Teacher Education and Certification

The following information is intended to serve as a general guide for candidates* preparing to qualify for an Illinois teaching, school service, or school administration certificate. More information is available from the programs’ advisors and from detailed program information elsewhere in this catalog.

The professional education unit at Governors State University is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) to offer programs of study leading to the certificates, endorsements, and designations as follows:

*In discussion of programs that prepare teachers and other school personnel, an individual enrolled in a university professional preparation program is referred to as a “candidate.”  The word “student” refers to a child enrolled in a K-12 school.

GSU Degree Program Certificate/Endorsement/Designation

Undergraduate Programs:

Post-Baccalaureate and Graduate Programs:

Middle Grades Endorsement

Candidates who are completing a program leading to the initial elementary or initial secondary certificate, or who currently hold an initial or standard elementary or secondary certificate, may earn an endorsement which qualifies them to teach in the middle grades. Candidates who choose to pursue this endorsement must take three hours in the psychology of early adolescent development and three hours in curriculum, instruction, and methods related to the middle grades.

These two required professional courses are offered at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.  EDUC442 Early Adolescent Educational Psychology and EDUC443 Curriculum and Methods for Middle Schools are available for undergraduate candidates.  EDUC642 Educational Psychology Applied to Middle School and EDUC643 Curriculum and Instruction in the Middle School are the corresponding courses designed for graduate candidates.

It is likely that additional endorsement content area courses will also be required. Complete information, including transcript evaluation, is available from the elementary and secondary teacher preparation programs.  These requirements are subject to changes in state regulations that may occur from time to time.

Requirements for Certification through Approved Programs

To be recommended by Governors State University for any of the above ISBE credentials, an applicant must:

1.      have earned the required degree from an institution recognized by the ISBE for teacher education;

2.      have acquired requisite professional experience where stipulated for admission or completion of any of the listed programs;

3.      have completed a Governors State University state-approved program leading to the desired credential;

4.      be at least 19 years of age;

5.      be in good health;

6.      be a citizen of the United States or legally present and authorized for employment;

7.      possess good character; and 

8.      present evidence of having passed all examinations required by ISBE (see an academic advisor for more information about examination requirements and timelines).

According to Illinois State Board of Education procedures, certificate recommendations made by the university for successful program completers are valid for three years. Candidates will be notified when their entitlements have been transmitted and are advised to apply for their certificates without delay after receiving notification. Delay in filing an application could result in additional requirements should state regulations change.

In order to receive any certificate or endorsement, applicants must have passed all examinations required by ISBE to receive the credential.  This may include Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations, which may not be included in the requirements for graduation.

Criminal Background Checks

All candidates for Illinois teacher certification at Governors State University are required to submit to an Adam Walsh fingerprint-based criminal background check by Accurate Biometrics prior to their initial field experience in the schools. For more information on this testing and available test sites, please visit accuratebiometrics.com.  Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GSU policies and procedures.

General Education Requirements

Course work for meeting the general education requirements of teacher preparation programs must be college-level work and may not include remedial courses even if college credit is granted. In general, this course work must be at the 100-level or higher and applicable toward a degree at the institution providing the instruction. No course with a grade below “C” will be applied toward program general education requirements, even if the course was used for a prior degree. Candidates in teacher preparation programs must maintain a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in general education courses taken at Governors State University. 

Candidates seeking the Initial Elementary Education Certificate, the Initial Early Childhood Certificate, or the Initial Secondary Certificate (endorsed in Biology, Chemistry, English, or Mathematics) must complete the general education requirements for their program as described in this catalog. For Elementary Education, see page 101. For Early Childhood Education, see page 99. For Biology, see page 62; for Chemistry, see page 66; for English, see page 72; for Mathematics, see page 78.

Candidates seeking certification via the M.A. in Early Childhood Education or the M.A. in Multicategorical Special Education must satisfy the general education requirements identified in this catalog for the B.A. in Early Childhood Education, including at least one three-hour course in non-Western or Third World cultures. For Early Childhood Education and Multicategorical Special Education, see page 99.

Professional Education Requirements

Candidates who are working toward the Initial Early Childhood, Elementary, or Special Certificates must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in their professional education requirements, exclusive of student teaching.  They must complete all professional courses with a grade of “C” or better. These requirements will include at least 100 clock-hours of pre-student teaching field experiences. To be recommended for certification, a student must achieve a grade of “B” or better in student teaching.

Candidates who are working toward an Initial Secondary Certificate must maintain a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in their professional education requirements, must earn a grade of “B” or better in both teaching methods courses (i.e., EDUC433 and EDUC434 for science, EDUC465 and EDUC520 for English, and EDUC436 and EDUC437 for mathematics), in EDUC310, and in EDUC499, and complete all other professional courses with a grade of “C” or higher.

