College of Education

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Dean: Dr. LaVada Taylor, PhD

Email: ltaylo46@csu.edu

Location: ED 320

Phone: (773) 995-3988

Undergraduate Degrees

 Bachelor of Science in Education

 Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Education

 Bachelor of Science in Education-Physical Education

 Bachelor of Science in Recreation

 *PK-12 or 6-12 Secondary Teaching Options awarded by the College of  Arts and Sciences

Programs

 Early Childhood Education

 Elementary Education

 Physical Education

 Recreation

 Secondary Education

 PK-12 Education

Vision

The College of Education prepares, supports, and empowers students to become educational leaders and change agents who transform and improve the lives of others.

Mission

Our mission is to provide quality programs aligned with the principles of social justice and equitable practices supported by wrap-around services that address the needs of students. Scholarly research, advocacy, partnerships and innovation highlight the college’s approach to teaching and learning.

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework embraces the College of Education’s mission, philosophy, model and purposes for preparing education personnel and the knowledge bases undergirding them. The initial and advanced programs for teachers, administrators and specialists are designed to reflect these concepts for preparing education personnel. Our conceptual framework reflects a shared vision, set forth coherently, with attention to candidates’ professional commitments and dispositions. It communicates our commitment to diversity, technology and our belief that our candidate proficiencies are aligned with professional and state standards. The conceptual framework applies to both the College’s graduate and undergraduate programs and their candidates. It serves as the model for how the College of Education prepares all candidates to support student learning. This preparation is characterized and distinguished by five core themes: (P) Professionalism, (A) Assessment, (C) Content knowledge, (T) Technology, and (S) Standards. It serves as the model for how the College of Education prepares all candidates to support student learning.

Accreditation and Assessment

College of Education licensure programs are accredited and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).

All College of Education programs and undergraduate College of Arts and Sciences Secondary Education Options licensure programs participate in an annual assessment cycle to measure indicators using the following five (5) key assessment instruments: Content Licensure Exam, Differentiated Lesson Planning, edTPA, Student Teaching Observation Tool (STOT), and the Niagara Disposition Assessment (NDA).

Academic Degree Programs

Undergraduate Initial Licensure Degree Programs

• Early Childhood Education with endorsements in Special Education and ESL  

• Elementary Education with endorsement in ESL or the Reading Teacher

• PreK- 12 Physical Education, Music Education, Art Education and Spanish

• Secondary: English, biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, history

Undergraduate Non-licensure Programs

• Education Studies

• Early Childhood Pre-Primary Specialist

• Health, Wellness, and Sports

• Recreation with emphasis in Therapeutic Recreation and Sports Management

All teacher preparation programs have received Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) approval for teacher licensure.

Students earning the Bachelor of Science in Education degrees in one of the teacher education programs in the College of Education qualify for state of Illinois teacher licensure by entitlement.

Please refer to the College of Education website at: http://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation for more details.

The College of Education also offers graduate doctoral and master’s degree programs and certificates and endorsements. Please refer to the CSU Graduate Student Catalog or the following website for more information: http://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/.

College Support Services

College of Education (COE) support services are organized into three areas: (1) Office of Recruitment, Progression, and Support; (2) Office of Clinical Partnerships and Community Outreach (CPCO); and (3) Office of Licensure and Accreditation (OLA).

Office of Recruitment, Progression, and Support (RPS)

Connecting students to the rich resources and opportunities offered at Chicago State University (CSU), the Office of Recruitment, Progression, and Support (RPS) recruits talented undergraduate students interested in a career in education while helping prospective teacher candidates identify and address barriers to their academic success. Our primary goal is to support student retention in the College of Education as we equip teacher candidates with the tools necessary to navigate university life both inside and outside of the classroom and empower teacher candidates to take personal responsibility and ownership for their academic success.

