Undergraduate Teacher Education Program

The undergraduate Teacher Education (TED) program is designed around the Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC) Model Core Teaching Standards, a set of well-defined standards and aligned with the Wisconsin Teacher Standards which, when attained by students, lead to a strong preparation for teaching at the elementary or secondary level.  These competencies build upon students' University Studies coursework.  Students are involved in a wide range of learning activities combining theoretical concerns with practice accomplished through a variety of field experiences. Students are introduced to the classroom early in their professional training and continue to accept more responsibility throughout their program, culminating with the student teaching experience. The program attempts to model the kind of learning environments we expect our graduates will create in the elementary and secondary schools.

UW-Superior education programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to fulfill licensure requirements for the state of Wisconsin.  If you seek licensure in a state other than Wisconsin, please see the UW-Superior Institutional Certification Office web page for further information and assistance.

Special Accreditation

The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction serves as the accrediting agency for all approved education licensure programs offered at UW-Superior. The teacher education programs at UW-Superior are reviewed annually using the Continuous Review Process adopted by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Under PI.34.

UW-Superior education programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to fulfill licensure requirements for the state of Wisconsin.  If you seek licensure in a state other than Wisconsin, please see the UW-Superior Institutional Certification Office web page for further information and assistance.

General Policies for Certified Teachers Adding Additional Certifications

For additional certifications, a student must show evidence of completion of:

1. Appropriate coursework by furnishing a list of coursework which has been completed and a list of courses that needs to be completed including the terms to be taken.
2. Submission of Student Teaching Application, including required supplemental materials by the application deadline.
3. Additional appropriate standardized test scores must be at the Wisconsin passing levels.
4. Student teaching:  nine weeks as assigned by the coordinator of student teaching.

Elementary Education Programs

Catalog Requirement Term

Refer to university policy regarding catalog requirement term. No matter which catalog a student uses for graduation, the student may be required to meet new requirements in Teacher Education, especially if new certification/licensure/program admission/student teaching policies have been put in place.  This is specifically relevant for this catalog.

Students must always meet current Department of Public Instruction (DPI) certification/licensure requirements in the state of Wisconsin. DPI certification standards represent minimal requirements. Teacher Education programs have the right to exceed minimal requirements. Students who do not meet the requirements for admission to the Teacher Education programs within five years of the date of admission to the university must meet the requirements of the catalog current at the time of application to the programs. Admission to the programs remains valid for seven years. Students who fail to register for any classes for two consecutive semesters must reactivate their program status through the Teacher Education program.

High Impact Practices

All education majors must complete one Academic Service-Learning (AS-L) project and the designated Senior Year Experience (SYE).  These High-Impact Practices are included in required courses taken by all education majors.  AS-L is embedded in T ED 270 Multicultural Education, and the SYE is completed during student teaching.

General Transfer Policies for Elementary Education Majors 

1. Complete coursework required for licensure either through receiving transfer credit or by taking courses at UW-Superior.
2. A student who is already certified in secondary education (EA-A level) must meet the student teaching requirements of the desired elementary licensure level.
3. For an education course from another institution to be considered as a substitute for a methods course at UW-Superior, it must at a minimum have equivalent credit hours.
4. No education course that is more than five years old may be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Secondary Education Programs

Options are available for students seeking licensure in secondary education in Wisconsin. Each of these major currently leads to Early Adolescence-Adolescence licensure (Ages 10-21; grades 5-12), or 4-12 (grades 4-12) in their respective content area. Students are also required to complete a minor and should consult with their advisor to select a minor to complement their teaching major. Content area course requirements for each of the secondary education programs are available within the content area's section of the course catalog.  Students must also complete the coursework of the Instruction Minor as required for the licensure sought:  The Instruction Minor can be the student's only Minor if the teaching Major leads to 4-12 (not EA-A) Wisconsin licensure.  Please consult your advisor for any content changes being proposed to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction.

*Notice:  Due to pending licensure program approvals by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), secondary education program requirements are subject to change for students entering in the 2022-2024 academic year.  Students affected by any approved changes which occur in the 2022-2024 catalog will be formally notified by the UW-Superior Educator Preparation Program.

UW-Superior education programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to fulfill licensure requirements for the state of Wisconsin.  If you seek licensure in a state other than Wisconsin, please see the UW-Superior Institutional Certification Office web page for further information and assistance.

Field Experience and Pre-Student Teaching Clinical Experiences

Field experiences and pre-student clinical experiences prior to student teaching or internship prepare students for successful completion of student teaching or internship.

Field experiences in Birth-Grade 12 cooperating schools and sites allow students to observe teachers in action.  "Field observation required" is noted in the course description for courses that have embedded field experiences.

Pre-student Teaching Clinical Experiences or PSTCEs are meant to provide teacher education students with opportunities to begin understanding the prek-12 classroom atmosphere and learning environment and how that affect planning, teaching, and assessment.  PSTCE include a period of observation of the student as teacher and the development and teaching of lesson/s, with an evaluation and feedback by the classroom teacher.  Feedback received from cooperating teachers will highlight areas of strength and potential growth; specific examples of strong elements or those needing improvement will be particularly helpful at this early point in teacher development.  "Pre-Student Teaching Clinical experience required" is noted in course descriptions for courses that have embedded PSTCEs.  Each course has a designed grade band that must be addressed; this grade band is noted in the course syllabus.

