Faculty Profile

Jared James Berg

Assistant Professor; Education/Education Specialist Coordinator

Dr. Jared Berg has a decade of experience in K-12 education serving students through a variety of roles including middle and high school classroom teacher, athletic coach, student council advisor, academic department chair, and administrative intern. He now serves as an Assistant Professor and as the Coordinator of Education Specialist programs in the Fredrikson School of Education at the University of Sioux Falls.

Professor Berg graduated with a B.A. in English from South Dakota State University. Upon graduation from college, Jared accepted a position as an English language arts teacher and coach (football, basketball, and track) at Columbus Middle School in Columbus, NE. During his tenure in Nebraska, Jared obtained his M.Ed degree from Doane University in Curriculum and Instruction.

Following a move to Harrisburg, SD, Jared began teaching in the gifted and talented program at Harrisburg South Middle School while simultaneously pursuing his Education Specialist (Ed.S.) degree in Educational Administration from the University of South Dakota. A move to Sioux Falls Lincoln High School later provided Dr. Berg with an opportunity to serve as a reading interventionist working alongside students impacted by special education (SPED), emotional/behavioral disorder (EBD), and English learner (EL) designations. 

Upon the completion of an Ed.S degree in Educational Administration, Professor Berg began working in higher education as an Assistant Professor and coordinator of Education Specialist and Leadership programs at the University of Sioux Falls. In 2020, after successfully defending his doctoral dissertation "A Case Study of Student Motivation to Major in Education at a Liberal Arts University," Jared earned his Doctorate of Education (Ed.D) degree from the University of South Dakota.

Education

  • B.A., English, South Dakota State University, 2007
  • M.Ed, Curriculum & Instruction, Doane University, 2011
  • Ed.S, Educational Administration, University of South Dakota, 2018
  • Ed.D, Educational Leadership, University of South Dakota, 2020

Courses Taught

  • EDU304 - Assessment & Evaluation in the Classroom
  • ENG403 - Teaching of English
  • EDU410 - Foundations of Middle School
  • EDU506 - Foundations of Education
  • EDU 508 - Pedagogy for Middle and Secondary Educators
  • EDU525 - Secondary/K-12 Content Methods
  • EDU551 - Professional, Student, and Staff Development
  • EDU555 - Research and Instructional Management
  • SDV100 - The USF Experience

Professional Memberships

National Education Association (NEA)
South Dakota Education Association (SDEA)
Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE)
South Dakota Association of Middle Level Education (SDAMLE)

Expertise

  • Middle Level Education
  • English Education
  • Classroom Assessment
  • Instructional Supervision

Research

Dr. Berg's current research is focused on teacher retention and the K-12 experiences impacting undergraduate students' decisions to pursue teaching as a career field.

Scholarships and Creative Work

Electronic Publications
  • South Dakota Department of Education. (2018). South Dakota state standards for English language arts & literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects. Retrieved from: https://doe.sd.gov/octe/documents/ELA-Lit-Standards.pdf
  • Berg, J. (2020). A Case Study of Student Motivation to Major in Education at a Liberal Arts University (Doctoral dissertation, University of South Dakota).

Service/Volunteer Work

South Dakota Department of Education

Dr. Berg has served the state department of education as a professional development instructor and committee member on the state English standards review board. 

SDEA Education Ambassador

Dr. Berg has served as an education ambassador through the South Dakota Education Association (SDEA). This role promoted relationship building and communication between political representatives and educational leaders throughout the state of South Dakota.

Worship Leader

Jared regularly shares his passion for music as a guitarist and bassist at area churches and music festivals.