2014-2015 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Teacher Education Licensure Programs
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Overview
Through a continuum of clinical experiences and relevant and appropriate instructional methods, WSU graduates are prepared in a community of learners with developmentally appropriate content and pedagogical expertise, and professional dispositions to improve students’ learning by: (1) actively engaging in a culture of reflective practice and continuous improvement (2) demonstrating awareness of – and an ability to respond to – broader psychosocial and global contexts; and (3) advocating for students and their learning through leadership, collaboration, innovation, flexibility, and critical thinking.
Teacher Education Programs with Major Codes
Students will need to use a pre-major code until they are admitted to Teacher Education.
College of Education
Business Education 5-12 (BEDT)
Elementary Education with Early Childhood emphasis birth-grade 6 (ELEC)
Elementary Education K-6 (ELEM)
Elementary Education K-6 (Rochester campus) (EERC)
Physical Education K-12 (PET)
Special Education: Developmental Disabilities K-12 (SEDD)
Special Education: Early Childhood birth-age 6 (Rochester campus) (SEEC) This program will not be admitting new students after the Fall 2012 semester.
Special Education: Learning Disabilities K-12 (SELD)
College of Liberal Arts
Art Education K-12 (ARTT)
Communication Arts & Literature 5-12 (CALT)
Music: Instrumental and Classroom K-12 (MSTI)
Music: Vocal and Classroom K-12 (MSTV)
Social Science/History 5-12 (SSHT)
Spanish K-12 (SPNT)
TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) K-12 (ESLT)
College of Nursing & Health Sciences
Health Education 5-12 (HPST)
College of Science & Engineering
Chemistry 9-12 (CHTC)
Earth Science 5-12 (ESCT)
Life Science 9-12 (BLST)
Mathematics 5-12 (MTHT)
Physical Science (Chemistry & Physics) 9-12 (CPST or PPST)
Physics 9-12 (PHST)
Teacher Education Minors and Endorsements
College of Education
Coaching Minor K-12 (COAC)
D/APE (Developmental/Adapted Physical Education) Endorsement PreK-12
College of Liberal Arts
Communication Arts & Literature Middle Level Minor 5-8 (MLCA)
Social Studies Middle Level Minor 5-8 (MLSO)
College of Science & Engineering
Mathematics Middle Level Minor 5-8 (MLMA)
Science Middle Level Minor 5-8 (MLSC)
Admission to Teacher Education
Before a student is able to take many of the necessary Education courses needed for licensure, that student must first be admitted to Teacher Education. This process is competitive as the number of students who can be admitted each semester is limited. Admission is based on grades, passing the MTLE Basic Skills tests, and other measures. Students must complete an on-line application the semester before they wish to be admitted. For more information on this process, visit the education website.
Growth and Retention in Teacher Education
Coursework
Teacher Education admission is required before students can take the Professional Education Sequence courses listed below. Some programs also require Teacher Education admission before enrolling in some content courses.
Professional Education Sequence for K-12 and 5-12 Licensure
In addition to the professional education sequence courses, Teacher Education majors are also required to take these two classes. These courses can be taken before admission to Teacher Education.
- (3 S.H.)
- (3 S.H.) (Students need to have completed 30 credits before taking this course.)
Professional Education Sequence for Elementary Education Licensure and Elementary Education with Early Childhood Empasis Licensure (29-32 S.H.)
In addition to the professional education sequence courses, Teacher Education majors are also required to take these two classes. These courses can be taken before admission to Teacher Education.
-
- (Students need to have completed 30 credits before taking this course.)
Pass/No Credit (P/NC) Courses
Except for field experience and student teaching, students must take all courses in the major, minor, certificate, and licensures on a grade-only basis. The P/NC option is available to non-majors unless otherwise noted. Courses offered on a pass/no-credit-only or grade-only basis are so designated in the course descriptions.
Repetition of Courses
No methods and licensure courses may be repeated more than once due to withdrawal or earning a grade less than “C.” Please refer to your program for additional requirements.
Incomplete Grades
The grade of incomplete (“I”) may be granted at the discretion of the course instructor in special cases in which, for reasons beyond the student’s control, all course assignments were not finished though the student is passing all other aspects of the course. The incomplete must be resolved by the second week of the next semester in which the student enrolls for any course that serves as a prerequisite for other courses.
Student Assistance
Assistance is available for students who struggle in this area of study. Students identified by teacher education faculty as needing assistance in academic, personal, or professional domains are required to attend a review meeting to be called by the Education Department Chairperson or Program Director and to include the education faculty member involved, appropriate department chairperson(s), and the student’s advisor to demonstrate corrective action in the identified areas of concern. Assistance plans will likely draw upon services such as those provided by the Counseling Center, the Writing Center, Student Support Services, and the Advising and Retention Office. If a student withdraws from the program for any reason, she or he must reapply for admission to continue in the program.
