Professor John W. Fritsche, Director of Teacher Preparation
Associate Professor Wendy McCarty home page
Instructor Jaime Klein 
Instructor Joan McQuillan
Instructor Lani Meleski
Instructor Amy Schwiderski

Education Course Listings

The Education Department holds primary responsibility within Illinois College for the preparation of teachers. In collaboration with other academic departments of the College, the Department offers certification programs to prepare entry-level teacher candidates in grades pre-kindergarten through twelve. The teacher education faculty, and faculty members from departments with secondary certification programs, comprise the Unit and share a commitment to quality programs that will meet the challenges facing educators in the next decades by offering courses to satisfy certification in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Secondary Education and K-12 Education.

Illinois College is accredited by the Illinois State Board of Education to offer programs in Teacher Education. Programs are offered which prepare candidates for teacher certification at the early childhood, elementary, secondary, and K-12 levels. For more information, visit www.ic.edu/educ.

Admission to the Teacher Education Program

The Teacher Preparation Committee (TPC) determines admission to the Teacher Preparation Program and retention in the program. Candidates seeking admission to the program are required to meet the admission and retention requirements in effect at the time of their acceptance into the program. Candidates are advised that changes in the certification requirements may occur as a result of subsequent action by the Illinois State Board of Education.

The requirements for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program are listed below:

1. Submit to a criminal background check and have on file evidence that the background check has been completed.
2. Maintain an Illinois College GPA of 2.500 by the date of application.
3. Complete EDUC 203, 237, ENG 121, IC 102, and Com 101 with a grade of C (2.0) or better.
4. Achieve a passing score on the Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) Basic Skills Test.
5. Earn a passing score on the Admission to Program Rubric in order to be recommended to the Teacher Preparation Committee for admission.
6. Obtain TPC approval for admission and receive formal notification.
7. Submit an application for Admission to the Teacher Preparation Program to the Director of Teacher Preparation.
8. Complete an interview and submit an electronic portfolio in accordance with the guidelines in the Teacher Competence Portfolio packet.

All students, including transfer students, should realize that it may not be possible to obtain a certificate within the normal four year sequence if they have not applied to the Education Department by the beginning of the second semester of their sophomore year.

Transfer Credit Policy

Professional education courses will be accepted on a course-by-course basis for transfer credit only from institutions that are accredited by the State of Illinois and/or NCATE. Acceptance of credits by the Registrar of the College as transfer does not insure their application to a particular program or endorsement. Determination of applicability of all transfer courses is the responsibility of the Education Department, the Teacher Preparation Committee, and/or the specific academic department. Only credits earned with a grade of “C” (2.0) or better at accredited institutions will be accepted.

Retention in the Program and Requirements
for Admission to Student Teaching

For retention in the program and/or for admission to the student teaching semester, candidates must:

1. Continue to demonstrate proficiency in oral and written communication.
2. Demonstrate additional proficiencies in the use of technology.
3. Demonstrate satisfactory dispositions for effective teaching.
4. Maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or above for all Illinois College course work.
5. Earn a grade of “C” (2.0) or better in all Education courses.
6. Be recommended for assignment to the student teaching semester by the academic department in which the teaching subject content is being taken.
7. Achieve a “passing” score on the Illinois Certification Testing System Subject- Matter Knowledge Test. A passing score for the ICTS Subject-Matter Knowledge Test is required for admission to the Student Teaching Semester.
8. Achieve a “passing” score on the Teacher Competence Assessment that meets the requirements of the Teacher Preparation Program for admission to the student teaching semester.
9. Submit the Application for Admission to Student Teaching.
   

Completion of Program Requirements and Certification

Following the satisfactory completion of the student teaching semester, candidates are required to develop and present the Professional Growth Summary that provides confirmation of successful completion of a certification program. Candidates must receive a rating of at least “proficient” on all criteria on the assessment rubric. This professional presentation provides evidence that the candidate has met the Illinois College Institutional Outcomes and the Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. Candidates who have met all Illinois College program requirements including the Illinois College requirements for graduation and passed the appropriate Assessment of Professional Teaching Test are entitled to have a certificate issued to them by the Illinois State Board of Education. This procedure is initiated by the candidate by completing the Application for Teaching Certificate and submitting it to the Director of Teacher Preparation Programs.

