Department of Teacher Education

Department Chair: Jack Mayhew
Location: McKay Education Building, Room 224
Telephone Contact: Lynda L. Olmstead 801-626-7171
Advisement Contact: Kristin Radulovich 801-626-6309
Professors: Frances Butler, Michael Cena, Forrest Crawford, Linda Gowans, Vicki Napper; Associate Professors: Melina Alexander, Ann Ellis, Kristin Hadley, Jack Mayhew, Louise Moulding, Richard Pontius, Peggy Saunders, Pene’e Stewart, Natalie Allen Williams; Assistant Professors: Vincent Bates, David Byrd, Anette Melvin, Kristin Nelson, Clay Rasmussen

The major purpose of the professional education programs in teacher education is to prepare candidates for teaching in elementary and secondary schools. Preparation is also provided for teachers of students with mild to moderate disabilities with the special education mild/moderate license. The department prepares students for endorsements in Mathematics, ESL (English as a Second Language), Basic Reading (graduate level only), and Education of the Gifted (graduate level only). All programs are approved by the Utah State Board of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Northwest/North Central Associations.   

The preparation for teaching falls academically within four major categories: University General Education, support courses, subject specialization, and professional education.

1. University General Education requirements – In selecting courses to satisfy the general education requirements, candidates should note the general education courses recommended and/or required in their major and/or professional education requirement sheets available in the Teacher Education Advisement Center (ED 230).
2. Support courses
3. Specializations are required of all elementary candidates. Elementary education majors select one 9-hour content area specialization. The professional education program outlines acceptable subject specialization areas and requirements. Special Education majors choose one 9-hour specialization or a teaching minor. Secondary school candidates completing a teaching major may be required to complete a teaching minor (refer to the teaching major program requirements). The teaching major and teaching minor must be in subjects taught in Utah public secondary schools. Either the major or minor must be a subject which Utah secondary schools are required to teach.
4. Professional Education courses help the prospective teacher learn about children, the nature of the learning process, and how to provide desirable learning experiences. To meet licensure requirements, secondary school candidates are required to complete a minimum of 24 semester hours of professional course work; 43 semester hours are required of the prospective elementary school teacher.

Professional course work in the program is organized into sequential levels. As students move through the program, they are required to demonstrate in a variety of ways the knowledge, skills and dispositions that embody the department’s organizing theme and program model.

It is important that interested students contact the Teacher Education Advisement Center (ED 230) as quickly as they decide to become a teacher. Specific program admission requirements, required courses, and recommended general education course work are available.

Teacher Education Conceptual Framework

The Department of Teacher Education’s conceptual framework theme is “Student Achievement: Students, Teachers, & Communities Working Together.” The model that illustrates the program’s purposes, philosophy, outcomes and evaluation is represented by an easel, at the center of which are three overlapping components: Reflecting, Engaging, and Collaborating. The program standards are performance-based: that is, they describe what teachers should know and be able to do in order to be awarded a license. Course outcomes and objectives are geared around the conceptual framework. Students may view the conceptual framework, INTASC Standards and the critical performances for each level on the teacher education Web site (http://departments.weber.edu/teachereducation).

Admission to Teacher Education

Admission to the Teacher Education Programs is a separate process from general university admission. The Teacher Education programs maintain a competitive admissions process. A specific number of applicants are provisionally admitted each semester after having made application and met the minimum admission criteria listed below. Meeting the minimum requirements only qualifies a student to be considered for admission. Students are admitted two times per year: fall semester and spring semester. Applicants are evaluated using a 100 point system using GPA, Praxis II/CAAP writing scores, and interviews. 

Minimum Admission Requirements

1. Formal Application submitted online and provisional Admission form submitted to Teacher Education Advisement Center (ED 230 ) by the deadline date. Transcripts of all college course work must accompany the application along with a current degree evaluation.
2. At least 40 semester hours of general education and relevant prerequisite courses.

Those intending to teach Special Education or teach at the elementary level, please note:

The Professional Education component of the Special Education major and the Elementary Education major requires four semesters to complete. Therefore, it is very important that candidates have completed the General Education requirements and have taken at least some of the required Support Courses prior to entering the program. Because of possible scheduling difficulties, failure to do so could mean spending an extra semester (or more) in completing the program.

Those intending to teach at the secondary level, please note:

The Professional Education component of the Secondary Education program requires two semesters to complete. Therefore, it is very important that candidates have completed the General Education requirements and most of the teaching major and minor requirements prior to entering the program. Because of possible scheduling difficulties, failure to do so could mean spending an extra semester (or more) in completing the program.

