General Information
The Curry School of Education offers professional programs designed to prepare individuals for a variety of careers related to the
practice of education. The school was named for Dr. Jabez L. M. Curry, an eminent southern educator. It was endowed in 1905 by gifts
from John D. Rockefeller and the General Education Fund, and became a professional school in 1919. Graduate programs in education were
established in 1950, and the degree programs offered now include the Bachelor of Science in Education (B.S.Ed.); a five-year teacher
education program leading to the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) and Master of Teaching (M.T.); the Master of Education (M.Ed.), Master of
Teaching (M.T.), and Educational Specialist (Ed.S.); and two different doctoral degrees (Ed.D. and Ph.D.).
The Curry School of Education has two major missions. The first is to prepare individuals to work in America's educational system,
pre-kindergarten through collegiate levels, and to conduct research and scholarship that address problems and issues of importance to
our education system. Through partnerships with other organizations and educational institutions, the Curry School is committed to
developing exemplary and innovative approaches to address those issues and problems, and to improving instruction and schooling in the
Commonwealth of Virginia. As such, the Teacher Education Program has provided national leadership in the preparation of beginning
teachers, as well as advanced training for experienced teachers and personnel related to teaching. The five-year Teacher Education
Program is an integrated program sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences and the Curry School of Education. It combines strong
subject matter preparation with professional training that leads to teacher licensure and results in the simultaneous receipt of both
bachelor's and master's degrees after a total of five years of study at the University.
Programs leading to teacher licensure include specializations in elementary education, health and physical education, foreign
languages, early childhood and developmental risk, and special education (including behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, and
mental retardation). For secondary teachers, specializations are available in English, mathematics, sciences (biology, chemistry, earth
science, physics), and social studies.
The second major mission of the Curry School is to enhance human potential and performance by preparing professionals and conducting
research in such areas as psychological/emotional development, physical development and fitness, and speech/language/auditory
development. These areas contribute to the betterment of the human condition and are directly related to increased learning and
successful experiences in our educational system.
Two additional program areas are designed for students interested in pursuing human service careers related to communication
disorders and physical education/sports medicine. These programs require that students transfer into the Curry School, and are
designed to terminate after four years (B.S.Ed. degree) so that students may pursue additional graduate study. The Communication
Disorders Program provides pre-professional training in speech-language pathology. The Sports Medicine Program is a pre-physical therapy
and pre-athletic training program. These programs provide the necessary academic and practical work for the four-year B.S.Ed. degree,
and for application to graduate (master's degree) programs in their relative specialities.
Programs within the Curry School are among the best professional education offerings in the country. Faculty hold offices in
professional organizations, are scholars of international renown, and are numbered among the University's finest teachers. Students
score well above the national norms on the SAT examinations, and are members of such student honorary societies as Chi Sigma Iota,
Omicron Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappa, Outstanding Students in America, and the Raven Society.
Extensive information about the Curry School of Education and its programs is available online at the address listed below. Access to
information about admissions and academic policies may also be requested by sending an electronic mail message to curry@virginia.edu.
Address
Curry School of Education
University of Virginia, Ruffner Hall
405 Emmet Street S
P.O. Box 400261
Charlottesville, VA 22904-4261
(434) 924-3334
curry.edschool.virginia.edu/
Accreditation |
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The Curry School of Education and its programs to prepare school personnel are accredited by the National Council for
Accreditation of Teacher Education. In addition, teacher education programs are also accredited by the Teacher Education
Accreditation Council and individual program specializations are accredited by such organizations as the American Speech,
Language and Hearing Association, the National Athletic Trainers' Association, and the American Psychological Association.
Facilities & Services |
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Ruffner Hall The majority of academic facilities and offices of the Curry School of Education are located in Ruffner
Hall. This modern facility houses laboratory space for studies in science education, instructional technology, counselor
education, reading, educational psychology, and educational research. A well-equipped behavioral study area enables students
and faculty to carry on advanced-level clinical observation and research, and a number of flexible meeting areas provide a
supportive environment for studies in education.
Additionally, Ruffner Hall houses centers that provide services to the community, the state, and the nation, while providing students
and faculty with instructional and research opportunities.
The Athletic Training and Physical Therapy Clinic provides therapy for the University's athletic teams, Student Health
patients, faculty and staff, and physician referrals from the community. Offering M.Ed., Ed.D. and Ph.D. programs in athletic training
and sports medicine, and an undergraduate program in sports medicine, the clinic provides practicums for both graduate and undergraduate
students. It is located in the McCue Center, adjacent to University Hall.