Continuation in Teacher Education
1. The successful completion of conditions outlined in the student assistance plan will be required for continuation in teacher education programs under the following circumstances:
- A grade of less than “C” in any methods and licensure courses.
- Withdrawal (WD) from the same methods and licensure course more than once, or withdrawal (WD) from two different methods and licensure courses in two different semesters.
- Failure to meet GPA requirements outlined below.
2. Teacher education students must maintain at least a 2.75 GPA in order to be placed in student teaching. Teacher education students who do not meet this GPA requirement may not student teach until they meet the 2.75 requirement.
3. Student assistance plans and academic warning letters are treated as part of the student’s teacher education record.
Dismissal from Teacher Education
Students may be dismissed from the Teacher Education Program for either of the following reasons:
- Failure to document the fulfillment of student assistance plan commitments.
- Breach of ethical responsibilities, as stated in the Minnesota Code of Ethics for Teachers. A student dismissed for an ethical violation will not be allowed to continue in any field experience that semester, will be dropped from the Teacher Education Program at the end of the semester, and will not be readmitted to the major.
Student Appeals
Student appeals must follow the appeals process outlined in the WSU-Teacher Education Appeals Form, which is available in the Office of the Dean of the College of Education.
Student Teaching
Requirements
Student teaching is required for all teacher education programs and is done during the final semester at WSU. Sixteen weeks is required in an area public school or early childhood program contracted by the University or elsewhere in Minnesota through the Common Market Program or Educators Abroad. All teacher candidates will complete a sixteen weeks in their licensure area. Teacher candidates follow the calendars of their respective school districts. The Clinical Practice Director will indicate the beginning and ending dates of placement.
Student teaching at the secondary level is required in all major fields. If a second major is completed, the Director of Clinical Practice will indicate the WSU student teaching requirements necessary to meet licensure requirements.
Application
Application for student teaching is made to the Director of Clinical Practice two semesters prior to the student teaching semester. Students apply for a semester when they will not have other commitments, such as coaching, music tours, classes, etc. Applications are available in the Clinical Practice Office (104 Gildemeister Hall).
Progression Policy
If the classroom supervisor or the University supervisor has any concern(s) regarding the teacher candidate’s performance (academic or professional), it is imperative that the concern be addressed immediately. All three parties—the classroom supervisor, the University supervisor and the teacher candidate— will meet and discuss all concerns. It is important that all three parties share a common understanding of the concern(s) and the impact upon the completion of a successful student teaching experience. A clear warning will be given, and a written plan developed, stating clear expectations and the consequences if those expectations are not met within a specified timeline. If students do not satisfactorily complete student teaching after remediation, they may apply to graduate with a Professional Studies degree.
Licensure
Minnesota Licensure
The state of Minnesota requires that all teacher education candidates for licensure shall:
- Hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university that is accredited by the regional association for the accreditation of colleges and secondary schools.
- Demonstrate the Standards of Effective Practice.
- Verify the completion of an approved teacher preparation program.
- Meet the prescribed scores on the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examination (MTLE) basic skills, content, and pedagogy tests.
Licensure in Other States
Keep in mind that even if you plan to teach in a state other than Minnesota, the first step is always to get the Minnesota license. Then, you can research the steps to obtaining a license from another state. Students interested in becoming certified to teach in states other than Minnesota must contact that state’s Department of Education to obtain licensure requirements. For additional information, refer to the Licensure section on the education website.
Licensure Requirements for Post-Baccalaureate Students
A Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science graduate who holds a degree from WSU or another accredited institution may qualify for teacher licensure by satisfying the following requirements:
- Meet Teacher Education Program admission requirements.
- Complete all additional coursework in one of the Bachelor of Science teaching majors with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better.
- Pass licensure required MTLE exams.
Generally, it takes about 2 ½ years of full-time coursework to add onto a non-teaching Bachelor’s degree and attain the qualifications needed for a teaching license. When post-baccalaureate students apply to WSU and submit their official transcripts, they will receive a degree audit report (DARS) listing the classes needed.
The only Master’s degree teacher licensure program offered through the Winona campus is in Special Education. Please refer to the WSU graduate catalog for more information about this program. WSU-Rochester offers a graduate level Teacher Preparation Collaboration Program. To be eligible for this program, the applicant must have a Bachelor’s degree in the “content area” of the teacher education license in which he or she is interested. This program is only for secondary teaching license (grades 5-12). Details about this program are listed in the WSU graduate catalog and available on the TPC website.
Induction and Support
We have committed to providing ongoing support and induction for the first three years of your employment as a teacher, wherever you are employed. In order to provide this support and induction to which we have committed, and of which you will be the beneficiary, we will ask for detailed contact information from you during your last semester with us at WSU.
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