The Department of Teacher Education prepares Urban Professional Multicultural Educators through an integrated program of courses and field experiences. Programs offered are designed for the preparation of future educators. The programs of study center around our commitment to excellence in teaching in today’s diverse society through the investigation of significant educational issues, inquiry into student learning and effective teaching practices, and the use of technology in teaching and learning. We engage teacher candidates in critical reflection upon their practice throughout the program. We foster engagement in schools through our Partnership Schools and other school and agency affiliations. Upon completion of the program, teacher candidates measure themselves against the values of our guiding conceptual framework through the completion of professional portfolios. Values that are part of this framework include: commitment to social justice, critical pedagogy, and positive educational transformation within the context of a Vincentian personalism that honors the dignity of each person.
The program includes four distinctive features: 1) Becoming a teacher is viewed as a developmental process continuing at least through the first year of teaching; 2) Multiculturalism is infused throughout the curriculum; 3) Field experiences are an integral part of the curriculum; 4) Students are exposed to a variety of educational theories.
The program in elementary education prepares students to teach children in a variety of educational settings, including urban and suburban communities and public and private elementary schools. Students follow a suggested course of study with corresponding field experiences. Graduates earn the Master of Arts or Master of Education degree and are qualified for elementary school teacher licensure. Yet, not all graduates follow a career in teaching. A number of DePaul graduates in elementary education work in diverse settings such as museums, corporations, media and the arts.
Students entering the program must be able and willing to devote themselves to a program requiring a minimum of 106 hours of daytime field experiences in schools. These school-based clinical experiences are completed in conjunction with methodology courses that require students to spend regular periods of time in schools. In addition, the student must spend a minimum of 10 weeks in full-time student teaching.
Licensure
Illinois Professional Educator License with endorsement in Elementary Education (self-contained general education) (grades 1-6), an Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approved program.
Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
---|---|
Degree Requirements (MA) | 64 |
Total hours required | 64 |
Program Requirements | Quarter Hours |
---|---|
Degree Requirements (MEd) | 60 |
Total hours required | 60 |
Learning Outcomes
Students will be able to:
- Plan instruction that supports students in meeting rigorous learning goals, drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, and pedagogy.
- Demonstrate a variety of instructional strategies as they support learners in developing a deep understanding of content areas and their connections, as well as building skills needed to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
- Apply their understanding of multiple purposes for and methods of assessment in order to monitor and evaluate student progress, make decisions regarding instructional practices, and guide students in reflecting upon their progress toward learning targets.
- Use the central concepts, standards, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) they teach to create meaningful learning experiences based upon evidence-based practices that ensure mastery of content.
- Demonstrate an interest in ongoing professional learning, use evidence to evaluate practice, advocate for students, and exhibit professionalism and ethical behavior in all interactions.
Degree Requirements
The requirements below are those approved by the Illinois State Board of Education December 2015.
Content Area Prerequisites
Elementary education teachers need to have an understanding of the subjects taught in elementary school classrooms. Following the requirements set forth by the Illinois State Board of Education, DePaul’s program requires that students in the elementary program have courses in each of the following areas:
- mathematics1
- physical science
- life science
- earth and space science
- history
- geography
- political science/civics
- economics
These courses may be taken at the undergraduate level and may have been included in the student’s bachelor’s degree program. Elementary education students' transcripts will be evaluated by an academic advisor after admission to determine if additional coursework is needed. Completion of content area requirements is not a prerequisite for admission; however coursework must be completed before student teaching. It is strongly encouraged that applicants meet with an advisor after admission and prior to taking content courses.
- 1
DePaul alumni that have taken MAT 120 or IS 120 can receive credit towards the math requirement.
Course Requirements
Introductory Courses: 17 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
T&L 404 | INTRODUCTION TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION | 4 |
SCG 403 | HUMAN DEVELOPMENT AND LEARNING: ELEMENTARY | 4 |
T&L 583 | FIELD EXPERIENCE LAB (public school setting required) | 1 |
T&L 418 | LEARNING THROUGH THE ARTS | 4 |
Select one of the following: | 4 | |
EDUCATION AND SOCIETY | ||
SOCIOLOGY OF EDUCATION | ||
PHILOSOPHY OF EDUCATION |
Advanced Courses: 35 quarter hours required, grade of C or better required.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
T&L 412 | EMERGING READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS | 4 |
T&L 416 | TEACHING AND LEARNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MATHEMATICS | 4 |
T&L 583 | FIELD EXPERIENCE LAB | 1 |
SER 446 | PSYCHOLOGY AND EDUCATION OF THE EXCEPTIONAL CHILD | 4 |
T&L 413 | READING/LANGUAGE ARTS IN THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES | 4 |
T&L 583 | FIELD EXPERIENCE LAB (public school setting required) | 1 |
T&L 415 | TEACHING AND LEARNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SCIENCE | 4 |
T&L 419 | CURRICULUM AND STRATEGIES: SOCIAL STUDIES | 4 |
T&L 584 | PRE-STUDENT TEACHING FIELD EXPERIENCE | 1 |
T&L 422 | CLASSROOM ASSESSMENT | 4 |
BBE 400 | TEACHING ELEMENTARY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS: THEORY, POLICY AND PRACTICE | 4 |
Student Teaching: 8 quarter hours required
Registration in student teaching requires completion of all requirements and procedures listed in the college core section. EDU 95 indicates to the Illinois State Board of Education that all field experience hours are complete.
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
T&L 585 | ELEMENTARY STUDENT TEACHING (grade of B- or better required) | 6 |
T&L 586 | ELEMENTARY STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR (grade of C or better required) | 2 |
EDU 95 | CLINICAL EXPERIENCE WITH CHILDREN AND YOUTH (non-tuition, PA grade required) | 0 |
Master of Arts (MA) Option Degree Requirements: 4 quarter hours required
Course | Title | Quarter Hours |
---|---|---|
T&L 589 | THESIS RESEARCH IN TEACHING AND LEARNING | 4 |
Licensure Tests
All individuals licensed by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) are required to complete licensure tests specific to their teaching license. Elementary majors must complete the following tests:
- Elementary Education Content Test, grades 1-6 (test #305) – assesses knowledge of language arts and literacy, mathematics, science, social sciences, the arts, health, and physical education. Test is required before Student Teaching (deadlines apply).
- EdTPA - assessment conducted during the student teaching experience including video clips of instruction, lesson plans, student work samples, analysis of student learning and reflective commentaries. Students will submit an electronic portfolio to an outside agency for independent evaluation and a fee will be imposed by that agency as part of the assessment.
Field Experiences
Each student seeking licensure from the College of Education/Professional Education Unit must complete supervised field experiences in appropriate lab settings in conjunction with education courses. Students are required to register for one lab for designated paired course. For example, during the first quarter of the program students must register for T&L 404 and SCG 403 plus one field experience lab. During the quarter when students take SER 446, a public school that services students with special needs is required. The field experiences must include a variety of grade levels, multicultural experiences, and a minimum of 15 hours in special education settings. All field experiences must be completed prior to final approval for student teaching. Field experience hours should be entered by the student into the FEDS system when completing courses with field experience requirements. For details on requirements, expectations, documentation, & courses in your program that require hours, visit the College of Education website.