David O. McKay School of Education

301 MCKB
(801) 422-3694

Dean: K. Richard Young, Professor, Counseling Psychology and Special Education
Associate Dean: Barbara Culatta, Professor, Communication Disorders
Associate Dean: Nancy Wentworth, Professor, Teacher Education

The five departments in the David O. McKay School of Education are:

Communication Disorders
Counseling Psychology and Special Education
Educational Leadership and Foundations
Instructional Psychology and Technology
Teacher Education

The principal purposes of the David O. McKay School of Education are:

1. Preparing teachers for public and private schools;
2. Providing graduate programs for the preparation of school principals, counselors, school psychologists, curriculum supervisors, speech-language pathologists, and master teachers;
3. Offering research-based graduate programs; and
4. Researching educational processes and issues.

McKay School Student Services

Jay Oliver, Supervisor
120 MCKB
(801) 422-3426

The McKay School of Education Sudent Services is designed to centrally locate a variety of programs for the purpose of better servicing students needs. Three major programs housed in Student Services includes the Education Advisement and Certification Office, the Field Services Office, and the Scholarship Office.

Education Advisement and Certification Office

The Education Advisement and Certification Office assists students from the beginning of the freshman year through graduation and teacher licensure. Students majoring in elementary education, early childhood education, special education, or communication disorders are advised concerning general education and major requirements, graduation requirements, and teacher licensure procedures.

Secondary education majors in social science receive their total program advisement from the Education Advisement and Certification Office. Other secondary education majors receive advisement in general education and major requirements from their respective college advisement centers. All majors receive licensure advisement in the Education Advisement and Certification Office.

Students are encouraged to visit their advisement centers on a regular basis. Forms are available on the Web site: http://education.byu.edu/ess

Field Services Office

The Field Services Office assists students with student teaching and internship placements in local partnership schools and in schools selected for national and international programs. Students must make application and receive clearance for student teaching and internships by submitting a Student Teaching / Internship Application to Field Services, 120 MCKB. Forms are available on the Field Services Web site: http://education.byu.edu/ess.

Scholarship Office

The McKay School of Education Scholarship Office provides a variety of private scholarships, grants and loans to students majoring in a teaching program and other McKay School majors or programs. The scholarship, loan, and grant application is available online at http://education.byu.edu/ess.

Career Placement Office—Education

Lisa Christensen, Supervisor
2400 WSC
(801) 422-6934
E-mail: education_placement@byu.edu

The Education Placement Office seeks to assist students and alumni in their career search by providing students with tools, information, and encouragement to perform a successful job search. Students may register with the Education Placement Office by going to http://educationplacement.byu.edu and following the placement file Web site links. Registrants gain access to many valuable services including information and advisement on resumes, interviewing, networking, and teacher fair participation. The placement office also schedules recruiters and advertises job postings received from school districts across the nation and internationally.

Acceptance into Teacher Education Licensure Programs

Acceptance into teacher education licensure programs in the David O. McKay School of Education is based on a student's application and admission criteria, including an FBI background clearance. The David O. McKay School of Education seeks students who attain high educational standards and who evidence aptitude for teaching.

Secondary education majors are encouraged to take Sc Ed 276R in their sophomore year. Early childhood education and special education majors must complete their "Exploratory Experience in Education" (see advisor for details) before the final semester of their sophomore year, after which formal acceptance into professional program in the David O. McKay School of Education normally occurs.

Withdrawals. Students who withdraw from the university or who otherwise interrupt their education (excepting spring and summer terms) must expect, on returning to the university, to meet the most recent requirements for teacher education licensure programs.

Transfer Students. Students who transfer to the David O. McKay School of Education from a two-year college, another university, or another college within BYU must meet the requirements for acceptance set forth above.

Preparation of Teachers

Candidates for all teacher preparation programs are required to complete an application that includes core criteria for each program. Applications are available online at http://education.byu.edu/ted for all teaching majors except special 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. Fingerprinting can be done in the Education Advisement Center, 120 MCKB. 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.