The Center for Cardiac Health and Fitness provides professionally supervised programs of physical fitness enhancement and
coronary risk factor modification. The programs provide coronary risk factor screening, medically supervised graded exercise testing
(stress testing), supervised exercise programs for normal adults, and supervised exercise rehabilitation programs for coronary heart
disease patients. The center also serves as a teaching and research facility for experiences in exercise physiology and sports medicine.
The Center for Clinical Psychology Services is a non-profit clinic that provides psychological and educational services to the
public and serves as an in-house training facility for graduate students of the Institute of Clinical Psychology and other areas within
the Curry School. The center is organized into specialized clinics and offers three basic categories of services: diagnosis,
intervention, and consultation.
The Communication Disorders Program provides clinical, research, and office space for programs in speech-language pathology.
Classes are taught in the Curry School of Education's Ruffner Hall, Program facilities include conference room, speech and language
science labs, anelectrophysiological hearing science research lab; rooms for individual and group client assessment and treatment;
research space; and a computer lab with internet connections.
The Education Library contains approximately 150,000 volumes of current educational materials, a file of over 400,000 ERIC
microfiche titles, and access to VIRGO. The library supports the academic needs of the undergraduate and graduate programs of the Curry
School, and provides periodicals, microfilms, books, and reserve materials required for class reading. Optical disc (CD-ROM) data base
systems and Internet connections provide access to materials from throughout the world. Retrospective research materials in education
are located in Alderman Library.
The Instructional Resource Center provides students and faculty with excellent opportunities for both instruction and research.
In addition to audio-visual equipment, the center houses the Audio-Visual Production Lab, both a video filming studio and a video
production facility, the Special Technology Laboratory, the Apple Lab, and the interactive IBM Microcomputer Classroom.
The McGuffey Reading Center functions as a laboratory for the study of the reading process by furthering clinical and
empirical research in developmental reading and preparing graduate students to serve as reading-language specialists. It also provides a
remedial center for children with reading disabilities.
The Motor Development Clinic provides evaluative and prescriptive services for children and youth with motor development
problems. Operated by the Department of Human Services, the clinic serves as a teaching laboratory to prepare motor development
specialists and provides a source of research opportunities to produce new knowledge and understanding about motor development in
children and youth.
The Motor Learning Laboratory is a research facility designed for the study of factors that influence motor skill acquisition
and performance. Individuals conduct research to investigate perceptual constraints; movement speed; EEG correlates of movement;
substructures of balance, strength, and flexibility; and psychological factors related to the acquisition and performance of motor
skills. Those seeking research experiences related to motor skill acquisition and performance utilize this laboratory.
The National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented (NRC/GT) produces and disseminates high-quality, practical studies
relating to the identification and development of the talent of students. The research of the center has ranged from investigating ways
to encourage talent in young, at-risk students, to the social and emotional development of gifted students, to investigating the
feasibility of high-end learning in middle schools. There are currently six faculty and twelve graduate students working on projects of
the NRC/GT.
The Personal and Career Development Center is operated by the Counselor Education Program, within the Department of Human
Services. The mission of the PCDC is two-fold: to provide a training venue for graduate-level counseling students and to provide
assessment and counseling service to individuals. Services are provided to UVA students, as well as individuals from the surrounding
community. People typically seek counseling for personal growth or development, as well as when they experience problems associated with
career-life planning, interpersonal and family relationships, coping with life transitions, grief/loss, anxiety, and depression.
The Speech-Language-Hearing Center (SLHC), housed in the Communication Disorders Facility, is an integral component of the
Curry School's Communication Disorders Program. The Center is a full-service, ASHA-accredited clinical facility supervised by the faculty
and staff of the Communication Disorders Program. It provides students in the speech pathology academic program an opportunity to acquire
experience working with individuals of all ages presenting a wide range of speech, language, and hearing disorders.
The Sport and Exercise Psychology Laboratory is designed for experimental and interview studies on such topics as
observational learning, peer relationships, perceived competence in sport, coaching feedback, performance enhancement, and character
development through sport.
The Sports Medicine/Athletic Training Research Laboratory conducts research in injury prevention and rehabilitation. Specific
areas of research include isokinetic assessment of human muscle performance, postural sway (balance), and joint laxity. The laboratory
also collaborates on research with several departments in the Health Sciences Center, including the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
and the Department of Radiology.
The Center for the Study of Higher Education fosters informed and interdisciplinary approaches to the study of higher education
as a resource for scholars and practitioners. It offers degree programs, seminars, short institutes, and workshops, as well as research
reports and occasional papers that provide administrators and other educational leaders with fresh perspectives on developments in the
arena of post-secondary education.
