Department of Education

Emily Medlock, Associate Professor and Director of Undergraduate Education
Megan Parker Peters, Associate Professor and Director of Accreditation, Assessment, and Research
Misty Vetter Parsley, Associate Professor and Director of Special Education Programs
Sarah Duncan, Associate Professor

Robbie Hampton, Assistant Professor and Lead Faculty, Special Education Graduate and Undergraduate Programs

Kara Krinks, Assistant Professor

The mission of the College of Education is to serve and inspire candidates so that they master the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to become caring and competent educators in a diverse and technological society. The college offers undergraduate and graduate programs built upon the conceptual framework of C.A.R.E.-Craft of Teaching, Attitudes and Values, Relationships, and Essential Knowledge. Courses are designed to meet Tennessee licensure and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation standards.

The College of Education cooperates with various academic departments to offer the PreK-3/SPED early childhood major, K-5/SPED interdisciplinary teaching major, 6-8 middle grades teaching majors (Math, English, Social Studies, Science), the special education interventionist K-8 and 6-12 majors, and six programs in grades 6-12 teaching majors (biology, chemistry, English, history, mathematics and physics). Several academic departments also provide preparation for teaching K-12 (art, theatre, health and physical education, instrumental and vocal music). Programs are offered for PreK-12 endorsements in French, German and Spanish. Candidates in secondary education will be expected to complete a teaching major in the academic department/subject or area in which they plan to teach. One may also elect to complete state requirements for endorsement in additional high school subjects. Undergraduate candidates completing most programs may work toward either the Bachelor of Arts or the Bachelor of Science degree.

The teacher education program at Lipscomb University is approved by the Tennessee State Board of Education and nationally accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The recent, March 2020 accreditation visiting team recommended the passage of all standards with no areas for improvement cited. The state team recommended approval of all programs with no weaknesses. The next accreditation visit will be in Spring 2026.

Distinctives of the Undergraduate Education Department

Because of Lipscomb’s location in the metropolitan Nashville area, candidates majoring in education have available to them a wealth of professional resources and opportunities. Lipscomb education majors enjoy a variety of placements in schools in Metro Nashville and neighboring counties. Special opportunities include magnet schools and schools with large English language learner populations. Interdisciplinary education majors can also earn English as a Second Language endorsement as a part of their program. Programs are developmental in nature. Following admission into teacher education, candidates enroll in proficiency-based courses in which classroom teaching and clinical placements in area schools are fully integrated. Members of the education faculty invest their time and experience in the professional lives of their students, providing opportunities to learn and grow beyond the Lipscomb classroom.

Since the department emphasizes working with diverse populations and a variety of stakeholders, candidates visit and participate in area school activities throughout their education at Lipscomb. In addition, our candidates and faculty jointly make alternating annual trips in May to work in a two-week program with Native American students in South Dakota or students internationally. This program is offered as part of the Cultural Perspectives course. International student teaching opportunities are also available through Interaction International’s STAGE program. For more information, contact the director of student teaching.

Lipscomb University’s College of Education, which received the highest available rating in overall performance in the 2019 Tennessee Department of Education Teacher Preparation Report Card, is a leader in the movement to support educational progress in Tennessee. The college has also been recognized by the National Council for Teacher Quality (NCTQ). Both elementary and secondary preparation programs are nationally ranked.

In Spring 2012, the Ayers Institute for Teacher Learning and Innovation was launched to define and design competencies around teacher leadership. The Ayers Institute will be working closely with the Tennessee Charter School Incubator in developing sustainable leadership programming. Working with the Tennessee Higher Education Commission, the institute will also be working to collaborate with institutions of higher education to develop and implement the new Tennessee Academic standards across the state. These efforts are designed to transform teaching and learning in pre- service teacher education in K-12 programs.

The Lipscomb College of Education has been consistently impacting schools across the state in significant ways. The college is the teacher professional development provider for the first public-school-to-charter-school transformation in Tennessee and has received more than $2.5 million of competitive grant monies to strengthen P-12 math and science instruction for local in-service teachers. Additional awards include four Race to the Top grants promoting STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) and conducting professional development for teachers in Davidson, Cheatham, Williamson, Sumner and Robertson counties in Tennessee.

Career Opportunities

A teacher education degree prepares one for several types of service:

Teaching in elementary and middle schools
High school teaching
K-12 teaching
Consultants to publishers and industry
Liaison between community services and schools
Educational positions in industry
Teaching in foreign countries
Adult education
Child-care centers
Church kindergartens
Administrators of children’s homes
Educational directors for local congregations
Bible school teachers
A teaching degree also serves as a foundation for rearing children in the home

Teaching Majors: Admissions, Licensure

Admission Requirements

The initial step for all students interested in being admitted to the Teacher Education Program is to enroll in and successfully complete ED2323 - Schooling in America (3) F, SP which includes a required orientation at the beginning of the course.

Specific admission criteria include successful completion of both LU1203 - Lipscomb Experience and EN1313 - University Writing courses; ED2313 - Schooling in America (3) F, SP; prerequisite scores on the Core Academic Skills for Educators test, or ACT/SAT; a 2.75 grade-point average; an interview; references; an autobiography and beginning of a professional portfolio; evidence of mental, physical, social, emotional, and moral maturity; approval by the Teacher Education Council; and a clean criminal background and fingerprinting check.

Upon successful completion of the above requirements, a student may be formally admitted to the program. The capstone experience for candidates seeking a teacher education major and licensure is the successful completion of Clinical Practice III (student teaching), the student teaching seminar, a professional portfolio assessment (edTPA), and an exit presentation

Licensure Requirements

Candidates planning to teach in states other than Tennessee should contact the College of Education for requirements which may vary from those in Tennessee and at Lipscomb. In order to be recommended for licensure by Lipscomb University a candidate must complete the following requirements, must pass all required PRAXIS II exams, and must complete and pass edTPA during Clinical Practice III. (These requirements may be changed as mandated by the State of Tennessee.)

Note: Any Education Course with a grade below a “C” must be retaken. A minimum overall grade point average of 2.75 must be maintained.

Program of Study Requirements

Major

Minor

Education Minor

Endorsement

English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsement