School of Education

Licensure Program Requirements | Departmental Policies

Students who graduate with an Education degree from The College of St. Scholastica have a competitive edge in today's job market. The College has a reputation for developing high quality teachers. A shortage of qualified teachers exists inmany parts of the U. S. and this region is expected to see shortages in this decade as large numbers of current teachers retire.

The School of Education, which prepares students to teach at the elementary, middle, and secondary levels in public and private schools, supports the general mission of the College by stressing intellectual and moral preparation for responsible living and meaningful work. The Education faculty view education of preservice and practicing teachers as a holistic and reflective integration of all that is necessary to be a humane, effective teacher in a diverse and changing society. Students who complete one of our programs have a firm foundation in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to promote student learning. An important component of the preparation is the opportunity for extended field experiences in local classrooms prior to the required student teaching experience. We strive to continually enhance our programs by being focused on student learning; well-grounded in research and best practices including assessment; collaborative with the K-12 educational community; and committed to integrating diverse perspectives.

The Minnesota Board of Teaching has approved The College of St. Scholastica to offer teacher licensure programs. Initial licensure programs are available in elementary/middle (Gr. K-8) and middle/secondary (Gr.5-12) education,as well as in school social work, library media specialist (K- 12), and instrumental and vocal music (K-12). Elementary/Middle majors have the opportunity to complete middle school specialties in communication arts and literature (English), mathematics, science, and/or social studies (history). Middle/secondary licensure programs are available in communication arts/literature (English); life science (biology); mathematics; chemistry; social studies (history) and general science (Gr. 5-8). The Education Department also offers an interdisciplinary major (not currently a teaching license) in Ojibwe Language and Culture Education.
Dean: Jo Olsen, Ed.D.

Program outcomes reflect the six components of the School of Education's conceptual framework: critical reflective practice, content knowledge, best practices, diverse perspectives, appropriate dispositions, and collaborative partnerships. Students who complete the Education Program at The College of St. Scholastica will:

1. Practice critical reflection in the analysis and improvement of their teaching.
2. Demonstrate a sound foundation of content knowledge in the subject areas they teach.
3. Understand and implement best practices in their teaching.
4. Demonstrate the dispositions critical to effective teaching.
5. Practice responsive teaching thatmeets the diverse needs of all students in their classrooms.
6. Collaborate effectively with stakeholders (e.g. parents, K-12 administrators, communitymembers) to enhance student learning.

Licensure Program Requirements

Elementary/Middle Education major

The major requires successful completion of the following courses: First year: EDU 1540, 1505; Sophomore year: EDU 2101, 2103, 2200, 2300, 2500, 2505; Junior year: EDU 3250, 3260, 3270, 3400, 3453, 3500, 3505; Senior year: EDU 4500, 4510; First year or Sophomore year: MTH 1113 and 1114 or MTH 1116; PSC 1201, BIO 1104, and ESC 1202. (All EDU courses numbered 2500, or higher, require acceptance to the appropriate EDU program.)

Elementary/middle education majors must also complete an academic specialty in science, communication arts/literature, mathematics, or social studies. Students are encouraged to complete more than one academic specialty. The academic specialty requirements are as follows:
Science:
CHM1010 and PSC 4150 in addition to the three science courses (ESC 1202, PSC 1201, BIO 1104) required for all elementary/middle majors.
Math:
MTH 3302, 2401, and 2211 in addition to the math courses (MTH 1113 and 1114 orMTH 1116) required of all elementary/middle majors.
Communications:
ENG 2250, 2251, 2252, CTA 1114, and one additional upper-division English literature course.
Social Studies:
HIS 1102,HIS 1111,POL 3331,HUM1174,and HIS 3327.

All students planning to major in Elementary/ Middle Education should have an advisor from the Education Department.
Undergraduate Chair: John Bauman, M.A.

Middle/Secondary Teacher Licensure

Middle/secondary licensure requires completion of a teacher preparation major offered by one of the following departments: English (Communication Arts and Literature), History (Social Studies), Mathematics, Biology or Chemistry. Music (Instrumental or Vocal) education follows the Middle/Secondary Education Programsequence resulting in a K-12 license including Classroom Music. In addition to their major, students are required to take the following courses:First year: EDU 1540, 1505; Sophomore year: EDU 2102, 2200, 2300, 2800, and 2805; Junior year: EDU 3250 and 3800;Senior year:EDU 4700,4710. Each student also needs to take the methods course and its corresponding field experience required for her/his particular academic major. All EDU courses numbered 2500 or higher require acceptance to the appropriate EDU program.

All students planning tomajor in a content area and complete the Middle/Secondary Education Program should have an advisor in their content major.
Undergraduate Chair: John Bauman, M.A.

Educational Media and Technology
(Library Media Specialist Licensure)

The Educational Media and Technology major prepares the student to assume the role of a K- 12 school library media specialist. It provides a wide variety of experiences in theory and practice, educating the student to integrate information literacy and technology into the media program and the school curriculum.
Education requirements:
EDU 1540, 1505, 2102, 2200, 2300, 2800, 2805, 3250, 3800, and 4710. Educational Media requirements: EDM3220,3222,3224,3226,4228, 4230, 4232, 4235 and 4555.