With the support of professional academic advisors, housed in the RSP, teacher candidates receive one-on-one advisement and answers to questions regarding university policies that influence course scheduling, grading, and meeting the College of Education admission requirements. Advisors help students understand their degree requirements and implement plans of study to explore COE degree programs and course offerings. In addition, the office provides a range of outreach services to support recruitment, enrollment, and retention.

For more information, please contact Dr. Jermaine Morales, Assistant Dean of the College of Education, http://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation at 773-995-2090 or visit ED 318

Office of Clinical Partnerships and Community Outreach (CPCO)

The Office of Clinical Partnerships and Community Outreach is located in ED 322 and falls under the umbrella of the Office of Recruitment, Progression, and Support. This office’s primary mission is to provide diverse, high-quality clinical experiences for COE candidates within our EPP. To this end, the office is responsible for placing and monitoring teacher candidates’ pre-clinical, clinical, and student teaching experiences in communities diverse in ability, race, social class, ethnicity, and language, with highly qualified lead teachers. A record of each teacher candidate’s clinical experience is maintained by this office as required by the Illinois State Board of Education. clinical experiences.

For more information, please contact Dr. Siovahn Woolum, Assistant Dean of the College of Education by email at swoolum@csu.edu or by phone at 773/995-2570  or visit ED 322

Additional information is also located on the College website at: https://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/field_experience.htm

Office of Licensure and Accreditation (OLA)

Under the direction of the College of Education, the Office of Licensure and Accreditation (OLA) is responsible for recommending candidates for educator licensure and additional endorsements upon successful completion of an approved entitlement program. Candidates may not be recommended for licensure to teach or supervise in Illinois public schools unless they are legally eligible for employment and have fulfilled all program and state requirements. These include completion of all coursework, passing required Illinois licensure examinations, and compliance with both the College of Education’s criminal background check policy and applicable state and federal laws.

Candidates who meet all licensure program requirements will be recommended for licensure through OLA after final grades and/or degrees are officially posted. All recommendations are made in compliance with Title IV of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, disability, or denial of equal access to programs.

For more information please contact Ms. Barbara Belisle, Assistant to the Dean for Licensure and Accreditation at bbelisle@csu.edu or by phone at 773/995-2492  or visit ED 203.

Additional information is available via the web: https://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/licensure.htm

Undergraduate University Admissions

All students must be admitted into the University prior to applying for admission to the College of Education. Information related to the application for admission to the institution and contact information for the Office of Undergraduate Admissions is located at https://www.csu.edu/admissions/index.htm or 773/995-2513.

College of Education Points of Entry

Successful completion of the COE EPP requires meeting the standards of the following required six (6) entry points. Candidates are identified based upon respective admission codes at respective entry point: Entry Point 1: Admission to Chicago State University (Code: PCOE); Entry Point 2: Admissions to the College of Education (Code: ECOE); Entry Point 3: Admissions to the Professional Program (Code: ACOE): Entry Point 4: Admissions to Practicum/Student Teaching 1 (Code CCOE); Entry Point 5: Admissions to Student Teaching (Code SCOE); Entry Point 6: Admissions to the Profession (Code GCOE).

See licensure program of interest for specific course requirements based on the plans of study.

CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF EDUCATION LICENSURE ENTRY POINTS FOR UNDERGRADUATES

ENTRY POINT 1 - ADMISSION TO CHICAGO STATE UNIVERSITY: Freshman Year

• Take 30 credit hours of General Education Courses

MAJOR CODE: PCOE, PECH, PELE, PPE

ENTRY POINT 2 - ADMISSION TO COLLEGE OF EDUCATION: First Semester of Sophomore Year (31-60 credits)

• Declaration of Intent to seek Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) Licensure and choose a major.
• Interview and Writing Sample
• COE Safety Training Module
• Article 21 Disclosure
• Disposition Self-Reflection
• Clear Accurate Biometrics Background Check
• Illinois Educator Identification Number (IEIN)
• General Education GPA > 2.50
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• 240 Tutoring - Transcript Report: 70% Plan of Study Module Completion
• 240 Tutoring - ILTS Content Area Practice Examination > 70%

