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Secondary Education Subsequent Teaching Endorsement

Teachers who have an Illinois Professional Educator License endorsed for early childhood education, elementary education or special education may add endorsement in secondary education through this standards-based sequence. Teachers who have only a teaching credential from another state or who have only a temporary, substitute or other specialized teaching credential are not eligible for this program. Candidates for subsequent teaching endorsement must be admitted to NLU.

Eligible candidates begin by completing SEC 569, which includes the development of a college-approved electronic portfolio as a self-assessment of the extent to which they have met the state standards for secondary endorsement. A faculty team from the new endorsement area will review the portfolio and determines additional requirements for endorsement. Candidates then meet with an advisor from secondary education to plan a personalized program.

At the conclusion of this personalized program, candidates complete a practicum experience, SEC 575, the extent of which is determined by the faculty team, taking into account candidates' previous experience and state standards. Upon conclusion of the practicum, candidates may apply for state endorsement in secondary education.

In addition to National College of Education Graduate Admission Requirements, applicants must:

  • Have a valid and current Illinois Professional Educator License
  • Have two years of classroom experience, within the last five years, prior to beginning SEC 569
  • Have written verification of classroom experience from a previous or current employer
  • Sit for an interview with a faculty advisor
  • Fulfill the subject area-specific requirements as specified below
  • Note: Applicants who were certified originally out-of-state or before 1994 need to pass the Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) or ISBE approved alternative
  • Note: Candidates may be eligible for financial aid. Contact the Financial Aid office for more information.
Biological Science:
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in Biology coursework
  • Have 12 SH of upper division courses in Biology
  • Pass the Content Test in Biology
  • A major in Biology from a regionally accredited institution or a minimum of 24 SH of coursework in Biology with 10 SH of laboratory courses and at least one course in each of the areas listed below:
    • One course in Chemistry
    • One course in Earth Science/Space Science
    • One course in Environmental Science
    • One course in Physics
    • 6 SH in Math—must be above College Algebra 
English/Language Arts:
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in English coursework
  • Have 32 SH of coursework in English (12 SH of upper division courses)
  • Pass the Content Test in English/Language Arts
  • 9 SH in Writing Skills: 6 SH of Composition (Comp I/II, advanced writing courses, or writing-intensive courses) and 3 SH of Creative Writing
  • 17 SH must be in Literature with one course in each of the following areas:
    • Introduction to Literary Criticism
    • American Literature
    • English Literature
    • Nonwestern or Ethnic American Literature
    • Shakespeare
    • Poetry or Adolescent Literature
  • 6 SH can be in writing, literature, speech or journalism
Foreign Languages:
  • Choose a foreign language designation from one of the following: Chinese (Cantonese), Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Latin, Russian or Spanish
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in foreign language designation coursework
  • Have 32 SH of coursework in foreign language designation (12 SH of upper division)
  • Pass the ACTFL foreign language oral proficiency exam
  • Pass the foreign language designation test
  • Beginning Language I & II in the designation language
  • Intermediate Language I & II in the designation language
  • One course in each of the following areas in the designation language:
    • Grammar and Composition
    • Introduction to Literature
    • Introduction to History and Culture
Mathematics:
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in Mathematics coursework
  • Have 32 SH of coursework in Mathematics (12 SH of upper division courses)
  • Pass the Content Test in Mathematics
  • CALCULUS (6 SH)—These courses should cover the topics of limits, continuity, differentiation and applications of integration and possibly some topics from analytic geometry. The use of calculus in solving real life problems with technology should be emphasized. The courses meeting this requirement should be sequential in nature.
  • FOUNDATIONS OF GEOMETRY (or COLLEGE GEOMETRY) (3 SH)—This focuses on major concepts of Euclidean geometry, with introduction of non-Euclidean geometry, including the study of axiom and postulate-based deductive systems and the development of mathematical conjectures and proofs. The construction and representation of two and three-dimensional shapes is included as perspective drawings, or physical models, and as virtual representations, using dynamic geometry applications.
  • GEOMETRY (3 SH)—Courses such as projective, affine and topology fit here.  Three semester hours of an analytic geometry that was integrated in a calculus sequence may be placed here. These three semester hours of geometry must be upper (300/400/graduate) level. 
  • NUMBER THEORY (3 SH)—Courses should contain number theory, comparisons of numbers and number systems, and representation/application of complex numbers.  Courses with titles such as group theory, ring theory and field theory will also fit in this area.
  • MODERN/ABSTRACT ALGEBRA (3 SH)—Courses within this area should contain the development of the real number system and its subsystems and the analysis and explanation of procedures used for operations involving integers, rational, real and complex numbers. The use of technology to demonstrate and apply the properties of real numbers and their use in solving real life problems should also be included in this course.
  • LINEAR ALGEBRA (3 SH)—The content of the course should include matrices and their operations, solutions of systems and equations, vector spaces, linear transformation, eigen values and eigenvectors with a focus on the use of linear algebra in solving real life problems.  A course in matrix algebra or matrix theory will fit in this area. 
  • DISCRETE MATHEMATICS (3 SH)— Coursework within this area will involve the elements of graph theory, recurrence relations, finite difference approaches, linear programming and combinatorics.  Coursework can also contain discrete structures and the application of algorithms.  Courses with titles such as finite math, logic, data structures and discrete structures would also fit in this area.
  • PROBABILITY & STATISTICS (3 SH)—Coursework in this area should contain the treatment of topics as mutually exclusive events, independent ad dependent events, conditional probability, combinatorics, random variables, sampling methods, confidence intervals, inferential statistics, distributions and correlation. Estimating probabilities and data representation using graphing calculators or statistical software should also be covered in this course. A statistics in other areas (business, economics, etc.) may be placed here.
  • HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS (3 SH)—This course provides a study of the historical development of the central concepts of mathematics from early times to the present. Students analyze the accomplishments of significant mathematicians within historical, cultural, and scientific contexts, including contributions from diverse cultures.
  • MATH ELECTIVES (2 SH)—any college-level math electives if needed to reach 32 SH

Physical Science:

  • Choose a designation from one of the following: Chemistry, Earth Science, Environmental Science or Physics
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in designation coursework
  • Have 32 SH of coursework in Science (12 SH of upper division)
  • Have a major from a regionally-accredited institution (or minimum 24 SH) in a single designated area (10 SH of laboratory coursework for students who don’t have major in the designated area)
  • Have at least one course in Biology and each of the other designations
  • Have 6 SH in Math—must be above College Algebra. Courses that will count include Trigonometry, Differential Equations, Advanced Algebra, Statistics and other upper level Math courses.
  • Pass  the Content Test in designation area

Social Studies:

  • Choose a designation from one of the following: Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology, Sociology/Anthropology or Broad-based Social Science
  • Have a grade point average of 3.0 or better in designation course work
  • Have 32 SH of coursework in Social Studies (12 SH of upper division)
  • Submit a passing score in at least five of the six categories (including the designation area) on the Praxis II Social Studies Content Knowledge Examination taken within the past 10 years. Students who pass more than three, but fewer than five categories (including the area of endorsement) will be considered for four-course review admission status.
  • A major from a regionally accredited institution in one of the designation areas, minimum 24 SH (Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology or Sociology/Anthropology)
  • At least one course in each of the additional areas listed below (excluding the area of designation):
    • Economics
    • Geography
    • Political Science
    • Psychology
    • Sociology/Anthropology
    • U.S. History
    • World History
    • A course with a nonwestern focus
  • Candidates who do not have a major in one of the designations of Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, Psychology or Sociology/Anthropology may choose the Broad-based Social Science endorsement. Candidates must fulfill all of these areas:
    • 18 SH of History including the minimum of two U.S. History courses and one in Nonwestern/World History (can be Africa, Asia, Caribbean, Central and South America or Pacifica) 
    • One course in Economics
    • One course in Geography
    • One course in Political Science
    • One course in Psychology
    • One course in Sociology/Anthropology
    • Pass the Content Test (114)

Required Courses

SEC 569Portfolio Development for Subsequent Teaching Endorsement

4
SEC 575Subsequent Certification Practicum

3 TO 6

Note: Additional program content and general education courses are selected with the program area advisor to help candidates meet the licensure requirements. Study plans documenting selected courses are created at the completion of ELE 569.