3. Passing the appropriate Praxis II Content test is required for admission to the Elementary Education and Special Education programs.  The Utah State Office of Education specifies the passing score for each test.  Students will not be considered for admission if they do not meet the state specified passing score on the Praxis II. 
4. Minimum score on the Collegiate Assessment of Academic Proficiency (CAAP) – Writing section. Registration should be completed at least 15 days prior to the test date. Dates for testing and administration are available in ED 230 and the University Testing Center in the Student Services Center.
5. Sign up for an interview in the Advisement Center when you turn in application materials (the schedule will be available approximately one (1) month prior to the interview dates).
6. Composition general education requirement completed (grade “C” or above in ENGL 2010 EN , or equivalent). 
7. Quantitative Literacy requirement completed (see General Requirements  in this catalog).

   Note: Elementary and Early Childhood Education majors need MATH 1050  as prerequisite for Mathematics Education support courses.

8. Communication competency completed (grade “B-” or above in COMM 1020  or COMM 2110  or equivalent).
9. University Computer and Information Literacy competency completed (see General Requirements  in this catalog).
10. EDUC 1010  Exploring Teaching or approved equivalent course completed.
11. Teacher Education also recognizes specific program and diversity needs of professional education and reserves the right to consider such factors in the admission of candidates.
12. For teacher education applicants who are English language learners, an additional requirement of 6.5 on each of the four sections of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) test is required for admission.

Additional Notes

1. Fingerprinting/background check must be completed immediately after being admitted. See Teacher Education Advisement Center (ED 230 ) for further information.
2. Students are provisionally admitted to a specific teacher education program: (1) early childhood education; (2) elementary education; (3) special education; (4) secondary education.
3. Provisional admission to a specific program is valid for a period of five years. If a student has not completed the program within the five-year period or desires to pursue a different program, he/she must seek readmission under the current admission standards and complete current course/program requirements. Changes in state licensure requirements may necessitate more immediate program changes.
4. Professional education credits older than five years at the time of program admission generally will not be counted. However, students may revalidate outdated course work by following procedures available in the Teacher Education Advisement Center, ED 230.
5. Applicants with BS or BA degrees seeking initial licensure in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Special Education, or Secondary Education, must submit a formal application and transcripts and complete the interview/statement (see Requirements 1, 2, 3 [if applicable] of Admission to Teacher Education Program). They are then placed in the pool with others seeking admission. 
6. Applicants who hold Bachelor’s degrees older than five years and who have not had more recent relevant course work or work experiences related to their major and minor must take at least two courses in their major and one course in their minor as designated by the academic department.
7. Applicants with an earned graduate degree seeking initial licensure must satisfactorily complete requirements 1, 2, 4, and 5. They are then placed in the pool with others seeking provisional admission.
8. Data are collected on students admitted to the Teacher Education program for the purposes of national accreditation and program improvement. No personal information is used in this process.

Dual Licensure

Dual Licensure is a possibility for a student who desires to qualify to teach at early childhood and elementary, or elementary and secondary levels. Ordinarily, this requires two or more semesters of work beyond that required for the single license.

Returning Early Childhood Education students desiring the dual licensure in Elementary Education must complete at least one Exceptional Child course (usually EDUC 3260E  EDUC 3260S ).

Early Childhood Education Major

The Departments of Child and Family Studies and Teacher Education offer a major in Early Childhood Education with licensure for teaching in programs which serve children from birth through eight years of age (Pre-K through 3rd grade). Requirements are listed under the Department of Child and Family Studies. See Room ED 248 for additional information.

Elementary Education Major

Students preparing to teach in Kindergarten through sixth grade graduate with a major in Elementary Education.

The Teacher Education Advisement Center and faculty advisors from the Department of Teacher Education are available to advise prospective teachers. A program requirement sheet is available from the Teacher Education Advisement Center in Room 230 in the McKay Education Building. It is to the student’s advantage to begin program planning early.

Interdisciplinary Minors

The Teacher Education Department participates in the interdiscplinary Linguistics Minor Program. Students who wish to enroll in this program should indicate their desire to do so with the program coordinator who will help them work out a proper combination of courses to fit their particular needs. (See the Engaged Learning and Interdisciplinary Programs  section of this catalog.)

Programs

• Elementary Education (BS)
• Special Education (BS)

• ESL (English as a Second Language) Minor

• Elementary Education Departmental Honors

• Basic Reading Endorsement
• Bilingual Endorsement
• Education of the Gifted Endorsement
• Elementary Education Mathematics Endorsement
• ESL (English as a Second Language) Endorsement
• Special Education Mild/Moderate Endorsement

• Secondary Education Licensure
• Special Education Licensure Mild/Moderate Endorsement