MAJOR CODE: ECH, ELED, PE, ARTT, BIOT, CHMT, PHYT, ENGT, HSST, MATT, MUST, SPAT ATTRIBUTE CODE: ECOE

ENTRY POINT 3 - ADMISSION TO PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM: Junior Year Clinical Experience (61-90 credits)

• Specialization GPA > 3.00
• Professional Education GPA > 3.00
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Early Methods STOT Report: Average Rubric Score > 3
• Disposition Audit 1 Report
• 240 Tutoring - Transcript Report: 100% Plan of Study Module Completion
• 240 Tutoring - ILTS Content Area Practice Examination > 80%

MAJOR CODE: ECH, ELED, PE, ARTT, BIOT, CHMT, PHYT, ENGT, HSST, MATT, MUST, SPAT ATTRIBUTE CODE: ACOE

ENTRY POINT 4 - ADMISSION TO PRACTICUM/STUDENT TEACHING I: First Semester Senior Year Clinical Experience (91-105 credits)

• General Education GPA > 2.50
• Specialization GPA > 3.00
• Professional Education GPA > 3.00
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Disposition Audit 2 Report
• Pearson - Practice ILTS Content Area Exam Score >218* [within 1 standard deviation from Pass Score of 240]
• Passing Grade in Practicum Clinical Experience
• 240 Tutoring - ILTS Content Area Practice Examination > 90%

MAJOR CODE: ECH, ELED, PE, ARTT, BIOT, CHMT, PHYT, ENGT, HSST, MATT, MUST, SPAT ATTRIBUTE CODE: CCOE

ENTRY POINT 5 - ADMISSION TO STUDENT TEACHING CLINICAL EXPERIENCE: Second Semester Senior Year Clinical Experience (106-120+ credits)

• General Education GPA > 2.50
• Specialization GPA > 3.00
• Professional Education GPA > 3.00
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Mid Methods STOT Report: Average Rubric Score > 3
• Disposition Audit 3 Report
• Pearson - ILTS Content Area Exam Score > 240*
• *Provisional Admit > 225 must take Content Test Preparation course 3092.

MAJOR CODE: ECH, ELED, PE, ARTT, BIOT, CHMT, PHYT, ENGT, HSST, MATT, MUST, SPAT ATTRIBUTE CODE: SCOE

ENTRY POINT 6 - ADMISSION TO THE PROFESSION: End of Year 4 Spring Semester (120+credits)

• General Education GPA > 2.50
• Specialization GPA > 3.00
• Professional Education GPA > 3.00
• Degree Audit Completed by Advisor
• Disposition Audit 4 & 5 Reports
• Disposition Self-Reflection
• Final Methods STOT Report: Average Rubric Score > 3  
• Passing Score - edTPA Portfolio
• Pearson - ILTS Content Area Exam Score > 240*

MAJOR CODE: ECH, ELED, PE, ARTT, BIOT, CHMT, PHYT, ENGT, HSST, MATT, MUST, SPAT ATTRIBUTE CODE: GCOE

Students who meet all admission requirements are eligible to apply based on the entry point criteria identified above. Transfer students must seek formal admission at the end of their first semester at CSU. S/he must have a minimum overall GPA of 2.5 and a 3.0 GPA average in all professional education course work either as transfer credit or completed at Chicago State University.

Admission Application forms are available on the College of Education website, and can also be obtained from the Office of Teacher Licensure [https://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/licensure/index.htm], Education Building, Room 208. Contact the Office of Teacher Licensure at 773.995.2492.

Application Entry Points into the College of Education are due at the following intervals:

Note: All requirements must be fulfilled in order to progress to the next entry point level. The College of Education and Chicago State University are not responsible for changes implemented by ISBE or any other governing agency. 

