Requirements

General Requirements for Teacher Education Programs

The School of Education offers programs to both undergraduates and graduates attending Drake University. Undergraduates interested in careers in elementary education must be enrolled in the School of Education. Although secondary education undergraduates may be enrolled in either the School of Education or the College of Arts and Sciences, it is highly recommended that undergraduates interested in careers in secondary education be enrolled in the School of Education for proper advising. Both elementary and secondary education are full majors with discipline-specific and state-approved teaching endorsements in each.

Intra-university transfer to the School of Education requires completion of the Intra-University Transfer Form. Transfer is considered for students who have successfully completed at least one semester of academic credit at Drake. A 2.50 minimum cumulative grade-point average is required for acceptance to the Teacher Education Program; therefore, transfer to the School of Education requires a minimum grade-point average of 2.0 on all Drake credit earned. Students may not transfer to the School of Education while on academic probation.

Graduate students who hold a qualifying bachelor’s degree and seek initial certification in elementary or secondary education may enroll directly in the School of Education by completing the requirements for admission to graduate study. The Master of Arts in Teaching degree (M.A.T.) offers certification at the secondary level. The Master of Science in Teaching degree (M.S.T.) offers certification at the elementary level. For more information about these programs, see here for the M.A.T. or here for the M.S.T. Other graduate programs are available in Adult Learning, Performance and Development; Community Counseling, School Counseling (elementary and secondary), Vocational Rehabilitation, Educational Leadership; Effective Teaching (for classroom teachers), and Special Education. In addition, licensure-only, concentration-only and endorsement-only programs are offered at the graduate level. For complete details on these graduate programs, refer to the Drake University Graduate Catalog or see here.

The following undergraduate teacher education programs are available:

All Drake University teacher education programs require a broad liberal arts foundation (Areas of Inquiry-AOI’s), specialized courses in education, and advanced coursework in a specific subject area or areas. Therefore, the teacher education initial licensure curriculum is constructed around three major components: (1) the Drake Curriculum (AOI’s), (2) professional education courses, and (3) teaching endorsement areas.

By second semester of the sophomore year, most undergraduates apply for acceptance to the Teacher Education Program. By this time, they must have completed or be enrolled in EDUC 103, EDUC 105/106, and SPED 120, successfully passed the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) requirement (Praxis I), as well as filed admission materials and two faculty references. During the junior and senior years, students complete their endorsement area program and educational methods courses. Student Teaching is a semester-long, field-based experience with placement in a 15 mile radius of Des Moines, IA. School-based experiences occur throughout all four years in a student’s program, so that research and theory are firmly grounded in practice.

Continuing Teacher Education Requirements

All students preparing for licensure as a teacher must meet the following criteria on a continuing basis:

  1. Completion of the Drake Curriculum (AOI’s) or an equivalent program at another college or university, including one college level mathematics or statistics course.
  2. Completion of an approved teaching endorsement area(s). Elementary education students must complete a teaching concentration area or field of a minimum of 24 credit hours; secondary education students must complete a teaching field of at least 30 credit hours. A second teaching field or a second endorsement area is also recommended.
  3. Maintenance of at least a 2.50 cumulative grade-point average (on a 4.00 scale).
  4. Completion of pre-admission screening to the Teacher Education Program, including the PPST test and faculty evaluation.

Educ 103/203 — Foundations of Education Practicum Policies

An important part of the Foundations of Education class is an introduction, through the practicum experience, to the realities of being a classroom teacher. The Iowa Department of Education defines a practicum as “a comprehensive experience in an accredited classroom with a certified teacher.” Because of its importance as an educational activity, the Foundations of Education practicum experience comprises a full one-third of the course grade. To receive a passing grade in this portion of the course, students must complete a minimum of 40 hours experience in the schools and finish all supporting assignments.