The Center for Technology and Teacher Education is a cross-disciplinary institute with collaborating faculty drawn from several
disciplines, including educational technology, teacher education, and policy studies. Teachers must be prepared to use the rapidly
evolving technologies that are being placed in today's classrooms in order to realize the promise that these technologies hold for the
future. If we prepare the next generation of teachers, they will effectively serve as diffusion agents. One goal of the center is to
identify and develop educational technologies that should be integrated into teacher education curricula. An equally important goal is to
prepare the next generation of educational technology leaders. Graduate fellows affiliated with the center are expected to serve in
leadership positions in school districts, state education agencies, and teacher preparation programs.
Student Organizations |
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Education Council All students in the Curry School of Education are members of the Education Council (EC). In addition
to its function as liaison between students and faculty of the Curry School of Education, the EC participates in many service
programs affecting the University and the Charlottesville community, such as tutoring underprivileged children and coaching
children's sports activities.
Council for Exceptional Children The Council for Exceptional Children is a professional group focusing on issues related to
individuals with exceptionalities. Membership is open to both faculty and students who have an interest in working with exceptional
individuals. It is sponsored by the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Special Education.
Departmental Student Groups Most departments have a student advisory committee to help plan activities for students and
contribute to the quality of the academic and professional experience at the University.
The Pre-Physical Therapy Association The Pre-Physical Therapy Association was founded in 1981 to provide opportunities for
undergraduate students to learn more about graduate programs and careers in physical therapy. Officers, elected by interested students,
plan specific experiences such as field trips to rehabilitation centers and hospitals, visits from graduate schools, and lectures related
to contemporary issues in physical therapy. This organization is part of the sports medicine and physical education programs within the
Department of Human Services.
Student Virginia Education Association (SVEA) Student Virginia Education Association membership is open to both graduate and
undergraduate students. SVEA members participate in various professional activities, receive various publications, participate in
seminars and conferences, and receive liability/tort insurance.
Academic Honors & Honorary Societies |
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Dean's List To be placed on the Dean's List of Distinguished Students in any given semester, an undergraduate must
maintain a minimum 12-credit course load and achieve a current grade point average of 3.4 or higher without failure in any
course. Courses taken on a CR/NC basis may not be counted toward the 12-credit minimum. Any student receiving an F, NC, or NG
during the semester is not eligible to be on the dean's list.
Graduation Honors Students with a grade point average of 3.6 or higher will be recognized as graduating "with honors;" students
with a grade point average of 3.75 or higher will be recognized as graduating "with high honors;" and students with a grade point average
of 3.9 or higher will be recognized as graduating "with highest honors." Computation of grade point averages for the determination of
honors is based on all standard letter-grade courses carried since the student has matriculated in the Curry School of Education.
Students in the five-year Teacher Education Program may be eligible for dean's list through the College of Arts and Sciences (for B.A.
and M.T.) or the Curry School (for B.S.Ed. in Physical Education).
Kappa Delta Pi, an honor society in education that was founded in 1911, chartered its Eta Kappa Chapter of the University of
Virginia in 1951. The constitution of the society reads as follows: "The purpose of Kappa Delta Pi shall be to encourage high
professional, intellectual, and personal standards to recognize outstanding contributions to education. To this end it shall invite to
membership such persons as exhibit commendable personal qualities, worthy educational ideals, and sound scholarship. It shall endeavor to
maintain a high degree of professional fellowship among its members and to quicken professional growth by honoring achievement in
educational work.
Academic Requirements & Options |
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All students are subject to the academic policies specified in the chapter titled "University Regulations." In addition, students must
follow the policies of the Curry School of Education. Students in the five-year Teacher Education Program should consult the regulations
in the College of Arts and Sciences chapter, as well as those of the Curry School of Education.
Application to the Curry School Students who wish to apply for the teacher education program in the Curry School of Education
must submit a full application by March 1 of their first or second year; those who wish to apply for the communication disorders or
sports medicine programs must submit a full application by March 1 of their second year. Students wishing to teach in high need areas
(math, foreign languages, science, special education) may apply as late as their third year in the college. Students seeking to enroll
in teacher education must be in the College (i.e., students in the Schools of Architecture, Engineering, or Nursing must transfer to the
College first). Students applying to B.S.Ed. programs in communication disorders or physical education apply to transfer to the Curry
School.
To apply, students must complete an application, provide a statement of professional goals, and furnish all transcripts. Applications
are evaluated in terms of academic course work (preference given to 3.0 GPA), strong SAT scores (preference given to 1000 or above), and
experience related to professional goals. Applications from under-represented groups or those with varied backgrounds are strongly
encouraged. Information about specific application procedures is available in Room 104, Ruffner Hall, Office of Admissions.