Preliminary Requirements for Student Teaching Candidates

All student teacher candidates must complete the following preliminary requirements prior to placement:

• Register for the appropriate student teaching course section.
• Submit the official student teaching application.
• Attend a mandatory Student Teaching Application Information Session.
• Meet minimum passing score on the Illinois Content Area Test(s) for their licensure field.
• Meet Point Entry Point Five (5) Criteria
• Attain a minimum 3.0 Professional Education GPA
• Complete all course and departmental prerequisite requirements, including the program-specified number of preclinical and clinical field practicum and/or internship hours
• Have a current tuberculosis test
• Have a cleared expanded criminal history background check, conducted through Accurate Biometrics - Illinois Licensing
• Have a signed mandated reporter document
• DCFS training evidence

Student Teaching Application Deadlines

Student Teaching Criteria

The teacher education program at Chicago State University has established critical guidelines for student teaching to ensure program integrity and to provide quality educational experiences. All students completing an initial teacher preparation program are required to teach five full days per week for 16 weeks.

To successfully complete student teaching and receive a passing grade (B or above), all candidates must earn a minimum score of 39 on the edTPA assessment and 240 on their respective ILTS content exam.

Scores of 36-38:
Candidates who score in this range will receive an Incomplete (“I”) for student teaching. To resolve the incomplete, candidates must:

Attend the College’s edTPA Workshop Series

Resubmit the edTPA assessment and achieve a minimum score of 39

Scores of 35 or below:
Candidates will receive an Incomplete (“I”) and must fulfill additional conditions, which may include:

A minimum 8-week field placement
Attendance at professional development workshops Completion of the full edTPA assessment

Other requirements as determined by the university supervisor Per the University’s Incomplete Policy:

Undergraduate candidates must satisfy the conditions of the incomplete by the end of the next long semester (fall or spring).

State Licensure Exam Requirement (Effective Fall 2025)
To be admitted to student teaching, candidates must achieve a minimum score of 240 on the state licensure exam.

Candidates who score between 225 and 239 may be conditionally admitted to student teaching but must:

Enroll in the state licensure exam review course:

• ED 3092 - Teacher Licensure Examination Review

• ELED 3092 - Elem ED Exam Review

• ECH 3092 - ILLINOIS EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TEACHER LICENSURE EXAMINATION REVIEW

• ART 3092 - Illinois Art Teacher Licensure Examination Review

• BIOL 3092 - Illinois Biology Teacher Licensure Examination Review

• CHEM 3092 - Illinois Chemistry Teacher Licensure Examination Review

• PHYS 3092 - Illinois Physics Teacher Licensure Examination Review

• ENG 3092 - IL Eng Tch Lic Exam Rev

• HIST 3092 - ILLINOIS HISTORY TEACHER LICENSURE EXAMINATION REVIEW

• MATH 3092 - ILLINOIS MATHEMATICS TEACHER LICENSURE EXAMINATION REVIEW

• SPAN 3092 - ILLINOIS FOREIGN LANGUAGE TEACHER LICENSURE EXAMINATION REVIEW

Attend any required professional development workshops

Candidates must achieve a minimum score of 240 by the end of the student teaching semester. Those who do not meet this requirement will receive an Incomplete (“I”) until the score is achieved, subject to the same completion timelines as noted above.

Student Teaching Option for Full-time Substitutes

All College of Education policies can be found on the College of Education policy webpage at: http://www.csu.edu/collegeofeducation/

CSU Niagara Disposition Assessment (NDA) and Dean’s Expectations: Disposition Policy

The College of Education is committed to ensuring that all candidates complete their programs with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to become highly effective education practitioners. This commitment includes adherence to the Dean’s Expectations on Dispositions, which are assessed through the Niagara Disposition Assessment (NDA).

