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1310 South Sixth Street
Champaign, IL 61820
Executive Director: 333-2804
Associate Director/Certification Officer: 333-7195
Certification Services: 333-7195
Clinical Experience Services: 333-2804
Educational Career Services: 333-0740
The Council on Teacher Education formulates, modifies, implements,
and monitors compliance with policies related to the education of
educators. The Council also facilitates communication and promotes
collaboration among all participants involved in the preparation and
continuing professional development of educators. The Council is the
designated unit responsible for the coordination of teacher, school
service personnel, and administrator education curricula at the Urbana-Champaign
campus and serves as the liaison between the campus and state certification
and program approval authorities.
Six colleges and two schools of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
offer degree programs in teacher, school service personnel, and administrator
education: the Colleges of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences; Applied Life Studies; Education; Fine and Applied Arts;
Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Graduate College. The list of teacher
education curricula can be found at the end of this section.
Candidates may consult their teacher education advisers or the certification
officer for additional information about academic regulations and
other policies affecting teacher education. Consult the Executive
Director of the Council for information about the Grievance Policy
and Procedures for Students Enrolled in Certification Programs under
the Purview of the Council on Teacher Education.
Requirements
Admissions
Applicants to teacher education curricula must meet the admission
requirements of the colleges and departments offering the chosen curricula.
By state law, candidates must pass the Illinois Certification Testing
System (ICTS) test of Basic Skills before they may be admitted to
a teacher preparation program.
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.
Continuation in Teacher Education
To be eligible for continuation in teacher education, candidates must
satisfy all requirements of the applicable Common Assessment Plan
(CAP), which includes maintaining University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
and cumulative grade point averages of 2.5 (A = 4.0) or higher. In
addition, candidates must meet the content area and professional education
grade-point requirements specific to their programs. The full text
of the three Common Assessment Plans is available on the Council
website .The Council on Teacher Education reviews each candidate's
academic progress every semester. Candidates who do not meet the criteria
of the appropriate CAP will receive warning letters from the Council
advising them that their continuation in the program, entry into student
teaching, and receiving a recommendation for certification from the
University are at risk. Candidates will be directed to their college
deans for more information.
Teaching effectiveness is influenced not only by academic proficiency,
but also by the dispositions and professional behaviors of the candidate
. Therefore, faculty members take these characteristics into account
as they evaluate candidates' progress in the program. Teaching effectiveness
can also be influenced by the candidate's health. For this reason,
the University provides counseling and medical services for all students.
A candidate wishing additional information about these services may
call or visit 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 candidate about whom they feel concern. A candidate 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 candidate who receives such a
request must respond. Failure to do so will jeopardize the candidate's
continuation in teacher education. During the appointment, the candidate
will be informed of the counseling and medical services available
at the University. The candidate's use of these services is usually
optional. In exceptional cases, however, the Council may require a
candidate to satisfactorily complete a mental health or physical examination
with one of the campus services. Candidates who wish to continue in
teacher education must comply with such referrals.
Student Teaching
Candidates should consult with their adviser about the timing of requests
for a student teaching placement. Student teaching application forms
are available in the college clinical experiences office that houses
each program. (Candidates may obtain referrals to the appropriate
office by contacting the Council office .) A candidate seeking placement
in student teaching should contact the appropriate college office
of clinical experiences no later than October 1 of the academic year
preceding the desired placement to determine departmental deadlines
and meeting dates. Departments may set earlier deadlines. Candidates
who apply after their departments' deadlines cannot be guaranteed
a student teaching assignment during the next academic year. A candidate
who will not be on campus during the fall semester, but who expects
to enroll in educational practice (student teaching) during the next
school year, should secure an application form from his or her college's
office of clinical experiences before leaving campus. A candidate
who has submitted an application will receive a student teaching assignment
pending verification that he or she has completed all requirements
of the appropriate Common Assessment Plan.
Only those candidates officially registered in teacher education curricula
are eligible for student teaching placements. The Council reserves
the right to deny student teaching placement to candidates who have
not met all requirements of the appropriate Common Assessment Plan.
Candidates may also be denied a student teaching placement for health
reasons.
Candidates in teacher education should anticipate and plan for student
teaching assignments. For most candidates , additional expense will
be incurred during the semester in which student teaching is scheduled.
Candidates cannot be guaranteed assignments in local schools. Student
teaching is a full-time commitment on the part of teacher candidates.
Teacher candidates should not plan to take additional course work
outside their program during student teaching, nor should they plan
to be employed.