If the student wants to obtain an additional license in elementary/middle or middle/secondary education, see the program director for requirements. All EDU courses numbered 2500 or higher require acceptance to the appropriate EDU program.
Program Director:Marie Kelsey, Ph.D.

Ojibwe Language and Culture Education major

This baccalaureate programcan be taken in conjunction with the Elementary/Middle, Middle/ Secondary Education Program, the Social Work Program, or as a stand-alone major for those who wish to pursue graduate studies. This academic major prepares students to be proficient in the Ojibwe language; to establish a solid foundation in Ojibwe culture, traditions and history; and to understand effective teaching strategies and curriculum materials for working with American Indian children.

Program Requirements:
Ojibwe language courses (16 cr.) OJB 1101,1102, 1103, 1104, 2101, 2102, 3101, 4101, proficiency exam; Ojibwe language and culture core courses (12 cr.) EDU 3300 and 4300; Eng 4430; Indian Studies courses (INS) (8 cr.) Any INS course except INS 1101.
Program Director:Valerie Tanner, M.Ed.

School Social Worker Licensure

Graduates of the St.Scholastica Social Work Program are able to secure School Social Worker licensure by completing a field practicum experience consisting of at least 400 contact hours during one school year under the supervision of a licensed school social worker. An introduction to special education (EDU 3250) is recommended but not required. Graduates must also hold a current social work license (L.S.W.) awarded by theMinnesota Board of SocialWork. Studentswho have completed their BSWcoursework at another accredited institution, must complete or have completed a 400-hour field practicum experience in a school setting under the supervision of a licensed school social worker and hold a current social work license (L.S.W.). See SocialWork for further information.

Coaching coursework

School districts have the authority to hire anyone whom they judge to have:

1. the knowledge and experience necessary to coach a sport;
2. six semester credits or the equivalent, or 60 clock hours of instruction in first aid and the care and prevention of athletic injuries; and
3. a coaching methods or theory course.Students can prepare themselves to coach by fulfilling these requirements. See Exercise Physiology and Physical Education for a listing of courses offered at St. Scholastica.

Departmental Policies

Admissions

The School of Education utilizes a progressive admissions policy. A student must apply for initial admission. If accepted, the student must exhibit satisfactory performance in both the classroomand field experiences. During the junior year, the studentmust apply for admission to student teaching.The criteria for admission to the elementary/middle education major or middle/ secondary education licensure programinclude:

1. Completion of Praxis I Exam (PPST).
2. Evidence of long term(50 hours which must be accomplished outside of St. Scholastica course requirements), recent (within two years of application to the department) experience with children both individually and in groups is required. Elementary/middle applicationsmust have at least 25 of the 50 hours with school children between the ages of 5-13. Middle/secondary applications are required to have 25 of the 50 hours in a leadership role with adolescents/teens ranging in age from12-17.
3. Completion or a plan for completion of all prerequisite coursework. Reference the Education Department Undergraduate Student Handbook or application to major/ programformfor details about prerequisite courses. Both are available in the Education Department office.
4. Cumulative St. Scholastica and EDU GPA of 2.8,and a grade of"C"or better in all coursework required for their program.

The criteria for admission to student teaching include:

1. Senior standing and full admission to the Education Program.
2. Completion of, or enrollment in, or have planned for completing all required courses prior to student teaching (methods and content courses).
3. A cumulative St.Scholastica and EDU GPA of 2.8,and a grade of"C"or better in all coursework required for the program. Middle/ secondary applicants must have a recommendation from their major department.
4. Approval of program faculty.
5. Demonstrate satisfactory progress toward achievement of Standards of Effective Practice through portfolio development and course assessments.
6. Must have taken all applicable Praxis II tests (pedagogy and content).

Portfolio/license application

Before applying for licensure, students are required to: (a) complete and present a portfolio documenting achievement of the licensure standards, program outcomes, and dispositions for teachers; and (b) pass Praxis tests (Praxis II - a pedagogy test and content area test(s)) in addition to the Praxis I (PPST) tests.) Upon completion of all requirements, students may apply to the Minnesota Department of Education for the appropriate teaching license(s). Application information is available in the School of Education office.

Liability insurance

Studentsmay be required to provide proof of liability insurance prior to participation in tutoring, field experiences or student teaching. Such coverage can be obtained through membership in the Education Minnesota Student Program. There is a smallmembership fee.Forms are available in the Education Department.

Background check

Some school districtsmay require students to be fingerprinted for national criminal background checks prior to field experience or student teaching placements. The background check requires the student to obtain a fingerprint card and take it to a law enforcement agency to have the fingerprinting completed. There is a fee for this service.Should this be a requirement of the field experience placement, details will be discussed in the appropriate methods courses.

Assessment information required by Title II of the Higher Education Act

All teacher education programs are required to publish test results and other information about their programs. See the online catalog for the most up to date information available on results by St. Scholastica students.