This school is within the College Professional Studies.

Abbreviations:

• ADVE = Adventure Education

• COAC = Coaching

• CSD = Communication Sciences and Disorders

• CPS = College of Professional Studies

• ECED = Early Childhood Education

• ECSE = Early Childhood Special Education

• EDUC (or Educ or Ed) = Education

• HD = Human Development

• HLED = Health Education

• HPW = Health Promotion/Wellness

• MATH = Mathematics

• MCCH = Marshfield Clinic Health System Champions Hall

• PEP = Professional Education Program

• PEX = Physical Education for the Exceptional Individual

• PHED = Physical Education

• PSYCH = Psychology

• WLNS = Wellness

Wisconsin Teaching Standards

To receive a license to teach in Wisconsin, you must complete an approved program and demonstrate proficient performance in the knowledge, skills and dispositions under the following 10 standards. The standards have been grouped into four general categories to help users organize their thinking about the standards:

The Learner and Learning

Teaching begins with the learner. To ensure that each student learns new knowledge and skills, teachers must understand that learning and developmental patterns vary among individuals, that learners bring unique individual differences to the learning process, and that learners need supportive and safe learning environments to thrive. Effective teachers have high expectations for each and every learner and implement developmentally appropriate, challenging learning experiences within a variety of learning environments that help all learners meet high standards and reach their full potential. Teachers do this by combining a base of professional knowledge, including an understanding of how cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical development occurs, with the recognition that learners are individuals who bring differing personal and family backgrounds, skills, abilities, perspectives, talents, and interests. Teachers collaborate with learners, colleagues, school leaders, families, members of the learners’ communities, and community organization to better understand their students and maximize their learning. Teachers promote learners’ acceptance of responsibility for their own learning and collaborate with them to ensure the effective design and implementation of both self-directed and collaborative learning.

Standard #1: Learner Development.

The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.

Standard #2: Learning Differences.

The teacher uses understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures and communities to ensure inclusive learning environments that enable each learner to meet high standards.

Standard #3: Learning Environments.

The teacher works with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Content

Teachers must have a deep and flexible understanding of their content areas and be able to draw upon content knowledge as they work with learners to access information, apply knowledge in real world settings, and address meaningful issues to assure learner mastery of the content. Today’s teachers make content knowledge accessible to learners by using multiple means of communication, including digital media and information technology. They integrate cross-disciplinary skills (e.g., critical thinking, problem solving, creativity, communication) to help learners use content to propose solutions, forge new understandings, solve problems, and imagine possibilities. Finally, teachers make content knowledge relevant to learners by connecting it to local, state, national, and global issues.

Standard # 4: Content Knowledge.

The teacher understands that central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and creates learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content.

Standard #5: Application of Content.

The teacher understands how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues.

Instructional Practice

Effective instructional practice requires that teachers understand and integrate assessment, planning, and instructional strategies in coordinated and engaging ways. Beginning with their end or goal, teachers first identify student learning objectives and content standards and align assessments to those objectives. Teachers understand how to design, implement and interpret results from a range of formative and summative assessments. This knowledge is integrated into instructional practice so that teachers have access to information that can be used to provide immediate feedback to reinforce student learning and to modify instruction. Planning focuses on using a variety of appropriate and targeted instructional strategies to address diverse ways of learning, to incorporate new technologies to maximize and individualize learning, and to allow learners to take charge of their own learning and do it in creative ways.

Standard #6: Assessment.

The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making.

Standard #7: Planning for Instruction.

The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.

Standard #8: Instructional Strategies.

The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.

Professional Responsibility

Creating and supporting safe, productive learning environments that result in learners achieving at the highest levels is a teacher’s primary responsibility. To do this well, teachers must engage in meaningful and intensive professional learning and self-renewal by regularly examining practice through ongoing study, self-reflection, and collaboration. A cycle of continuous self-improvement is enhanced by leadership, collegial support, and collaboration. Active engagement in professional learning and collaboration results in the discovery and implementation of better practice for the purpose of improved teaching and learning. Teachers also contribute to improving instructional practices that meet learners’ needs and accomplish their school’s mission and goals. Teachers benefit from and participate in collaboration with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members. Teachers demonstrate leadership by modeling ethical behavior, contributing to positive changes in practice, and advancing their profession.

Standard #9: Professional Learning and Ethical Practice.

The teacher engages in ongoing professional learning and uses evidence to continually evaluate his/her practice, particularly the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapts practice to meet the needs of each learner.

Standard #10: Leadership and Collaboration.

The teacher seeks appropriate leadership roles and opportunities to take responsibility for student learning, to collaborate with learners, families, colleagues, other school professionals, and community members to ensure learner growth, and to advance the profession.

Professional Education Program (PEP) Admission Procedures

If you are interested in any teacher certification program, you must officially declare your teaching intent by making an appointment with the School of Education, Academic and Career Advising Center, 715-346-2040. You must apply for conditional admission to the Professional Education Program after you complete 24 credits. University approved credits for Advanced Placement (AP), CLEP, and test out may apply toward the 24 credits. Applications are available from the School of Education Academic and Career Advising Center, Room 469 CPS Building. Applications are processed two times each year, February 22 and September 22. Applications received after the deadline will be processed during the next deadline period.

