Division of Education and Counseling

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Undergraduate Semester Programs

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Mission

The Mission of the Education and Counseling Division at Lindenwood University-Belleville is to prepare educators, counselors, and leaders who meet the standards set forth by the national accrediting organizations, state licensing agencies, and/or other learned societies.

Our program completers are

Educated in the theory and research-based practices of their content field from a global perspective.
Able to demonstrate best practices in pedagogy and adult learning/andragogy.
Caring professionals who are disciplined and others-centered. They are skilled in communication and collaboration with diverse learners, colleagues, community, and other stakeholders.
Lifelong learners who pursue ongoing professional development in order to respond to the changing needs of their educational context.

The Lindenwood University-Belleville Division of Education and Counseling offers the following bachelor’s degrees:

Degrees and Programs Leading to Certification

Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education, Grades 1-6
Bachelor of Arts in Physical Education, Grades K-12

Degrees Not Leading to Certification

Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies

Note: Students wishing to enter into a graduate program in Education or Counseling should consult the Graduate section of this catalog.

Introduction

The Lindenwood University-Belleville Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE https://www.isbe.net) and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE http://dese.mo.gov/). The initial teacher education program is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC www.teac.org) through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP www.caepnet.org).

Students who enroll in the Division of Education may select one of three pathways to completion of the program:

Successful completion of the Lindenwood University-Belleville teacher education program qualifies the student for recommendation for teaching certification, issued by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Successful completion of the Lindenwood University teacher education program qualifies the student for recommendation for teaching certification, issued by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
Those students who desire to work in an educational field but do not desire teaching certification may pursue a degree in Educational Studies.

Application

A student who seeks entrance into the teacher education program typically does so after successful completion of 10 hours of education coursework. Students apply during EDU 21501 Teacher Education Seminar I. All application for admission to the teacher education program and admission to student teaching must be completed and submitted in Foliotek.

Admission - Illinois Pathway

The teacher education program is divided into three stages or benchmarks and is the result of action by the Council of Teacher Education (CTE). The council, broadly representative of all schools at the university, considers the student’s application to the teacher education program to be in stage one after the student has completed the six steps outlined below. The student will not be allowed to enroll in most upper level or methods coursework until he/she has been formally admitted at Benchmark/Stage One to the teacher education program.

Benchmark/Stage One

1. The student has been accepted into Lindenwood University-Belleville.

2. The student has taken at least ten hours and may take up to 15 hours of education coursework including:

Orientation to Education Experiences (EDU 10000).
Thirty-hour practicum experience (EDU 11100).Requires an Illinois Criminal Background check.
Psychology of Teaching and Learning (EDU 20200).
Education of the Exceptional Child (EDU 34100).
For students pursuing elementary education: Health, Nutrition, and Safety (EDU 34500).
For students pursuing K-12 education: Reading/Writing Across Curriculum (EDU 38700) and Content Literacy for Diverse Learners (EDU 30710).

3. The student must maintain a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 and at least a 3.0 in all education and content course work.

4. The student must pass all sections of the Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency (ITAP) or

5. The student must pass a Basic Skills Test required of a different state for certification, or receive the following scores on the ACT exam:

Prior to 9/1/15: Composite score of 22 or higher and a minimum score of 19 on the Combined English/Writing portion.

9/1/15 to 9/9/16: Composite score of 22 or higher and a minimum score of 16 on the Writing portion.

9/10/16 and later: Composite score of 22 or higher and a minimum score of 6 on the Writing portion.

Or the following scores on the SAT exam:

Prior to 3/5/16: Composite score of 1030 (critical writing + mathematics = 1303 or higher) and a minimum score of 450 on writing.

3/5/16 and later: Composite score of 1110 (evidence-based reading and writing + mathematics = 1110 or higher) and a minimum score of 26 on writing and language.

6. The student is then recommended to the Council of Teacher Education (CTE) for admittance into the Department of Teacher Education.

Benchmark/Stage Two

1. The student completes all professional education coursework indicated in their program.

2. The student completes any content courses required by their program.

3. The student must complete the disposition assessment, the Missouri Educator Profile (MEP) and develop a professional growth plan with his/her advisor.

4. The student passes the Illinois Content Assessment (may require more than one test depending on certification sought) as indicated by their area of certification.

5. The student completes student teaching application including:

Fingerprinting, Tuberculosis test, and other required information.

6. The student maintains a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 and 3.0 or above in all education and content coursework.

7. The student completes and submits all portfolio activities.

Benchmark/Stage Three

1. The student successfully completes student teaching.

2. The student attends all weekly seminars.

3. The student completes and passes the EdTPA.

4. The student is approved by the licensure officer.

Professional Educator License (PEL)

Students entering the academic year Fall 2017 majoring in Elementary Education (grades 1-6) or Physical Education (grades K-12) will be seeking an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) endorsed in the appropriate subject area.