The Assessment of Professional Teaching Test

All candidates completing Illinois College’s approved teacher preparation program in early childhood, elementary, secondary and special teaching areas are required to take the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test for their certification area. The APT requirement is in addition to the requirement for passing the Basic Skills and Subject-Matter Knowledge tests. Candidates normally take this test during the student teaching semester. The APT test framework, which describes the content covered on the test, test registration information, and the study guide may be found at
www.icts.nesinc.com.

The Sequence of Professional Course Work

Courses in education are designed to provide professional preparation for students who anticipate careers in early childhood, elementary, secondary, or K-12 teaching. Candidates for early childhood, elementary and K-12 physical education teaching certificates major in Education. Candidates for secondary teaching certificates must complete majors in approved programs for secondary certification. The secondary teaching areas are Science-Biology, English, Mathematics, and Social Science-History. Teacher candidates completing a major in art, music, physical education, French, German or Spanish must complete the approved K-12 certification program aligned with those majors. All students selecting secondary and K-12 certification programs must complete specific professional education courses to meet certification requirements. All courses in the professional education component, teaching content areas, area of concentration and specified courses in the general education component must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or above.

Students interested in entering the Teacher Preparation Program should plan to attend one of the informational meetings conducted several times each semester. These meetings are designed to provide advising services to all students interested in obtaining certification in one of the Teacher Preparation programs from the time they first enroll in Illinois College.

Students who achieve a 2.50 GPA and obtain a “passing” score on the Illinois Certification Testing System (ICTS) Basic Skills Test may enroll in the EDUC 203 and 237 courses. These courses are prerequisites for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program and enrollment in any 300-level or higher courses with an EDUC prefix. Students must take and pass the Illinois Certification System Basic Skills Test prior to enrolling in these courses.

General Education Requirements

Students are required to meet the General Education program defined in the college catalog. Information regarding specific courses that meet these requirements and appropriate course sequencing information is available from Education or other departmental advisors.

Requirements for the Education Major

Students wishing to major in Education must complete one of the following programs:

Early Childhood Certification (Birth-grade 3)
EDUC 203, 237, 263, 274, 301, 309, 311, 337, 351, 385, MATH 127, and PSY 275. EDUC 431, 432, 433, and 434 are required for certification.

Elementary Certification (K-9)
EDUC 203, 237, 255, 274/378, 301, 309, 313, 351, 353, 385, MATH 127 and 128. EDUC 431, 432, 433, and 434 are required for certification. PSY 312 is required for Middle School endorsement.

Physical Education Certification (K-12)
A major in Education with K-12 Physical Education certification consists of 33 semester hours and must include EDPE 208, 211, 214, 305, 308, 310, 383, 405, BIOL 107, and BIOH 335/340.

Students wishing to qualify for a teaching certificate should attend one of the informational meetings during their first year at Illinois College and consult with a faculty advisor from the Education Department. The department strongly recommends that P.E. students have a second teaching field (i.e., health, math, etc.)

A minor in Physical Education (without teaching) consists of BIOL 105 or 107 and 20 hours in the department with at least 8 upper-level hours.

A minor in Physical Education (with teaching) consists of EDPE 208, 211, 214, 310, 383, BIOL 107, and a 4 hour elective course.

A minor in Health (not for teaching endorsement) consists of EDPE 205, 208, 308, and 405, BIOH 210, 330, 335, and SOC 347. Biology 105 or 107 is recommended. ENVS 224 is also recommended.

Teacher candidates pursuing an endorsement in health should consult with the Director of Teacher Preparation for the most recent ISBE requirements.

Requirements for Secondary and K-12 Certification

Secondary Certification
Illinois College has approved programs in secondary education for science (biology), English (literature emphasis), social science (history), and mathematics majors. Students wishing to obtain certification to teach at the secondary level in the above areas must complete all graduation and major requirements in one of these majors, in addition to EDUC 203, 237, 301, 309, 313 (for English majors), 378, 385, the appropriate methods course from EDUC 321-326, and, for certification, EDUC 431, 432, 433, and 434. Electives for secondary candidates include PSY 312, and EDUC 255, for those wishing to receive an endorsement to teach at the middle school level.

K-12 Certification
Illinois College has approved programs in K-12 teaching for art, music, physical education, French, German, and Spanish majors. Students wishing to obtain certification to teach in one of these areas must complete all graduation and major requirements required by the major, in addition to EDUC 203, 237, 255, 301, 309, 378, 385, and PSY 312, the appropriate content methods courses and for certification, EDUC 431, 432, 433, and 434.

 

   

 

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