Candidates are expected to complete all field experiences, including
student teaching, at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
A candidate who wishes to complete student teaching through another
university, yet receive a University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
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 candidate as a student
teacher and will comply with all Council on Teacher Education requirements.
Approvals of such arrangements are rare , and candidates should expect
to incur additional costs. Consult the Executive Director or Associate
Director of the Council for additional information.
Teacher Certification
A candidate who completes all of the course work and other requirements
in a program approved for purposes of certification by the Illinois
State Board of Education is entitled to receive the recommendation
of the University for the appropriate certificate, provided the candidate
(1) is a U.S. citizen or legally present and authorized to work, is
of good character and in good health, and is at least 19 years of
age; and (2) has met all of the requirements of the appropriate Common
Assessment Plan.
In some instances a candidate may be denied a recommendation for certification
but be granted a degree by his or her college. A candidate 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.
Candidates for certification are required to complete course work
that includes the theoretical and practical understanding generally
expected of a liberally educated person. General education includes
developing knowledge related to the arts, communications, history,
literature, mathematics, philosophy, sciences, and the social studies
from multicultural and global perspectives. This requirement is satisfied
by the University of Illinois general education pattern incorporated
into all undergraduate teacher education programs.
Certification Tests
All candidates for certification as teachers, school administrators,
and school service personnel must pass tests mandated by the Illinois
State Board of Education as a condition for certification. Illinois
law requires that applicants for teacher certification pass a test
in basic skills (reading, writing, grammar, and mathematics) prior
to admission to a program, a separate test in their major area prior
to student teaching, and an Assessment of Professional Teaching test
prior to certification. Candidates for certification as school administrators
or school service personnel must pass the test for their area of preparation
and the Basic Skills test if it was not passed previously. For additional
information, contact the certification officer or certification specialist.
Time Limit on Certification
Because certification requirements are subject to change as a result
of new mandates from the Illinois State Board of Education and the
Illinois General Assembly, the University is unable to guarantee a
recommendation for certification to anyone who applies for certification
later than one year after graduation from an approved program. A candidate
completing an approved program is urged to apply for certification
during his or her last term on campus. Applications for certification
are available in the council office.
Background Investigation of Applicants for Field Placement and
Employment
Illinois school districts are required by state law to conduct criminal
background investigations for applicants for certified and noncertified
positions with a school district. Several school districts are requiring
that applicants for field placements be subjected to a criminal background
review prior to placement in the school districts.
All candidates for public school certification in programs under the
purview of the Council on Teacher Education are required to submit
to a criminal background check by the Illinois State Police prior
to their initial field experience in the schools.
Candidates whose check results in a status of "no record"
may be placed in the schools.
Candidates whose check results in a status of "pending"
may be placed in the schools, unless their fingerprints are required
for further check by the Illinois State Police.
A candidate whose name check or fingerprint check results in confirmation
of a criminal record will not be permitted in the schools unless his/her
case is acted on favorably by the campus Case Review Committee appointed
by the Director of Admissions and Records. For purposes of any such
review, a member of the Council on Teacher Education or a designee
will join the review. The recommendation of the Case Review Committee
will be communicated to the Director of Admissions who will inform
the Executive Director of the Council on Teacher Education of the
recommendation.
Final decisions regarding the placement of candidates in schools reside
with the relevant department/college, with the exception of those
candidates whose criminal histories prohibit them from attaining certification.
The relevant department/college is responsible for securing placements
for all candidates . The relevant clinical experiences program coordinator
will consult with the school district before placing the candidate
in that district. Candidates will be informed that if their background
check includes evidence of a criminal history, the nature of that
history might prohibit them from being placed in a given school district
and that the district has the right to refuse any placement. Candidates
with criminal histories that prohibit them from attaining public school
certification may not be placed in any schools. In the event that
no district will accept a candidate because of his/her criminal history,
the relevant department/college is responsible for assisting the candidate
in choosing an alternative course of study.
The criminal background check will normally be conducted at the time
that the candidate enters the program and will be valid as long as
the candidate remains a continuous student. If, however, a candidate
interrupts his/her program for one semester or longer, another criminal
background check will normally be required upon his/her reentry.
This policy applies to all candidates who require field placements.
Candidates are responsible for all fees connected with this procedure.
Each applicant for employment in a school district in Illinois is
required to authorize the employing school district to initiate a
criminal background check which may include a request for fingerprints.
