..Education Department

"Teachers affect eternity; no one can tell where their influence stops."
  

These words by historian Henry Adams perhaps best underscore the ongoing need for qualified, well prepared teaching professionals in our nation's elementary and secondary classrooms. Today, more than ever before, private and public schools insist on educators who possess the credentials and experience needed to create, manage and nurture successful learning environments.

Trinity University over the years has demonstrated a strong commitment to public elementary and secondary education, and the preparation of educators continues to be an important component of Trinity University's mission. To believe in education is to believe in the future. Explore the challenges offered by Trinity University and discover for yourself how our unique school can be a part of your future in education.

The Department of Education at Trinity University features innovative and challenging programs for students interested in teaching in the nation's public or private elementary or secondary schools. For students interested in teaching, Trinity offers a five year Master of Arts in Teaching program. The M.A.T. program prepares students for certification in elementary, middle and secondary education, with endorsements in special education and English as a Second Language (ESL). These students are provided with excellent preparation in the liberal arts and sciences, and the professional coursework that provides the knowledge and skills for success in the elementary, middle, or secondary classroom. A special effort is made to get to know the students, assist them in making career plans, and ultimately in securing employment as a teacher.

Development of the new 5-year teacher education program began in 1987, and the initial cohort of Interns in Teaching graduated in May of 1991. The program has received national attention since its inception. In December, 1991, The Wall Street Journal featured the program in a front page column piece entitled: "Making the Grade: Teacher Quality Rises with Improved Pay, Concern for Schools". The article underscored Trinity's success in recruiting able students to teacher education, and our commitment to developing partnerships with selected public schools and working side-by-side with outstanding practitioners from the classrooms.

In 1994, Harriet Tyson published a book, Who Will Teach the Children?, and the Trinity program is described in some detail in Chapter 2. Tyson noted the quality of the Trinity student, the partnership with the schools, and also had high praise for the product. In the opening sentences, Tyson offers the following description: "An idyllic, expensive, liberal arts college with Ivy League standards is turning out articulate, confident teachers who are well prepared to teach the city's mostly poor, mostly Hispanic public school students."

Most recently, the National Center for Restructuring Education, Schools, and Teaching (NCREST) identified seven teacher education programs across the nation that "are highly successful at preparing teachers for practice that could be described as both learner-centered and learning-centered". Trinity's teacher education program is one of the seven, and will be featured in a forthcoming book sponsored by NCREST.

The Department of Education offers two other master's degree programs. The Tomorrow's Leaders program leads to a Master of Education in School Administration and Texas principal certification. The Master of Arts in School Psychology prepares students to become Licensed Specialists in School Psychology (LSSP) and Licensed Psychological Associates (LPA).

Trinity is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teachers (NCATE), National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), and the state of Texas. Trinity's program is ranked in the first quartile in the federal government's Title II accountability system. Click here for more information about Title II.

The Department of Education is housed in the Storch Memorial Building. The facility includes classrooms, faculty offices, and the office of the Department of Education.

All faculty and staff have state-of-the-art computers which are connected to the World Wide Web. Students have access to several electronic classrooms on the campus of Trinity University. In addition, the Trinity University Library features interactive video technology which has the capacity to connect faculty and students with counterparts around the world.

To receive a Courses of Study bulletin or application, send inquiry to ROffice@Trinity.edu

Trinity University
Office of Admissions
One Trinity Place
San Antonio. TX 78212-7200
Phone (210) 999- 7207
Fax (210) 999-8164
admissions@trinity.edu