Introduction

The College of Education and Human Services offers a variety of baccalaureate programs for men and women who desire to serve as teachers, nurses, health educators, sport managers, or exercise/fitness specialists. The college also offers graduate programs for the advancement and enrichment of persons active in education and nursing professions.

Web site: www.csuohio.edu/cehs

Bachelor of Science in Education Degree and Teaching Licensure

The faculty of the College of Education and Human Services confers the Bachelor of Science in Education degree with majors in Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood Education, Physical Education, Special Education, and Allied Sports Professions (Exercise/Fitness Specialist or Sport Manager). In addition, undergraduate students and post-baccalaureates may earn State of Ohio Teaching Licenses in early childhood (grades Prek-3), middle childhood (grades 4-9), physical education (grades Prek-12), special education (grades K-12 in mild/moderate or moderate/intensive educational needs), adolescent/young adult (grades 7-12 in a variety of content areas), visual arts (grades Prek-12), music (grades Prek-12), and foreign language (grades Prek-12 in French or Spanish).

The college's conceptual model for teacher education is "The Teacher as a Responsive, Reflective Professional: A Partner in Learning." Graduates of Cleveland State University's teacher education programs are known for distinctive abilities that reflect the four knowledge bases that serve as a foundation for this model: professionalism, partnership, inquiry, and contextualism.

Return to top

At-a-Glance

Degree granted: Bachelor of Science in Education

Endorsements: Teacher licensure

Minimum hours for degree: 125 semester hours

Minimum hours for minor: 32 semester hours (applies only to those undergraduate students seeking adolescent/young adult licensure)

Admission to professional education course work: 2.50 cumulative grade-point average; grade of C or better on college-level English composition course; grade of C or better on college-level math course; Intake Interview.

Financial assistance: Incentive grants; Teacher Scholarship program (details are available in the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower 1401.)

Awards: Golden Apple for Academic Excellence, Award for Exceptional Achievement, and Outstanding Performance for Student Teaching. The Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance confers Major of the Year, Academic Achievement, and the Jane Pease Service Awards.

Central advising office: College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower, Room 1401; 216-687-4625

General Requirements

• Admission to the College
• Acceptance into Teaching Licensure or Allied Sports Professions

Admission to the College

Undergraduate students planning to major in Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood Education, Physical Education, Special Education, Exercise/Fitness Specialist, and Sport Manager must be admitted to the College of Education and Human Services. A student should apply for admission to the college at least one semester in advance of the start of course work in the major. A cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50 is required for admission.

Undergraduate students seeking a teaching license in Adolescent/Young Adult, Visual Arts, Music, French, or Spanish should seek admission to the College of Sciences and Health Professions or the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences. These students, except for those in music, will complete a minor in education.

College graduates seeking a teaching license as a post-baccalaureate student must gain admission to the university through the Undergraduate Admissions Office and then to the College of Education and Human Services through the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower Room 1401. These individuals must also have a cumulative grade-point average of at least 2.50 and meet requirements listed below for acceptance into a teacher license program.

Return to General Requirements | Return to top

Acceptance into Teaching Licensure or Allied Sports Professions

• Undergraduate Students
• Professional Standards
• Course Load
• Student Teaching
• Portfolio
• PRAXIS II
• Teaching Licensure Application
• Entry-Year Program
• Student Responsibility

Undergraduate or post-baccalaureate students must meet certain requirements to be accepted into a licensure or allied sports professions program and be eligible for professional course work at the 300 level and above. These requirements are as follows:

Undergraduate Students

Students planning to major in Early Childhood Education, Middle Childhood Education, Special Education (Mild/Moderate or Moderate/intensive), or Physical Education must be admitted to the College of Education and Human Services. A student should apply for admission to the College of Education and Human Services at least one semester in advance of desired entrance. In addition, students are required to meet certain standards and requirements of the college to be fully accepted into a licensure program and prior to registering for professional course work in education beyond EDB 200 (Teaching as a Profession). These standards and requirements are as follows:

