SECTION 210:20-11-3. General education and professional education

(a)   General Education is based on those studies known as the liberal arts which embrace the broad areas of the humanities, mathematics, the biological and physical sciences, the social and behavioral sciences, and oral and written communication skills. College credit used to satisfy the requirements in General Education, in an amount not to exceed twelve (12) semester hours, may also be counted in meeting requirements in the field of Specialization. College credit used to satisfy the requirements in Professional Education shall not be counted toward meeting requirements in General Education. The General Education component of each approved certificate program must meet or exceed the following standards:

(1)   Standard I: The General Education Program shall:

(A)   Stimulate scholarship that will give understanding and help prepare people for change;

(B)   Foster individual fulfillment and nurture free, rational, and responsible adults;

(C)   Cultivate appreciation for the values associated with a free society;

(D)   Contribute to the development of leaders who are intellectually competent, imaginative, and vigorous;

(E)   Contribute to professional knowledge and its application; and

(F)   Encourage discernment of the values inherent in world cultures.

(2)   Standard II: General Education is a developmental experience emphasizing the first two (2) years of higher education and extending throughout the baccalaureate program.

(3)   Standard III: Each institution approved for the education of teachers shall be responsible for building a sequential program of general studies. A minimum of fifty (50) semester hours in General Education is required, distributed so that:

(A)   Upon successful completion of the General Education component, the student shall have acquired competencies in each of the following areas:

(i)   Communication Skills: conversational speaking, composition, listening, and reading

(ii)   Mathematics: computation, applications, thought processes, vocabulary, and concepts;

(iii)   United States History and Government: The growth and development of the United States as a nation, its place in world affairs, and an analysis of the United States Constitutional Government;

(iv)   Science: physical and biological science

(v)   Behavioral Sciences: The study of psychology, and/or sociology, and/or anthropology; and

(vi)   Arts and Humanities: The study of significant ideas of western civilization as manifested in art, literature, music and philosophy (course work shall be completed in a minimum of two (2) of these areas).

(B)   Any electives needed to fulfill the fifty (50) hour minimum requirement may be selected from category A or the following:

(i)   Contemporary World Culture: social, geographic, political and economic conditions and their impact on current problems in the world and nations, foreign language, American ethnic studies, and world literature with emphasis on, but not limited to, the writings of English and American authors;

(ii)   Practical Arts: skills in areas such as typing, business, accounting, home economics, industrial arts/technology engineering, agriculture, drafting, computer science, and library science; and

(iii)   Health and Physical Education: the principles of health and physical education as they apply to the individual and the community.

(b)   Professional Education shall include classroom and field experiences incorporating a minimum of thirty (30) semester hours. These experiences shall include course work fulfilling the criteria specified below. College credit used to satisfy the requirements in Professional Education shall not be counted in meeting requirements in the field of Specialization except where specifically designated in the Standards. College credit used to satisfy the requirements in Professional Education shall not be counted toward meeting requirements in General Education.

The fulfillment of the Professional Education sequence shall include evidence that the candidate has successfully completed:

(1)   Appropriate laboratory and field experiences designed to provide a preservice teacher an opportunity to synthesize, apply and extend knowledge and problem solving abilities acquired in educational foundations, theory, methods courses, and principal subject areas;

(2)   A minimum of forty-five (45) clock hours of supervised developmental and sequential prestudent teaching experiences in the field;

(3)   A student teaching experience equivalent to one (1) semester of at least twelve (12) weeks in the school environment; and

(4)   Course work in each of the following areas: Foundations of Education, Human Growth and Development, Learning, Evaluation, Exceptional Child, Media, Methods, and Student Teaching.

(5)   Standard I: The Professional Education sequence shall include course work in the processes of human growth, development, and learning and the practical application of this knowledge to the instructional process. The student shall demonstrate a knowledge of:

(A)   Individual differences among students such as interests, values, cultural and socioeconomic background;

(B)   Strategies to utilize data in grouping students for learning activities;

(C)   The development of instructional goals and objectives appropriate to student needs and learning modes;

(D)   Sequencing learning activities and experiences both logically and psychologically;

(E)   Behavior patterns of students;

(F)   Classroom conditions which are varied and appropriate; and

(G)   Student self-awareness and positive self-concepts.

(6)   Standard II: The Professional Education sequence shall include course work in the foundations underlying the development and organization of education in the United States. The student shall demonstrate a knowledge of:

(A)   The historical and philosophical development of education in the United States;

(B)   The organization of public schools;

(C)   Cultural pluralism as it relates to the public schools;

(D)   The development of education as a profession;

(E)   Legal and ethical considerations of school personnel including the rights and responsibilities of teachers, students, administrators, and staff;

(F)   The characteristics of effective teachers;

(G)   Democratic principles, free public education, and equal educational opportunity;

(H)   Objectives and purposes of education relating to pupils, parents, and other citizens; and

(I)   School programs and the participatory role of the teacher in activities which contribute to student and faculty development.

(7)   Standard III: The Professional Education sequence shall include course work in measurement, methods, materials, and media appropriate to teaching. Emphasis shall be in the student's field(s) of Specialization. The student shall demonstrate a knowledge of:

(A)   Administration and interpretation of assessment techniques (standardized tests, sociometrics, etc);

(B)   Design and use of teacher-made tests (diagnostic and achievement, etc);

(C)   Appropriate organization of instructional resources and materials for effective teaching;

(D)   A variety of appropriate instruction strategies (programmed instruction, games, simulations, etc.);

(E)   The appropriate use of a variety of communication patterns within the classroom;

(F)   Individualization of instruction when appropriate;

(G)   Interaction patterns and the ability to modify plans on the basis of feedback; and

(H)   Incorporating reading techniques in content subjects.

(8)   Standard IV: the Professional Education sequence shall include course work in the purposes, administrative organization, and operation of the total educational program of the school. The student shall demonstrate a knowledge of:

(A)   Cultural pluralism concepts;

(B)   Effective interaction and communication with parents;

(C)   The organization of public schools;

(D)   The major contemporary problems in public education;

(E)   The professional organizations in education; and

(F)   The requirements for accreditation, licensure, and certification.

(9)   Standard V: The Professional Education sequence shall include opportunities to demonstrate abilities to teach effectively and work ethically with pupils, teachers, administrators, and parents. Documentation shall be provided (rating scales, systematic observation, video tape, etc.) to evaluate the student teacher's ability to:

(A)   Differentiate among the appropriate roles and responsibilities of pupils, teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, and parents;

(B)   Organize and implement a variety of activities to facilitate learning;

(C)   Exhibit professional scholarship and behavior;

(D)   Interact and communicate effectively with parents;

(E)   Conceptualize and predict accurately the interaction of influencing variables in teaching and learning;

(F)   Identify and become sensitive to individual differences among students;

(G)   Plan, implement, and evaluate appropriate educational goals and related experiences for students; and

(H)   Work effectively as a member of an educational team.

[Source: Amended at 26 Ok Reg 2958, eff 7-2-09 (emergency); Amended at 27 Ok Reg 1385, eff 6-11-10]