You may qualify for our advanced certification program if you have earned a master’s degree and are certified to teach. These programs only take two semesters to complete and you can still qualify for financial aid. The skills and qualifications gained through completing these programs are valuable assets that will help you advance your career.

The first step is deciding which program most interests you. The market for teachers is competitive so it’s important to pursue a career in the classroom you will be passionate about.

If you need help deciding or would like to chat with a counselor, call Kristen today at 716-631-1061 (press ’1′ for Admissions).

School of Education

To register for Medaille College’ s exclusive “On the Spot” Admissions day, RSVP now!

Here are some other interesting facts about Medaille:

1.Through donor support, The Middle States Commission on Higher Education approved Medaille’s request for authorization to operate at four additional locations in China and Taiwan.

2. We understand how many priorities our students are balancing, so we are leveraging technology to offer online classes.

3. Medaille recently hired an admissions counselor, a former Marine, that is an expert in the GI Bill and Post 9/11 GI Bill. Our veterans have many great options to take advantage of, and Sergio can walk military officials and veterans through the education process.

4. We keep up with the times. Besides our website, we’re also on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there to stay in touch =)

5. We host over 300 students from Canada a year who commute across the border and get an education from Medaille.

To learn more about Medaille College, visit us at http://www.medaille.edu

We are having some information session dates coming up about our programs, along with the special “On-the-Spot Graduate Admission Days.” Below are all of the events this month (for more information on each one, just click the event title):

Aug 13: Canadian Program Information Session

Aug 17: Rochester Campus Accelerated Learning Program Info Session

Aug 17-18: On-The-Spot Graduate Admission Days

Aug 19: Canadian Program Coffee Talk in Ontario

For a list of all of our events each month, visit  our Graduate Events page.

Once you’ve decided you are ready to go back to school, choosing a graduate program that is right for you is an important decision. According to www.gradschools.com, the criteria in making your decision are:

The quality and reputation of the school and department
The quality of the faculty
Type of program (format, flexibility, teaching methods)
Your interests
Cost
Location
Resources/facilities
Other students
Outcomes

These are certainly all important, and we would add admissions standards and career assistance to your criteria list. For instance, Medaille College selects quality students that we feel will excel in our classrooms. We also have a dedicated staff to help you make decisions in deciding where to work and how to apply.

Learn more about the quality and  flexible programs at Medaille College.

Join Alison Wilcox and Lisa Liebzeit (pictured) for an evening of conversation, cocktails and information on Medaille’s Masters degrees in

Lisa Liebzeit

Education, Psychology and Mental Health Counseling. Admissions representatives and Canadian Student Ambassadors will be available to answer questions about each of the programs. Application packages will be available and refreshments will be served.

For more information, go to the official page for “A Midsummer’s Night with Medaille.”

Here are some frequently asked questions and answers by our Director of Recruitment for US Graduate Programs, Kristen.

Can I complete the program part-time?

Kristen: You may take our Literacy and Special Education programs on a part-time basis. Student must attend full-time for our Adolescent and Elementary Education program.

Where do I send my application materials?

Kristen: Please submit your application materials to
Medaille College – Amherst Campus
30 Wilson Road
Williamsville, NY 14221
Attn: Graduate Admissions

What are your tuition rates?

Kristen: The graduate tuition for 2010-11 is $698/credit hour. Rates are subject to change.

Do I need to take any exams before I enroll?

Kristen: Medaille does not require either the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) or Miller Analogy Test (MAT).

I have not taken all the liberal arts and science courses (Adolescent and Elementary Education program only). Can I still be admitted into the program?

Kristen: To qualify for the program you must have a bachelor’s degree. Any outstanding requirements can be completed prior to enrollment for Elementary Education or while a student at Medaille. Students interested in the Adolescent Education program must have a minimum of 21 credits in the subject area before beginning the program.

Do you have a brochure that you send applicants?

Kristen: Yes, we would be happy to send you printed material. You may call the Graduate Admissions Office at (716) 932-2568 or send an email to sageadmissions@medaille.edu. You can also fill out the online information request form.

