Teacher Education, BS

Quincy University is approved by the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board to offer teacher licensure programs in the fields or disciplines listed below. These areas are shown by level.

Early Childhood (Birth-2)
Elementary Education (1-6)
Middle Grades (5-8)

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Science

Secondary Programs (9-12)

• Biological Sciences
• Mathematics
• History
• English

Special Licenses

• Music Education (K-12)
• Special Education (Pre-K-12)

The School of Education uses a professional development school model of teacher preparation. Many education courses meet in the public and parochial school settings. Each class period includes time interacting with Birth-12th grade students through mentoring, tutoring, small and large group instruction, and observation. From the very first course in Education, teacher candidates are in classrooms developing the skills they will need to become successful educators.

In addition to the basic licensure requirements, most middle grades and secondary licenses require lower/upper level hours in the content area. Other specific requirements apply to each content area. For specific information, please contact the Quincy University Licensure Officer or visit www.isbe.net.

Admission to the Teacher Education Program

Students wishing to gain Illinois state licensure in teaching through Quincy University must apply for admission into a licensure program through the School of Education. Such application should be made no later than the end of the sophomore year and following the completion of at least one of the pre-professional courses (EDU 213 , EDU 214 , SPE 229 , or EDU 240 ). The application can be found on the Quincy University Education Forms Page on the Quincy University Website.

To gain acceptance into the Teacher Education Program, a student must:

1. Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.6.
2. Have a declaration of major form filed with the Registrar’s Office.
3. Demonstrate professional disposition in coursework and field experiences.
4. Complete the Illinois State Police background check with fingerprinting and submit results to the School of Education (Convicted felons cannot hold a teaching license in the state of Illinois).
5. Submit letters of recommendation from two faculty members in the School of Education.
   1. Secondary education majors should submit one letter from a faculty member in the School of Education and one letter from a faculty member in their content area.
   2. Transfer students may submit one letter from a faculty member in a previous institution.
6. Submit an unofficial, current copy of transcript that shows the following:
7. Submit a current academic checklist signed by the student’s advisor (transfer students should submit a degree audit from the Registrar’s Office).
8. Submit a 300-word essay addressing the following:
   1. Past experiences that influenced the student’s desire to become a teacher.
   2. Student’s personal beliefs about education that reflects the School of Education’s Mission Statement.
9. Submit a completed application for the Teacher Education Program, bearing the student’s and his/her advisor’s signatures.

Acceptance into the program is required before a student is allowed to take Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Special Education, Secondary, and/or Music teaching methods courses.

Continuation in the Teacher Education Program

A candidate who has been admitted to the Teacher Education Program but fails to maintain a 2.6 cumulative grade point average will be placed on one-semester probation. Those candidates who fail to obtain the required 2.6 at the end of the probationary semester will be dismissed from the Teacher Education Program. This one-semester probationary option may be exercised only once. Candidates may be removed at any point in the program due to inappropriate disposition(s).

Per Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) guidelines, candidates must earn a grade of “C-” or better on any course which leads to licensure or endorsement. The School of Education normally does not accept “D” in any course, but the candidate has the right to appeal to the Admissions and Retention Committee for the acceptance of a “D” grade (not in courses that lead to licensure).

Since the University takes seriously its responsibilities to prepare outstanding teachers for America’s schools, it reserves the right to remove from the Teacher Education Program any candidate it judges lacking in training, knowledge, character, personality, disposition, or stability to teach young people. The SOE reserves the right to dismiss candidates from a program based solely upon disposition concerns.

Since licensure requirements change from time to time, all candidates for teacher licensure should consult regularly with advisors in both their major field and the School of Education.

Acceptance for Student Teaching

The Student Teaching Application can be found on the Quincy University website: http://www.quincy.edu/academics/graduate-programs/education/forms/. After being accepted into the Teacher Education Program, candidates must have completed the following requirements to begin the Student Teaching Experience:

1. Submit an application for the Student Teaching Experience bearing the student’s and his/her advisor’s signatures to the School of Education the semester prior to planned Student Teaching.
2. Complete all education coursework with a grade of “C-” or above.
3. Complete field experiences consisting of a minimum of 120 clock hours with a grade of “P,” “C-,” or above.
4. Complete EDU 391 - Field Experience Seminar  or MSE 590 - Clinical Experience Seminar  with a grade of “C-” or above.
5. Complete all education courses appropriate for each area of licensure with grades of “C-” or above.
6. Maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.6 or higher.
7. Pass all required Illinois Content Tests.
8. Provide letters of recommendation from 2 faculty members.
9. Submit essay on mission and teaching practices. Further instructions are included in the Student Teaching application.

After the Admission and Retention committee approves a candidate for student teaching, the Coordinator of Field Experiences and the Director of Student Teaching will begin the process of student teacher placement.

After a student teaching placement is confirmed, teacher candidates must immediately undergo an Illinois State Police background check with fingerprinting and FBI background check through the Regional Office of Education. Results of the background check are sent to student teaching placement district. Do not submit background check results to the School of Education. Each student teaching placement district must receive a copy of the background check results. In some cases, student teaching may take place in a single school district; in other cases student teaching may take place in two different school districts.

Licensure

Final licensure and graduation with a degree in teacher licensure require successful completion of the Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA).

Applying for Licensure - Information is available on the Illinois State Board of Education website (http://www.isbe.net/ELIS) or visit the Licensure Officer in the School of Education Office.

Appeal Procedure

Quincy University recognizes the right of students to appeal decisions concerning non-acceptance or removal from the Teacher Education Program and/or School of Education.

The procedures for processing an appeal are as follows:

1. A candidate who has been denied entrance into the Teacher Education Program or removed from the program can appeal that decision, in writing, to the Appeals Committee of the School of Education.
2. If the appeal is not settled as described in the previous step, the candidate may appeal in writing to the Dean for the School of Education. Disposition of the appeal shall be made in writing by the Dean within five (5) class days after its receipt.
3. If the appeal remains unsettled after disposition by the Dean, the candidate may submit an appeal to the Vice President for Academic Affairs. If the appeal is not settled as a result of step 3, the candidate may appeal to the President or his/her designee. Within seven (7) class days of receipt of the disposition from the Vice President, the candidate must notify the Assistant to the President in writing that he or she wishes to appeal to the President. The President or his/her designee will review the facts and make a final decision which will be recorded in the student’s file.

The appeal process is not a legal process, and the rules of legal process do not apply. If the candidate plans to bring legal counsel, the candidate must notify the Assistant to the President in writing five (5) working days in advance of the meeting to provide the opportunity for the University to have its legal counsel present.

There is no further appeal within Quincy University beyond the President.

Curriculum Requirements for Teacher Licensure Program: