Francis Marion University's School of Education prepares caring and competent teacher for the 21st century.

The Teaching Materials Center offers education students a wide variety of electronic and print resources for use in education classes and during student teaching.  Nine computer workstations comprise a computer labwithin the Center and other technology resources like digital cameras, Alpha Smarts, laser discs, film strips, and overhead transparencies are available for use.  Print resources include copies of K-12 state-adopted textbooks and teacher materials, instructional television program guides as well as other resources.

     Innovation Place, established with a $100,000 gift from Progress Energy, provides education students with a high-tech computer lab of twenty student work stations and one instructor station.  The instructor station is equipped with a visual presenter as well as digital projection equipment.  Student workstations provide the latest in software, including the capability to produce virtual reality media clips for use on web pages.  Named in honor of the late J. R. Bryan Jackson, a Florence businessman and life-long advocate for quality education, Innovation Place provides faculty and students alike high-tech resources for today's education classrooms.

In 1998, the US Congress passed legislation, Title II, Section 207, of the Higher Education Act (HEA), that required all states and institutions that have teacher preparation programs to submit annual reports on teacher preparation and licensing beginning in 2001.  The institutional reports released October 10, 2006, include information about the pass rates of students on tests required for state certification, the number of students in the program, and the institution's accreditation status, among other information.

The Francis Marion University report shows 100% of its students passed Praxis I, a basic skills entrance exam.  The report also shows that 100% of its students passed Praxis II, an academic area test in each student's teaching field.

Dr. Ron Faulkenberry, Dean of the School of Education at Francis Marion University, attributes the School's success rate to a strong faculty and a recently nationally accredited curriculum by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education.

Additional information may be obtained by e-mail from Dr. Wayne Pruitt or Dr. Ron Faulkenberry.