Howard University School of Education

Howard University School of Education
source
Name	Howard University School of Education
Established	1920s
Type	Private, Historically Black
Parent	Howard University
Dean	(varies)
City	Washington, D.C.
Country	United States
Website	(official site)

Howard University School of Education Howard University School of Education is a professional school within Howard University located in Washington, D.C., offering teacher preparation, counseling, educational leadership, and allied programs. The school serves undergraduate and graduate students and collaborates with district partners, federal agencies, philanthropic foundations, and professional organizations to advance practitioner research and community engagement. It draws upon Howard University's legacy associated with leaders such as Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Du Bois, Mary McLeod Bethune, Carter G. Woodson, and institutions like Freedmen's Bureau and Moorland–Spingarn Research Center.

History

The School of Education traces roots to early 20th-century normal school initiatives influenced by figures such as Booker T. Washington, Mary Church Terrell, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Anna J. Cooper, and policy developments like the Morrill Act and activities of the Freedmen's Bureau. Its development intersected with national movements led by organizations including the National Education Association, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, and civil rights-era institutions like the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Over decades the school expanded programs under influences from leaders such as Thurgood Marshall in legal education, collaborations with the U.S. Department of Education, partnerships with school districts including District of Columbia Public Schools, and research connections to centers such as the Moorland–Spingarn Research Center and the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.

Administration and Organization

The school is organized into departments and administrative units overseen by a dean appointed under Howard University's governance structure, interacting with bodies like the Board of Trustees of Howard University, the Howard University Faculty Senate, and the Council of Deans. Administrative practice aligns with accreditation agencies such as the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and follows federal regulations influenced by the Higher Education Act of 1965. Operational partnerships include memoranda of understanding with entities such as District of Columbia Public Schools, Prince George's County Public Schools, and national organizations like the American Psychological Association. Leadership has included faculty connected to networks like Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Kappa Alpha Psi, and professional associations such as the American Educational Research Association.

Academic Programs

Programs span undergraduate degrees, master's degrees, doctoral degrees, and post-baccalaureate certifications in areas linked to practice and policy. Offerings include teacher preparation programs aligned with licensure requirements in collaboration with state certification bodies like the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education, counseling programs aligned with standards from the American Counseling Association, educational leadership programs tied to the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and specialized tracks in special education and early childhood connected to practice standards from the Council for Exceptional Children and National Association for the Education of Young Children. Interdisciplinary partnerships draw on Howard units such as the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Social Work, the College of Pharmacy, and affiliations with federal agencies like the National Institutes of Health and the U.S. Department of Education for fellowships and practicum placements.

Accreditation and Rankings

Accreditation has been maintained through national bodies including the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation and program approvals from state licensure offices such as the District of Columbia Office of the State Superintendent of Education. Programmatic standards reference national organizations such as the American Counseling Association, the Council for Exceptional Children, and the Council on Social Work Education. The school's reputational placement is often contextualized within university rankings from publishers and evaluators like U.S. News & World Report, Times Higher Education, and assessments by foundations such as the Ford Foundation and Carnegie Corporation of New York.

Research and Centers

Research centers and initiatives affiliated with the school collaborate with archival and research institutions including the Moorland–Spingarn Research Center, the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and federal research partners like the National Science Foundation. Focus areas include urban education, literacy and language, counseling and mental health, special education, and STEM education access. Grants and projects have involved partnerships with the Spencer Foundation, the Ford Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, and agencies such as the U.S. Department of Education Office of Elementary and Secondary Education. Faculty and centers have produced scholarship engaging with civic organizations like the National Urban League, the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and policy research groups such as the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute.

Student Life and Organizations

Students participate in professional and cultural organizations connected to national bodies including the American Educational Research Association, the American Counseling Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, and historically Black Greek Letter Organizations such as Alpha Kappa Alpha, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, and Omega Psi Phi. Campus life intersects with university-wide resources like the Howard University Hospital, the Paul Laurence Dunbar Apartments, and student governance structures such as the Howard University Student Association. Clinical practica and internships place students in partner contexts like District of Columbia Public Schools, Prince George's County Public Schools, non-profits including the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, and federal initiatives including the Head Start Program.

Notable Alumni and Faculty

Alumni and faculty connected to the school have included educators, policymakers, and scholars who collaborated with or contributed to institutions and figures such as Mary McLeod Bethune, Carter G. Woodson, Pauli Murray, John Hope Franklin, Stokely Carmichael, Marian Wright Edelman, A. Philip Randolph, Shirley Chisholm, Charles Hamilton Houston, Benjamin Mays, Ella Baker, Julian Bond, Bayard Rustin, Kwame Ture, Loretta Ross, Manisha Sinha, Ibram X. Kendi, Toni Morrison, Cornel West, Henry Louis Gates Jr., Kendrick Lamar, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Richard Wright, Claude McKay, Rosa Parks, Angela Davis, Michelle Obama, Barack Obama, Kamala Harris, Clarence Thomas, Thurgood Marshall, W.E.B. Du Bois, Booker T. Washington, Mary Church Terrell, Nannie Helen Burroughs, Anna J. Cooper, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Ida B. Wells, Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King Jr., James Baldwin, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Danny Glover, Hank Aaron, Eddie Murphy, Phillis Wheatley, Alain LeRoy Locke, Gwendolyn Brooks, Ralph Bunche.

Category:Howard University