1. The student must have an overall grade-point average of 2.50 or better at the time of enrollment in professional education courses with the exception of EDB 200. All course work taken at other institutions is counted in calculating this grade-point average until the student has completed 12 or more credit hours at Cleveland State University, after which only the Cleveland State grade-point average is considered.
2. The student must have completed or be in the process of completing 30 semester hours of college-level course work.
3. The student must demonstrate proficiency in writing by earning a grade of C or higher in a college-level English composition course.
4. The student must demonstrate proficiency in mathematics by earning a grade of C or higher in a college-level mathematics course.
5. The student must satisfactorily complete an intake interview with an adviser in the College of Education and Human Services Advising Office, Rhodes Tower Room 1401, or, in the case of Physical Education, or Allied Sports Professions, with the coordinator of Undergraduate Student Services in the Physical Education Building Room 228. (Requirements 1-4 above must be met prior to the intake interview.)
6. The student must sign a Verification of Good Moral Character Form in the presence of the intake interview adviser (not required for Allied Sports Professionals).

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Professional Standards

All students enrolled in degree and/or licensure programs in the College of Education and Human Services must meet the following standards:

1. All students must achieve a cumulative Cleveland State University grade-point average of at least 2.50
2. All students must maintain a grade-point average of at least 2.75 for professional course work in education. No grades of D will be accepted. No grade lower than B will be accepted in the practicum experience. Professional course work may be repeated with the approval of the College Advising Office.
3. All students seeking licensure in Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts, Foreign Language, Middle Childhood, or Adolescent/Young Adult areas must achieve a grade-point average of at least 2.50 in their major course work.
4. Students are urged to participate extensively in school and community service as part of their professional preparation. Each student will have opportunities for field experience within the context of a number of professional courses required by the college. However, students also are encouraged to participate in voluntary group leadership activities in community agencies. Assistance in locating such opportunities is provided by the college.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Course Load

The normal course load is 16 hours. Students may carry a maximum of 19 hours per semester, but they are advised to do so only rarely, when there is clear academic justification. Students who wish to take an overload (20 hours) must obtain an overload form approved by adviser.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Student Teaching Internship

The student teaching internship, required of all students being recommended for licensure by Cleveland State University, is open to those students who meet the requirements specified by the College of Education and Human Services. In addition to those professional standards and the grade-point average requirements listed above, the following must be completed prior to approval to student teach:

1. Starting in Summer 2006, a student must provide evidence of having taken all required Praxis II examinations prior to the start of the student teaching experience. In addition a student in French or Spanish must also demonstrate oral proficiency at the ACTFL "Advanced-Low" level.
2. Through work presented in a Professional Portfolio, a student must demonstrate competence levels of at least Emerging on all 12 program outcomes and Proficient in at least 8 of these, including #2 - Social Foundations, #3 - Knowledge of Subject Matter and Inquiry, #4 - Knowledge of Development and Learning, #8 - Instructional Strategies, and #10 - Technology.
3. A student must submit a negative TB (tuberculosis) test report (Mantoux version).
4. A student in Early Childhood, Physical Education, Mild/Moderate, or Moderate/Intensive must submit verification of having completed a series of three Hepatitis B shots.
5. A student must complete a civilian background check (fingerprint check) and submit a copy of a Clearance Report from the Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation (BCI).
6. An undergraduate student must be enrolled in the appropriate college and must have declared the appropriate major or minor (students in Adolescent/Young Adult programs, Music, Visual Arts, and Foreign-Language Education should be enrolled in the College of Sciences and Health Professions or the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences and, except for Music, should declare minors in Education. Post-baccalaureate students should be enrolled in the College of Education and Human Services).
7. Application for the student teaching internship must be filed by September 15 (for spring placement) or February 15 (for fall placement).
8. At least two semesters of academic work must be completed in the College of Education and Human Services before a student is eligible for the student teaching internship.
9. A student must have completed a minimum of 100 credit hours prior to the student teaching internship. All required professional education courses must be completed.

Additional information about all standards and requirements is available in the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower Room 1401.

Note: Students in those programs requiring a practicum experience must complete requirements 3 through 6 above before the start of the practicum experience in addition to all specified prerequisite course work. Application for practicum must be filed by September 15 (for spring placement) or February 15 (for fall placement).

