School of Education

www.ulm.edu/education/

Austin, Buell, Chu, Hancock, Kennedy, Kim, Koers, Lovett, McCallister, Quintana, Schulte, Stanley, Weems

The School of Education offers a variety of curricula leading to certification in teacher education.

Teacher candidates enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education prepare to teach students in grades 1-5. With a 12 credit hour add-on plan for Early Childhood, Elementary Education candidates may prepare to teach Kindergarten and Nursery School (PK) in addition to grades 1-5.

Secondary Education and Teaching majors earning the Bachelor of Science may opt for one of seven areas of education concentrations including Biology, Chemistry, English, French, Social Studies Education, and Spanish.

Secondary Education and Teaching majors may choose to select a secondary focus area and complete credit hours that apply toward a second teaching field. To be certified in a second teaching field that is a core academic area (biology, chemistry, English, French, mathematics, social studies, and Spanish) requires 30 credit hours or the Praxis content specialty area exam(s). To be certified in a second teaching field that is not a core academic area (computer science, journalism, and speech) requires 21 credit hours or the Praxis content specialty exam(s).

Objectives

The School of Education, in harmony with the objectives of the University of Louisiana Monroe, is dedicated to preparing learning facilitators, utilizing the ULM Interactive Learning Model wherein general education, professional studies, and specialty studies interact strategically with clinical and field experiences. Toward that end, these objectives have been adopted:

To prepare, at the undergraduate level, prospective teacher candidates who will be liberally educated, knowledgeable in specialized teaching fields, competent in professional understandings and methods, proficient in assessing and improving student learning, and responsible to the moral and aesthetic obligations inherent to the school and multi-cultural community.
To prepare, at the graduate level, teachers and other school personnel whose competence in improving student learning shall be assured by maintenance of a proper balance between advanced subject matter and professional courses, and appropriate experiences.

The School of Education offers the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education (with Early Childhood add-on available); and Secondary Education and Teaching in Biology Education, Chemistry Education, English Education, French Education, Social Studies Education, and Spanish Education.

The Graduate School offers the Master of Arts in Teaching Degree in Elementary Education (1-5), Secondary Education (6-12), Elementary Education (1-5), Secondary Education (6-12), and Levels (K-12); the Master of Education Degree in Curriculum and Instruction, Educational Leadership, and Educational Technology Leadership.

Curriculum and Instruction also offers a 60 credit hour educational doctorate online. The Doctor of Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction facilitates additional career opportunities for teachers, administrators, and healthcare professionals in a variety of educational settings.

The Doctor of Education programs are designed for K-12 personnel, higher education, and healthcare professional educators, including teachers and administrators. The primary goal of the doctoral programs is the preparation of practitioner-scholars and researchers for roles in elementary, secondary, and higher educational settings.

Admission Requirements

Admission With Distinction
Students granted honors admission into the University will be granted immediate entry into their chosen degree programs.
Provisional and Regular Admission
Students in these categories must meet the following requirements before being granted entry into their chosen degree programs:
1. Satisfactory completion of any required developmental courses;
2. Successful completion of ENGL 1001 and ENGL 1002 or their equivalents with minimum grades of “C”, or passage of a comprehensive English usage test; and
3. Satisfactory completion of all special admission requirements of the intended major field of study.
  
  Students in provisional and regular admission status may not enroll in courses numbered 3000 or above until they have completed developmental and freshman requirements.

All transfer students must meet the above requirements for formal admission to degree status. Students must be admitted at least one semester (or summer term) prior to the semester in which they intend to receive their degree.

Core Curriculum

Minimum required for all baccalaureate programs in the School of Education include the following core of general education requirements: English - 6-12 hours; Mathematics - 6 hours; Science - 12 hours; Social Science - 6-12 hours; Arts Elective - 3 hours; Computer Literacy - 3 hours. Teacher Education candidates must complete general education requirements with minimum grades of “C” in all coursework.

Council for Teacher Education

The development and maintenance of teacher education programs are important functions of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. The major responsibility in operating adequate programs is the particular interest of the School of Education; however, other schools have special interests and responsibilities in the effective execution of the best possible teacher education programs.

PURPOSES OF THE COUNCIL. The general purposes of the Council for Teacher Education are:

To formulate and recommend policies relating to criteria considered essential to an outstanding teacher education program.
To develop and recommend policies relative to implementation of (a) selective recruitment, (b) selective admission and retention, (c) advisement, (d) curricula, and (e) laboratory experiences.
To study, encourage and facilitate co-operative development of programs for teacher preparation.
To review teacher education programs presented to the State Department of Education and accrediting agencies.
To initiate research and promote studies designed to improve teacher education.

Admission to Teacher Education Majors

Candidates seeking a degree in a teacher education program must meet the admission requirements of the College.

Teacher Education Program Admission

Application for admission to a Teacher Education program should be made during the first semester following the completion of 30 semester hours and before completing 90 hours. Students with a felony conviction will not be admitted to Teacher Education.

Transfer students from other programs of the University and other colleges and universities who have completed thirty or more applicable semester hours should make formal application to Teacher Education during their first semester of enrollment. Conditional admission may be granted transfer students by the Director of the School of Education during the first semester if requirements are obviously met. Students who have completed the Associate Degree in Teacher Education from an approved community college can transfer 60 hours of credit and be accepted into Teacher Education.