All field experience and pre-student teaching clinical experiences placements are made through the UW-Superior Department of Education's Field Experience Office.  Placement request forms are made available at the start of each semester in courses which have embedded experiences.  Because field and clinical placements involve many legal, diplomatic, and certification/licensure considerations, students may not solicit a placement on their own but may be able to suggest to the Field Experience Office a school/district near them.  Students are cautioned against having district administrators call on their behalf.

International placement for field experiences and pre-student teaching clinical experiences are not available.  Exceptions may be requested in cases of military assignments with on-base American schools and in cases where the student is already employed as a teacher by a recognized international American school; these requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and should be made well in advance of the placement semester.

K-12 Subject Area Programs

Several Major and Minor options are currently available for students seeking licensure in K-12 education in Wisconsin.  These majors and minors lead to either Early Childhood-Adolescence (EC-A) licensure (Ages 4-18; grades PK-12) or K-12 in their respective content area, as currently approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Program requirements for each of the K-12 education programs are available within the content area's section of the course catalog (see Art Education, Music Education, Physical Education, including Adaptative Physical Education and Coaching and Health Education).  Please consult your advisor or the content area department for the most recent program requirements.

*Notice:  Due to pending licensure program approvals by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), EC-MC/K-12 program requirements are subject to change for students entering in the 2022-2024 academic year.  Students affected by any approved changes which occur in the 2022-2024 catalog will be formally notified by the UW-Superior Educator Preparation Program.

UW-Superior education programs are approved by the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction to fulfill licensure requirements for the state of Wisconsin.  If you seek licensure in a state other than Wisconsin, please see the UW-Superior Institutional Certification Office web page for further information and assistance.

University Studies Requirements for Secondary/EC-A/K-12 Education Certification/Licensure

Secondary or K-12 teacher curriculum graduates may receive the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music Education or Bachelor of Science degree.  (See requirements in major.)

Secondary or K-12 teacher certification students are required to meet the University Studies requirements of the university.  The Teacher Education faculty is committed to building upon the preparation brought by the liberally educated student at this institution.  Teachers at the secondary and K-12 levels must exemplify the attributes of a liberally educated person.

All secondary and K-12 teacher certification candidates with a previous bachelor's degree must meet licensure requirements as outlined in PI-34 Wisconsin Teacher Education Program Approval and Licenses Law.

Student Teaching Residency 

In all student teaching residency experiences, the student takes charge of classes in off-campus affiliated schools under direction of a cooperating teacher. The student prepares units of instruction and lesson plans; meets with university supervisors, cooperating teachers, and the student teaching instructor of record in both group and individual situations; participates in co-curricular activities; works with consultants in special areas; and cooperates with school and community patrons. Clinical experiences prior to student teaching or internship prepare students for successful completion of student teaching or internship.

Students are required to student teach for full days for a full semester, according to the host district or school's calendar. Students may have more than one placement depending upon pre-student teaching clinical experiences and desired licensure/s.

Students seeking certification in more than two subject areas or certification levels may be required to take additional student teaching/internship beyond the semester depending upon their completed pre-student teaching clinical experiences.

All coursework in a student's major, minor, University Studies, and education courses is expected to be completed prior to student teaching residency.  Students should arrange their schedules to permit devoting full time to the student teaching residency responsibilities. Because student teaching placement involves many legal and diplomatic considerations, students may not solicit a student teaching or internship placement on their own. Students are cautioned against having district administrators call on their behalf.

All student teaching residency must take place within a 400-mile radius of UW-Superior.  Exceptions may be requested in cases of military assignments with on-base American schools and in cases where the student teacher candidate is already employed as a teacher by a recognized international American school; these requests are considered on a case-by-case basis and should be made well in advance of the student teaching semester.

A student teaching fee is added each semester to the tuition bill based upon the number of observations and evaluations and potential UW-Superior supervisor travel required for the license(s) sought.  This is subject to change each semester and is announced on the student teaching residency application.

Programs

Elementary Education Programs Teacher Education Requirements

The following are Teacher Education Program requirements for Elementary Education majors:

Program Admission Policy

• Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA, as determined by the HONORS GPA calculation.
• A minimum of 40 earned collegiate credits.
• Completion with pass of T ED 200 Introduction to Education and completion of T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education with a grade of B or above.
• Submission of completed application by March 1/October 1/August 1, which includes a criminal background check.

Program Completion Policy

• Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA, as determined by the HONORS GPA calculation.
• Passing score on the Praxis Middle School Content Knowledge Assessment.
• Completion of all courses in the major with grade of C or above (except for B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education), and Pass requirement in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education).
• Completion of all courses within the Instruction Minor with a grade of C or above (except for B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education) whether taking the courses individually or taking the courses as a minor.
• Satisfactory completion of student teaching residency.