In order to enroll in junior and senior level early childhood education courses, physical education, and PEX courses, as well as some methods courses in other departments, you must be admitted to the PEP.

You must have completed the following minimum criteria and have passing scores on file in the School of Education Academic and Career Advising Center to be eligible to apply for admission to PEP. Criteria may change at any time.

1. Earn a 2.60 cumulative grade point average (GPA) from all accredited institutions attended. The School of Education honors academic forgiveness and UW-Stevens Point course repeat policies at the time of admission to the PEP, but you must have a 2.75 GPA overall and a 2.75 GPA in your major, minor, concentration, and teacher certification coursework for student teaching, regardless of academic forgiveness or GPA requirement waiver. If you declare academic forgiveness, you must have at least a 2.60 GPA in 24 credits of courses you complete after declaring academic forgiveness and any courses taken at other institutions.

2. Freshman English Requirement:

   1. Receive a B- or better in ENGL 101 or ENGL 150

      -OR-

   2. Receive a 2.50 in ENGL 101/ENGL 202

      -OR-

   3. Test out of ENGL 101 and ENGL 202

      -OR-

   4. Receive a grade of B- or better in ENGL 250

      -OR-

   5. Complete at least five, ½ hour appointments with the UWSP Tutoring Learning Center Writing Lab, since the completion of either English 101 or 150

      -OR-

   6. A completed bachelor’s degree

   7. Be currently enrolled in ENGL 101 or ENGL 150 (If you apply using this criteria, you will be admitted to the Program and must receive a B- or better in ENGL 101 or ENGL 150 by the end of the semester for full admission to the Program, or complete at least five 1/2 hour tutoring sessions with a writing lab tutor in the Tutoring-Learning Center by the end of the following semester or admission to the program will be rescinded).

3. Criminal Background Check: You must submit with the PEP application the results from a mandatory criminal background check dated within the 6 months prior to the date of application.

4. See the department of your major or minor for additional requirements and enrollment cap policies. All secondary/K-12 programs have additional requirements to apply.

   • If you meet the following criteria you may apply for an exception of the 2.75 grade point requirements by using the formal Exceptions Application available in the School of Education Academic and Career Advising Center. If granted, this exception allows you to apply to the Professional Education Program without meeting the requirements.

   • Deadlines for exception requests are September 11 and February 7. If a deadline falls on a weekend, the applications are due the Friday prior.

   • The Department of Public Instruction limits us to granting exceptions to 10% of our PEP admitted student population.

     1. You will be ranked using overall GPA.

     2. Final exception decisions will be determined by the SOE Exceptions Committee. Exception approvals are not appealable.

        Exception Applications can be found outside 469 CPS, or online at: http://www.uwsp.edu/education/Pages/CurrentUndergrad/UndergraduateAdvise/waiverpolicy.aspx.

        Exception type	exception requirements
        Grade Point Exception Requirement	You have completed at least 24 credits with a grade point average of 2.60 OR better. You earn a 3.00 or higher semester GPA over the previous two consecutive semesters. You have attached a letter explaining reasons for requesting an exception.

5. Disposition Expectations: If you are admitted to the Professional Education Program, you will be expected to meet disposition expectations throughout the academic program.

Transfer Student Admission Procedure

If you are a transfer student or have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution, you may be admitted to the Professional Education Program (PEP) if you have met the application requirements above, are admitted to UW-Stevens Point, and have paid the required deposit. You must attach proof of admission to UW-Stevens Point when you apply.

Student Teaching

In this final step in your preparation for teaching, you demonstrate practical competence in one of many schools that cooperate with UW-Stevens Point in providing field experiences. As a student or intern teacher you will be assigned to a cooperating school system within our service area depending upon your personal preferences and the availability of qualified cooperating teachers.

The Office of Field Experiences and the cooperating school administration arrange all assignments. Please do NOT initiate contact with a cooperating teacher to arrange an assignment. Student Teaching will require additional fees. Please don’t plan to student teach in a school where your child is enrolled or where a relative is currently employed as an administrator or serves on the school board.

For most program areas, when student or intern teaching for initial certification, you are limited to a maximum of two assignments per semester (e.g. elementary and middle, or high school and middle). The semester before you student teach, you must attend an orientation meeting to get information about the requirements for student teaching.

Eligibility and General Requirements to Student Teach

1. Be admitted to the Professional Education Program. Apply at the School of Education Advising, Recruitment and Retention Office, Room 469, CPS Building.

2. Complete at least 12 credits at UW-Stevens Point prior to student teaching.

3. Earn a 2.75 overall GPA as well as a 2.75 GPA in your major, minor, concentration, and education courses to student teach. Earn a 3.00 GPA for teaching intern. NOTE: Some teaching majors/minors may require a higher GPA.

4. You must complete all teaching major, teaching minor and teaching methods/techniques courses BEFORE you student teach.

5. If you are seeking a teaching license in French, German, or Spanish, you are required to submit passing scores on the ACTFL OPIC and WPT exams, regardless of your major/minor GPA.

