Online Graduate Program for K-12 Teachers Gets Colorado Approval
DENVER (Sept. 1, 2005)- There's another option for anyone with an undergraduate degree who wants to become a licensed teacher, or needs to renew a teaching license. Jones International University now offers licensure preparation.
Jones International University® (JIU®) received official sanction from the Colorado State Board of Education this month as an approved program of preparation for teacher licensure. JIU is accredited by the Higher Education Commission of the North Central Association, the regional accrediting body that verifies academic rigor and credentials for institutions of higher learning in Colorado.
A completely virtual university, JIU was founded in Englewood in 1993 by Glenn R. Jones. It received the first accreditation in the United States for a fully online institution in 1999. Along with graduate and undergraduate business administration and communication degrees, JIU offers a master's in education (MEd) degree with curriculum developed by content experts from the world's leading universities, including Columbia University Teachers College, Stanford University, University of Pennsylvania, Claremont Graduate University, University of Wisconsin, and many others.
"We are committed to the success of Colorado's K-12 professionals, and we're pleased that the Colorado State Board of Education has recognized the excellence of our program," said David E. Leasure, PhD, president of the university. "We're an online university, but we live here, and we care deeply about education and educators in our state."
Within the MEd degree program are specializations in elementary curriculum, assessment and instruction; secondary curriculum, assessment and instruction; and educational leadership and administration for K-12 educators and administrators. JIU also offers MEd specializations in corporate training and knowledge management, e-learning technology and design, and adult education and administration.
Colorado educators may take individual degree specialization courses without applying for admission to the full MEd program. Each course can be applied toward licensing renewal and district professional development recommendations. New teachers will still have to pass the licensing exam administered by the state.
"Online students in the JIU MEd program who intend to become teachers in other states will also benefit from these new degrees," said Robert Fulton, PhD, academic chair of Education at JIU. "As a state-approved program of teacher preparation, JIU graduates from throughout the United States may use this status within their own states' licensing processes."
The Colorado Department of Education approval was made on Aug. 11. Roll-out of the program under the new auspices begins this week.