Students will work directly with the Licensure Officer to complete the process to receive their Illinois PEL.

Note: Students in the teacher education program who have taken the suggested coursework before taking the required assessments and do not pass the assessments can seek assistance from the LU Counseling Center for guidance in test-taking. The Student Counseling Resource Center will advise the dean of the School of Education of student eligibility for up to 18 additional hours of tuition-free courses in order to further prepare the student for the required assessments. These additional hours do not apply to student teaching. In order to be considered for this support students must have followed all proper procedures throughout the program.

Admission - Missouri Pathway

The teacher education program is divided into two stages or benchmarks and is the result of action by the Council of Teacher Education (CTE). The council, broadly representative of all schools at the university, considers the student’s application to the teacher education program to be in stage one after the student has completed the six steps outlined below. The student will not be allowed to enroll in most upper level or methods coursework until he/she has been formally admitted at Benchmark/Stage One to the teacher education program.

Benchmark/Stage One

The student has been accepted to Lindenwood University-Belleville.
The student has completed ten hours of coursework from the Division of Education.
The teacher candidate has achieved a cumulative minimum GPA of 2.75, a content area coursework GPA of 3.0, and a professional education coursework GPA of 3.0, with a minimum grade of C in all professional education coursework. The student has demonstrated evidence of competency in communications by passing ENG 15000, ENG 17000, and general education oral communications classes with a grade of C or better.
The student has passed the criminal background clearance(s) required by Lindenwood University and the school district(s) for which the teacher candidate is seeking placement.
The student has submitted a Missouri Educator Profile (MEP) and developed a professional growth plan with his/her advisor.
The student has attained the qualifying cut scores on one of the following Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary required assessments:
1. The student has attained a qualifying score of 186 on the English subtest, 167 on the Writing subtest, and 183 on the Math, Science, and Social Studies subtests of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA) test codes (001-005) or qualifying score of 220 on all subtest of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA) test code (66-69). *These qualifying cut scores are currently determined by individual educator preparation programs but are subject to future changes statewide by the MoDESE.

Benchmark/Stage Two

Acceptance into Benchmark/Stage Two is required for admittance into student teaching, consists of the following additional requirements:

The teacher candidate has obtained a passing score on the Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA).

The Missouri Content Assessment (MoCA) are tests required for all student teacher candidates. The test should be taken after most of the content courses for the desired program have been successfully completed and prior to student teaching. Candidates must also pass the appropriate Missouri Content Assessment in order to be recommended for certification.

The correct MoCA exam is posted on the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessment (MEGA) website (www.mo.nesinc.com). If a student is unsure of which test to take after reviewing the website, he/she may contact the Teacher Certification Office at 636-949-4379 for more assistance.

A passing score on the MoCA exam demonstrates that the teacher candidate has mastered the subject area that he/she will teach.
The teacher candidate must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, a minimum content area course GPA of 3.0, and a minimum professional education coursework GPA of 3.0, with a minimum grade of C in all professional education coursework.
Additional components for admission to Benchmark/Stage Two can be found on the Lindenwood University School of Education Teacher Education website at (http://www.lindenwood.edu/education/teacherEd/studentTeachingApplication.html)

Completion of Teacher Education Program

The teacher candidate must earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75, a minimum content area course GPA of 3.0, and a minimum professional education coursework GPA of 3.0, with a minimum grade of C in all professional education coursework.
The teacher candidate must successfully complete the student teaching course, EDU 41000, including all seminar sessions and portfolio requirements. The portfolio must be completed according to the standards outlined by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (MoDESE) Missouri Standards for the Preparation of Educators (MoSPE), as specifically outlined in the nine beginning standards for teacher educators.
Candidates are also required to complete the Missouri Performance Teacher Assessment (MoPTA) during student teaching which employs a range of strategies and builds on each candidate's strengths, needs, and prior experiences. The MoPTA consists of four assessment tasks. The tasks will demonstrate performance in content coursework and clinical experience. All of the tasks will require a written commentary and submission of artifacts.

Certification

Each state issues its own teaching certificates based on its own requirements. Upon passing the state-mandated exit assessment and successfully completing the planned degree program, each Lindenwood University School of Education student applies for certification to teach in Missouri. The student who wishes to pursue certification in other states should seek advice from the Department of Education within the state he or she is seeking certification. A list of those contacts is located on the School of Education webpages.

International students or students who have completed high school outside of the United States are also required to complete coursework in the following areas:

English composition, two courses, each a minimum of three credit hours
U.S. history, three credit hours
U.S. (National) government, three credit hours