The NDA is formally evaluated at least four (4) times and informally reflected upon two (2) times throughout the Educator Preparation Program (EPP). It is grounded in the following core themes:

• Professional Commitment and Responsibility

• Professional Relationships

• Critical Thinking and Reflective Practice

THEME I:  Professional Commitment and Responsibility:  The candidate demonstrates a commitment to the profession and adheres to the legal and ethical standards set forth by it. The student:

 1. Maintains appropriate confidentiality

 2. Demonstrates compliance with laws/regulations/policies/standards

 3. Maintains professional appearance

 4. Is prepared for class or appointments

 5. Is punctual for class or appointments

 6. Demonstrates honesty/academic integrity

THEME II:  Professional Relationships:  The candidate develops, maintains, and models appropriate relationships within the workplace, community, and larger society. The student:

 7. Demonstrates high expectations for others

 8. Demonstrates respect for the beliefs of others

 9. Demonstrates and/or promotes effective collaboration skills (e.g., with colleagues, instructors, students)

 10. Demonstrates respect for cultural differences

 11. Demonstrates patience with and/or compassion for those experiencing difficulty in the learning process

 12. Demonstrates flexibility during the learning process

THEME III:  Critical Thinking and Reflective Practice:  The candidate demonstrates a commitment to continuous development within the profession.  The student:

 13. Demonstrates critical thinking in written or verbal form

 14. Addresses issues of concern professionally (with instructors/colleagues/students)

 15. Responds positively to constructive criticism

 16. Takes responsibility for his or her learning by actively seeking out new information

 17. Demonstrates personal progress through professional development to improve content and pedagogical knowledge

 18.  Demonstrates reflective practice in written or verbal form.

If a candidate has three or more dispositions designated as Disagree or one or more dispositions are evaluated as Strongly Disagree the candidate may be at risk of having a hold placed on his/her account until the disposition is resolved. Specifically, the candidate will be referred to the Student Affairs Committee by the Director of Clinical Partnerships and Community Outreach (CPCO) or COE Assistant Dean and asked to develop a Dispositions Empowerment Plan (DEP) which must be approved by the Student Affairs Committee.

A candidate who has not made satisfactory progress toward meeting the disposition outcomes (outlined in the DEP) will be required to meet and review the circumstances with the CPCO Director.  Based upon this review, a recommendation to the Assistant Dean of the College of Education will be made to allow or not allow the candidate to move forward in the program.  The candidate may file an appeal with the Dean of the College of Education.

All candidates are provided a list of Niagara Disposition Assessments during their initial enrollment interview with his/her academic advisor.

Policies Regarding Background Checks

Students registered for courses tied to clinical experiences that require being placed in a school or in direct contact with a minor (birth to age 21), must undergo a background check and be found to be “clear” with no hit record. The Criminal Background Check (CBC) process will access the State of Illinois, FBI Criminal History Record Information (CHRI), Illinois Sex Offender Registry, Illinois Child Murderer, and National Sex Offender Public Website databases. The College reserves the right to enforce compliance mechanisms (such as drug testing) as required by local, state, or federal agencies or entities as set forth by current laws or policies:

Background Check Accurate Biometrics is the contracted vendor for State of Illinois and FBI fingerprint-based background checks.

1. Download and print the CPS Field Experience Background Check Form.

2. The charge for fingerprinting is $53.00 and can be paid by company check, money order, cashier’s check or MasterCard/Visa. No cash or personal checks are accepted. (This is a discounted rate that has been negotiated for CPS student candidates and differs from the rate listed on the Accurate Biometrics website).

3. You will be required to present a valid state-issued photo ID.

4. Bring all materials to any Accurate Biometrics location. Fingerprints are sent directly to the CPS Background Check Team to be reviewed.

PLEASE NOTE: 1. Save your Accurate Biometrics receipt with your Transaction Control Number. 2. Ten days after you register, you will receive an email asking you to upload your Accurate Biometrics receipt. Be sure to complete this step in order to ensure your background check is processed in a timely manner.

