Mathematics Education Certificate
This is a post-baccalaureate certificate to prepare graduates of Mathematics programs for teacher certification in Mathematics at the secondary education level.
Teacher Certification
This sequence of courses is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and leads to the Initial Secondary Cer- tificate in mathematics. To be recommended for certification by Governors State university, students must earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC 4999: Student Teaching: Mathematics.
To be recommended for an Illinois State Board of Education teaching
certificate, the student must present evidence of having passed the Basic Skills, Subject-Matter Knowledge,and Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations of theIllinois Certification Testing System.
Students must meet other requirements for certification through approved programs listed in the Teacher Education and Certification section of this catalog.
To be recommended by Governors State university, students must apply for the certificate within one year of completing the program.
Admission to Mathematics Education
In addition to meeting all university admission requirements for certificate students, applicants must meet the following requirements to be admitted to the Mathematics Education Certificate:
1. have a bachelor’s or higher in Mathematics from a region- ally accredited college or university;
2. have a cumulative average G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher in all lower division courses applied to the degree program; and
3. submit a word-processed essay not to exceed 300 words explaining why the applicant wishes to be a teacher.
Continuation in the Certificate
In order to continue in the certificate after the first term of enrollment, students must meet the following requirements:
1. complete EDUC2310 (Foundations of Education, or equiva- lent) with a grade of “B” or better;
2. submit evidence of having passed the Basic Skills Test of the Illinois Certification Testing System; and
3. submit scores from the ETS Proficiency Profile; and Some schools and/or school districts require criminal background checks in advance of any field experience undertaken by teacher preparation candidates in school settings. Candidates may be required to comply with these requirements. Consult with your advisor for information concerning the related GSU policies and procedures.
Student Progress
The faculty monitors and evaluates student progress continually. The section, Teacher Education and Certification, in this catalog provides a general descrip¬tion of the standards used to evaluate student progress. A more detailed statement of the standards and processes followed by the secondary education faculty is available in the Secondary Education Undergraduate Student Handbook at http://www.govst.edu/uploadedFiles/secedstudenthandbook.pdf.
Conditional Continuation
The faculty may permit a student to continue conditionally. In such cases, faculty reviews of the student’s records identify evidence that the student will likely be successful in the pro- gram. The status of all students allowed to continue under conditions is reviewed by the faculty each term, and the students are informed in writing of the conditions necessary for them to be transferred to good standing status. When conditions are met, the student is informed in writing of
the transfer to good standing status. A student may not be admitted to student teaching without being in good stand- ing status.
Student Handbook
The Student Handbook Undergraduate Degrees in Secondary Education referred to in this catalog is available online at http://www.govst.edu/uploadedFiles/secedstudenthandbook.pdf.
Admission to Student Teaching
Before enrolling in EDUC4999 Student Teaching, an applica- tion for admission to student teaching must be submitted of the director of Field Experiences in the College of Education. The application must be submitted by December 1 for the
fall term and January 31 for the spring term preceding the academic year in which the student intends to teach (student teaching is not offered in the summer term). This application for student teaching will verify that the student applying has or will have met the following requirements:
1. completed at least 48 hours of general education require- ments with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in courses taken at Governors State University;
2. completed professional education course requirements, except student teaching, including a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experience with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “C” or better in each course, and EDUC 6360 and EDUC 6370 with a grade of “B” or better;
3. must have completed methods course no more than two years prior to the commencement of student teaching;
4. have no more than six hours remaining to be completed in the certificate in which the student is enrolled with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher and completed all courses with a “C” or better;
5. met all state requirements applicable to the subject matter area(s) in which the student will teach as outlined in Sec- tion IX, Staff Qualifications of the Illinois State Board of Education publication, Minimum Requirements for State Certificates;
6. submit evidence of having passed the Mathematics con- tent area exam of the Illinois Certification Testing System; and
7. received a positive recommendation from the Second-art Education Student progress Committee.
Certificate Requirements
Students must meet all university requirements for a certifi- cate, and in addition, student must complete the general education requirement for teacher certification Initial Sec- ondary Certificate listed in the Teacher Education section of this catalog.
In addition, students must:
1. have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher;
2. earn a grade of “C” or better in all general education courses;
3. have a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher for all general education courses;
4. have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in mathematics courses with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
5. have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for EDCP6101, EDUC4440, and SPED6101, with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
6. earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC 2310, EDUC 6360, and EDUC 6370;
7. earn a grade of “B” or better in EDUC 4999;
8. complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised pre-student teaching experiences;
9. provide evidence of successful completion of the Illinois and U.S. Constitution examinations;
10. show evidence of having passed the Assessment of Pro- fessional Teaching;
11. meet any additional requirements listed in the Teacher Certification section of this catalog; and
12. receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student progress Committee.
I. Professional Education (minimum of 24 Hours)
The following courses can be taken at either the lower-division or upper-division level:
EDUC 2310 Foundations of Education (3)
SPED 6101 Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
The following courses must be taken at the upper-division level: EDCP 6101 Introduction to Educational Technology (3)
EDUC 6360 Principles of Secondary MathematicsEducation (3)
EDUC 6370 Teaching Secondary School Mathematics (3)
EDUC 4440 Educational Psychology in Action (3)
EDUC 4999 Student Teaching: Secondary Mathematics (12)
II. Additional Requirements
Students may need to complete additional general education or Mathematics courses if their bachelor degree requirements do not meet the requirements of the approved Governors State University program for the endorsement in Mathematics Education.
III. Minimum Total - 24 Hours
Program Fact Sheet
To view the program fact sheet, please go to Mathematics Education Certificate Fact Sheet
