Education Benchmarks and Levels of Preparation

This is the second level for teacher education candidates. Students who have not been approved to Level Two will not be allowed to register for any upper-level education or special education classes (with the exception of EDU 457).

Benchmarks for Level Two are listed below.

Content and Professional Education courses

Candidates must complete all content courses required, plus the following required Professional Education courses in their chosen endorsement area(s). All candidates must earn a “C” or higher in all EDU or SPD prefix classes.

Special Education Generalist

• EDU 216 Children’s Literature
• EDU 332 Development of Language Arts Elementary/Middle School
• EDU 341 Intermediate Reading or EDU 340 Early Reading (if K-6 subject only)
• EDU 430 Literacy Assessment
• MAT 215 Math for Elementary School Teachers II
• Approved elective in SPD Professional Education Core

Middle Level Education

• SPD 302 Inclusion and Co-Teaching in General Education
• SPD 435 or 436 Classroom Management through Social Emotional Learning K-6 or 7-12
• EDU 310 Reading, Writing, and Assessment for Content Area
• EDU 350 The Middle Level Teacher
• EDU 409 Content Area Methods and Assessment
• EDU 414 Content Area Practicum Experience

PK-12 Education (Art, Music, or Health/P.E.)

• SPD 302 Inclusion and Co-Teaching in General Education
• SPD 435 or 436 Classroom Management through Social Emotional Learning K-6 or 7-12
• EDU 310 Reading, Writing, and Assessment in Content Areas
• EDU 409 Content Area Methods and Assessment for each subject/discipline area (Music Education majors take MUS 308, 309, and 415)
• EDU 414 Content Area Practicum Experience (taken concurrently with EDU 409)

Note: Music Education majors take MUS 411 (concurrently with MUS 415) and MUS 412 (concurrently with either MUS 308 or 309)

Early Childhood Inclusive Education

• SPD 160 Introduction to Special Education
• SPD 435 Classroom Management through Social Emotional Learning K-6
• FCS 412 Guiding the Young Child (includes field experience component)
• EDU 435 Practicum Experience II (includes field experience component)

Elementary Education

• SPD 302 Inclusion and Co-Teaching in General Education
• SPD 435 Classroom Management through Social Emotional Learning K-6
• EDU 302 Curriculum, Standards, and Assessment in Elementary Schools
• EDU 335 Practicum Experience I (includes field experience component)
• EDU 435 Practicum Experience II (includes field experience component)

Secondary Education

• SPD 302 Inclusion and Co-Teaching in General Education
• SPD 436 Classroom Management through Social Emotional Learning 7-12
• EDU 310 Reading, Writing, and Assessment in Content Areas (or ENG 444 for Secondary English majors)
• EDU 409 Content Area Methods and Assessment for each subject/discipline area (Music Education majors take MUS 308 and 309)
• EDU 414 Content Area Practicum Experience (taken concurrently with EDU 409)
  Note: Music Education majors take MUS 412 (concurrently with either MUS 308 or 309)

Note: Social Science candidates must earn a “C” or higher in all endorsement courses, in addition to all EDU and SPD courses.

Plus (for all endorsements):

• EDU 445 Preparing for Level 3: Clinical Practice

Performance benchmarks

• All required coursework must be completed prior to clinical practice with at least a 2.75 GPA in each of these three categories: cumulative, content area, and professional education.
• Evidence of readiness for clinical practice verified by successful progress on the Educator Growth Portfolio (EGP).

Recommendation benchmarks

• Successful completion of all field and practicum experience requirements and positive recommendations from all cooperating teachers.
• Evidence of readiness for teaching as determined by faculty following a review of candidate’s EGP.
• Approval of the PPC for clinical practice placement.

Required paperwork

• Application for Clinical Practice is submitted via Anthology Portfolio one semester prior to clinical practice.

Background check

• All candidates must complete a second background check within 90 days prior to clinical practice. Information (vendor and fee paid by candidate) is posted in Anthology Portfolio. This is not to be completed until you are notified via email by the EBSS office.

Recommendation process from Level Two to Level Three

The PPC, in coordination with the EBS Office, will review student records to verify completion of all required coursework and benchmarks for Level Two, and based on that evidence either advance or not advance students to Level Three.

Candidates who successfully complete all Level Two benchmarks and receive PPC approval will be placed for clinical practice.