Secondary Education Programs Teacher Education Requirements

The following are Teacher Education Program requirements for secondary education majors:

Program Admission Policy

• Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA as determined by the HONORS GPA calculation.
• A minimum of 40 earned collegiate credits.
• Completion with pass of T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education and completion of T ED 200 Introduction to Education with a grade of B or above.
• Submission of completed application by March 1/October 1/August 1, which includes a criminal background check.

Program Completion Policy

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (non-rounded) at the time of application as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency.  GPA is determined using the UW-Superior Honors GPA calculation.
• For assessment of content knowledge, a minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 3.0 (not rounded at the time of application as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency) or a minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 2.75 and a passing score on the Praxis Content Knowledge Assessment exam aligned with the desired licensure area/s.
• Completion of all courses within the Instruction Minor with a grade of C or above (except for B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education and Pass requirement in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education) whether taking the courses individually or taking the courses as a minor.
• A passing score on the approved assessment of pedagogical knowledge and successful completion of all components of the student teaching residency.

K-12 Subject Area Programs Teacher Education Requirements

The following are Teacher Education Program requirements for K-12 education majors:

Program Admission Policy

• Minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA as determined by the HONORS GPA calculation.
• A minimum of 40 earned collegiate credits.
• Completion of pass of T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education and completion of T ED 200 Introduction to Education with a grade of B or above.
• Submission of completed application by March 1/October 1/August 1, which includes a criminal background check.

Program Completion Policy

• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (non-rounded) at the time of application, as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency.  GPA is determined using the UW-Superior Honors GPA calculation.
• For assessment of content knowledge a minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 3.0 (not rounded at the time of application, as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency) or a minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 2.75 and a passing score on the Praxis Content Knowledge Assessment exam aligned with the desired licensure area/s.
• Completion of all courses within the Instruction Minor with a grade of C or above (except for B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education and pass requirement in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education) whether taking the courses individually or taking the courses as a minor, or as approved for the specific licensure program.
• A passing score on the approved assessment of pedagogical knowledge and successful completion of all components of the student teaching residency.

Student Teaching Residency Criteria for Application

Elementary Education Majors

• A minimum grade of C in each education course with the exception of a B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education and a pass in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education.  K-9 Elementary Education majors must earn a minimum of C in all courses within the major and Instruction minor, with the exception of a B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education and a pass in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (non-rounded) at the time of application, as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency.  GPA is determined using the UW-Superior Honors GPA calculation.
• Passing score on the Praxis Content Knowledge Exam(s).  The Praxis Middle School Content Knowledge exam is required for elementary education/instruction, as well as special education.  A student who elects to seek additional licensure with the early childhood education minor is also responsible for the Praxis Elementary Education Content Knowledge exam.  ETS must notify the Department of Education of the passing score by the October 1/March 1 deadline.  A passing score on the Praxis Content Knowledge Exam is also required for program completion and graduation.
• A passing score, one attempt, or a verified testing date on the Wisconsin Foundations of Reading (FORT).  This means that the vendor must notify the Department of Education of the score or the student must submit a verified testing date by the October 1/March 1 deadline.  A passing score, as of catalog printing, remains required for licensure.
• Submission of completed Student Teaching Application.
• Completion of the approved pedagogical knowledge assessment.
• A plan for successful completion of all University Studies, major, minor, education coursework prior to the beginning of the student teaching residency.

For Majors/Minors other than Elementary Education

• A minimum grade of C in each education course as required for the approved licensure program, except for a B requirement in T ED 200 Introduction to Education and a pass in T ED 100 Orientation to Teacher Education.
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 (non-rounded) at the time of application, as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency.  GPA is determined using the UW-Superior Honors GPA calculation.
• A minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 3.0 (not rounded at the time of application, as well as at the end of the semester prior to student teaching residency) or a minimum content major and/or content minor GPA of 2.75 and a passing score on the Praxis Content Knowledge Assessment exam aligned with the desired licensure area/s.
• Submission of Completed Student Teaching Application.
• Completion of the approved pedagogical knowledge assessment.
• A plan for successful completion of all University Studies, major, minor, education coursework prior to the beginning of student teaching residency.

If you have any questions about applying for student teaching, contact your advisor.

Successful Completion of the Student Teaching or Internship Experience 

1. At least three written observations by the university supervisor.  Additionally, three coop observations are required for the successful completion of student teaching residency. The student will be evaluated towards the program's standards, including communication skills, content knowledge, human relations knowledge and pedagogical knowledge.
2. Recommendations of cooperating teachers which document the ability of the student to satisfactorily meet the standards of the program, communication skills requirements, content knowledge, and human relations knowledge.
3. Completion of the approved pedagogical knowledge assessment and the Teacher Education Program's Senior Year Experience requirements.
4. Passing scores on the Praxis Content Knowledge Assessment or attainment of the major GPA (as appropriate for program) is required for successful completion of student teaching.
5. Passing scores on the Wisconsin FORT are required to be eligible for Wisconsin licensure for undergraduate elementary education, special education, and early childhood programming.