society. Faculty and students believe in the power of individuals-working collaboratively-to bring about constructive change.

The vast majority of Lesley graduates work in careers where this philosophy is applied daily. In a variety of professions, Lesley graduates serve as the crucial link between people and organizations, students and the schools, human service clients and community agencies, employees and corporations. The goal of a Lesley University education is to empower students with the knowledge, skills and practical experience they need to succeed as catalysts and leaders in their professions, their own lives and the world in which they live.