Residence Requirement A recipient of a degree in education from the Curry School must have completed four semesters of
full-time (12 credits) study at the University of Virginia while enrolled in the Curry School of Education. Exceptions for emergency
situations may only be granted with the advisor's and dean's permission. In addition, all students must be full-time (12 hours minimum)
during all semesters, except the final one (9 hours minumum).
Course Load Special permission of the advisor and dean's office is required to take fewer than 12, (except for the last
semester) or more than 18, credits during a given semester.
Final Examinations are given during a designated period of time at the end of each semester. Examinations may only be given at
the time listed in the Course Offering Directory unless authorized by the dean. Students are not authorized to take final exams before
the regularly scheduled time. However, under serious conditions, and with their instructor's and advisor's permission, students may be
allowed to postpone the examination to a time convenient to the instructor. Students who have three exams in one day or four in a two-day
period may petition to have one examination moved.
Attendance Students are expected to attend classes throughout the session, with the exception of University holidays, unless
permission to be absent temporarily or to withdraw has been first granted by the instructor. Routine excuses for illness are not
furnished by the Department of Student Health either to the student or to the instructor. If final examinations are missed for serious
medical reasons, the Department of Student Health notifies the dean. On request of the dean, the Department of Student Health may
evaluate the effect of any illness upon a student's attendance and academic performance. Failure to attend classes or other prescribed
activities in a course may result in enforced withdrawal from the course or other penalties as determined by the instructor.
Attendance Upon Examinations Written exams are an essential part of the work of most courses. A final examination or
culminating experience is expected in all classes. The time period assigned for final exams is considered part of the regular academic
semester, and classes must meet during their scheduled examination period. Absence from exams is not excused except for illness, attested
by a physicians certificate, or for other causes that the instructor, advisor, and dean, by special action, may approve. An unexcused
absence is counted as a failure and, at the discretion of the instructor, may result in failing the course.
Course Grades All specifically required courses must be taken for regular, graded credit (no S/U or CR/NC), including grades
of A+, A, A-, B+, B, B-. C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, F. Internships, practicums, and student teaching are generally graded S/U.
Incomplete Grades for BS Ed Students An IN is recorded when reasons known to the professor are judged adequate to justify an
extension of time to complete course requirements. An IN may not be used to allow a student to attempt to raise a grade at the end of
the term. The time line to complete course work may be negotiated with an instructor, but may not extend beyond one year of the semester
in which the course was originally taken. Students are expected to enter into a written contract with the instructor specifying the
remaining requirements and agreed-upon time line. It is the student's responsibility to file the incomplete agreement in the Curry
Office of Admissions. After one year, if the student has not met the terms of the incomplete agreement, the faculty member may submit a
grade of F, U, WF, or W; if no action is taken by the faculty member, the incomplete is administratively changed to a W.
B.A.-M.T. students should consult the policies of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Grade Changes No grade may be changed after it has been submitted to the university registrar without the approval of the
dean. The dean is not authorized by the faculty to change a grade submitted to the university registrar except when an instructor
certifies that, because of errors in calculation or transcription, an incorrect grade has been submitted.
The Curry School limits the time in which a grade change may be approved to one calendar year.
Credit/No Credit Courses Students have the option of receiving the grades CR (credit) or NC (no credit) in place of the
regular grades, A through F, for a given course prior to admission to a Curry program. This option is taken at the time the students
register for the course. Instructors have the right to deny students permission to take courses on a CR/NC basis. If this occurs,
students may either change back to the regular grading option or they may drop the course entirely. Courses taken for CR/NC may not be
used for any major or basic area requirements.
No more than two courses may be taken on a CR/NC basis in any semester or in summer session. A maximum of 24 credits of CR/NC courses
may be used toward the degree. Students may not use a CR/NC course to repeat a class in which a grade has already been given. If such a
case should occur, the credits in the CR/NC course would not count toward graduation. The last day to change a CR/NC option is the same
as the last day to drop a course. The CR/NC option may not be used to meet the specific requirements under general education; to meet
requirements for specialization in a teaching field; or to meet requirements for professional education, with the exception in some
teaching areas of field experiences and accompanying seminars that are offered only on a CR/NC basis.
Repeating Courses A student who has received a grade of D in a required undergraduate course may be required to repeat the
course as directed by his or her academic advisor or program faculty. Both grades for the repeated course remain on the transcript and
are used in the computation of the grade point average. The course credit will be for only one offering.
