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School of Education & Health Sciences

Secondary Education

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Why pursue a secondary education degree at North Central College?

The secondary education program provides preparation to successfully begin a teaching profession upon graduation. Secondary education majors learn how to lesson plan and teach focusing on subjects of your choice like art, biology, chemistry, physics, English, history, math and foreign language. This program is approved for licensure by the Illinois State Board of education, creating world-class middle and high school educators who inspire young people to achieve their best. At North Central College you will make a commitment to upholding professional standards, committing to understand social issues such as equity and capacity-based learning. In this experience-oriented teacher education program, you’ll use a liberal arts core and education degree to create meaningful impact in the lives of students.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN

  • Providing transformative learning experiences for students
  • Planning and teaching lessons in all subject areas
  • Applying best teaching practices in a secondary education setting

then a degree in SECONDARY EDUCATION might be for you.

Why study secondary education at North Central College?

In the Classroom

Coursework topics:

  • Educational Technology in K-12 Classroom
  • Equity and Access in Systems of Education
  • Foundations of Teaching and Learning
  • HS/MS Assessment of Learning
  • HS/MS Content Area Literacies
  • HS/MS Methods: Art
  • HS/MS Methods: English
  • HS/MS Methods: Mathematics
  • HS/MS Methods: Science
  • HS/MS Methods: Social Studies
  • HS/MS/K12 Field Experience
  • Teaching Students with Disabilities
  • Psychology: Science of Behavior

Beyond the Classroom

As a secondary education major, you can:

  • Apply for internships and jobs through robust faculty and alumni networks or the Center for Career and Professional Development.
  • Acquire excellent teacher preparation at exceptional high schools.
  • Receive extensive guidance to prepare for the rigorous Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA).
  • Join Ed Rising, a student-run organization of education students that discuss and analyze major education ideas, trends and issues.

 

More Department information

 

Secondary Education, B.A.

The Education Department offers an undergraduate licensure program in education to prepare elementary, secondary, K-12 art, K-12 foreign language and in conjunction with the Department of Music, K-12 music teachers. It is an experience-oriented teacher education program based on the liberal arts. The faculty of the education department is committed to the serious study of education and the promotion of professional standards to foster innovation in professional preparation. This commitment encompasses social issues such as equity and capacity-based learning, with an emphasis on preparing candidates to teach in diverse school settings. The program is approved for licensure by the Illinois State Board of Education. Teacher education programs differ from other programs at the College in that additional specific criteria must be met in the area of general education, as well as in the area of the major.

Secondary Education majors are required to complete a second major in their chosen content area in order to obtain a teaching license. The content areas are as follows: Art, Biology, Chemistry, Chinese, English, Environmental Science, French, German, Japanese, Mathematics, Physics, Social Science/History, Spanish, and Integrated Science: Biology, Chemistry or Physics. Requirements for these majors are housed in their respective departments.

For additional programs and courses in this department, see Education.

One of the following:

Note:

Grades below "C-" in professional education courses and field experiences and content preparation courses are not accepted for licensure.

If a student receives a "no pass" in a field experience, the student must retake the field experience the next time it is scheduled. If a student passes the field experience but not the class, then both must be retaken.

The Department of Education has established the following Progression Points as ways for department faculty to ensure students are undertaking experiences needed to prepare them for the profession of teaching. Each checklist is designed to be met by teacher candidates at important points along their journey to becoming a teacher. Once all experiences of a Progression Point are met, a teacher candidate is ready to move forward in the program.

Progression Point 1: Admission to the Teacher Education Program

Course Requirements:

  • Complete EDUC 101, PSYC 100 and EDUC 200 with a grade of C- or above
  • Complete EDUC 290 with a grade of P

GPA Requirements: 

For full admission to the Teacher Education Program:

  • Have earned an overall cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better in all coursework taken at and transferred to North Central College
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.75 or better in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the Secondary Education major
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.50 or better in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the content area major (min. 16 credit hours)

For conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program:

Conditional Admission to the Teacher Education Program allows candidates to progress in their plan of study while taking advantage of systems of support provided by the department to help ensure academic success in the Teacher Education Program.

  • Have earned an overall cumulative GPA of 2.25-2.749 in all coursework taken at and transferred to North Central College
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.25-2.749 in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the Secondary Education major
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.00-2.499 in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the content area major (min. 16 credit hours)

Evaluation Requirements:

Dispositions:

  • Recommendation from candidate's EDUC 101 instructor
  • Dispositions Recommendation from full-time faculty member in candidate's content major
  • Self-assessment of dispositions at time of application to TEP

Field Experiences:

  • Field Experience Recommendation from EDUC 101
  • Mentor Teacher Recommendation from EDUC 290
  • Supervisor Recommendation from EDUC 290

Note: Teacher candidates must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) to take EDUC courses at the 300- or 400-level.

Progression Point 2: Progression to Student Teaching Residency

Course Requirements:

  • Complete of all professional education courses for the Secondary Education major with a grade of C- or better with the exception of EDUC 494, and 496, the Student Teaching Residency course package
  • Complete all courses for the content area major

GPA Requirements:

For full admission to Student Teaching Residency:

  • Have earned an overall cumulative GPA of 2.75 or greater in all coursework taken at and transferred to North Central College
  • Have earned a GPA of 3.00 or better in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the Secondary Education major
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.50 or better in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the content area major

For conditional admission to Student Teaching Residency:

Conditional Admission to Student Teaching allows candidates to progress to student teaching while taking advantage of systems of support provided by the department to help ensure success.

  • Have earned an overall cumulative GPA of 2.25-2.749 in all coursework taken at and transferred to North Central College
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.50-2.999 in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the Secondary Education major
  • Have earned a GPA of 2.00-2.499 in all coursework taken for and transferred in to the content area major (min. 16 credit hours)

Recommendation Requirements:

  • Mentor Teacher Recommendations from EDUC 390 and 490
  • Supervisor Recommendations from EDUC 390 and 490
  • Practitioner Interview Recommendation, if assigned
  • Receive a recommendation from the Department of Education for Student Teaching Residency

Additional Requirements:

  • Complete the practice edTPA as required for EDUC 4XX HS/MS Methods:<Content Area> and EDUC 403 HS/MS Assessment of Learning
  • *Earn a passing Score on the appropriate ILTS content test
    (ENGL: 207; MATH: 208; BIOL: 239; CHEM: 240; ENVI SCI: 242; PHYSICS: 243; HIST: 246; CHIN: 251; FREN: 252, GERM: 253; JAPN: 256; SPAN 260; ART: 214).

Progression Point 3: Licensure

  • *Pass EDUC 494 Student Teaching Residency Seminar, and EDUC 496 Student Teaching Residency with a grade of C- or better
  • *Earn a passing Score on the edTPA teacher performance assessment
  • *Complete all other necessary requirements to earn a bachelor's degree

* Illinois State Board of Education requirement enforced by North Central College

Students must demonstrate elementary competence in a foreign language. For more information, see the B.A. Degree Requirements within the Academic Regulations section of this catalog.

Secondary Education Internships and Jobs

A North Central education integrates career preparation with rich academic study. Our faculty encourages you to refine and apply your knowledge in an interconnected world. Here you'll learn to think independently and work globally to solve problems and lead.

Careers

Secondary education graduates frequently find teaching positions in districts within a 30-mile radius of North Central, including:

  • Aurora school districts
  • Chicago Public Schools
  • Naperville School District 203
  • Indian Prairie School District 204
  • Plainfield School District 202

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