I have questions about your program. Can I make an appointment to talk with an admissions counselor?

Kristen: Yes. We recommend pre-admissions counseling appointments for all of our applicants. Please contact me at kristen.pizzuto@medaille.edu or (716) 932-2568 to set up a time to meet.

How will I find out if I’ve been accepted?

Kristen: Once a determination is made, you will be sent a letter indicating the admission decision.

How long should my philosophy of education statement be?

Kristen: The philosophy of education statement should be long enough for you to explain your thoughts on teaching and learning. We recommend that it be at least 1-2 pages in length (500 words), double-spaced.

The Program

What is the typical work load for a full-time graduate student?

Kristen: The work load varies from course to course. Student can expect to spend on average 10-12 hours per week studying. This will vary from student to student.

What do I do if I have a disability?

Kristen: If you have a documented disability, you must register with the office of Disability Services. They can be reached at (716) 880-2000, ext. 2391. It is your responsibility to initiate contact with them as well as with your professors. As a college, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to student with disabilities.

To contact Kristen, simply call (716) 932-2568 or Email Her

What is Accelerated Learning?

Looking for a good way to earn an advanced degree? Do you have a full-time job or a family at home? Need a flexible schedule? Maybe you are a good candidate for the accelerated learning program.

Accelerated learning programs (ALP’s) emphasize relevant experience. The learning is more focused on creation and retention, as opposed to basic memorization. And, because you are busy, classroom time is only once a week. The program is designed to be accelerated; therefore the workload can be intense and require commitment. However, past graduates of the Medaille ALP were able to manage their outside lives while pursuing a degree.

To learn more about an Accelerated Learning Program, such as what to expect and determining if it is right for you, check out the Accelerated Learning Program at Medaille College.

ARE YOU READY?

The Medaille Accelerated Learning Program provides an innovative learning environment. Classes start 3 times a year.   Apply anytime.

RESTON, VA–(Marketwire – July 13, 2010) –  One idea. Three paragraphs. Fifty-thousand dollars.

That’s the simple premise behind a global contest to find ways to change management education for the better launched today by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), the nonprofit association of business schools that owns the GMAT exam. GMAC is inviting anyone to submit three paragraphs that answer this question: What one idea would improve graduate management education? The GMAC Management Education for Tomorrow (MET) Fund will award a total of US$250,000 in prizes to 15 people whose ideas rise to the top, with the most promising proposal taking home US$50,000.

GMAC will accept entries to the MET Fund’s Ideas to Innovation (I2I) Challenge at www.gmacmetfund.org beginning Wednesday, July 21. The contest closes Friday, October 8, and winners will be announced in mid-December. Entries will be judged by a panel of educators and business leaders from around the world.

During phase two of the I2I Challenge, to begin in 2011, GMAC will post the winning ideas online and ask schools and other nonprofit organizations to develop ways to implement them. The Council will underwrite one or more of the best proposals using funds dedicated to the MET Fund, a $10 million initiative to invest in the development of management education worldwide.

“The Ideas to Innovation Challenge is particularly timely because today’s students see business school as the place where they can learn the skills to make the world a better place and empower others,” said Allen Brandt, director of the MET Fund. “In that spirit of social entrepreneurship, the Challenge is open to anyone — students, faculty, entrepreneurs — with a great idea to improve graduate management education.”

GMAC is uniquely positioned to sponsor the I2I Challenge. As owner of the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT), the Council has spent nearly 60 years helping business schools around the world identify the strongest applicants to their MBA and other graduate management education programs. GMAC works closely with business school faculty and staff to promote the benefits of management education and supports industry-leading research aimed at helping schools identify ways to tailor their programs to the needs of students and employers.

“With the GMAT exam, GMAC helps identify talent for graduate management education, wherever in the world it may be,” said GMAC President and CEO Dave Wilson. “The I2I Challenge recognizes that, like talent, true innovation may be found anywhere.”