Candidates pursuing the Initial Early Childhood or Elementary Education Certificates must complete the professional education requirements listed among the degree requirements for the associated programs elsewhere in this catalog. Students seeking an Initial Secondary Certificate must complete the following professional education requirements:

Initial Secondary Certificate Credit Biology or Chemistry                 Hours

EDUC 310 Foundations of Education.............................................................. 3
EDUC 433 Principles of Science Education....................................................... 3
EDUC 434 Teaching Secondary School Science................................................ 3
EDUC 440 Educational Psychology in Action..................................................... 3
EDUC 499 Student Teaching (secondary)........................................................ 12
SPED 510 Survey of Exceptional Students...................................................... 3

Initial Secondary Certificate Credit English                                           Hours

EDUC 310 Foundations of Education.............................................................. 3

EDUC 440 Educational Psychology in Action .................................................... 3

EDUC 465 Methods of Teaching English ......................................................... 3

EDUC 520 Developmental Reading in Middle and Secondary Schools.................... 3
EDUC 499 Student Teaching (secondary)....................................................................... 12

ENGL 574 Reading Theory and Practice in Secondary Schools............................. 3

SPED 510 Survey of Exceptional Students ..................................................... 3

Initial Secondary Certificate Mathematics                                Hours

EDUC 310 Foundations of Education.............................................................. 3

EDUC 440 Educational Psychology in Action..................................................... 3

EDUC 436 Principles of Mathematics Education................................................ 3

EDUC 437 Teaching Secondary School Mathematics.......................................... 3

EDUC 499 Student Teaching (secondary)........................................................ 12

SPED 510 Survey of Exceptional Students...................................................... 3

Candidates earning an Initial Special Certificate must complete the following professional education requirements along with all other requirements identified in the full degree requirements section elsewhere in this catalog:

Initial Special Certificate Endorsed LBS I Unlimited                Hours

EDUC 310 Foundations of Education  3
PSYC 320 Educational Psychology 3
SPED 510 Survey of Exceptional Students 3
SPED 699 Student Teaching 9

Admission to Student Teaching

Candidates must apply for admission to student teaching before enrolling in any of the university’s student teaching courses (e.g., EDEC499, ELED499, EDUC499, or SPED 699). An application for admission to student teaching must be submitted to the director of Field Experiences in the Division of Education. The application must be submitted by December 1 for placement for the following fall trimester or by January 31 for placement for the following winter trimester. Except in the Multicategorical Special Education program, student teaching is not offered during the spring/summer trimester. This application for student teaching will certify that the candidate has or will have met the following requirements:

1.      36-72 hours of general education requirements completed with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in courses taken at Governors State University;

2.      all professional education course requirements completed, except student teaching, including a minimum of 100 clock-hours of field experiences with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher (see specific program information elsewhere in this catalog for other grade and G.P.A. requirements appropriate to specific programs);

3.      no more than nine approved general education credit-hours remaining to be completed in the major in which he/she is enrolled; 

4.      has presented evidence of having passed the Illinois Certification Testing System Basic Skills Test and appropriate Content Examination(s); 

5.      has met all Illinois State Board of Education requirements applicable to the subject matter area(s) in which the student will student teach; and

6.      has received a positive recommendation from program faculty.

All student teaching placements are provisional pending final verification that the candidate has met all eligibility requirements listed above and in program-specific sections elsewhere in this catalog.  Final judgment of eligibility will not be established until after final grades have been posted at the end of the trimester immediately preceding student teaching.  Should any requirements remain unmet at that time, a candidate’s placement may be cancelled by the director of Field Experiences in consultation with the coordinator of the program in which the candidate is enrolled.

Evaluation of Student Knowledge, Skills, and Dispositions

Governors State University is strongly committed to rigorous assessment and evaluation of its candidates preparing for professional positions in the public schools. This assessment includes rigorous assessment of each candidate’s knowledge, skills, and dispositions¹.

The faculty evaluates each candidate’s performance in both academic and practical settings and assesses the dispositions displayed as the candidate encounters challenges, works with children and other adults, and pursues his/her own development. The standards and processes established for evaluation of candidate performance are outlined in the appropriate program sections of this catalog or in other program-related materials such as candidate program handbooks and the professional education unit’s System of Assessment.

At the undergraduate level, the programs assess the extent to which candidates:

·         seek to excite and expand students’ learning as well as their own;

·         seek to explore their subject matters beyond the level of mere competence;

·         understand, select, and use a variety of teaching strategies;

·         believe that all children can learn and implement supportive structured behaviors;

·         are dedicated lifelong learners;

·         seek, support, and celebrate diversity;

·         exhibit academic integrity and high ethical standards;

·         employ technology as a tool for teaching and learning;

·         pursue knowledge of best practices and innovations that effectively respond to educational challenges;

·         seek to understand and interact with their communities; and

·         value and engage in reflection and self-assessment.

At the graduate level, the university expects candidates to display the dispositions listed above and, in addition, assesses the extent to which candidates:

·         are responsible risk-takers and agents of change;

·         provide leadership through collaboration to solve problems;

·         practice reasoned eclecticism in evaluating and implementing new interventions; and

·         understand, value, and implement their own classroom and school research to discover solutions for age-old and contemporary challenges.

The faculty is committed to modeling these characteristics for candidates completing educational programs at Governors State University.

¹ “Disposition” as used here refers to “a tendency to exhibit frequently, consciously, and voluntarily a pattern of behavior that is directed to a broad goal” (Lillian Katz, Dispositions as Educational Goals, ERIC Digest (September, 1993), Urbana, IL:  Clearinghouse on Elementary and Early Childhood Education).