Council on Teacher Education

www.cote.illinois.edu

What We Do• Monitor compliance with the Common

Assessment Plan (CAP)– www.cote.illinois.edu/about/governance/policies/

CAP_Undergraduate.pdf

– Criminal Background Check (fingerprinting)• Must clear prior to any field experience in the schools • Must be through Accurate Biometrics and outcome must be sent to

COTE (No alternatives)• Instructions and form is at www.cote.illinois.edu

– Must have a C or better in all Professional Education and Content courses

– GPA (2.5 in content, professional education, UI, and overall)

What we do (continued)• Answer all questions related to

licensure• Complete endorsements audits and

answer questions related to endorsements

• Ultimately, we are office that will recommend you for licensure (you will apply through the COTE)

Certification Programs• College of Education– Early Childhood Education (Birth-grade

3)– Elementary Education (K-9 “self-

contained)– LBSI (Special Education) (K-21)

• Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS)– Secondary Ed Minor (6-12) History,

Math, English, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Earth & Space science

– Foreign Languages (K-12)

Cert Programs (cont’d)

• ACES– Agriculture Education (6-12)

• Fine and Applied Arts–Music Education (all grades)– Art Education (all grades)

• Applied Health Sciences– Physical Education (all grades)

Endorsements (defined)• Qualifies a teacher to teach certain

subjects at certain grade ranges (self-contained or departmentalized)

• Three kinds of endorsements– K-3 (or 4)– 5 (or 6)-8 – 9-12

• Endorsements are confined to grade range of program.

• May add endorsements at time of initial licensing or later.

Endorsement requirements

• All (or most) endorsements can be found at our website (www.cote.illinois.edu)– Hyperlinks detail requirements for

endorsements with specific requirements

Middle Grade Endorsements

• Grades 5/6-8– Typically 18 hours in subject• Exceptions (such as math, ESL, bilingual)

– Recommend at least two (to be marketable)

– Shortage areas: math, science, foreign language (especially Spanish), ESL, Bilingual

Middle Grade Endorsements (cont’d)

• Elementary Ed and LBSI candidates must take Middle Grade Coursework for any MG endorsements:• CI 410, EPS 427, EPSY 430• Online through UI and only during summers

• Most students take between junior/senior year

• Other institutions offer courses (http://www.isbe.net/licensure/middle_grade/msinfo.htm)

Middle Grade Endorsements (cont’d)

• Elementary Education majors:– Social Science coursework built into

curriculum – Close in General Science (14–18 hrs-

depending on chosen Gen Ed courses)– Close in Language Arts (13-20 hrs, again,

depending upon choice of Gen Eds)• Can use courses in Area of Concentration

and Gen Ed requirements (assuming they apply)

Early Childhood Education

• Curriculum for Early Childhood program meets requirements for Early Childhood Special Education Approval (pre K)

• If Early Childhood folks who want to teach Special Ed (K-3), will have to complete LBSI endorsement requirements (available only to grad students)

Foreign Language Endorsements

– There are foreign language endorsements for all grade ranges• K-4, 5-8, and 9-12: 24 hours in same foreign

language + pass content test– Once you acquire one foreign language, you can add others by

passing the content test.

High School Endorsements

• Grades 9-12– Available to LBS I candidates as well as Secondary Ed, Art

Ed, Music, Physical Education, Agriculture, Foreign Language– Most require:

• 24 hours overall• 12 hours at the upper level (generally defined as 300 or above)• Passing appropriate content test

– Science and Social Science• 32 hours overall• 12 hours in a discipline• at least one course from at least two other disciplines • Passing appropriate content test

– Some have specific requirements (see Council website or us)

ESL & Bilingual Education Endorsements (all grade levels)

Definition:•Bilingual: teaches “non-native” students in their native language– Assumption is that the students will

transition to English via ESL

•ESL: teach non-native speakers English– instructor only required to know English

•Requirements are on our website

Transitional Bilingual endorsement

• Allows you to teach K-12 bilingual and K-6 ESL

• Valid for 5 years (must acquire “regular” requirements or goes away)

• Bachelor’s degree• Pass appropriate foreign language

proficiency test – Note: this test is different than foreign language content test

Testing• Basic skills or Test of Academic

Proficiency (TAP)– First attempt? Should sign up for 400 (not

401, 402, 403, 404)– Can “bank” scores (you do not have to

retake subject areas that you passed)• Only retake sections you didn’t pass

– Be sure Social Security Number is correct– Be Send scores to UIUC – Limited to 5 attempts–Must be passed within 5 years for admission–Must be certified within 10 years of test date

Using ACT or SAT in lieu of Basic skills or TAP (more info on our website.

www.cote.illinois.edu) • ACT

– Test must include writing (writing has to be taken at same time)

– Must have a composite score of 22 or higher• SAT (Math and Critical Reading)

– Must have composite score of 1030

• Scores must be sent directly from ACT or SAT to ISBE

• Do NOT request scores be sent until AFTER have applied to program

• ISBE form 73-54 must be submitted to and signed by COTE (Attests that you have applied to a program)

Testing (Cont’d)• Additional tests required for

certification:– Content area test (prior to student

teaching)– Assessment of Professional Teaching

(APT)

• Expire after 5 years if not certified• 5x limit on all tests

Who to Contact

• Degree Requirements – Academic Advisor

• Certification Requirements – Me or Brenda

• Jeff Buck• Brenda Clevenger Evans– 505 E. Green Street, Champaign, IL (above PNC bank and Cold Stone Creamery)

217-333-7195Office hours: 8:30 – 12 and 1 – 5

When You Contact Us• E-mail– jbuck@illinois.edu– bmclvngr@illinois.edu – Include UIN and prospective major– Contact Brenda or me, not both– Include previous communications when

e-mailing

• Appointments– Don’t set up appointments by e-mail,

Call at 333-7195