6. The semester before you student teach, you must attend an application meeting and submit your completed application forms by the date set by the Office of Field Experiences. These include written recommendations from the department chair or associate dean and the School of Education Advising Coordinator, a medical statement indicating that you have been examined and are free from tuberculosis, and a Conduct & Competency affidavit, including papers for a background check to be administered by the UW-Stevens Point Office of Field Experiences.

7. You must register for student teaching in appropriate sections and for credits as your advisers approve.

8. You will spend a full semester student teaching according to the daily schedule and semester calendar of an approved cooperating school. You will be asked to return to campus for seminars to confer with UW-Stevens Point instructors.

Student Teaching Options

Full Semester Student Teaching

You must student teach in your major. You will remain in the placement for the entire school district semester.

Split-Semester Student Teaching

You must student teach in your major in order to request another student teaching assignment. You must obtain written approval from both major and minor programs where applicable. If approved, additional assignments take place during the student teaching semester in sequences and locations coordinated by the Office of Field Experiences. Typically, assignments change at the end of the school district quarter.

Internships

You may be recommended to apply as an intern teacher at any one of many levels. As an intern you are a licensed and contracted member of a school staff and you will spend an entire semester or year in that school system. During this time, you will be involved in a team providing educational services. Internships are determined by local agency requirements. To be considered for an internship program, you must earn a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or better, a 3.00 or better in your major, and a 3.00 GPA in your minor if you want to be certified in it.

Teacher Certification/Academic Standards

Notes for Teacher Certification:

1. You must receive a grade of C- or better in all required Early Childhood, Education, Health Education and Physical Education courses that are required for a teaching major, teaching minor, or teacher certification requirements.

2. Early Childhood Education, Education, Health Education, Adapted Physical Education, and Physical Education courses taken more than 10 years prior to student teaching may not be applied to the program requirements. You may appeal the currency of courses. The Assistant Dean, School of Education (ADSOE) will convene a review panel of appropriate faculty/advising staff to make a decision about that appeal.

3. Achieve a 2.75 overall GPA. This overall GPA requirement may be appealed through the School of Education DPI approved policy. In addition, you must earn at least a 2.75 GPA in major, minor, concentration, and education courses before student teaching. Some majors and minors require higher major/minor GPAs.

4. Earn a grade of “pass” in all areas of student teaching. You CANNOT be certified if you do not pass student teaching in your major.

5. State teacher licensing rules may change at any time due to legislative or licensing changes.

6. For initial licensure in Wisconsin:

   1. Demonstrate content knowledge following policy approved by the state superintendent which include the Wisconsin Standards. You must earn a 3.00 GPA in all teaching majors and teaching minors or pass the appropriate content test. NOTE: If you are seeking a teaching license in French, German, or Spanish, you are required to pass the ACTFL OPIC and WPT exams in your language, regardless of your major/minor GPA.

   2. Receive a passing score on the Foundations of Reading Test if you are being licensed in early childhood, elementary, reading teacher, reading specialist, or any area of special education. Special Education Majors only: you may complete a DPI approved UWSP Alternate to this requirement.

7. Applications for initial licensure are processed only after you complete all degree and certification requirements and your degree is conferred.

Undergraduate Requirements: Secondary/K-12 Education Curriculum for Teacher Certification

State and Federal Reporting

To comply with mandates of Section 207 of Title II of the Higher Education Act, www.uwsp.edu/education/Pages/default.aspx lists the number of students in teacher education, the number of student teachers, numbers of several kinds of supervisors of student teachers, and a student/faculty ratio. More statistics related to teacher certification and licensure will be included on the website as they become available.

UWSP Teaching Majors and Minors

NOTES: Teaching minors or second majors - licensure grade level will match the grades of the initial major.

Graduate Programs

The School of Education offers the following graduate programs:

• Education, MSE (Master of Science in Education)

• Educational Sustainability EdD

You may also work toward:

• Graduate level certification (for those who are already certified teachers): Adaptive Physical Education (860); English as a Second Language (395); Family and Consumer Sciences (210); Gifted/Talented (014); Health Education (910); Reading Teacher (316); Reading Specialist (17); Special Education including: Cross Categorical Special Education (801); Early Childhood Special Education (809).

• Master of Science in Education: For more information, contact SOE Office of Graduate Studies & Professional Development, 715-346-2048.

Graduate Certification Programs - School of Education

The School of Education works with the Wisconsin Department of Instruction to offer graduate teacher certifications for initial teaching licenses and add-on teacher licenses for those who are already certified teachers. Applicants should forward a letter of intent, along with copies of your Wisconsin teaching license (if applicable) and transcripts from every college or technical school attended, to SOE Office of Graduate Studies & Professional Development indicating which certification you wish to pursue. A certification outline will be established for you and an adviser assigned.

• Adapted Physical Education

• Elementary Education

• English as a Second Language

• Family and Consumer Sciences

• Gifted and Talented Certification

• Health Education (910) Certification

• Reading Teacher (316 license)

• Reading Specialist (17 license)

• Special Education