Education Department earns endorsement for undergraduate programs
The College is recognized for its commitment to the importance of experiential learning to prepare for future careers in education.
Secondary Education
Stonehill’s Secondary Education program equips future educators with the knowledge and skills to be highly effective teachers in middle and high school classrooms.
Program Overview
A major in secondary education provides graduates with the foundation needed to successfully lead in a secondary classroom. Completion of the Secondary Education program leads to initial teaching licensure from the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in one of the following subject areas:
- Biology (Grades 8 – 12)
- Chemistry (Grades 8 – 12)
- English (Grades 5 – 12)
- French (Grades 5 – 12)
- History (Grades 5 – 12)
- Mathematics (Grades 8 – 12)
- Spanish (Grades 5 – 12)
Comprehensive and Career-Focused
The three pillars of the Secondary Education program include:
- a comprehensive curriculum focused on deep content understanding and research-based, best practices for teaching students at the secondary level
- a comprehensive pre-practicum / practicum sequence including opportunities for field-based experiences beginning as early as their first semester in the program
- career-focused mentoring from a dedicated faculty and staff with decades of experience across the PreK-12 spectrum, as classroom teachers, educational leaders and researchers.
A Broad Curriculum Supported By Seasoned Instructors
The comprehensive curriculum reflects secondary educators’ passion for their content and their desire to spark this same interest in their secondary students. At Stonehill College, secondary education candidates major in their disciplinary content areas to gain deep knowledge of the content and practices in their field. Candidates also major in secondary education to experience a comprehensive study of research based best practices in secondary teaching and learning.
This requirement provides important advantages to all future secondary education teachers. Completion of a second major deeply enriches their studies, allowing them to provide focused and knowledgeable instruction on particular subject areas in their own classrooms someday.
- EDU 102 Foundations of Education
- EDU140 Teaching the Adolescent Learners
- EDU 207 English Language Learners in the Classroom
- EDU 214 The Inclusive Secondary Classrooms
- EDU 301 Assessment & Analysis in Education
- EDU 307 Classroom Management
- EDU 310 Content Specific Pedagogy
- EDU 330 Reading & Writing in the Content Area
- EDU 315 Curriculum & Instruction
- EDU 437/439 Practicum: Secondary
- EDU 440 Practicum Reflective Seminar
Recent Accolades
Organizations involved in assessing U.S. colleges and universities continually cite Stonehill as being among the best in the nation when it comes to value, outcomes and a commitment to making the world a better place. See full list of accolades.
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U.S. News Ranks Stonehill in the Top 5% Nationally
After assessing U.S. colleges and universities based on 17 measures of academic quality and graduate outcomes, U.S. News & World Report ranked Stonehill No. 73 in the Best Value category out of 1,500 colleges, while also moving up to No. 83 among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
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Wall Street Journal 2025 Rankings Place Stonehill Among Best Colleges in U.S.
Stonehill College has been recognized again this year by The Wall Street Journal for the value it provides students, especially in the areas of career preparation and character development.
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Money Ranks Stonehill Among Best U.S. Colleges in 2024
Money’s 2024 Best U.S. Colleges research shows Stonehill among top 10% nationwide.
Featured Secondary Education Courses
The Inclusive Secondary Classroom
This course is a review of the legal requirements, assessment responsibilities and the instructional methods used for supporting students with special needs in secondary classrooms. There is a strong emphasis on collaboration and universal design to include all students as well as differentiation to meet individual needs. Field Work is required of all students enrolled in this course. Students are placed in general education and resource classrooms to observe and assist.
Assessment & Analysis in Education
This course is a systematic and comprehensive exploration that introduces the prospective teacher to the elements of measurement and elements of evaluation essential to good teaching. Course content also examines statistical reasoning as it applies to educational research and practice.
Content Specific Pedagogy
Knowledge for teaching is both generalizable and specific. All teachers must have an understanding of pedagogy more generally, understanding theories of: learning, development, classroom management, assessment, and curriculum design. But teachers also need pedagogical knowledge that is content specific. This course will provide pre-service secondary education teachers an opportunity to explore pedagogical approaches particular to their discipline and to examine the pedagogical decisions that content teachers must make as they design, deliver and reflect upon effective lessons.
