Education Curriculum for Teachers of Academic Subjects

Academic Subjects for Teacher Education 

Admission to Teacher Education
The coursework for teacher education is divided into three professional semesters. In addition, once one has finished the professional sequence, he/she must be recommended for certification to teach in South Dakota. The requirements for each are as follows:

Admission into Professional Semester I:
In order to register for the two courses of Professional Semester I (PS I) a candidate must be at least a sophomore at the beginning of the semester in which he/she is taking the PS-I courses.

Admission into Professional Semester II:
Candidates admitted into Professional Semester II are considered members of the Teacher Education Program and are classified as “Education Candidates.” In order to achieve this status, a candidate must have:

1. Achieved a junior status at the University;
2. Completed PS-I with grades of “C” or better and be recommended by PS=-I faculty;
3. Hold an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher;
4. Completed PSYC 101, SOC 100 or SOC 150, with a grade of “C” or better;
5. Met competency requirements:
   • English: a grade of “C” or above in ENGL 101 or credit by examination
   • Math: a grade of “C” or above in MATH 102 or 104 or higher level math course or credit by examination
   • Speech: a grade of “C” or above in SPCM 101 or higher or credit by examination;
   • Completed an application for admission to Teacher Education which includes appropriate biographical and background information; and
6. Have a current transcript on file in the department office.

Admittance into Professional Semester III:
Education candidates will be permitted to register for the courses of Professional Semester III if they have:

1. Achieved senior standing at the University;
2. Achieved a passing score on the Praxis Content Exam;
3. Been admitted to the Teacher Education Program and successfully completed all standard requirements therein (or alternatives decided by the Admissions and Scholastic Standards Committee);
4. Successfully completed all prerequisite coursework for the professional education program, including one special methods course* in a major field, the South Dakota Indian Studies requirement and the computer proficiency requirement;
5. Have the following minimum GPA’s:
   • Education courses 2.8
   • All courses completed at the “c” level or above
   • Courses in the major 2.6
   • Overall cumulative 2.5
     or
   • Completed all competency plans and/or other activities prescribed by the Admissions and Scholastic Standards Committee;
6. Have recommendations on file in the department office from both the major adviser and the content methods instructor (these recommendations must include the candidate’s GPA in his/her major);
7. Meet with the placement supervisor of the Office of Field Experiences before October 1 (for those student teaching in Spring) or February 1 (for those student teaching in the Fall) and complete an Application for Student Teaching (rather than wait for these deadlines, it is advisable to complete this application at least one semester before PS-III);
8. Hold non-probationary status; and
9. When student teaching, a background check may be required.
   *See major department section for special methods courses.

Recommendation for Certification
In order to be recommended for certification, a candidate must have:

1. A bachelor’s degree, in a approved content area;
2. Satisfactory student teaching recommendations from both the cooperating teacher(s) and university supervisor;
3. The following minimum GPA’s:
   • Education courses 2.8
   • All courses completed at the “c” level or above
   • Courses in the major 2.6
   • Overall cumulative 2.5
     or
   • Completed all competency plans and/or other activities prescribed by the Admissions and Scholastic Standards Committee;
4. Taken the required exit exam(s), including the Praxis Principles of Teaching and Learning earning required cut scores;
5. Satisfactorily completed exit interview with Performance Portfolio and required projects in PS-III; and
6. Applied for certification through the Certifying Officer in the College of Education and Human Sciences.