A school district may employ a person only after a background check
has been initiated and may not knowingly employ a person who has been
convicted of a felony or of attempting to commit certain offenses
enumerated in The School Code of Illinois. This criminal background
check is in addition to that required for field placements at the
University of Illinois.
Special Services
The Educational Career Services Office assists in the placement and
career planning of students and alumni who are registered with the
ECSO and who are actively seeking education-related employment in
schools, colleges and universities, state and federal agencies, and
other settings. Services offered include the following: (1) the electronic
storage and distribution of educational placement files for individuals
who have completed at least one course in any department or college
at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; (2) the publication
of an online Job Vacancy Bulletin, available 24 hours daily, which
lists notices of more than 20,000 job vacancies that are sent to the
office annually; (3) a director and placement counselor, who are available
by appointment to provide career information and guidance to individuals,
groups, and classes; (4) seminars on topics related to the job search
in education; (5) a career information center offering information
about careers in education; and (6) on-campus interviews and a job
fair with school and college recruiters from Illinois and other states.
Students, faculty members, administrators, alumni, and others who
are seeking education-related employment information are welcome to
contact the Educational Career Services Office at the University of
Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 140 Education Building, 1310 South Sixth
Street, Champaign, IL 61820; phone: (217) 333-0740; Fax: (217) 333-5689;
e-mail: ecso@uiuc.edu.
Curricula
A candidate seeking certification must complete the requirements of
both his or her chosen curriculum and the Council on Teacher Education.
Teacher education, school service personnel, and administrator curricula
and the colleges and departments that offer them are listed below.
All curricula have been approved by the Illinois State Board of Education.
Candidates are advised that certification requirements may be altered
at any time by the Illinois State Board of Education or the legislature.
In such cases, candidates may be compelled to satisfy the new requirements
to qualify for the University's recommendation for certification.
Agricultural education*
Physical education*
Early childhood education
Elementary education*
Learning Behavior Specialist I*
Teacher Education Minor in Secondary School Teaching*
Art education*
Music education*
Biology
Chemistry
Earth science
English
French*
German*
Latin*
Mathematics
Physics
Russian*
Social studies
Spanish*
Graduate College
Graduate-level certification programs are offered in the areas listed
below. For additional information, contact the certification officer
or departmental office indicated.
Administration
General Administrative
Department of Educational Organization and Leadership
(Option for Special Education)
Superintendent
Department of Educational Organization and Leadership
Agriculture Education*
(Option for Provisional Vocational Certification)
Department of Human and Community Development
Early Childhood Education
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
(Option for Early Childhood Special Education Approval)
Elementary Education*
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
German*
Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures
Learning Behavior Specialist I*
Department of Special Education
Library Information Specialist *
Graduate School of Library and Information Science
Music*
School of Music
School Social Worker
School of Social Work
Secondary Education (English, Mathematics, Sciences, Social Studies)
Department of Curriculum and Instruction
Spanish*
Department of Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese
Speech-Language Pathologist: Nonteaching
Department of Speech and Hearing Science
* Individuals completing
these programs who wish to be able to teach departmentalized subjects
in grades five through eight must complete additional course work.
Contact the certification officer for additional information.
**This minor is a required component of the teaching option within
the following Science and Letters majors in the College of Liberal
Arts and Sciences: biology, chemistry, English, geology, history,
mathematics, and physics. It is available only to students registered
in these programs.
If the chosen curriculum requires a minor, it must be selected from
the list of approved teacher education minors below. Candidates should
be aware that the state recognizes teaching fields that are not listed
below and does not recognize, as teaching fields, some that are. Candidates
may obtain teaching endorsements for any fields for which they satisfy
the state minimum requirements. At the time of publication, the Illinois
State Board of Education was proposing new rules to govern the issuing
of endorsements. Candidates are advised that completing the requirements
of the teacher education minors listed below will not guarantee that
the individual will be granted an endorsement to teach that subject
in the schools. Contact the certification officer for additional information
regarding the endorsement fields available and the qualifications
for each. Endorsement
requirements are also listed on the web.
Teacher Education Minors
Art education
Biology
Chemistry
Cinema studies*
Computer science
Earth science
Economics
English
English as a second language
French
General science
German
History
Instructional applications of computers*
Italian
Journalism
Latin
Mathematics
Physical education
Physical science
Physics
Portuguese
Psychology
Rhetoric
Russian
Social studies
Spanish
Speech
Urban studies*
Women's studies*
*These minors do not lead
to endorsements for additional teaching fields.
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