For the Challenge, GMAC defines innovation as the implementation of an idea that improves management education in a meaningful way — for students, for schools, for societies.

The I2I Challenge is designed to make it as easy as possible for people to bring their ideas to the attention of GMAC. The Council is looking for ideas that are achievable, easily understood and able to demonstrate measureable results within a one- to three-year timeframe. GMAC is particularly interested in proposals that show potential to broadly impact management education in either a specific part of the world or globally. Complete details about the GMAC MET Fund Ideas to Innovation Challenge are at www.gmacmetfund.org. You may also follow the MET Fund on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GMACMETFund.

To view this press release and an accompanying video on the GMAC News Center, go to gmac.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=114. The video is also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQoLt8L8BTc.

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (www.gmac.com) is a nonprofit education organization of leading graduate business schools worldwide dedicated to creating access to and disseminating information about graduate management education. GMAC is based in Reston, Virginia, and has a European office in London. The GMAT^® exam was created in 1954 and is used by nearly 5,000 graduate management programs at approximately 1,900 business schools around the world to assess applicants. The GMAT — the only standardized test designed expressly for graduate business and management programs worldwide — is continuously available at more than 530 test centers in over 111 countries. More information about the GMAT exam is available at www.mba.com.

Across the country, public education is in the midst of a quiet revolution. States are embracing voluntary national standards for English and math, while schools are paying teachers based on student performance.

It’s an agenda propelled, in part, by a flood of money from a Seattle billionaire prep-school graduate best known for his software empire: Bill Gates.

In the past 2 1/2 years, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has pledged more than $650 million to schools, public agencies and other groups that buy into its main education priorities.

The largest awards are powering experiments in teacher evaluation and performance pay.

The Pittsburgh, Pa., school district landed $40 million; Los Angeles charter schools, $60 million; and Memphis, Tenn., schools, $90 million.

The Hillsborough County district, which includes Tampa, won the biggest grant: $100 million. That has set the nation’s eighth-largest school system on a quest to reshape its 15,000-member teaching corps by rewarding student achievement instead of seniority.

Shift in strategy

The focus on teaching marks a significant shift for the foundation. In the past decade, it spent $2 billion to improve high schools, with a major emphasis on creating smaller schools.

But Bill Gates said Saturday that new approaches are needed because the pace of improvement has been too slow. In many cities, a third or more of students fail to graduate from high school on time. Those who earn a diploma are often ill equipped for college.

“It’s disappointing to everyone who looks at the facts,” Gates told The Washington Post in a telephone interview. He said he is willing to do whatever it takes to help raise achievement. “There’s a risk that we might not succeed,” Gates said, “but I can tell you we’ll keep trying.”

It is unclear whether philanthropy — even a charity led by one of the world’s richest men — can find large-scale solutions to problems that have beset schools for generations. But what is certain is that Gates grants have become a leading currency for a particular kind of education change.

That agenda has won praise from the Obama administration and others, while prompting questions from some about the foundation’s pervasive presence and its emphasis on performance measures.

Ambitions

Data the foundation provided to The Post show the most comprehensive portrait of its educational ambitions over the past two years.

Since January 2008, more than 250 Gates grants have targeted causes such as charter schools, testing research, data systems, science and math education and common academic standards.

Overall government spending on K-12 education, estimated at more than $500 billion a year, dwarfs what the foundation gives. But the Seattle-based charity, with a $35 billion endowment, towers over others in the field.

It gives nearly four times as much annually to elementary and secondary education as the second-biggest player, the Walton Family Foundation.

“It has influence everywhere,” said Tom Loveless, an education analyst at the Brookings Institution, “in absolutely every branch of education, whether you’re talking about the federal, state or local levels of government, schools, the press, politicians or think tanks. Their motives could be 100 percent pure. But any time you have one big player that is influencing all of these groups, it is cause for concern.”

The Gates Foundation is perhaps best known for its work overseas fighting malaria and HIV/AIDS. Domestically, foundation officials depict the charity as one player among many in a broad coalition to improve teaching and prepare more students for college.

