Elementary Education

Kindergarten through Grade 9

The purpose of the elementary teacher education program is to prepare capable, dedicated, and concerned teachers who are committed to the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth of all children. Students need to understand and apply knowledge about human growth and development to the world of the classroom. Students are encouraged to develop observational skills and sound teaching practices that they can apply to their work with children in a variety of settings. They develop a sense of themselves as professional educators who can act as change agents in their schools. The College emphasizes the need for students to develop strong competencies in academic areas and communication skills.

Requirements

Please note that EDUC 200, 210, and SPED 261 must be passed with grades of B or better as prerequisites for all other education courses.

Field experience

Field experiences involve urban and suburban placements and must include culturally diverse student populations.

Placement in student teaching is planned with consideration for each student’s needs and interests. Each student is supervised by a College of Education faculty member as well as a resident, experienced teacher. Formal application is required approximately two semesters in advance of student teaching. It is open only to those students who have successfully completed all the appropriate general education, methods, and field experience courses as well as other certification requirements such as the content test required by Illinois state regulations. Details of College policies on Field Experience can be found on the College of Education website.

Students are advised that school districts require transcripts for all placement applicants. School districts may deny a placement if the student’s academic record does not meet their standards. School districts may also require an interview before accepting a student for a placement. If a student's application for placement is rejected three times due to academic or interview concerns, the Office of Field Placements will no longer attempt to obtain a placement and the student will be notified of the need for a Student Performance Review, per the guidelines listed on the College of Education website.

Student Teaching Requirements for Elementary Education

To be eligible to student teach, a student must:

1. Have completed all general education courses, all concentration courses, and the prerequisite education courses. No other course may be taken during student teaching.
2. Have passed the Illinois Certification Testing Service Test of Basic Skills and the Elementary/Middle Grades Content test. The Content test must be passed no later than the April test date prior to fall student teaching, or the October test date for spring student teaching.
3. Have a cumulative GPA of 2.7 overall.
4. Have applied for student teaching by the deadline set by the Field Placement Office.
5. Have provided official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended to document completion of all prerequisite requirements.

The appropriate APT test may be taken during student teaching, but a student cannot be recommended for certification until this test has been passed.

Certification Requirements

In order to qualify for Roosevelt University’s recommendation for the elementary teaching certificate (Type 03), students must meet all requirements, including general education course work, that are in effect at the time of their application for the certificate. Before issuing a certificate, the Illinois State Board of Education also requires satisfactory scores on the ICTS Basic Skills Test, the Elementary/Middle Grades content test, and the Assessment of Professional Teaching Grades K – 9 (APT). Students must consult with their assigned advisor to determine which courses (Roosevelt or transferred) are acceptable toward fulfillment of the Illinois requirements. Students graduating and applying for the elementary education certificate must meet the general education course requirements below.

Standards

All general education courses must be passed with a grade of C or better. All academic concentration courses require a grade of C or higher, and a 3.0 grade point average is required in academic concentration and academic major courses. Because requirements for continuing enrollment are subject to change, undergraduates must consult frequently with their education advisors. The advising plan developed at program admission provides the most up-to-date and authoritative information with respect to all program and certification requirements.

Requirements

Courses in American history or history may be applied toward either the humanities or the social science requirement, but not both. For purposes of meeting the University’s general education requirements, EDUC 303, EDUC 210, EDUC 321, and EDUC 385 may be counted among the 80 semester hours outside the area of major concentration. EDUC 200, 210, and ELED 261 and all must be passed with grades of B or better, even if transferred in from another college or university. The academic concentration in elementary education consists of 18 hours of course work in one discipline, approved by the advisor. Nine semester hours in the area of concentration must be taken at the 300 level. The 18 semester hours in the area of concentration may not be used to meet general education requirements. A grade point average of 3.0 is required in the concentration, as well as in the academic major.

* Asia, Africa, Central/South America, or Native American or their descendents in the US. May also be counted in humanities or social science.