Adding a Course or Changing the Grading Option All additions to course schedules or changes in the grading option for a course
must be completed by the last day to add a course. These changes are made via ISIS (434) 296-4747; www.virginia.edu/isis. Changes after
the add deadline may only be considered under emergency circumstances and require a petition signed by the instructor, advisor, and dean.
Any course required by name must be taken for a grade (not pass/fail). B.A.-M.T. students should consult the policies of the College of
Arts and Sciences.
Dropping a Course With the approval of the student's advisor, a student may drop and void registration in a course until the
official drop date. Permission to take fewer than 12 credits must be petitioned to, and approved by, the advisor and the dean and can
only be granted for unusual or emergency circumstances.
Withdrawal from a Course B.S.Ed. students may withdraw from a course at any point prior to 5:00 P.M. on the last day of
classes (in the term of enrollment) if permission has been secured from the student's advisor and instructor and a petition has been
filed with the dean. This action results in the course remaining on the transcript and the instructor being asked to record a grade of
W, WP, or WF on the final grade sheet and on the petition filed by the student. A W may be assigned only if there is not basis on which
to determine a WF or WP. None of these notations effect the grade point average, nor does the course count toward credits earned.
College students should consult the policies of the College and note the earlier date.
Enforced Withdrawal See chapter 5.
Probation and Suspension An undergraduate student must maintain good standing each semester by completing at least 12 credits
of graded work (or S/C work if engaged in practicums or student teaching), with at least a 1.8 semester average and no more than one
grade below C- (or U/NC). A student will be placed on academic probation after any semester in which good standing is not attained.
Suspension involves enforced withdrawal from the Curry School of Education. A student placed on probation in any semester may be
suspended if he or she does not regain good standing at the end of the next semester. A student who has been suspended may apply to the
Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the Curry School of Education for readmission after one regular semester or one summer
session has elapsed since the date of suspension. If readmitted, the student will be on probation and will be suspended again after one
semester unless the cumulative grade point average for all courses completed is above 2.0.
Students in the College must comply with all College rules, as well as Curry School policies for teacher education.
Readmission to the Curry School of Education is not automatic. After an absence of twelve months or longer, a former student
must apply for readmission by submitting an application to the academic dean's office at least sixty days before the semester begins.
Failure to comply with these regulations subjects the student to suspension from the University by the vice president for student
affairs.
Grievance Procedure Due process is guaranteed to all students. See "Grievance Procedures" in the University Regulations
chapter or consult the associate dean's office in 104 Ruffner Hall.
Licensure for Teaching The Curry School of Education affirms the distinction between degree requirements and licensure
requirements in its programs. While many programs contain both kinds of requirements, and major portions of the two may be synonymous,
one may meet one set of requirements and not the other (i.e., receive a degree without qualifying for recommendation for licensure).
Information concerning licensure requirements is provided to students through the Office of Admissions and Student Affairs of the Curry
School of Education. In order for a student to be recommended by the Curry School of Education for professional licensure, he or she
must complete a teacher education program sequence approved by the faculty of the Curry School of Education and meet state cut-off scores
on the Praxis I and Praxis II examinations.
State Assessments of Teacher Education Under the Commonwealth of Virginia's approved program status for schools of education,
all students enrolled in a teacher education program at the University of Virginia must take the appropriate licensing exams required by
the Commonwealth of Virginia for the specific program area endorsement. The scores on these exams and other evidence presented to the
U.S. Secretary of Education, in accordance with Section 207 of the Higher Education Act (HEA) regarding the preparation of graduates who
intend to work in the nation's schools, demonstrates the high caliber of the students at the University of Virginia. During the
2001-2002 academic year, 503 students were enrolled in the Curry School's Teacher Education Program and 124 students participated in the
Teaching Associate (student teaching) semester involving 560 hours of student teaching. A total of 31 full or part-time faculty
participated in supervision activities resulting in a supervising student/faculty ratio of 4:1.
The following report of Praxis exam pass rates is a mandated condition of the HEA and reflects the scores of those University of
Virginia's teacher education program completers who took the exams from September 2001-August 2002 (state-wide pass rates are shown in
parentheses). Praxis I pass rate for the PPST Reading was 97% (95%) and CBT Reading was 98% (97%). The PPST Writing pass rate was 96%
(89%) and the CBT Writing was 92% (92%). The PPST Mathematics pass rate was 96% (92%) and the CTB Mathematics was 97% (89%). The
University's aggregate pass rate for Basic Skills was 99% (96%), while the Summary pass rate 99% (94%).
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