College of Education

The College of Education
Lovinger 2190
660-543-4272
Fax 660-543-4167
ucmo.edu/ced

The College of Education is comprised of:

• The Department of Academic Enrichment
• The Department of Educational Leadership and Human Development
• The Department of Elementary and Early Childhood Education
• The Department of MIddle, Secondary, and Adult Education
• Clinical University-School Partnerships
• Central Regional Professional Development Center
• Office of Charter Schools
• The THRIVE Program

Clinical Services and Certification
Lovinger 2170
660-543-8441
Fax 660-543-8655
ucmo.edu/cert

Click here  for descriptions of all classes taught at the undergraduate level. Course descriptions can also be found online in MyCentral.

Teacher Education

In addition to the College of Education, Teacher Education students may also be enrolled in programs through the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and the College of Health, Science, and Technology.

The University of Central Missouri’s Teacher Education Programs are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). Many UCM educator preparation programs are also nationally recognized by their specialized professional associations.

Conceptual Framework Information

The philosophical underpinnings of the UCM reflective practice model are described in the Conceptual Framework of the Teacher Education Program.

Belief Statement
The Central educator is a competent, caring, reflective practitioner committed to the premise that all can learn.

Mission Statement
As a cornerstone of the institution since 1871, the University of Central Missouri’s Teacher Education Program develops teachers and other school professionals who are well grounded in theory, display competence in content knowledge and instructional strategies, and possess the dispositions to ensure success for all learners. The Teacher Education Program prepares individuals as professional educators for an ever-changing, culturally diverse population. Faculty and candidates provide support and service to schools in meeting their present and future challenges by developing communities that learn through research and scholarly activities. Educator preparation is a campus-wide responsibility, a commitment that reflects the honor and worth of serving a vital profession.

Program Standards

All Teacher Education students seeking initial certification will be able to demonstrate the knowledge and skills obtained in the program to meet the candidate level of the Missouri Standards for Professional Educators listed below:

Standard #1 - Content Knowledge, Including Varied Perspectives, Aligned with Appropriate instruction: The teacher understands the central concepts, structures and tools of inquiry of the discipline(s) and creates learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful and engaging for students.

Standard #2 - Student, Learning Growth and Development: The teacher understands how students learn, develop, and differ in their approaches to learning. The teacher provides learning opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners and support the intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.

Standard #3 - Curriculum Implementation: The teacher recognizes the importance of long-range planning and curriculum development. The teacher develops, implements, and evaluates curriculum based upon standards and student needs.

Standard #4 - Critical Thinking: The teacher uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students’ development and critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills including instructional resources.

Standard #5 - Positive Classroom Environment: The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages active engagement in learning, positive social interaction and self-motivation.

Standard #6 - Effective Communication: The teacher models effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques with students, colleagues and parents to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.

Standard #7 - Student Assessment and Data Analysis: The teacher understands and uses formative and summative assessment strategies to assess the learner’s progress, uses assessment data to plan ongoing instruction, monitors the performance of each student and devises instruction to enable students to grow and develop.

Standard #8 - Professionalism: The teacher is a reflective practitioner who continually assesses the effects of choices and actions on others. The teacher actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally in order to improve learning for all students.

Standard #9 - Professional Collaboration: The teacher has effective working relationships with students, parents, school colleagues and community members.

Policies and Procedures

Certification
The teacher certification program offered by UCM is accredited nationally by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and also meets certification requirements set by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).

Initial teacher certification may be earned at UCM in part by completing the Bachelor of Science in Education degree, the Bachelor of Music Education degree, or in certain instances the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts degree. The degree earned does not automatically lead to certification. Students may apply for certification upon completion of degrees with major and minor programs that are designated as meeting Missouri certification guidelines. Initial teacher certification may also be obtained through a post-baccalaureate program. In addition, UCM offers an alternative program for certification for individuals with degrees not in education who are otherwise eligible for immediate employment in a teaching position. See the Director of Clinical Services and Certification for further information about both of these programs. The State of Missouri and UCM stipulate the following requirements for students seeking initial teacher certification:

1. admission to the UCM Teacher Education program;
2. admission to the professional education semester and student teaching;
3. a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 (on a 4.00 scale) on all college work attempted prior to initial certification;
4. a minimum grade point average of 3.00 (on a 4.00 scale) in each initial certificate content area, and any additional area of endorsement;
5. a minimum grade point average of 3.00 for all professional education courses with no grade lower than C in any professional education course. Those courses designated as Professional Education Courses for educator certification purposes are designated by a book symbol in the catalog.
6. completion of all required assessments for their area of certification including required Missouri subject area assessment(s) with a score no lower than the minimum required for state licensure.

