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Education Department
Great educators and leaders shape the future. Whether you’re preparing to teach or lead, programs give you the skills to make a meaningful impact. Start with a teacher education degree tailored to your preferred age group and subject, or specialize in special education.
Already on a different path? The leadership studies minor pairs with nearly any major, helping you develop the vision and empathy needed to guide others—no matter where your career takes you.
Majors
Early Childhood Education
Impact a child’s life as an educator and pair this with a minor in Leadership.
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Elementary Education
Build skills and gain qualifications as an educator, and pair this with a minor in Leadership.
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Middle School Education
Become a certified and licensed educator and pair this with a minor in Leadership.
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High School Education
Inspire the next generation through real classroom experience and pair this with a minor in Leadership.
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Special Education
Build the skills needed to empower and educate students of all ages with diverse learning needs. Pair this program with a minor in Leadership.
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Art Education
Build the skills needed to teach visual arts from. Pair this program with a minor in Leadership.
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Music Education
Educate in music studies or performance. Pair this program with a minor in Leadership.
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Online Programs
Higher Education Administration & Leadership (EdD)
Learn to employ practical applications of theories, best practices, and leadership strategies in education, all through a flexible online program.
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Minors
This minor includes opportunities to step into campus leadership positions to practice what you learn. The program gives you flexibility to explore topics in ethics, government, human relations, organizational management and race and power.
The minor is directed by leaders in the Institute for Principled Leadership in Public Service and the Lewis J. Burger Center for Student Leadership and Public Service.
Departmental Resources
If you plan to teach in Illinois public schools, you’ll need to obtain a Professional Educator License (PEL).
All education candidates must pass all Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) content-area tests required for licensure by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
Candidates are also required to pass the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment) prior to licensure. The edTPA requires candidates to demonstrate the knowledge and skills required to help all students learn in real classrooms.
To see how our candidates are performing, please see Candidate Performance Data
Our programs specifically address the standards set forth in the State of Illinois Professional Teaching Standards. This alignment of coursework, projects, assignments and experiences ensures that students are well prepared to obtain certification and licensure.
Teacher Education
Student teaching is an important experience for each teacher education program. It is the policy of the department that all student teaching assignments be in or immediately near Peoria. Exceptions may be considered on a case-by-case petition when there are extenuating circumstances. Students with questions about student teaching should contact Dr. Quentin Wherfel, Teacher Education Program Director. Student teaching and all other field and clinical experiences must be taken for a pass/fail grade.
Field Experiences
There are two field experiences. The first requires a minimum of 25 hours of directed observations in a setting appropriate for the education major. The second experience involves an in-depth study of an individual learner, which includes a minimum of 25 hours in a clinical experience.
Novice Teaching
Supervised teaching experience in P-12 setting. Planning and implementing instruction in the student’s teaching area.
Student Teaching
Placement in Peoria-area classrooms. Instructional planning and implementation in a P-12 setting.
Related Documents
Evaluation Procedure and Rubric: Available in Sakai
Student Handbook: Available in Sakai
Initial teacher licensure and advanced level program candidates compile excellent academic records according to internal and external measures, including a 100 percent pass rate, for all program completers, on all Illinois Content Tests.
Average GPA for Program Completers
Initial Teacher Preparation Completers: 2022-2023
| Program | Number of Teacher Candidates | Average GPA (4.00 Scale) |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood Education | * | 3.84 |
| Elementary Education | 23 | 3.63 |
| Middle School Education | * | 3.71 |
| High School Education | 14 | 3.73 |
| Special Education | * | 3.70 |
| P-12 Education | * | 3.77 |
*Denotes a value of 10 or less
Advanced Level Program Completers: 2022-2023
| Program | Number of Candidates | Average GPA (4.00 Scale) |
|---|---|---|
| Professional School Counseling | 15 | 3.87 |
Summary Pass Rate for Illinois State Tests
Initial Teacher Preparation Completers: All Programs
| Year | Subject | Number Taking Tests | Number Passing Tests | Pass Rate (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-2023 | Content Area Test /td> | 62 | 62 | 100 |
| 2021-2022 | Content Area Test /td> | 53 | 53 | 100 |
| 2020-2021 | Content Area Test | 70 | 70 | 100 |
| 2019-2020 | Content Area Test edTPA Portfolio Evaluation | 68 68 | 68 68 | 100 100 |
| 2018-2019 | Content Area Test edTPA Portfolio Evaluation | 54 54 | 54 54 | 100 100 |
| 2017-2018 | Content Area Test edTPA Portfolio Evaluation | 56 56 | 56 56 | 100 100 |
| 2016-2017 | Content Area Test edTPA Portfolio Evaluation | 84 84 | 84 84 | 100 100 |
| 2015-2016 | Content Area Test edTPA Portfolio Evaluation | 84 84 | 84 84 | 100 100 |
| 2014-2015 | Content Area Test Academic Proficiency Test | 88 88 | 89 89 | 100 100 |
| 2013-2014 | Content Area Test Academic Proficiency Test | 99 99 | 99 99 | 100 100 |
| 2012-2013 | Content Area Test Academic Proficiency Test | 127 127 | 127 127 | 100 100 |
| 2011-2012 | Content Area Test Academic Proficiency Test | 109 109 | 109 109 | 100 100 |
| 2010-2011 | Content Area Test Academic Proficiency Test | 132 132 | 132 132 | 100 100 |
Title II Certification Reports
Teacher Education
All candidates seeking a Professional Educator License (PEL) are required to take a minimum of two assessments. The first assessment is a Content Area Test (CAT) appropriate to the candidate’s teaching field. The CAT will also need to be passed prior to student teaching. Listed below are the appropriate Content Area Tests for the respective teacher education programs:
| Program | Test Code | Content Area Test |
|---|---|---|
| Early Childhood (Birth through Grade 2) (w/ESL Endorsement) | 206 | Early Childhood Education |
| Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) (w/ESL Endorsement) | 305 | Elementary (Grades 1-6) |
| Family and Consumer Sciences (Grades 6-12) | 217 | Family and Consumer Sciences |
| High School Education Biology (Grades 9-12) | 239 | Science: Biology |
| High School Education Chemistry (Grades 9-12) | 240 | Science: Chemistry |
| High School Education English (Grades 9-12) | 207 | English Language Arts |
| High School Education History/Social Sciences (Grades 9-12) | 246 | Social Science: History |
| High School Education Mathematics (Grades 9-12) | 208 | Mathematics |
| High School Education Physics (Grades 9-12) | 243 | Science: Physics |
| Middle School Education (English/Language Arts w/ESL Endorsement) | 201 | Middle Grades (5-8) Language Arts |
| Middle School Education (Mathematics w/ESL Endorsement) | 202 | Middle Grades (5-8) Mathematics |
| Middle School Education (Science w/ESL Endorsement) | 203 | Middle Grades (5-8) Science |
| Middle School Education (Social Science w/ESL Endorsement) | 204 | Middle Grades (5-8) Social Science |
| Special Education | 290 | Learning Behavior Specialist I |
| PK-12 Art Education | 214 | Visual Arts |
| PK-12 Music Education | 212 | Music |
The second assessment is the edTPA (Teacher Performance Assessment), which is completed during student teaching.
Advanced Level:
The Content Area test would need to be passed for licensure.
| Program | Test Code | Content Area Test |
|---|---|---|
| Professional School Counseling | 235 | School Counselor |
Preparing and Registering for a Content Area Test: