Secondary Education candidates must complete a program in an approved major field of specialization. Currently, majors or areas approved for secondary education licensure by the State of Illinois are: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science (Biology, Chemistry, or Physics designation), and Social Science (History designation). Candidates pursuing an initial teaching license in World Languages (French, or Spanish) must be enrolled in Secondary Education. For major requirements refer to the appropriate academic department section of this catalog.
Semester hours counted for the purpose of meeting the general education requirements may also be counted for the licensure major field of specialization, as long as the grade for the course is a C- or higher.
Secondary Education candidates who do not complete EDUC 225L in a middle-school setting or student teach at the middle-school level must complete EDUC 405L in order to be eligible for middle-grade endorsements. Teacher candidates may earn additional endorsements for teaching in the middle grades by completing the following requirements: 18 semester hours in the subject matter area of major teaching assignment (language arts, mathematics, general science, social science), which may include specific course designations in the content area, and does include the appropriate 2 credit-hour middle school discipline-specific methods course and passing a state middle-grade content specific exam. Contact the Department of Education for the specific middle-grade endorsement requirements.
In order to complete licensure, candidates must take and pass the content area test for their major field of specialization, and pass the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA).
Student Teaching Prerequisites:
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Prerequisites for secondary and special world language student teaching: EDUC 101, EDUC 135, EDUC 136, EDUC 136L, EDUC 225, EDUC 225L, EDUC 305, EDUC 305L, EDUC 306, a teaching methods course in the major, EDUC 324L, LING 326, a minimum GPA of 2.8 in the major, in professional education courses, and cumulatively, admission to WheTEP, a passing score on the Illinois Licensure Testing System content-area test, clearance through completion of a fingerprint and criminal background check (at the candidate’s expense), and a recommendation from the department of their teaching area. The GPA requirements will increase to 2.8 in the fall of 2023.
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Prerequisites for special music student teaching: EDUC 135, EDUC 136, EDUC 136L, EDUC 225, EDUC 225L, music teaching methods studies, EDUC 305, EDUC 305L, a minimum GPA of 2.8 in the major, in professional education courses, and cumulatively, admission to WheTEP, a passing score on the Illinois Licensure Testing System content-area test, clearance through completion of a fingerprint and criminal background check (at the candidate’s expense), and a recommendation from the Conservatory.
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Candidates are expected to take all 300- and 400-level education courses at Wheaton. Exceptions may be granted by the Department of Education. A candidate's teaching field is one in which s/he has sufficient hours to meet licensure requirements and for which s/he has obtained the recommendation of the Department. Candidates must have a major in a subject commonly taught in the public schools of Illinois.
Initial Secondary License
For Secondary Education Students 6-12
The education courses required for Secondary Education candidates (6-12) include:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| EDUC 101 | The Teaching Profession | 2 |
| EDUC 135 | School & Society | 2 |
| EDUC 136 | Teaching Ethnically and Linguistically Diverse Students | 2 |
| EDUC 136L | Cross-cultural Tutoring | 0 |
| EDUC 225 | Learning and Development: The Psychological and Developmental Contexts of Education | 4 |
| EDUC 225L | Teacher Aiding Practicum | 1 |
| EDUC 305 | Learning Differences | 2 |
| EDUC 305L | Learning Differences Practicum | 1 |
| EDUC 306 | Classroom Communication & Curriculum Integration | 4 |
| LING 326 | English Language Methods for Content Area Teachers | 2 |
| Select one teaching methods course for Middle Grades in the content area. | 2-4 | |
| Select one teaching methods course for High School in the major. | 2-4 | |
| EDUC 324L | Methods Practicum—Middle and High School | 1 |
| EDUC 494 | Senior Seminar | 2 |
| EDUC 496 | Student Teaching (see more info on overview tab) | 9-10 |
| EDUC 497 | Philosophical Foundations of Education | 3 |
| Total Credits | 39-44 | |
A minimum of 100 hours of clinical experiences is required prior to student teaching. This includes four required experiences: EDUC 136L, EDUC 225L, EDUC 305L, and EDUC 324L.
EDUC 405L or other experiences approved by the Department of Education may also count toward the 100 hours.