2018-2019 Academic Catalog

Offered in: Chicago

The College of Education has five undergraduate programs: Early Childhood Education, Education and Youth Studies, Elementary Education, Middle School Education, Secondary Education and Special Education. The college also works jointly with the Chicago College of Performing Arts to deliver a program in Music Education. All of these programs, with the exception of Educational Studies, focus on teacher preparation.

The College of Education has a history of serving nontraditional as well as traditional undergraduate students, and schedules are designed to meet the needs of full-time as well as part-time students. All teacher preparation programs are offered at the Chicago campus and are a part of the New Deal Teacher Academy.

Undergraduate programs within the College of Education prepare students to transform schools and communities in the pursuit of knowledge and social justice. Through the continuous evaluation and refinement of academic programs and courses, offerings are kept current and relevant to real-world contexts and professional standards of quality. Experienced, dedicated and culturally diverse faculty work collaboratively with students to foster knowledge and skills with respect to diverse learners, instruction, assessment and research. Talent and resources from a variety of disciplines are integrated and used, as are cutting edge technologies. All programs require a variety of field and clinical experiences that augment and integrate academic studies.

The purpose of the Elementary Education program is to prepare capable, dedicated, and concerned teachers who are committed to the intellectual, emotional, social, and physical growth of school-aged children and youth. Students are encouraged to develop communication skills, content knowledge, observational skills, and sound teaching practices that they can apply to their work with diverse learners. Over the duration of the program, students develop a sense of themselves as professional educators who can act as change agents in their schools. Students who successfully complete the program earn a State of Illinois teaching license. With careful planning, students can add one or more of the following endorsements to their teaching license: Bilingual/ESL, Early Childhood, LBS I, Middle School, and Reading Teacher endorsements.

Prerequisites

Two introductory courses (6 credit hours) are required of all undergraduate majors in the College of Education. These courses provide students with the opportunity to explore a variety of educational careers and foundational concepts and practices. All courses must be passed with grades of C or higher to advance into the major.

Requirements

Students may begin major CORE courses in the Elementary Education teacher preparation program when they earn a passing score on the Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency or substitute an ACT Plus Writing or SAT score that meets the state's criterion, and have a minimum 2.7 GPA in all undergraduate courses. Please contact the College of Education for more information regarding the ACT Plus Writing/SAT score criteria.

Field and clinical experiences

Pedagogical and real-world training is at the center of undergraduate degree coursework. Consequently, all undergraduates are required to enroll in one credit hour "Individualized Coaching and Field Experiences" courses in each of three semester prior to their practicum or student teaching.

In their Individualized Coaching courses, students will complete the field experiences needed to develop professional knowledge, skills and dispositions in alignment with Roosevelt's social justice mission. As students progress from one Individualized Coaching course to another, they will take on tasks and responsibilities that are increasingly complex and challenging. These experiences will prepare students for success in the student teaching experiences that culminate the Elementary Education major and facilitate the awarding of an Illinois Professional Educator License.

Placement in student teaching sites is planned with consideration of professional standards and partnership schools and agencies. Student teaching placements are open only to students who have successfully completed the appropriate general education and professional education courses, the required Illinois Test of Basic Skills and content tests, and other College of Education and admission to student teaching requirements. Placements in sites with diverse student populations are required. Students must make formal application two semester prior to the semester in which they plan to do their student teaching. Applicants are expected to be in good physical health and academic standing, and must provide evidence of competency with regard to professional dispositions, including passage of a criminal background check. Students should consult regularly with their advisor about the specific requirements for licensure and student teaching in Illinois.

Licensure requirements

In order to qualify for Roosevelt University’s recommendation for the Illinois teaching license and elementary endorsement, students must meet all general education requirements that are in effect at the time of their application.

Students must consult with their education advisor to determine which general education courses are acceptable toward fulfillment of licensure requirements. Because requirements for licensure, graduation, and 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 licensure requirements.

Before issuing a license, the Illinois State Board of Education also requires satisfactory scores on the Elementary Education Content Test, and the edTPA.

Your degree map is a general guide suggesting courses to complete each term on the academic pathway to your degree. It is based on the most current scheduling information from your academic program. Your program’s degree map is reviewed annually and updated as schedules change (although you retain the same course requirements as long as you are continuously enrolled in your degree program).

Always work closely with your academic advisor to understand curriculum requirements and scheduling, as each student’s academic plan can look slightly different.