Lynda Fernholz, Assistant Dean, School of Education
Room 472, College of Professional Studies Building
Phone: 715-346-3223
Email: education@uwsp.edu
Web: www.uwsp.edu/education

Maggie Beeber, Advising Coordinator
Room 469, College of Professional Studies Building
Phone: 715-346-2040
Email: mbeeber@uwsp.edu

This school is in the College of Professional Studies .

Faculty: K Anyanwu, P Bork, K Buchanan, S Bueno, C Cate, P Cook, L Fernholz, M Herr, S Jones, N Logan, Y Ogunnaike-Lafe, C Olds, J O’Neil, T Wright.

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

InTASC Core 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 2.75 cumulative grade point average (GPA) from all accredited institutions attended. The School of Education honors academic bankruptcy 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 bankruptcy or GPA requirement waiver. If you declare academic bankruptcy, you must have at least a 2.75 GPA in 24 credits of courses you complete after declaring academic bankruptcy 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
3. Criminal Background Check: You must submit with the PEP application the results from a “Wisconsin Online Record Check System” 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.

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

Cathy Olds, Director of Field Experiences
Room 464, College of Professional Studies Building
Phone: 715-346-2449
Email: field.experiences@uwsp.edu

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.
9. All student/intern teachers will be required to complete the Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) during student teaching. If you have not passed the Education Teacher Performance Assessment and are within 3 points of a passing score, you may apply for an exception to this requirement if minimum standards set by the School of Education, in conjunction with the Department of Public Instruction, are met. The number of exceptions granted cannot exceed 10% of the total number of students completing the Professional Education Program leading to licensure in each graduation or program completion period and are not guaranteed. You must submit your edTPA to Pearson and post to the Professional Ed e-portfolio in order to graduate. A passing score on the edTPA is not required for graduation; however, a passing score is required to be recommended for Wisconsin licensure.

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

Maggie Beeber, Certification Officer
Room 469, College of Professional Studies Building
Phone: 715-346-2040
Email: mbeeber@uwsp.edu

Notes for Teacher Certification:

1. You must receive a grade of C- or better in all required Early Childhood, Education, and Physical Education courses.
2. Early Childhood Education and 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 Associate 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. 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.
   3. Receive a passing score on the Education Teacher Performance Assessment for initial licensure.
7. Applications for initial licensure are processed only after you complete all degree and certification requirements and your degree is conferred.

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.

Programs

• Early Childhood Education, B.S.
• Elementary Education, B.S.
• Physical Education for Teacher Certification (Early Childhood through Adolescence), B.S.
• Special Education, B.S.

• Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Minor for Teachers (birth through 3rd grade teaching license program)
• Health Education Minor
• Special Educational Needs Minor for Teachers

• Early Childhood Undergraduate Certificate
• Mentoring Certificate
• Special Education Undergraduate Certificate

• Secondary/K-12 Education Curriculum for Teacher Certification

• Adapted Physical Education 860 Add-On Certification

Courses

Education courses are also listed under the following headings: Biology Education, Communication Sciences and Disorders, Early Childhood Education, English Education, Family and Consumer Education, Foreign Language Education, Health Education, Instructional Resources, Mathematics Education, Music Education, Physical Education, Physical Education for Exceptional Individual.

All course descriptions are general; content, field trips, and resources may vary according to advances in the discipline, availability and accessibility of resources, and the needs of the students in each course and section.

• EDUC 783 - The Reflective Teacher
• EDUC 784 - The Creative Teacher
• EDUC 785 - The Skillful Teacher
• EDUC 786 - Foundations of Alternative Education
• EDUC 787 - Alternative Education Program Development: Curriculum, Methods and Assessment
• EDUC 789 - Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted
• EDUC 790 - Analysis and Improvement of Educational Programs
• EDUC 791 - Foundations of Gifted/Talented Education
• EDUC 792 - Curriculum Methods for Teaching Students with Gifts and Talents
• EDUC 793 - Issues in Gifted/Talented Education
• EDUC 795 - Practicum in Teaching Students with Gifts and Talents
• EDUC 796 - Independent Study
• EDUC 798 - Graduate Internship
• EDUC 799 - Thesis