Accountability Policy

The EPP is committed to providing opportunities for candidates to address areas of concern identified at the COE six (6) entry points. Additionally, candidates must perform at or above the acceptable level on all indicators for each key assessment in order to be eligible to complete the program. Candidates with an average score of unacceptable (less than 3) or with identified dispositional concern(s) determined if three or more dispositions are designated as Disagree or one or more dispositions are evaluated as Strongly Disagree will be referred to the COE Student Affairs Committee by the CPCO Director or Assistant Dean and asked to develop a Disposition Empowerment Plan which must be approved by the Student Affairs Committee in order for the candidate to continue in the program.

Academic Integrity Policy

The College of Education considers plagiarism a violation of academic integrity and will address all violations of the policy. Plagiarism is a serious matter, subject to disciplinary action and/or dismissal from a program, the College of Education or the university.  If an incident of academic dishonesty occurs, the instructor may adjust the grade downward for the test, paper, or related course activity. However, the instructor must notify the student, department chair or unit head, and the Office of Judicial Affairs in writing within five (5) business days of the occurrence (Student Code of Conduct, p. 19). All instructors reserve the right to run any assignment through Turnitin.

College-Level Student Grade Appeal and Grievance Policy and Procedures

academic calendar days upon the receipt of all required documentation by the College of Education Grievance Officer. If it is determined that all required documentation has not been received, the student will have ten (10) academic calendars days from the date of notice to submit required documents. If documentation is not submitted within this time period, the grievance will be dismissed and notice of this action will be provided to the student within ten (10) academic calendar days.

At this level of the grievance process, legal counsel or guests (outside of pertinent witnesses) are not allowed at the grievance committee hearing. The ordinary rights of the grievant will apply, including the right to notice of the hearing; the decision reached; the right to be present at the hearing; and the right to present and inspect evidence. If either party fails to appear for a scheduled hearing, the hearing will still occur and a decision will be rendered. Hearings will only be rescheduled in the event of a verified emergency, which is determined by the College of Education Grievance Officer. Documentation may be requested. The initiating party has the option of requesting (in writing to the College of Education Grievance Officer) that the grievance be withdrawn from the process and may not re-file the grievance at a later time.

Specific procedures for the hearing of each case shall be determined by the members of the committee deliberating that case. The composition of the College Grievance Committee shall be:

1. The College of Education Grievance Officer or an administrative representative designated by the Dean of the College of Education who shall chair the committee and convene the committee meetings.

2. Two faculty members or one faculty member and one administrator not from the department involved. Adjunct faculty members will be eligible to serve on the College Grievance Committee at the discretion of the Dean or his/her designated representative.

3. Two student representatives; one from the department involved and the other from another department or program within the college. The student representatives should not be enrolled in any classes of the grievant.

4. The faculty or staff member against whom the grievance is lodged should not be a member of the grievance committee.

5. The student who is filing the grievance should not be a member of the grievance committee.

The College of Education Grievance Officer or an administrative representative designated by the Dean of the College of Education is responsible for conducting the hearing, including limiting questioning and testimony to relevant issues. The hearing committee shall make all decisions based on relevant evidence submitted as a part of the hearing. A recording or other official record shall be kept of all proceedings in which evidence is presented. Upon the conclusion of the hearing, the hearing committee shall decide whether the evidence presented supports the request contained within the grievance. A three-fifths majority shall be considered a decision of the committee.

The College Grievance Committee makes recommendations to the Dean of the College of Education within five (5) academic calendar days after the hearing. A decision will be rendered to all involved parties within fifteen (15) academic calendar days after the hearing. The decision rendered from the Dean of the College of Education is final and is not subject to appeal.

In the case of alleged sexual harassment or discrimination, students should bypass the College of Education grade appeals or grievance process and consult the Chicago State University Office of Legal Affairs for guidance on filing a grievance. Grievances based on physical or mental ability should be initiated in the Abilities Office.

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