Early Childhood Teaching. Prior application and meetng with an advisor are required for students wishing to teach young children from pre-kindergarten through third grade (P-K). Applications are available in the Teacher Education Department, 201 MCKB. Students should meet with an advisor, 120 MCKB, to plan their program and course schedules. Elementary Education majors may elect to fulfill certification requirements for teaching P-K by completing a subject area emphasis in early childhood education. Contact an advisor in the MSE Student Services, 120 MCKB, for further details.

Elementary School Teaching. Prior application and meeting with an advisor are required for students wishing to teach elementary children. Applications must be completed before the final semester of the sophomore year. While in the program students must maintain established standards for personal conduct and interpersonal skills as outlined in the program. Students are encouraged to visit an advisor in the MSE Student Services, 120 MCKB, to discuss program changes.

Secondary School Teaching. Students planning a career in secondary school teaching should declare their teaching major at the college advisement center responsible for their major. A secondary teaching major incorporates both a major and professional education program leading to licensure. Students may begin their professional teaching program during their sophomore years. Course listings and prerequisites are found under the Teacher Education Department in the online catalog. Students are encouraged to visit their major advisement center to plan their program.

Special Education Teaching. Students who plan to teach K-12 students with disabilities should apply through the Department of Counseling Psychology and Special Education. Application materials for the program are available online at http://education.byu.edu/cpse/undergradapp.pdf. Both an accepted application and successful completion of the "Special Education Exploratory Experience" packet are required for admission. These must be completed before the final semester of the sophomore year so that alternate educational plans can be made—without prolonging the time to graduation—if the student is denied admittance into the special education program.

Applicants must demonstrate and maintain established standards for personal conduct and interpersonal skills as outlined. The program includes multiple practica in the schools, and spring/summer enrollment is required. In addition to core courses, majors select an area of emphasis in either mild/moderate or severe disabilities. Students receive advisement from the Education Advisement and Certification Office.

Communication Disorders. Students interested in helping people who have language, speech, and hearing problems can major in communication disorders. The undergraduate major is open (no application is required) and students should formally request this major at the Education Advisement Center, 120 MCKB. The major is primarily preprofessional. It prepares students for graduate study in either speech-language pathology (requiring a master's degree) or audiology (requiring a doctor's degree). The major focuses on the nature and characteristics of normal and impaired human communication.

Student Teaching. The culminating experience for students in teacher education is a student teaching assignment in a public school classroom under the supervision of mentor teachers and university supervisors. Students must plan their programs carefully to meet requirements for student teaching.

Internships. Internship appointments in a public school are available and may substitute for student teaching. Internship appointments are for a full year and carry a modest stipend. Interested students should contact their major supervisor or liaison.

Application for Licensure

The licensure of teachers is a function of the Utah State Office of Education (USOE). Requirements for Utah licensure are available in the Education Advisement and Certification Office. As licensure requirements are frequently updated, students should check the Web sites and attend the update sessions offered by the Department of Teacher Education to stay informed. Although such modifications are not retroactive, they may still affect the uncompleted portion of a student's program.

Prior to graduation, students are responsible to take the required Praxis II Content Test, to have the test score sent to BYU, to pay the state licensing fees, and to check that their fingerprint background clearance is still current. 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 Center, 120 MCKB, (801) 422-3426. Graduation and licensure cannot be processed until these requirements have been completed.

Students who apply for Utah licensure must have the recommendation of the dean of the David O. McKay School of Education. Students are encouraged to plan their programs with the assistance of advisors in the Education Advisement and Certification Office so that they will be assured of meeting requirements for licensure.

Certification/Licensure in Other States. Under reciprocity agreements, Utah licensure is accepted in those states where such agreements are in effect. Specific information is available in the Education Advisement and Certification Office. Students who plan to certify/license in another state should contact that state for requirements beyond those in Utah as early in their programs as possible.