Specific Practicum Placement Policies

  1. Placement is restricted to the Des Moines metropolitan area.
  2. A regular placement totals a minimum of 40 hours, including 20 hours in each of two settings.
  3. Any hours to be “made up” must be completed in an assigned placement.
  4. Any exception to the Drake placement policy must be approved by the Foundations of Education instructor and the Dean’s Office.
  5. If a “practicum experience” student is employed by a given school, the student may log up to half of the required field experience hours at the school site/system of employment, but may not complete any part of the "practicum experience" requirements in the same classroom/area of the school where she/he is employed. Moreover, the student must supply the Dean's Office with a document signed by the administrator of the school of employment and the mentor teacher, identifying specifically those hours of the day during which the student is considered a Drake University "practicum experience” student, those hours of the day during which the student is an employee of the school and the classroom/area of the school where each occupation occurs. Hours identified for employment and hours identified as "practicum experience" may not overlap.

Acceptance to The Teacher Education Program

Although students enter the School of Education in their first year, undergraduate students apply for acceptance to the Teacher Education Program in their second year, when they have completed or are about to complete all of the requirements for acceptance listed below. Graduate students apply for acceptance to the program upon admission to graduate study and when they have completed or are about to complete all of the requirements for acceptance listed below. By Iowa state law (s.l. 281,79,14.2.d.), all students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program before they can enroll in the professional methods courses.

To be eligible for acceptance, undergraduate and graduate candidates must meet all of the following conditions:

  1. For undergraduates, a minimum overall grade-point average of 2.50, based on a minimum of 30 semester hours of college credit, at least 10 hours of which were completed at Drake University; and maintenance of a 2.50 GPA or better throughout the balance of the program. Graduate students must maintain a 3.00 GPA.
  2. Successful completion of the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST), a standardized basic skills competency examination in reading, writing and mathematics in the sophomore year for undergraduates. The Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) is a requirement for admission to the School of Education. Passing scores on the PPST equal scores of 171+ in reading, 171+ in writing and 169+ in mathematics. All students need to take this test a full semester before needing to register for methods courses to ensure that scores will be available before registration dates.
  3. Successful completion of the following courses (see course descriptions in the back of this catalog):
    1. Undergraduate: EDUC 103, 105/106, SPED 120
    2. Graduate: EDUC 203 and 208
  4. Two letters of recommendation from faculty and/or adviser
  5. An application for acceptance to the Teacher Education Program on file in the Dean’s Office area (106A). All forms are available in the Dean’s Administrative Office area of the School of Education (106).
  6. Completion of the INTASC Standards at the “Beginning” level
  7. Recommendation of the Teacher Education Acceptance Committee

In addition to the conditions above, graduate students must have completed an acceptable bachelor's program to be accepted into the Teacher Education Program. Transcripts are evaluated for general education coursework, endorsement area specializations and other requirements; students who do not have the appropriate prerequisites are required to complete a specified make-up program as part of their master's program.

Acceptance to Student Teaching and the Professional Semester

During the first month of the semester before student teaching, students must make official application for acceptance into the professional semester. To be accepted into the professional semester, students must have completed all education courses; maintain required grade-point averages; be making satisfactory progress toward completing their teaching fields; obtain two letters of recommendation from faculty; and must have met the INTASC Standards at the “Developing” level. Completion of the Drake Curriculum (AOI’s) is also recommended.

All students must complete at least 12 hours of coursework, including a Professional Education course and a supervised practicum experience at the Drake University School of Education prior to student teaching. Practicum assignments are made on an individualized basis according to student needs and School of Education policies.

Student Teaching Placement Policies

  1. Student teaching placement is made in the Des Moines metropolitan area only.
  2. Student teaching placement may be in the same district, but may not be in the same school in which a Drake student teacher may have children, a spouse or other immediate family members.
  3. Student teachers may not be placed in the same school building in which they are currently employed.
  4. Student teaching placement may be in the same district, but may not be in the home school, of a Drake student teacher.
  5. Drake student teachers may not be placed in the same semester in which they are actively engaged in a major extracurricular activity.
  6. The Drake student teaching program supporting elementary education licensure, secondary education licensure or K-12 licensure does not have summer school placement.

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