Requirements for admission and retention are:

Completion of not more than 90 semester hours, with a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale, last grade counted.
Presentation of passing scores on Academic Skills tests in Reading, Writing, and Math (PRAXIS I) or a composite of 22 on the ACT. Information concerning registration for the exams can be obtained online at the Educational Testing Service website.
Completion of all developmental courses as required.
Successful completion of ENGL 1001 and ENGL 1002 or their equivalents with minimum grades of “C”.
Successful completion of required six hour Math sequence appropriate to degree program with grades of “C” or better.
Completion of 20 clock hours of preliminary laboratory experiences as directed in CURR 2001 .

Applications for admission to a teacher education program are reviewed by the College’s Undergraduate Review Committee. This Committee is composed of faculty members and students whose function is to screen applications for admission.

Students whose status at the completion of 90 semester hours of university work is such that admission requirements are not met will be denied further enrollment in teacher education.

Application forms for admission to teacher education may be obtained in the Center for Teacher Certification.

Professional Courses

Any student in the University may enroll in the introductory course, CURR 1001 Navigating within a Culturally Pluralistic Society and CURR 2001 Educational Foundations for Diverse Learning Environments. Courses must be taken in the sophomore, junior, and senior sequence; materials and methods courses should be scheduled immediately prior to student teaching. A student must meet requirements for admission to a teacher education program to schedule:

Curriculum

Elementary Education

Music Education

Reading

Special Education

SPED 2002 - Survey of the Education of Children with Special Needs

Program of Field Experiences

All persons pursuing a degree in teacher education at the University of Louisiana Monroe are required to be involved in a comprehensive program of structured, systematic field experiences, beginning with visitation and observation during enrollment in CURR 2001. Once candidates are admitted to Teacher Education, the professional program begins with block courses in the junior year and progresses to yearlong residency in the senior year.

Admission to Teacher Education

Beginning the junior year, candidates will bee admitted to take the courses ULM refers to as “block” or “professional” courses. The blocks consist of specific professional education courses that are grouped together as co-requisites and are taken in a required sequence prior to residency. Admission to Teacher Ed as described above is a prerequisite for enrollment in any of these courses. See the School of Education office for application details each semester. Requirements for Teacher Education are:

A minimum average of 2.5 in the major and minor fields.
60 credit hours towards education degree plan prior to Block 1.
Completion of CURR 2001, 6 hours of English (1001 & 1002), and Completion of first required six hours of Math with no grade lower than a “C”. (specific courses vary by degree plan and does not include MATH 0093; Elem Ed MATH 2050 required).
Passing scores on all parts of PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT).
Completion of non-academic measures, PTAP and background check.

Yearlong Residency

Yearlong residency is the completion of the final year (senior year) in a field placement for one entire school year with start dates aligning with K-12 school calendars. Students will spend the majority of their day M-F in the placement, with release allowed only for ULM coursework during Residency Semester 1, and little to no release time allowed for Residency Semester 2. Eligibility for Residency includes meeting all previous professional level block courses and passage of all Praxis 1 & 2 exams including content and PLT.

An application for residency should be filed with the Field Experience and Residency Coordinator prior to the semester during which residency is to be scheduled. See the School of Education office for specific dates each semester. Requirements for residency are:

Admission to teacher education.
Passing scores on all parts of PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT) and PRAXIS II Content and PLT
A minimum average of 2.75 in the major and minor fields.
No grade below “C” in any course counting toward the completion of the teacher education degree.
An average of 2.0 or higher on all signature pieces and dispositions in courses on the teacher education degree.

Residency application forms are submitted to the Field Experiences and Residency Coordinator for approval or disapproval.

Requirements for Graduation from a Teacher Education Program in Louisiana

The candidate must meet all eligibility requirements for teacher certification in Louisiana, which include a 2.5 grade point average on all work toward the degree, grades of “C” or better in all courses counting toward the degree, and passing scores on all applicable portions of PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT) and PRAXIS II Content and PLT. See above requirements for ULM School of Education.

The candidate must also file an application for graduation with the Registrar’s Office at the beginning of the semester in which he/she plans to graduate.

Requirements for Louisiana Teaching Certification

The candidate must meet all eligibility requirements for Louisiana teacher certification before graduation. In order for a person to be granted a Louisiana Teaching Certificate upon graduation, there must be an overall grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale in all work to be credited toward a degree from an approved teacher education program. There must be no grade below “C” in any professional education course, psychology course, the teaching major or minor, or in specialized academic education, or general education courses.

Certification requirements are specified by the State Legislature and/or the Board for Elementary & Secondary Education and coordinated by the Louisiana Department of Education. These requirements are subject to periodic modification which may not occur at times appropriate for inclusion in the annual publication of the University catalog. It is the responsibility of the students to make periodic checks for such changes with their academic advisers and/or Field Experience or Certification offices.

In order to be certified to teach in Louisiana, a person must present passing scores on all required parts of PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT) and II as prescribed by the Louisiana Department of Education. See ULM requirements above.

Praxis

Persons expecting to earn the Bachelor’s degree from the University of Louisiana Monroe in a teaching field must meet all eligibility requirements for Louisiana teacher certification, which include passing all parts of PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT) and PRAXIS II. Teacher candidates should confer with their advisers in preparation for the examinations.

To be admitted to residency, candidates must meet all other requirements for Louisiana certification, and submit satisfactory scores on the PRAXIS I (or a composite of 22 on the ACT) and II Content and PLT. Please request original scores to be sent to ULM each time the tests are taken to expedite the application for certification. Additional information regarding PRAXIS requirements is available in the School of Education office. Registration for Praxis can be found at ETS.org. Study materials for Praxis are available in the SoE Literacy Lab.