Graduates are capable of excellence in their professional practice. Excellence in professional practice for the education of students at the middle level requires graduates to have a breadth and depth of content knowledge and methods and strategies for teaching early adolescents. In addition to concentration course work available in Arts and Sciences, graduates also investigate departmental courses which offer a variety of methods and strategies for presenting challenging and integrated content to early adolescent students. Graduates think systematically about their practice, use research and technology and contribute to the knowledge base. All graduate work includes research investigations in middle level education and content areas, with reflective application, and demonstration of best practices in middle grades classrooms.
Graduates are members of learning communities.
Graduates demonstrate contributing membership in learning communities by the application of best educational practices in their educational environments, by conducting action research projects to positively affect school climate and reform, and by working with parents and community members to improve educational experiences for all.