NOTE: This document was generated from the 1995-1997 UIUC Programs of Study. Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, but be advised that requirements may have changed since this book was published. Errors may have also been introduced in the conversion to a WWW document. Thus for items of importance, it might be wise to seek confirmation from either the paper version or a live human being.
To be in compliance with recent state legislation, all students entering teacher education programs must demonstrate basic proficiency in reading, mathematics, and language arts. The Council on Teacher Education monitors compliance with this mandate.
Applicants are advised that certain felony convictions, enumerated in Articles 10-21.9 and 21-23a of the School Code of Illinois, prohibit certification or employment in public schools. Questions pertaining to this matter should be addressed to the certification officer.
In addition, students are screened just before student teaching and just after its completion by faculty committees that assess the overall record of their performance in the program. Teaching effectiveness is influenced not only by academic proficiency, but also by the personal characteristics of the teacher. Therefore, faculty members take these characteristics into account as they evaluate students' progress in the program. In addition, teaching effectiveness can be influenced by the teacher's health. For this reason, UIUC provides counseling and medical services for all students. A student wishing additional information about these services may make an appointment by calling or by visiting the council office.
Because it is essential that counseling and medical services be offered as soon as the need becomes apparent, teacher education advisers and faculty members are asked to recommend for assistance or examination any student about whom they feel concern. A student who is recommended for assistance or examination will receive a written request to make an appointment to discuss the situation. It is a requirement of the Council on Teacher Education that a student who receives such a request must respond. Failure to do so will jeopardize the student's continuation in teacher education. During the appointment, the student will be informed of the counseling and medical services available at the University. The student's use of these services is usually optional. In exceptional cases, however, the council may require a student to satisfactorily complete a mental health or physical examination with one of the campus services. Students who wish to continue in teacher education must comply with such referrals.
On completion of 75 or more semester hours, a student who has submitted an application will receive a student teaching assignment pending verification that he or she (1) has completed all professional education course work and 100 hours of early field experience, (2) has UIUC and cumulative grade-point averages of 3.5 (A = 5.0) or higher, (3) has the minimum grade-point average required for his or her program, and (4) has received a recommendation for placement in student teaching from the appropriate faculty committee.
Only those students officially registered in teacher education curricula are eligible for student teaching placements. Students who are on academic or disciplinary probation will not be permitted to student teach. Graduate students pursuing teacher certification through completion of undergraduate program requirements are required to petition the council for permission to student teach. The council reserves the right to deny student teaching placement to students whose performance in course work or in early field experiences has been judged to be unsatisfactory by professional standards, including scholarship, ethics, and responsibility, as determined by the faculty and staff in consultation with cooperating school personnel. Satisfactory performance is not based solely on grades.
Students in teacher education should anticipate and plan for student teaching assignments off campus. For most students, additional expense will be incurred during the semester in which student teaching is scheduled. Students cannot be guaranteed assignments in local schools. Attempts will be made to honor such requests; however, this is not always possible, because the number of available sites is limited.
Students are expected to complete all field experiences, including student teaching, at UIUC. Under extenuating circumstances, a student who wishes to complete student teaching through another university, yet receive a UIUC degree and recommendation for certification, must secure the prior approval of his or her adviser, college, and the Council on Teacher Education via petition. The petition must be supported by verification from the other university that it will accept the student as a student teacher and will comply with all Council on Teacher Education requirements. Approvals of such arrangements are infrequent, and students should expect to incur additional costs. Consult the executive or associate director of the council for additional information.
Candidates for certification as administrators or school social workers should consult with their advisers regarding procedures for clinical placement.
In some instances a student may be denied a recommendation for certification but be granted a degree by his or her college. A student who believes that the recommendation for certification has been withheld unjustly may seek redress through the grievance policy established by the Council on Teacher Education. A copy of the policy and the allied procedures may be obtained from the executive director of the council.
Students who enroll in advanced foreign language, chemistry, or mathematics courses as a result of performance on a placement examination are often eligible to receive prerequisite credit for teacher certification purposes only. A student who is qualified to receive prerequisite credit and who has declared one of these areas as his or her major or minor should consult his or her teacher education adviser.
Students in UIUC undergraduate programs leading to secondary and special certification will be expected to complete the following requirements.
Communication: Composition I; a speech performance course, and credit in WRITE 200 or a course satisfying the campus Composition II requirement are required. The Composition I requirement can be satisfied by completing one of the following: RHET 101-102, RHET 103-104, RHET 105, RHET 108, SPCOM 111-112, E S L 114-115, or by proficiency credit in one of these options. The speech performance requirement can be satisfied by using SPCOM 111-112 for Composition I or by completing one of the courses listed for speech performance. The Composition II requirement can be satisfied by completing one of the courses listed by the campus for Composition II.
Literature: One course
American history: One course
American government: One course
Non-Western culture: One course
One additional course chosen from literature and the arts, historical and philosophical perspectives, or social perspectives
Biological science: One course*
Physical science: One course*
One additional course in biological or physical science*
Mathematics: One course
Psychology: One course
Health and physical development: 2 hours
*One of the science courses must have a laboratory.
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