School of Education

Mission Statement

The School of Education, rooted in the Catholic Dominican tradition of excellence, prepares educators to make a difference by their commitment to fostering the values of scholarship, leadership, and service within themselves and their future students.

Goals

To pursue our mission, the School of Education and its faculty are committed to these goals:

Align programs with standards of specialized professional associations and standards of the State of Illinois. (scholarship)
Model research-based teaching practices. (scholarship, service)
Promote and model respect and appreciation for diversity of all kinds. (leadership, service)
Integrate technology as a source of knowledge, a tool for teaching, and an avenue for collaboration. (leadership, service)
Foster candidate understanding and application of the connection between theory and practice. (scholarship, service)
Prepare candidates to demonstrate competence in their respective content area. (scholarship)
Collaborate with the Rosary College of Arts and Sciences in preparation of candidates. (scholarship)
Challenge candidates to reflect on their teaching and learning experiences. (scholarship, leadership)
Provide field and clinical practice experiences that engage candidates in diverse school settings through partnerships and collaboration with K-12 schools. (service)
Develop partnerships with elementary and secondary school teachers and administrators who serve on the unit’s advisory groups. (leadership)
Seek out and provide service opportunities for candidates within and beyond school communities. (service, leadership)

Teacher Candidate Proficiencies

The faculty of the School of Education, informed by specialized professional association standards and the Illinois State Board of Education standards, has identified candidate proficiencies that are shared across all of the programs it offers. The proficiencies are linked to the three critical conceptual framework elements of scholarship, leadership, and service. Through courses, field experiences, and clinical practice, candidates develop and demonstrate mastery of these proficiencies. The proficiencies are detailed below:

Demonstrate competence in their respective content area and/or area of licensure in combination with competence in liberal arts and sciences. (scholarship)
Engage in reflective practice in their course work and experiences in the field. (scholarship)
Demonstrate the ability to design, deliver, and interpret the various forms of assessment/evaluation appropriate to their roles in the educational setting. (scholarship)
Demonstrate knowledge of research-based teaching practices appropriate to their content area and proficiency with a variety of effective instructional methodologies. (scholarship, leadership, service)
In acknowledgement of the impact of diversity on student learning and behavior, address socio-cultural differences, differentiate and create modifications appropriate for the academic, motivational, behavioral, and interest needs of students. (leadership, service)
Demonstrate the ability to use technology for administrative and instructional tasks. (leadership, service)
Demonstrate the ability to plan effective instruction, learning experiences, and school and classroom environments that allow all students to achieve. (scholarship, service)
Demonstrate leadership in collaborating with colleagues, families, and students in responding to real-life problems in a multicultural society. (leadership, service)

Teacher Candidate Dispositions

It is expected that through participation in professional education courses and field experiences, teacher candidates will demonstrate the following dispositions that have been identified by the School of Education as consistent with the core values of scholarship, leadership, and service: critical thinking, ethical behavior, commitment to social justice, respect for diversity, acceptance of responsibility, value of community, flexibility, collaboration, reflection, generosity, and professional behavior.

Education

The School of Education offers a major in early childhood education and undergraduate licensure programs in elementary education, secondary education, and kindergarten to 12th grade. The school also offers a five-and-a-half- to six-year combined bachelor’s and master’s program in special education or early childhood education.

These programs are grounded in the values of scholarship, leadership, and service. University courses and early field experiences at school sites provide opportunities designed to enable the undergraduate candidate to acquire the requisite knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for effective teaching in today’s diverse classrooms.

All undergraduate programs meet the licensure requirements of the Illinois State Board of Education. Candidates who plan to teach in other states should consult the licensure requirements for those states and should elect courses within their undergraduate program that meet the special requirements of those states.

Requirements, regulations, and procedures outlined in this bulletin govern teacher licensure programs at Dominican University. Candidates wishing to work toward teacher licensure should study this bulletin and consult with advisors from the School of Education early in their college careers.

The early childhood teacher education program has three basic elements: 1) general education competency studies ensuring that candidates have completed general studies courses and experiences in the liberal arts and sciences and have developed theoretical and practical knowledge; 2) professional and pedagogical studies ensuring that candidates acquire and apply the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills to become competent to work with all students; 3) clinical and field experience ensuring that candidates learn to integrate general knowledge, academic content, and professional knowledge to create excellent learning experiences for all children.

The undergraduate elementary, secondary, and kindergarten to 12th grade teacher education programs have four basic elements: 1) general education competency studies ensuring that candidates have completed general studies courses and experiences in the liberal arts and sciences and have developed theoretical and practical knowledge; 2) an academic major selected from one of the university’s departments ensuring that candidates attain competence in the academic content that they plan to teach; 3) professional and pedagogical studies ensuring that candidates acquire and apply the professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills to become competent to work with all students; 4) clinical and field experiences ensuring that candidates learn to integrate general knowledge, academic content and professional knowledge to create excellent learning experiences for all children and young people.

Admission to the Teacher Education Program

The student’s first step toward pursuing teacher licensure at Dominican is to enroll in EDUC 200 /ECED 200 - Foundations of Education . Upon completion of this course and after meeting the criteria listed below, students should apply to the Teacher Education Program. Students may enroll in one professional education course the semester following EDUC 200/ECED 200 without having been accepted into the Teacher Education Program. Students must be formally accepted into the Teacher Education Program in order to enroll in further education courses.

The following criteria must be met for acceptance into the Teacher Education Program:

A grade of C or higher in EDUC 200 /ECED 200
A passing score on the Illinois Licensure Testing System’s Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly the Basic Skills test)
An overall grade point average of 2.75 (NOTE: Candidates whose GPA is below 2.75 but above 2.50 may be accepted conditionally into the program.)
Signed disposition commitment form
A completed application, a personal statement of intent, and a signed felony statement (21-1 form)

Students must file a formal application seeking acceptance into the Teacher Education Program with the appropriate education advisor after the above criteria have been met. The deadlines for application are Sept. 15, January 15, and May 15. The Teacher Education Program Committee will review student applications and make decisions about acceptance. Students are notified about the status of their applications by their education advisors. Once accepted, students become candidates for licensure. They should meet regularly with their education advisors to plan the remainder of their programs.

NOTE: Some students may need an extra semester to complete all requirements.

Transfer Students

Undergraduate students may enter the licensure programs by transferring specific credits from a two-year or four-year approved institution. Each program specifies courses that must be taken at Dominican. See the program descriptions below for more information. Transfer students are urged to pass the Illinois Certification Testing System’s Test of Academic Proficiency prior to coming to Dominican. Transfer students are also encouraged to meet with an education advisor prior to their first registration at Dominican to review program and course requirements.

Continuation in the Teacher Education Program

The following criteria are required in order to continue as a candidate in the Teacher Education Program:

A cumulative GPA of 2.75, as well as a GPA of 2.75 in professional education courses and in courses presented for the major
A minimum grade of C in all courses presented for licensure (see the Teacher Education Program Manual for a complete list of courses)
Acceptable dispositions ratings

A candidate who does not meet the above requirements is subject to the School of Education’s candidate intervention/remediation process. As part of that process, candidates and their advisors will develop an intervention/remediation plan for the candidate. The plan is designed to support candidates in addressing the criteria above that are not satisfied. If the plan is not successfully met, the candidate may be withdrawn from the program.

Admission to Clinical Practice

Clinical practice is the culminating experience of the licensure program. Candidates must apply to the School of Education and be formally accepted for clinical practice. Acceptance into clinical practice is determined on the basis of the candidate’s written application and the criteria listed below. The clinical practice application review committee reviews application materials and makes decisions regarding acceptance into clinical practice.

The criteria for acceptance are:

Evidence that all education courses up to clinical practice will be completed prior to the beginning of the clinical practice semester
Minimum grade of C in all courses presented for licensure
Evidence of a passing score on the appropriate content test by the time of application
Documentation that 100 clock hours of field experience will be completed no later than the semester prior to clinical practice
Cumulative education and major GPA of 2.75
Approval of the candidate’s academic advisor and education advisor
Dominican University background check
Achievement of at least “acceptable” rating on the Clinical Practice application essay

These criteria must be met by the time of application to clinical practice, which is the beginning of the semester prior to clinical practice.

NOTE: Candidates are evaluated during clinical practice on a satisfactory/fail basis. Satisfactory is defined as C (not C-) and above.

Policy on Background Investigations

The School of Education at Dominican University is committed to the protection of all children and young people. To that end, it seeks to work with school districts and civic communities to make schools a safe environment for the student body. All candidates for licensure are required to submit to a national, state, and local criminal background investigation. Students and candidates may not participate in field experience until a background investigation is on file in the Office of Field Experience.

Licensure Requirements

To be recommended for Illinois State Board of Education licensure, candidates must complete an approved program, pass the required state tests, and demonstrate the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions identified by the School of Education. In addition, the candidate must meet any other requirements specified by the Illinois State Board of Education. In some cases, the Illinois State Board of Education may enact new rules or legislation that result in changes in licensure requirements. Should changes occur, the School of Education is bound to adhere to the new regulations. As a result, candidates may be required to meet new requirements other than those that are identified in this bulletin, online, or other School of Education publications at the time they began their program of study at Dominican.

Illinois Licensure Testing System Requirement

Candidates seeking licensure in the State of Illinois must pass a series of tests administered by the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS). The first test required for acceptance into the Teacher Education program is the ILTS Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly the Basic Skills test). Students who score 22 or above on the ACT plus writing may use their ACT score in place of the Test of Academic Proficiency. Documentation of the ACT plus writing score must be sent to Dominican and to the Illinois State Board of Education. For acceptance into clinical practice, candidates must pass the content area test in which they seek licensure by the time they apply to clinical practice. Candidates must also pass the Assessment of Professional Teaching (APT) test appropriate to their program of study before applying for licensure. This is usually taken during or immediately following clinical practice.

Tests are administered six times a year at locations throughout the state. All tests are administered on Saturdays. Special arrangements will be made to accommodate persons whose religious convictions prohibit their taking tests on the regularly scheduled test administration date.

Registration information, study materials, and information about the tests, including information for persons with disabilities requesting accommodations, are available on the Illinois Licensure Testing System’s website, www.il.nesinc.com