The School Health Education program
at Southern Connecticut State University is committed to excellence
in the preparation of professional graduate level school health educators.
The program utilizes a variety of sources and a philosophy of health
education to develop its knowledge base, goals and objectives. The
school health education program espouses the conceptual framework
developed by the university school of education: scholarship, attitudes/dispositions,
integrity, leadership and service. Sources currently utilized in the
development of the curriculum and knowledge base include:
A
Framework for the Development of Competency-based Curricula for Entry
Level Health Educators. National Commission for Health Education Credentialing,
Inc.
The
National Standards for Health Education. Joint Committee on National
Health education Standards
Ten
Major Content Areas identified in widely accepted definition of Comprehensive
School Health Education
Connecticut
Competency Instrument (indicators and attributes of excellence in
teaching). Connecticut State Department of Education.
Interstate
New Teachers Assessment and Support consortium (model standards for
beginning teacher licensing and develop) Connecticut Counsel of Chief
School Officers.
Program
Goals
Provide
the knowledge and skills necessary to teach the content areas of health
literacy as established by the Education Commission of the State of
Connecticut.
Provide
content that addresses the attitudes, health needs, practices, interests,
and strengths of culturally diverse populations.
Provide
the knowledge and skills necessary to develop, assess, implement,
and evaluate school health curricula and health programs for children
and adolescents.
Provide
the necessary content and pedagogy to facilitate interactive learning
that relates to health in the pre-kindergarten through grade twelve
classroom setting.
Provide
up-to-date and developmentally appropriate materials, methods, and
resources for teaching health.
Provide
opportunities for conducting research, advanced study, and/or personal
growth related to school health educators.
Provide
an avenue for professional development and an opportunity to develop
the skills and strategies for helping to promote change within school
health education.
The School of Education is a professional
school whose mission is to advance the science and art of teaching
and learning. The school is responsible for preparing teachers to
work with individuals from birth through adulthood. The school strives
to maintain a high standard of excellence in its programs and seeks
to develop graduates committed to life-long learning, intellectual
honesty, personal integrity, and respect for the rights and freedom
of others.
Additionally, the school health program
reflects five themes providing a conceptual framework for the entire
school of education. They are as follows:
Scholarship
– Understand the scope and sequence in a comprehensive school
health education curriculum based on the knowledge and issues as it
relates to teachers and students.
Attitudes
and Dispositions – Through collaboration with others, know
how to create education programs and to create supportive interactions
within the classroom, school, and community.
Integrity
– Analyze social, cultural, economic, and political factors that
influence health.
Leadership
– Health educators know how to work with community resources
to disseminate knowledge to plan, implement, and evaluate health education
at all levels of the community.
Service
– Know the variety of communication methods and techniques to
provide health information and foster communication between health
care providers and consumers.
Philosophy
of the School Health Education Program
School
health educators can affect beneficial changes in the health, health
literacy and health behavior their students
The role of
learning and affective experiences is important in health education
Self motivation
and self evaluation are critical in enhancing the learning experience
Maintaining
a strict code of ethics is crucial for Health educators to protect
the confidentiality and trust of their students
Graduate level students must posses
all ten competencies delineated by The National Commission for Health
Education Credentialing, Inc.
The
National Commission for Health Education Competencies
Assessing
individual and community needs.
Planning effective
health education programs.
Implementing
health education programs.
Evaluating
the effectiveness of health education programs.
Coordinating
provisions of health education services.
Acting as a
resource person in health education.
Communicating
health and health education needs, concerns, & resources.
Apply appropriate
research principles and methods in health education.
Administering
health education programs.
Advancing the
profession of health education.
The
Student Performance Objectives
Students
will be prepared to take and pass the Praxis II Exam as evidenced
by passing the exam.
Students will
meet the Connecticut State Teaching competencies as evidenced by achieving
the performance indicators for those competencies.
Students will
meet the American Association of Health Educators and the National
Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education standards by achieving
the performance indicators for those standards.
Students will
be satisfied with the School Health Education program as evidenced
by their responses on surveys.
Students will
be employed as Health Educators or in related fields as indicated
by the results of program surveys.
