Requirements: What to Do

• Courses
• Praxis Tests
• GPA
• Pre-Student Teaching Practicum
• Student Teaching
• Portfolio

To be certified to teach in the public schools, your Lawrence degree must include a major in your certification area as well as the courses listed below.  Students who wish to be certified in a second subject area should add a second major or minor to their degree; contact the department chair for details.  More information can be found in the Teacher Certification Handbook, which students receive from the Education Department office when they pick up an application to be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program.

Look under Timeline on this website for advice about when to do what as you plan your studies at Lawrence.  Careful planning will ensure that you receive your teaching license on time.

Courses

All of the following courses:

EDST 180 Psychology of Learning
EDST 350 Ethnicity, Cultural Diversity, and Education
EDUC 430 Educating All Learners

One of the following foundations courses:

EDST 240 History of Education in the U.S.
EDST 330 School and Society
EDST 340 Sociology of Education

One of the following methods courses (according to certification area):

EDUC 560 Methods in Middle and Secondary Teaching
EDUC 563 Elementary and Secondary Foreign Language Methods
ART 585 Art in the Elementary and Secondary Schools
Methods must be taken in the spring (Term III) prior to student teaching.

At least one course in a life or biological science and one course in a physical science.

At least one course in mathematics (preferably statistics).

Other courses required for your specific certification area as outlined in the Education section of the university catalog.

Many of these courses meet general education requirements for a Lawrence degree.  Consult the university catalog for details.

Praxis Tests

Before you can be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, you must pass the following general skills test:

Praxis I: Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST): Reading – Writing – Mathematics

Before you can student teach, you must pass the following test (a separate test is required for each certification area):

Praxis II: Subject Assessment

More information can be found under Praxis Tests on this website or in the Education Department office (Briggs 117).

GPA

You must have a cumulative and major GPA of 2.75 to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and to be certified for licensure.

Pre-Student Teaching Practicum

Before student teaching, you must have completed 100 hours of observation in public or private schools in the subject area and grade level(s) in which you plan to be licensed.  Each of the required teacher education courses includes a 20-hour practicum; together these provide sufficient hours to meet the requirement.  Look for more information under Practicum on this website.

Student Teaching

To be certified to teach, you must complete a full semester (18 weeks) of student teaching in your certification area.  Student teaching is usually done in the fall (late August through late January) of the senior year or in a 13th term after graduation, although spring student teaching (late January to early June) is also possible.  You can student teach in school districts near Lawrence or in the TeachChicago! program.  More information can be found under Student Teaching on this website.

Portfolio

All teacher certification candidates must submit an electronic portfolio demonstrating that they meet or exceed each of Lawrence’s 13 Teacher Education Program Standards.  Information can be found under Program Standards and Portfolio on this website.  Also check the Licensure Q&A for information about what must be done after student teaching to obtain a teaching license.

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