Note: A student may not repeat the student teaching internship without approval of the Petitions Committee of the College. For information about this procedure, visit the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower, Room 1401.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Portfolio

All teaching license students are expected to maintain a portfolio while completing their professional coursework and field experiences. The portfolio will evolve from a working portfolio to a professional portfolio and finally to an employment portfolio. In it, students are responsible for housing various required and optional artifacts that demonstrate their level of competency in each of the following12 outcomes or standards:

1. Personal Philosophy. The Cleveland State teacher education student articulates a personal philosophy of teaching and learning that is grounded in theory and practice.
2. Social Foundations. The Cleveland State teacher education student possesses knowledge and understanding of the social, political, and economic factors that influence education and shape the worlds in which we live.
3. Knowledge of Subject Matter and Inquiry. The Cleveland State teacher education student understands content, disciplinary concepts, and tools of inquiry related to the development of an educated person.
4. Knowledge of Development and Learning. The Cleveland State teacher education student understands how individuals learn and develop and that students enter the learning setting with prior experiences that give meaning to the construction of new knowledge.
5. Diversity. The Cleveland State teacher education student understands how individuals differ in their backgrounds and approaches to learning and incorporates and accounts for such diversity in teaching and learning.
6. Learning Environment. The Cleveland State teacher education student uses an understanding of individual and group motivation to promote positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.
7. Communication. The Cleveland State teacher education student uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster inquiry, collaboration, and engagement in learning environments.
8. Instructional Strategies. The Cleveland State teacher education student plans and implements a variety of developmentally appropriate instructional strategies to develop performance skills, critical thinking, and problem solving, as well as to foster social, emotional, creative, and physical development.
9. Assessment. The Cleveland State teacher education student understands, selects, and uses a range of assessment strategies to foster physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development of learners and gives accounts of students’ learning to the outside world.
10. Technology. The Cleveland State teacher education student understands and uses up-to-date technology to enhance the learning environment across the full range of learner needs.
11. Professional Development. The Cleveland State teacher education student is a reflective practitioner who evaluates his/her interactions with others (e.g., learners, parents/guardians, colleagues and professionals in the community) and seeks opportunities to grow professionally.
12. Collaboration and Professionalism. The Cleveland State teacher education student fosters relationships with colleagues, parents/guardians, community agencies, and colleges/universities to support students’ growth and well-being.

At various portfolio checkpoints, students must meet specific portfolio criteria in order to be eligible to continue to the next phase of their program. For complete information on portfolios, students are strongly encouraged to access the Student Portfolio Handbook available at:

http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/portfolios/

As of Fall semester, 2007, all students entering teacher license programs are required to maintain their portfolios in the Cleveland State University ePortfolio System.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

PRAXIS II

All students are required to pass PRAXIS II examinations in two areas: Principles of Learning and Teaching (EC, K-6, or 5-9, or 7-12) and Specialty Area Tests. Minimum scores are set by the Ohio Department of Education. Approval for endorsement for teaching licensure cannot be given if the student fails to meet the cut-off score in any of these areas. If a test is not passed, it may be repeated until a passing grade is achieved. Pertinent information is available in the Office of Testing Services, RT 1235, in the College Advising Office, or on the Web at www.ets.org/praxis.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Teaching Licensure Application

Students apply for licensure through the College of Education and Human Services Advising Office. Application forms are distributed and explained during orientation to student teaching. Additional forms are available in Rhodes Tower, Room 1401.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Entry Year Program

Students completing all requirements for initial teaching license receive a State of Ohio Provisional Teaching License good for two years. These individuals will be granted a full five-year Professional Teaching License upon successful completion of an Entry-Year Program as a professional teacher. The Entry Year includes a formal program of support and mentoring designed to foster professional growth. Success in the Entry Year also requires teachers to pass the Praxis III assessment administered by Praxis III assessors specially trained by the State of Ohio. Complete information on this process is available in the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower Room 1401.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Student Responsibility

Each student is responsible for meeting the curricular requirements and following the academic regulations of the college and university. No university official can relieve the student of that responsibility. Petitions for exceptions to regulations or requirements may be approved only by an appropriate faculty committee. Petition forms may be obtained from the College Advising Office, Rhodes Tower, Room 1401, 216-687-4625.

Return to Acceptance menu | Return to General Education menu | Return to top

Title II Report Card

All institutions of higher education which prepare teachers must make a public report each year of important aspects of their programs, including the PRAXIS II examination passage rates for the students who complete teacher preparation programs at their institutions. The following tables summarize these passage rates for the most current reporting year. One table also summarizes results over a four year period. A copy of the full public report for Cleveland State University can be found on the College of Education and Human Services Web site (www.csuohio.edu/coehs/).

Return to Praxis Pass-Rate Data | Return to top