Teacher Education Program

Cultivate the knowledge, skills, attitudes and understanding you need to be an effective teacher in today’s schools by enrolling in the Teacher Education Program at University of Jamestown.

The program is approved by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB). University of Jamestown offers programs leading to three basic licensures:

Elementary Licensure (Grades 1-8) entitles the holder to teach in the regular elementary classroom for grades one through eight.
Secondary Licensure (grades 5-12) entitles the holder to teach in the major area in secondary classrooms for grades five through twelve.
K-12 licensure entitles the holder to teach in the restricted areas (P.E., music, etc.) in all grade levels.

GRADUATE AND GET TO WORK

Our Teacher Education program provides a comprehensive academic curriculum complemented by licensure requirements.

Licenses can be obtained through the following majors:

ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION

Candidates must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program in order to enroll in most education courses. Typically, candidates apply for admission to the program while enrolled in EDUC 201: Introduction to Teaching.

To apply, candidates must complete the application form and submit it to the Teacher Education Department by November 1 for spring admission or April 1 for fall admission. Applications are not reviewed during the summer.

Admission criteria are:

Attainment of required credits for sophomore status
Completion of Educ 201: Introduction to Teaching with a minimum grade of C-
Completion of Educ 100: Praxis Preparation
Minimum grade of C- in Engl 101 and Engl 102
Minimum grade of C- in Comm 102 or 201
Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70
Satisfactory background check
Passing scores on the Praxis I (Core Academic Skills) tests
Approval of the Teacher Education Council

SATISFACTORY PROGRESSION IN TEACHER EDUCATION

In addition to successfully completing each of the required courses, candidates must meet certain programmatic requirements—including satisfactory performances on Praxis exams, key assessments, dispositional attributes, and field experiences.

Praxis Exams

The state of North Dakota requires passing scores on a series of three ETS Praxis exams. The first exam (Core Academic Skills for Educators) has three components—reading, writing, and mathematics. Candidates will complete this exam prior to admission into Teacher Education.

Candidates will also take Praxis II content exams in their subject area (e.g. Math, P.E., English) and Praxis II pedagogy exams (PLT) in their licensure level (e.g. elementary, secondary). For information about specific exam codes, required scores for passing, and registration information, visit the ETS website.

Candidates are required to complete the Praxis II content exam prior to student teaching. The Praxis II: PLT exam must be taken prior to the completion of student teaching. While candidates are required to complete both the Praxis II Content and PLT exams to complete the program, passing scores are not required for graduation. Passing scores are, however, required to attain licensure in North Dakota.

Field Experiences

Pursuant to Century Code 67.1-02-02-02.1, all teacher education candidates must have classroom-related experiences prior to student teaching. At UJ, these experiences occur early and throughout the Teacher Education program. Candidates must complete at least 110 hours of field experience prior to student teaching. Expectations of candidates in field experiences increase incrementally with each semester in the program. Additionally, field experiences occur in a variety of settings to allow candidates the opportunity to interact with a variety of P-12 students and experience diversity across school environments.

Student Teaching

The final stage of the Teacher Education program is a semester-long student teaching experience in an accredited classroom of the candidate’s licensure area. Application for student teaching must be made one semester before the student teaching semester
To apply for student teaching, candidates must complete the application form and submit it to the Teacher Education Department by October 1 for spring student teaching or March 1 for fall student teaching. Admission requirements for Student Teaching include:

2.70 cumulative GPA
2.70 GPA in major
Completion of all major and professional education courses with a C- or better (or S for S/U courses) by end of application term
Praxis II: Content Knowledge scores (Praxis II: PLT scores required to complete student teaching)
Proof of liability insurance
Satisfactory fingerprint background check
The Teacher Education Council (TEC) will make final decisions regarding admission to Student Teaching.

PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS

Accreditation

The Teacher Education Program is accredited by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB), which sets the standards pertaining to teacher licensure and teacher education program approval for the state.

License Eligibility

Candidates who complete all course requirements and pass the required Praxis exams are eligible for licensure in the state of North Dakota. Candidates who plan to teach in states other than North Dakota should click here and then discuss licensure requirements with the department chair.

NC-SARA

Evidence of Program Effectiveness

Impact that completers’ teaching has on P-12 learning and development

Completer Impact on Student Learning

Indicators of teaching effectiveness

In fall 2020, the EPP will begin soliciting participation from our program completers to collect and share student perception survey data. EPP faculty selected the Panorama Student Survey, developed by Panorama Education and the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Part of the appeal in using this particular instrument is student-friendly survey design and the process of validation involved with its development. These survey data will complement the data collected on completer performance through formal evaluations conducted by building administrators. Review of available data indicate that ratings are more positive than not. Current completer performance data have an N less than 10; thus, they are not available for public consumption.

Completer and Employer Survey Data

Graduation rates from preparation programs

Graduation rates of admitted candidates by program area will be available after completion of candidates admitted in the spring 2020 cohort.

Ability of completers to meet licensing (certification) and any additional state requirements (i.e., licensure rates)

Ability of completers to be hired in education positions for which they were prepared (i.e., hiring rates)

Percent of Program Completers hired in education positions for which they were prepared:
AY 2016-17 Completers: 61.5%
AY 2017-18 Completers: 88.8%
AY 2018-19 Completers: 65%

Student loan default rates and other consumer information

Teacher Education Program Resources

Student Teaching Application

Student Teaching Handbook

Teacher Education Advising Resources

Teacher Education Field Experience Handbook

Teacher Education Program Application

Admission Form