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Undergraduate Catalog

2008 - 2009

      
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Secondary Education

Fingerprint and Background Check

All candidates for teacher licensure are required by state statute to be fingerprinted and pass an FBI background check before participating in required field experiences. Fingerprints are taken in the Education Advisement Center (EAC) in 120 MCKB. Contact the EAC for the schedule. Allow from five to six weeks for fingerprints to be processed. FBI background clearance is valid for only three years. If clearance expires before graduation, candidates must repeat the fingerprinting and clearance process, including a new fee payment.

Failing to expunge a police record prior to the background check may result in a blocked registration while a panel reviews the charges. Candidates who cannot pass an FBI background check will be removed from the teacher education licensure program.

Additional Licensing Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to be sure that the Praxis test has been taken and that BYU has received the test scores, that their fingerprint background clearance is current prior to graduation and that state licensing fees have been paid. Students will also be responsible for any additional requirements imposed by the state prior to their graduation. To confirm the status of these requirements contact the Education Advisement and Certification Center, 120 MCKB, (801) 422-3426. Graduation and Utah licensure cannot be processed until these requirements have been completed.

The Discipline

The Department of Teacher Education provides a program that licenses secondary teachers for the public schools. In addition to content courses in the field(s) in which they plan to teach, students complete professional education courses and practicum experiences that prepare them to teach in a secondary school setting.

Career Opportunities

Secondary education teacher.

General Information

Teaching Majors, Minors and Composites

Students wishing to certify as secondary teachers select one of the following options in addition to the professional education sequence. For specific requirements, see the department listing for the teaching major or minor.

Option 1a: Teaching Major

The following subjects do not require a teaching minor, although a teaching minor is recommended.

Option 1b: Teaching Major and Approved Teaching Minor

The following subjects require an approved teaching minor.

Approved Teaching Minors for Options 1a and 1b Teaching Majors:

Option 2: Restricted Teaching Major and Approved Teaching Minor

The following subjects require an approved teaching minor from a frequently taught academic area.

Approved Teaching Minors for Option 2 Teaching Majors

Option 3: Composite Teaching Major

A teaching composite enables a student to complete a broader range of content area courses. However, a composite requires at least 46 hours in the teaching major, usually exceeding the 120 hours required for graduation. Teaching composite majors are available in the following subject areas:

Teaching Majors

The following is a list of teaching majors and minors offered jointly with the Department of Teacher Education and other academic departments throughout the university. For specific major course requirements, see the department offering the teaching major or minor. For licensure requirements, refer to the above information.

Teaching Majors and Composite Teaching Majors

(Hours listed include courses taken to fill both major and licensure requirements.)

Teaching Minors

Professional Education Requirements

All teacher candidates in secondary education complete an approved sequence of required professional education courses. Please see the appropriate department listing for each teaching major.

Fingerprint and Background Check

All candidates for teacher licensure are required by state statute to be fingerprinted and pass an FBI background check before participating in required field experiences. Fingerprints are taken in the Education Advisement Center (EAC) in 120 MCKB. Contact the EAC for the schedule. Allow from five to six weeks for fingerprints to be processed. FBI background clearance is valid for only three years. If clearance expires before graduation, candidates must repeat the fingerprinting and clearance process, including a new fee payment.

Failing to expunge a police record prior to the background check may result in a blocked registration while a panel reviews the charges. Candidates who cannot pass an FBI background check will be removed from the teacher education licensure program.

Additional Licensing Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to be sure that the Praxis test has been taken and that BYU has received the test scores, that their fingerprint background clearance is current prior to graduation and that state licensing fees have been paid. Students will also be responsible for any additional requirements imposed by the state prior to their graduation. To confirm the status of these requirements contact the Education Advisement and Certification Center, 120 MCKB, (801) 422-3426. Graduation and Utah licensure cannot be processed until these requirements have been completed.

Student Teaching Prerequisites

  1. Teaching Major. Complete all teaching major requirements. Exceptions require a written appeal submitted to Field Services (120 MCKB).

  2. Teaching Within a Minor. Students requesting to student teach in the area of a teaching minor must (1) complete all minor course work before student teaching and (2) obtain written permission from the Teacher Education Department and the teaching minor department.

  3. Professional Education Courses. Complete CPSE 402, Sc Ed 276R, 350, 353, 378, 379, IP&T 286, and the appropriate 377R or 477 methods course with a C or higher.

  4. Application. Apply for student teaching at the Education Advisement and Certification Center. Packets are available online at http://education.byu.edu/fieldservices/

Licensing Procedures

Students are responsible for keeping the Education Advisement and Certification Center informed of their progress toward licensure. If any changes are to be made in the licensing program outlined in this catalog, the student must prepare and circulate the necessary memoranda to obtain approval from both the academic major department and secondary education.

To avoid undue delay licensing, students are urged to arrange for a personal review of their Education Advisement and Certification Center file well in advance of registering for their final semester, because completion of graduation requirements does not necessarily mean that all licensing requirements have been met.



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