That’s because San Diego State University and 16 other California State University (CSU) campuses have earned grants to develop four-year teacher preparation programs. SDSU expects to offer these programs for the first time in fall 2018.
SDSU was the only CSU campus which applied for and received three grants totaling almost $750,000 from the Integrated Program Grants from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing.
The grants are designed to help ease the growing K-12 teacher shortage in the California. The funds will be used to expand the number of teacher candidates seeking credentials in the areas that are most needed—science, technology, engineering, math, bilingual and special education.
Currently, CSU teacher preparation programs are structured as fifth-year programs. Students first must earn a bachelor's degree in a discipline in four years and then enroll in a fifth-year teacher preparation program. This means that teacher candidates have to spend more time and money to get their credential.
“In order to attract students to become teachers, we have to convince them to return for a fifth-year of college,” said Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., dean of SDSU’s College of Education (COE). “By creating a four-year integrated program, we will create opportunities for students to earn both their bachelor's degree and their teaching credential in four years.”
The College of Education will work with faculty from various majors, community colleges, and COE’s teacher preparation program faculty to redesign programs that prepare candidates who will educate today's elementary and secondary students.
“Since we have a teacher shortage in California, the Legislature has been looking for ways to increase the production of teachers,” said Nadine Bezuk, COE associate dean and professor. “Integrated programs are one way to do so.”