Creating Connections Between Theory and Practice
To complement their coursework, the Secondary Education program includes a comprehensive pre-practicum / practicum sequence designed to ensure that our graduates have experience working with students and teachers across the grade levels covered by their licensure. All secondary education majors have the opportunity as early as their first semester in the program to complete field placements alongside general education and special education teachers in a variety of school and community settings. These experiences more than prepare our students to complete a full semester practicum (student teaching) in their focus content area alongside a supervising practitioner during their senior year.
Students also complete pre-practica alongside specific courses to enhance their connections between the theory of the college classroom and the reality of secondary level classroom practice.
- Holbrook Middle/High School
- Brockton High School
- Cardinal Spellman High School (Brockton, Massachusetts)
- Norton Middle School
- Stoughton Homework Project
Career-focused Mentoring
Stonehill’s small class sizes allow licensure candidates to receive career-focused mentoring. Through experiences both inside and outside the classroom, dedicated faculty and staff with decades of experience across the PreK-12 spectrum work with licensure candidates to individualize their program to meet their interests and future career goals.
Faculty teaching in the Secondary Education program have extensive teaching experience in public and private middle and high school settings; deliver professional development to teachers, schools and districts across the Commonwealth and across the nation; present their research at local, regional and national conferences; work in the field in places such as Boston Children’s Hospital; and serve on the boards of several professional organizations. This wealth of experience and connection to PreK-12 schools and teachers enables the faculty to provide high quality, practical educational experiences to Stonehill students.
Bolstering Professional Experience, Making an Impact
Elementary education students also have access to other opportunities that bolster their professional experience before they even graduate. The Stonehill Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE) is an opportunity for students who have completed their first year at Stonehill to perform significant, publishable full time research under the guidance of and in collaboration with an experienced faculty researcher.
The experience helps to solidify and define students' career choices, both through graduate school decisions and in post-college employment. All SURE Scholars and faculty mentors receive a stipend for an 8- or 10-week full-time summer session.
Career Development Resources for Students
The Stonehill Career Development offers extensive assistance to students seeking employment, pursuing advanced studies or participating in postgraduate service opportunities. By working with our mentors, students are empowered to build lifelong career management skills.
Education Studies Specific Career Resources
- Education Mock Interview Week – Alumni in administrative positions in school districts prepare students for job interviews.
- Externships and internships in New York; Washington, D.C.; and Los Angeles (weeklong and semesterlong programs) give students critical field experiences.
- Career Development staff members regularly work with Education Department faculty to present programs on preparing for teaching jobs from resume and cover letters to interviewing.
Graduate Outcomes
Whether learning in a Stonehill classroom or working in the field as student teachers, secondary education candidates learn to navigate the intricacies of today’s classrooms, from inclusivity to highly effective teaching practices to social-emotional learning.
Our secondary education graduates have gone on to teach across the country and have been accepted at graduate programs with outstanding reputations. Locations where you can find Stonehill secondary education graduates:
- Whitman Hanson Regional High School
- Wheeler Middle School Leilehua-Mililani-Waialua Complex Oahu, Hawaii
- Scituate High School
- Middleboro high School
- Norton Middle School
Outside Partnerships & Special Programs
Stonehill College has developed academic affiliations with colleges and universities that enable our students to augment the degree they earn at Stonehill with graduate and undergraduate degrees that further enhance their opportunities.
Complete Your B.A. and Master's in Education in 5 Years
The Skyhawk Accelerated Dual Degree allows undergraduate students in Stonehill’s Education Studies Department to earn a bachelor's degree and a master's degree in five years. The final year of undergraduate study is integrated with coursework at the graduate level. This opportunity is a good fit for students who wish to obtain dual licensure or who wish to have more time with licensing exams. Teacher residency options available.
Contact Information
Lyndsey Aubin Benharris
Associate Professor of Education Studies, Department Chair
Education
Lisa Biederwolf
Administrative Assistant II
Academic Affairs