Elementary, Early, and Special Education

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Dr. Diana J. Quatroche, Chairperson
Department Office: University Hall, room 218A
Web site: http://coe.indstate.edu/eese/

The Department of Elementary, Early, and Special Education offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs for careers in elementary teaching, early childhood education, and special education.

Procedures and Requirements for Elementary, Early Childhood, and Special Education Teacher Preparation (Baccalaureate Degree)

1. Students should complete their program in a sequential pattern in order to provide continuity of course work and field experiences. Details of these sequences are listed under curricula for early childhood education, elementary education, and special education.
2. Early and continuing field experiences are a part of the course requirements in all professional phases of the program. Students must arrange their schedules to spend time participating in public schools. During the second semester of the freshman year or during the sophomore year, students should enroll in Phase I.
3. Students have their majors listed as pre-elementary education, pre-early childhood education, or pre-special education until they are admitted to the Teacher Education Program, called Becoming a Complete Professional (BCP).
4. Each candidate for a teaching license must be admitted to the Becoming a Complete Professional Program. (These procedures are outlined in succeeding sections.) Required scores on the Praxis I at or above licensure level must be achieved at the time of admission to the Becoming a Complete Professional Program.
5. Undergraduate courses in the professional education sequence may be retaken one time only. Students with extenuating circumstances may follow the departmental appeal process.
6. Once students are admitted to the Becoming a Complete Professional Program, their progress in the program is reviewed by Education Student Services and the Elementary Selection, Admission, and Retention Committee. Personal dispositions and characteristics as well as appropriate grade point average are given consideration in determining whether a student is permitted to continue in the Becoming a Complete Professional Program. A grade of C or better is required in each professional education course as well as a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.5.
7. Students must satisfy the procedures and requirements for supervised student teaching:

1. Students are usually assigned to supervised teaching in the year prior to the academic year in which they will be doing supervised teaching. Applicants who fail to meet appropriate criteria at the close of the term prior to their student teaching will not be allowed to participate.
2. Each teaching candidate completes a professional semester of student teaching. Supervised teaching occurs during the student’s senior year. The student should assume no obligations which interfere with his/her placement.
3. Students make a commitment to assume student teaching as a full-time responsibility. While assigned to supervised teaching, students may not enroll in additional course work including correspondence or distance education courses, nor plan for any employment or assume any other obligations which would interfere with all-day supervised teaching and after school responsibilities.

BECOMING A COMPLETE PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM

All students pursuing a teacher licensure program must be admitted to the phases of Becoming a Complete Professional (BCP).

The Becoming a Complete Professional Program at Indiana State University provides selective admission and retention in teacher preparation. There are four levels of review. Students must be admitted to and complete each level of the sequence for continued enrollment in the program. In addition, students must submit an application for admission to each teacher education level and complete each phase in sequence before proceeding to a subsequent level or phase.

Levels of Teacher Education Program Admission

BCP I: Tentative Admission. Admission is required to enroll in 300/400 level professional education courses and, in some cases, specific courses in the major.

BCP II: Candidate for Teaching. Admission is required to enroll in the student teaching semester.

BCP III: Graduation and Institutional Recommendation. Verification that the approved teaching program and required licensing tests have been successfully completed is required to graduate and to obtain an Indiana teaching license.

BCP IV: Licensure. Once all requirements have been met, including program completions and appropriate test scores, candidates may be recommended for licensure in their program area.

Students should consult the Education Student Services Web site http://coe.indstate.edu/ess/ for the most current licensing information.

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