UCM offers undergraduate BSE, BME, BS, or BA degrees in the following majors, which lead to initial teacher certification:

Art (K-12)
Biology (9-12)
Career and Technology Teacher Education, Business Teacher Education (9-12)
Career and Technology Teacher Education, Family Consumer Sciences Teacher Education (B-12)
Career and Technology Teacher Education, Engineering and Technology Teacher Education (9-12)
Chemistry (9-12)
Earth Science (9-12)
Elementary Education Early Childhood (B-3)
Elementary Education Grades 1-6 (1-6)
English (9-12)
Mathematics (9-12)
Middle School - Junior High School (5-9)
Modern Languages, French (K-12)
Modern Languages, Spanish (K-12)
Music, Instrumental (K-12)
Music, Vocal (K-12)
Physical Education, Elementary-Secondary (K-12)
Physics (9-12)
Social Studies (9-12)
Special Education-Early Childhood Special Education (B-3)
Special Education-Cross-Categorical Disabilities (K-12)
Special Education-Autism & Severe Disabilities (B-12)
Speech Communication and Theatre (9-12)

UCM offers minor programs that may lead to certification. Please see your academic advisor.

In addition UCM offers an added certification in Driver Education (9-12), ESOL (K-12), and Special Reading (K-12) requiring completion of a major teaching program.

NOTE: Many professional education courses include embedded field experience requirements. Check with your major department for specifics.

Admission To The Teacher Education Program
Students seeking an initial teaching certificate (as candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Education, the Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Arts, the Bachelor of Music Education degrees, or as post-baccalaureate students) must gain admission to the University of Central Missouri

Teacher Education Program. Admission to Teacher Education is required before enrolling in many courses identified as PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS (with the exception of the courses listed below) as well as those courses identified by departments representing the major area of study in the preparation for teaching.

1. Apply for admission at ucmo.edu/cert and create an Educator Profile on DESE website at https://k12apps.dese.mo.gov/webLogin/login.aspx.
2. Provide evidence of having completed a minimum of 36 semester hours of college credit
3. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; content GPA of 3.00 or higher; and Professional Education GPA of 3.0 or higher with no grade lower than a C.
4. Complete the following courses with a grade of C or better:
   1. EDFL 2100 - Introduction to the Teaching Profession (3)  
   2. FLDX 2150 - Introductory Field Experience (1)  
   3. EDFL 2240 - Educational Psychology GE (3)  
   4. EDSP 2100 - Education of the Exceptional Child (3)  
5. Obtain departmental recommendation for admission to your major program (which may include additional program-specific requirements).
6. Pass a background check through the approved DESE agent.
7. Pass all four sections of the Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA).
8. Complete the Missouri Educator Profile and meet with your advisor to discuss professional development.

Admission To The Professional Education Semester And Student Teaching
Approval for admission to the professional education semester, including student teaching, involves meeting the following minimum requirements:

1. Complete Admission to the Teacher Education Program.
2. Submit a completed Request to Student Teach for Undergraduate form by December 1 for the Fall Semester or May 1 for the Spring Semester. The application may be found at ucmo.edu/teach. Any application received by the Office of Clinical Services and Certification after the December 1 or May 1 due dates will be assessed an additional charge of $100. No late application will be accepted after the last Preliminary Meeting for Student Teachers. Those meeting dates are posted in the semester calendars located on the ucmo.edu/teach website.
3. Complete all coursework prior to student teaching.
4. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher; content GPA of 3.00 or higher; Professional Education GPA of 3.00 or higher with no grade lower than a C in any Professional Education course. Those courses designated as Professional Education courses for educator certification purposes are designated by a book symbol.
5. Obtain faculty recommendation in each area of student teaching, from each department or certification area in which student teaching placement is requested.
6. Obtain a TB test, a doctor’s certificate or other evidence of good health, IF required by district where student teaching placement is requested.
7. Meet the UCM Residence requirements prior to student teaching, as described in the UCM Undergraduate catalog - Standards and Regulations.
8. Possess a current background check, on file with DESE.
9. Take the required Pearson Content Exam required by Missouri for your area of certification. Designate UCM to receive your scores electronically; your application for certification cannot be processed without receipt of your official score report.

