West Chester University

M.ED. SECONDARY ED WITH CERTIFICATION WW TEACHING FELLOWSHIP

In partnership with the Woodrow Wilson Foundation and Philadelphia Public Schools, West Chester University (WCU) offers the  Woodrow Wilson Pennsylvania Teaching Fellowship. The Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship Program is an innovative 13-month, apprenticeship-based program for individuals with a deep commitment to teaching mathematics or science in a high-need school district. The program is held at WCU's Philadelphia campus in center city Philadelphia. Working from the model of medical residencies, the program provides graduate education, intensive classroom experiences with a master teacher, and three years of mentoring and professional development in the schools where they teach. Resident Fellows work with faculty in the Department of Secondary Education during their program.

The foundational coursework of the M.Ed. Program provides candidates with the core principles and values of the M.Ed. Program. Candidates will explore the history and nature of education and public schools, as well as the historical effects of socioeconomic disparity and racial/cultural bias on the development of public schools, curriculum, and student achievement. Candidates will also study and research adolescent development and the various societal issues that affect development (special education, literacy, trauma, etc.). These courses will be connected throughout the program with themes of social justice, culturally relevant pedagogy, and conversations of the social content of education and communities influence on public schools and adolescence. Content pedagogical coursework will be integrated with residency work during the school year to provide ongoing support. All coursework will take place at WCU's Philadelphia campus. 

Resident Fellows who successfully complete the program earn an M.Ed. degree and teacher certification simultaneously. Graduates then make a three-year commitment to teach at a high needs public school in Philadelphia.

Based on research about successful programs, the Residency Fellowship:

embeds Resident Fellows from day one in schools, focusing their master’s degree coursework on classroom experiences;
provides all the coursework needed for a 13-month Master of Education (M.Ed.) and state certification;
matches the Resident Fellow with a PHILADELPHIA PUBLIC school-based collaborating teacher;
provides Resident Fellow Graduates intensive induction support, mentoring, and professional development through the first three years of teaching;
provides additional professional development support to the master teachers and school leaders to reinforce the school’s focus on learning and continuous improvement at all levels;
offers invaluable support of a cohort of individuals who are passionate about science and math education for urban school districts.