“There’s definitely a convergence of ideas,” said Vicki Phillips, who oversees the foundation’s elementary- and secondary-education grants, “not just between us and the administration but between us and many other reform-minded people who have been working on these issues for a long time.”

(Melinda Gates, wife of the Microsoft chairman, and investor Warren Buffett, a major donor to the foundation, are both on The Washington Post Co. board of directors.)

Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who has recruited some key aides from the charity, described the foundation as “one of many stakeholders really interested in seeing things get better. I appreciate their commitment and stick-to-itiveness. They’re in this for the long haul.”

The foundation is a go-to funder for education groups inside the Capital Beltway and beyond. Its projects align so closely with President Obama’s agenda that critics say it resembles an arm of the government, which Gates and Duncan strongly dispute.

The foundation gave 25 states and the District of Columbia about $6 million to help them apply for Obama’s Race to the Top school-overhaul grants.

It also has awarded more than $35 million since January 2008 to the Council of Chief State School Officers, the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and other organizations that are developing and promoting common standards.

Obama praises the state-led standards movement but can’t fund it directly without risking a backlash against federal involvement in local schooling. The foundation has stepped into the void, becoming the movement’s top funder.

As a result, students in many states soon will share for the first time common expectations for what they should learn from grade to grade. The initiative has put voluntary national standards, long considered a political impossibility, on the verge of becoming a reality.

Skeptics say the Microsoft co-founder is foisting a business-driven agenda on schools without understanding the challenges of public education. “I suspect that eight years from now, the Gates Foundation will say, ‘Whoops, we made another big boo-boo. What should we do now?’ ” education historian Diane Ravitch said.

Gates acknowledged he is no expert but said: “I’m a very good student. I’m learning a lot.” He said he is intrigued by the intricacies of education budgets and why mayors control some school systems but not others.

Education professionals lead the foundation’s efforts. Phillips, in her post since 2007, was previously Pennsylvania’s education secretary and school superintendent in Portland. John Deasy, Phillips’ deputy, was recently named deputy chief of Los Angeles schools.

Unions wooed

The foundation also is wooing teachers unions as never before. It gave $1.6 million to charitable arms of the National Education Association and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and has sought in the past year to invest in school systems with good labor relations.

It commissioned one of the broadest surveys ever of teachers to get their views, and it is gathering footage from classrooms across the country to study what makes effective teaching.

Saturday, Gates addressed an AFT convention in Seattle. Such overtures have surprised labor leaders who haven’t considered him an ally. But the rationale was obvious: To make changes at the heart of public schools, foundation officials wanted teacher buy-in. That quest led them to Florida.

The Hillsborough system, with 193,000 students, emerged last year as the foundation sifted thousands of candidates for a project nicknamed the “deep dive.” Crucially, the Hillsborough Classroom Teachers Association already had accepted the idea of bonuses linked to test scores and other metrics.

Over seven years, the $100 million grant will fund staff development, testing, salary and other startup costs for a career path that aims to elevate teachers who excel and encourage those who flounder to get help.

Every year, teachers here will be evaluated on a formula based on student achievement gains (40 percent), principal observation (30 percent) and peer observation (30 percent).

By 2013, a four-tier pay scale will take effect that will reward high performers regardless of academic degrees or years of experience — a major break from precedent.

Veteran teachers will be allowed to remain in the seniority-based pay scale or opt into the new one. New teachers will not have a choice and will be subject to more rigorous scrutiny before gaining tenure.

Many teachers remain wary of linking test scores to paychecks. But Gates and the school district have won converts.

Miriam Everett, a veteran math-science teacher at Kimbell Elementary School in Tampa, was delighted last spring when Florida’s governor vetoed a bill to weaken tenure protections and expand merit pay.

Yet Everett enlisted in the Hillsborough project to help evaluate other teachers. “They really are working with teachers,” Everett said, “making sure we’re comfortable with it and we have our say.”