Miami-Dade Community College (M-DCC) is among the very few, if not the first community college to establish a School of Education. Like most community colleges, M-DCC?s education courses were embedded within the social science department on each of the campuses. Each campus had its own way of approaching the needs of its education students. In July, 1998, the College pulled education courses away from their traditional home in the social science department and established the college-wide School of Education. This action itself may be considered an innovation.

The School was established in recognition of the pivotal role the community college plays in the teacher preparation process. For instance, it is estimated that over 70% of all elementary school teachers in the Miami-Dade County Public School system took all of their math and science courses at M-DCC. Further, more than 80% of the transfer students in the undergraduate program at the College of Education at the local state university, Florida International University, are graduates from M-DCC. The percentages are even higher at some of the local private universities.

The College prepares a significant number of minority teachers. There are currently close to 4,800 declared teaching majors enrolled at M-DCC. More than 65% are Hispanic, 21% are Black non-Hispanic, 12% are White non-Hispanic, and nearly 2% are classified "Other."

The School of Education offers programs in elementary, secondary and early childhood education. Students may earn a variety of degrees, certificates and certifications through the School including the Associate in Arts (A.A.) or Associate in Science (A.S.) degree, vocational certificate (V.C.C), Child Development Associate Equivalency certificate, and the Child Care and Education Program Administrator Credential. Courses for teacher certification and re-certification, and professional development workshops also are provided. The School offers its programs at five of the College?s six campuses (the sixth campus is the Medical Center Campus where health career-related courses are offered exclusively). Students who complete the A.A. degree may enroll in any of the state university Colleges of Education in Florida with junior level standing. Most of the private universities will grant associate degree holders the same status.

Required courses include a focus on diversity, technology, and field experience. Specifically, students must complete an introductory course, a course on teaching diverse populations, and a course on educational technology. Students are required to complete a minimum of 15 hours field experience in each of the first two courses. The School also offers a field-immersion course for those who wish to explore more extensively the career of teaching. In addition, there are a variety of other education courses available to students, including several in early childhood, and an introductory special education course.

The School of Education is actively involved in several collaborative projects designed to improve teacher quality. Some of the projects are fully developed while others are in the formative stage. A few are mentioned here:

1. The Alliance program is a partnership between the Stevens Institute of Technology, the League for Innovation in the Community College, Bank Street College of Education, Educational Testing Service, Polaris Career Center, and Cuyahoga, Maricopa, and Miami-Dade Community Colleges. The project is an internet teacher training program designed to provide teachers and prospective teachers with effective, technology-based means for improving teaching and learning in science and mathematics. Participants are trained to use the internet to access real-time data in their science and math classes. As the project focus shifts from in-service to pre-service, the School of Education will work with the M-DCC?s School of Natural and Social Science to train math, science and educational technology faculty who will teach courses for targeted groups of education majors. The goal is to expose future teachers to effective methodologies while strengthening their content knowledge. Math and science faculty will use the State of Florida?s Sunshine State Standards (what students are expected to know at different grade levels) as the backdrop for their classes. Educational technology faculty will integrate the math and science content into their methodologies and require students to demonstrate competency with various technologies using the math and science content. Thus, students will have an enhanced experience with the content and pedagogy relevant to their likely future job sites, i.e., public schools in Florida.
2. Miami-Dade Community College and Barry University, a private Catholic university in Miami, have an innovative 2 + 2 program for education majors. Students earn their associate degree at M-DCC, then transfer to Barry University to pursue their baccalaureate degree. Using the cohort model, Barry University provides all of its classroom instruction on the M-DCC campuses. The program features the same small class size and access to professors to which students are accustomed at M-DCC. Students may choose programs in pre-K/primary, varying exceptionalities, and elementary education. Faculty from M-DCC are often hired to serve as adjunct for Barry in the 2 + 2 program. With the Barry University program on the M-DCC campuses, faculty from both have been able to work closely to ensure student success. Feedback is constant and fluid such that adjustments can be made quickly and effectively.
3. By federal mandate, at least 50% of all Head Start teachers must hold an associate or baccalaureate degree in early childhood, or complete six (6) college credit courses in early childhood if they possess an out-of-field degree, by the year 2003. The School of Education has entered into a consortium with the Miami-Dade County Community Action Agency Head Start, Miami-Dade County Public Schools, Barry University, and Florida International University to help Head Start teachers comply with the mandate. The program offers Head Start teachers access to educational opportunities tailored to their specific needs. Where possible, they are enrolled as a cohort at sites convenient to them.

Institutional Mission and Context

The mission of Miami-Dade Community College is to provide accessible, affordable, high-quality education by keeping the learner's needs at the center of decision-making and working in partnership with its dynamic, multi-cultural community. Miami-Dade Community College is a six-campus, single-district institution that serves a non-traditional, ethnically diverse student population. During the 1997-1998 year, the College had 124,873 students enrolled in credit and non-credit courses. The average student age was twenty-seven and a half years. Approximately 86% were Hispanic, or non-Hispanic, Black; 40% were resident aliens or refugees; 53% lived on household incomes of less than $20,000 per year; and 56.3% were first generation college students. The Miami-Dade County Public School system enrolls over 350,000 students each year, 87.5% of whom are racial and ethnic minorities.

Key Partnerships

Miami-Dade County Public Schools
Barry University
Florida International University
League for Innovation in the Community College
Stevens Institute of Technology
Bank Street College of Education
Miami-Dade County Community Action Agency Head Start

For further information, contact:

Dr. Leslie Ann Roberts
Chairperson, School of Education,
Miami-Dade Community College
627 S.W. 27 Avenue
Miami, FL 33135
Telephone (305) 237-6152
Fax (305) 237-6095
E-mail lroberts@mdcc.edu

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