• EDSU 703 - Reorienting Curriculum and Programs Towards a Sustainable Future
• EDSU 707 - Analysis and Improvement of Programs in EFS
• EDSU 709 - Ethics of Care in a Sustainable Society
• EDSU 710 - Place-Based Approaches within the Global Community Context
• EDSU 711 - Global Environmental Change
• EDSU 712 - Political Ecology and Sustainability
• EDSU 713 - Ecological Foundations for a Sustainable Society
• EDSU 714 - Teaching and Learning in Alternative Educational Settings
• EDSU 715 - Creative and Innovative Technology Thinking in Educational Sustainability
• EDSU 740 - Adaptive Mindsets for Transformative Action
• EDSU 810 - Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations of Sustainability Leadership in Education
• EDSU 820 - Social Justice in Education for Sustainability
• EDSU 900 - Introduction to Doctoral Studies and Educational Sustainability
• EDSU 901 - Sustaining Human Systems
• EDSU 902 - Systems Thinking in Program Development
• EDSU 903 - Reorienting Curriculum and Programs Towards a Sustainable Future
• EDSU 904 - Transformative Sustainability Teaching and Learning
• EDSU 905 - Research I
• EDSU 906 - Research II
• EDSU 907 - Analysis and Improvement of Programs in EFS
• EDSU 908 - Historical and Philosophical Foundations of EFS
• EDSU 909 - Ethics of Care in a Sustainable Society
• EDSU 910 - Place-Based Approaches within the Global Community Context
• EDSU 911 - Global Environmental Change
• EDSU 912 - Political Ecology and Sustainability
• EDSU 913 - Ecological Foundations for a Sustainable Society
• EDSU 914 - Teaching and Learning in Alternative Educational Settings
• EDSU 915 - Creative and Innovative Technology Thinking in Educational Sustainability
• EDSU 918 - Research Literature
• EDSU 919 - Applied Residency Project
• EDSU 920 - Research Publication
• EDSU 940 - Adaptive Mindsets for Transformative Action
• EDSU 990 - Special Topics in Educational Sustainability
• EDSU 996 - Independent Study (in any strand)

• HLED 104 - Current Health Issues
• HLED 140 - Responsible Sexuality
• HLED 145 - Introduction to Health Education/Promotion
• HLED 250 - Teaching Methods for Middle/Secondary Health Education
• HLED 280 - Health Education in the Elementary School
• HLED 340 - Curriculum and Coordinated School Health Programs
• HLED 390 - Wellness and Drugs
• HLED 397 - Workshop in Health Education
• HLED 398 - Student Teaching in Health Education
• HLED 399 - Special Work
• HLED 427 - Practical Teaching Experiences in K-12 Health Education
• HLED 498 - Intern Teaching
• HLED 590 - Wellness and Drugs
• HLED 597 - Workshop in Health Education
• HLED 700 - Current Health Issues and Trends in Health Education
• HLED 701 - Curriculum and Resources in Teaching Comprehensive School Health Education
• HLED 703 - Teaching Methods in Health Education
• HLED 705 - Sexuality Education: Content and Programming for K-12 Schools
• HLED 790 - Seminar in Current Issues
• HLED 796 - Independent Study
• HLED 797 - Workshop in Health Education

• PHED 100 - Activity in Sport and Recreation
• PHED 101 - Topics in Health Education
• PHED 105 - Introduction to Physical Education Teacher Preparation
• PHED 150 - Foundations of Teaching pK-12 Physical Education
• PHED 151 - Stress and Wellness
• PHED 199 - Independent Study
• PHED 200 - Professional Teaching Skills I
• PHED 201 - Professional Teaching Skills II
• PHED 205 - Fundamental Swim Skills for Physical Education
• PHED 215 - Rhythmic Fundamentals
• PHED 216 - Tumbling and Trampoline
• PHED 220 - Lifespan Motor Development
• PHED 231 - Physical Education for Early Childhood/Elementary Teacher
• PHED 232 - Physical Education for Elementary Grades 4-6
• PHED 250 - Health and Physical Education Concepts for the Elementary Teacher
• PHED 252 - Standard First Aid, Personal Safety, and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation
• PHED 253 - Standard First Aid and CPR Instructors
• PHED 254 - Advanced First Aid and Emergency Care
• PHED 260 - Pedagogy in Physical Education
• PHED 302 - Teaching Adventure Education
• PHED 331 - Teaching Methods in Elementary Physical Education
• PHED 332 - Teaching Experience in Elementary Physical Education
• PHED 353 - Advanced First Aid Instructors
• PHED 360 - Exercise Physiology Concepts for the Physical Education Teacher
• PHED 362 - Optimal Performance in Sport and Activity
• PHED 370 - Curriculum Design and Implementation in PreK-12 Physical Education
• PHED 380 - Assessment and Technology in Physical Education
• PHED 391 - Organization and Administration of Physical Education and Athletics
• PHED 395 - Seminar in Physical Education, Health, and Recreation
• PHED 397 - Workshop in Physical Education
• PHED 398 - Student Teaching in Physical Education
• PHED 399 - Special Work