Teacher preparation at SDSU dates from 1904 and has undergone a number of changes over the years. Now referred to as teacher education, the Teaching, Learning, and Leadership program was created in 2009 when departments that were formerly part of the College of Education and Counseling and the College of Family and Consumer Sciences were combined to form the College of Education and Human Sciences. In 2023, the program began offering undergraduate majors in elementary education and special education.

The Teacher Education program commits to:

• Preparing highly qualified professionals.
• Creating and sharing new knowledge in our profession.
• Developing outreach opportunities with stakeholders in the field.

We assess excellence through:

• Meeting or exceeding standards of accrediting agencies.
• Fostering the development of highly sought and valued graduates.
• Disseminating scholarly and creative activity.

We assure this by:

• Sharing and modeling effective teaching practices, knowledge, skills and dispositions.
• Developing transformational leaders and lifelong learners.
• Advocating for all stakeholders.

Our shared vision for the Teacher Education program includes four overarching themes:

Responsiveness

• Deliver innovative and continuously improving undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Facilitate communication with candidates, community and faculty stakeholders to align our coursework to current and future needs in the field.
• Develop social networks with our graduates to promote relationships, provide lifelong learning opportunities and invite their contributions to the department’s growth and development.

Collaboration

• Advocate for all stakeholders to create and sustain the most promising practices.
• Develop strong relationships amongst all stakeholders.
• Develop partnerships in teaching, research and service.

Innovation

• Use emerging technologies purposefully to insure rich teaching and learning.
• Develop and sustain authentic and relevant learning experiences for learners and faculty: inquiry based, guided discovery, student centered, etc.
• Explore, create, investigate and disseminate scholarly activities.

Commitment

• Encourage and support the scholarly study of teaching and learning.
• Advocate with a progressive and assertive voice on educational issues at state and regional levels.
• Demonstrate, practice and sustain inclusive learning communities.
• Model social justice by incorporating multicultural awareness and multicultural skills.
• Empower all stakeholders to advocate for self and others in a respectful, open and direct way.

Membership in a variety of organizations and honor societies is open to students and they are encouraged to join and participate in these programs:

• Alpha Tau Alpha is an honor society in agricultural education open to majors.
• Kappa Delta Pi is an honor society that recognizes outstanding contributions to education.
• Student National Education Association is affiliated with the South Dakota Education Association and the National Education Association and provides opportunities for professional growth.
• South Dakota Association for the Education of Young Children provides opportunities for professional growth for early childhood majors.