Education Curriculum for Teachers of Academic Subjects

Program Contact/Coordinator

Jay Trenhaile, Interim Department Head
Department of Teaching, Learning, and Leadership
Wenona Hall 009
605-688-4367

Program Information

The Secondary Teacher Education program prepares students to teach in an academic major  and/or other fields in which they are appropriately prepared. Students complete the requirements for a B.S or B.A. degree in an academic major before or while meeting the requirements for South Dakota teacher certification. The program in Teacher Education is a certification program in which students who are completing a major in an academic discipline of their choice can become certified in secondary education (middle and high school) in one or several subject areas and/or K-12 teaching in art, world languages, music, or physical education.  

Program Admission

The coursework for teacher education is divided into four 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 Pre-Residency I (EDFN 101 , EDFN 351 )

In order to register for the two courses of Pre-Residency I (PR-I) a candidate must be at least a sophomore at the beginning of the semester in which he/she is taking the PR-I courses.

Admission into Pre-Residency II (EDFN 352 , EDFN 352L )

Candidates admitted into Pre-Residency 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 PR-I with grades of “C” or better and be recommended by PR-I faculty;
3. Hold an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher;
4. 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 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

5. Have a current transcript on file in the department office.

Admission into Residency I & II (EDFN 453 , EDFN 453L , EDFN 454 )

Education candidates will be permitted to register for the courses of Residency I and II 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
• Pass content approved content test
  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 Residency II in spring) or February 1 (for Residency II 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 Residency II);
8. Hold non-probationary status; and
9. When student teaching, a background check may be required.
   *See major department section for special methods courses.

Academic Requirements

• A grade of “C” or better is required in SPCM 101 , ENGL 101 , PSYC 101 , and MATH 102  or higher (if these courses are in your plan of study), and all courses for the major (classes with department/program prefix).
• An overall GPA of 2.5 is required to enroll in any education courses.

Accreditation, Certification, and Licensure

Accreditation

National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education Programs
South Dakota Department of Education

Certification and Licensure

South Dakota Certification Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Complete a teacher education program from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
• Complete South Dakota Indian Studies course.
• Receive a passing score on state-designated pedagogy test.
• Provide written recommendation from a regionally accredited institution of higher education verifying program completion.
• Applicants from a foreign country must provide a transcript evaluation completed by an approved agency.
• Staff employed as an instructor at a university or postsecondary technical institute is exempt from the requirement of holding a teaching certificate when teaching dual credit courses.

Course Delivery Format

Courses in Secondary Education are delivered face to face, online and hybrid (face to face and online combination). Most secondary education courses have practical applications in field experience settings in K-12 or 7-12.