NOTE: The Director of Clinical Services and Certification will not sign an academic contract for an undergraduate student requesting permission to teach while under contract with a school district unless there are unusual or extreme circumstances. Contact the Office of Clinical Services and Certification for additional information.

Requirements for Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle School, Special Education, Secondary Education (9-12), B-12 Education and K-12 Education

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Science in Education and the Bachelor of Music Education degree programs include recommended general education courses, major or content courses, and professional education courses as part of the degree requirements. Majors and minors leading to certification to teach are listed in the respective departments in this catalog. Please consult with your academic advisor and faculty mentors early and often to determine course sequencing and to stay on track with your four-year plan. DESE requirements for certification, including state-wide required assessments are under development and may change. During the transition period, requirements for graduation and certification may vary, dependent upon your catalog year and the date you will complete all of your certification requirements. Updates will be available through your academic advisor, faculty advisor, and the Office of Certification and Student Teaching. Please watch your UCM email for information from these offices.

Clinical Experiences for Teacher Education Students

UCM’s education majors participate in field experiences with one or more of the Teacher Education program’s primary partners. The Teacher Education Program has formal partnership agreements with many school districts in Missouri and many of the public school faculty from the districts serve as clinical faculty for UCM. Education students are required to participate in early and midlevel field/clinical experiences prior to student teaching. All education majors enroll in a ten hour block of educational foundations courses to gain their early field experience, typically taken at the sophomore level. The field experience portion of this block is incorporated in FLDX 2150 - Introductory Field Experience (1)  and placements in partner schools are arranged by the office of Clinical Services. Clinical Pathway early childhood and elementary majors have more than 100 hours of practicum each semester at the junior level followed by a full senior year in one school, including a part-time and then a full-time student teaching experience. Early childhood majors also have experiences with infant/toddler and preK age groups, and Blended Pathway students experience a senior block that includes one full day of practicum each week in a partner school. Middle school majors have additional field experience in EDFL 4130 - Fundamentals of Middle Level Education (4) , EDFL 4135 - Middle Level Curriculum and Assessment (4)  and EDFL 4340 - The Engaging Middle Level Classroom (4) . Secondary majors, after FLDX 2150 - Introductory Field Experience (1) , complete their second field experience in FLDX 3000 - Field Experience in the Content Area (1) , and then FLDX 4970 - Field Experience II in the Content Area (1)  is the third field experience in the major field which is offered in conjunction with the special methods course during the Professional Education Semester.

Professional Education Semester
Early childhood, elementary and middle school majors using this catalog are required to student teach for 16 weeks, earning 12 semester hours during the Professional Education Semester. Early Childhood and Elementary Education majors will also be enrolled in ECEL 4150 - Student Teaching Professional Seminar (2) . Majors in special education using this catalog are required to student teach for 16 weeks, earning 12 semester hours during the Professional Education Semester. Secondary and K-12 education majors must plan for a senior semester in which they enroll full-time in a professional block of courses which includes student teaching. The 16 week semester for English and Speech/theater majors consists of two parts, four weeks on campus in 3 semester hours of course work and twelve weeks of student teaching (all day, five days a week in a school setting). Secondary, B-12 and K-12 majors customarily enroll in Secondary Field Experience II in their major field and FLDX 4595  and FLDX 4468 . See the appropriate department program listing any variations in this requirement. Students following programs not clearly covered by these general statements or the department program listing should see the Director of Clinical Services and Certification for information. Elementary majors with a special education area of concentration/minor will be assigned two additional hours of student teaching. Attendance of all professional education seminar activities is required