The Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies offers teaching licenses in the following areas:
- Primary/Primary Intervention Specialist Education (Pre-kindergarten through grade five). The successful candidate will teach children who are typically developing, at-risk, gifted, or who have mild/moderate educational needs in the P-5 classroom. This classroom can be a general education, full inclusion, or special education classroom, or a resource room.
- Middle Childhood Education - (Grades four through nine). The successful candidate will teach learners in at least two of four curriculum concentration areas named on the teaching license including:
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Adolescent Education - (Grades seven through twelve). The successful candidate will teach learners in one of the following curriculum areas named on the teaching licence including:
- Integrated Sciences Education
- Integrated Language Arts Education
- Integrated Mathematics Education
- Integrated Social Studies Education
- Multi-age Education - (Pre-kindergarten through grade twelve). The successful candidate will teach learners in one of the following curriculum areas named on the teaching license including:
- Spanish Education (See Department of English and World Languages for more information)
- Music Education (See Department of Music for more information)
- Visual Arts Education (See Department of Art for more information)
- Special Education - (Intervention specialist, kindergarten through grade twelve). For teaching learners with Mild/Moderate Disabilities.
Requirements for Admission to Teacher Education Licensure Programs
Neither admission to the University nor declaration of a major related to a teaching field guarantees admission to the teacher education programs or candidacy for a teaching license. Formal admission to teacher education is required before students are allowed to enroll in junior and senior level courses in their major.
After candidates have completed a minimum of 50 semester hours and fulfilled all other admission requirements, they must submit an application for admission to the teacher education program (Upper Division). The application for Upper Division must be completed and submitted by:
- September 1st to register for Upper Division courses for Spring;
- February 1st to register for Upper Division courses for Summer and Fall.
Students who submit an application after the deadline are NOT guaranteed acceptance in time to register for Upper Division courses.
Each completed application will be reviewed and approved by the Upper Division Admission and Retention Committee. If all requirements are met, student will be allowed to register for Upper Division courses the following semester.
Admission to the Teacher Education Program (upper division) is obtained upon satisfactory completion of the following requirements:
- Minimum completion of 50 semester hours
- Minimum 2.75 overall GPA
- ENGL 1550 Writing 1 and ENGL 1551 Writing 2 "B" average or better OR ENGL 2601 Intermediate Writing for Teachers "B" or better
- EDFN 1501 Introduction to Education, CMST 1545 Communication Foundations, SPED 2630 Individuals with Exceptionalities in Society and a content course (see curriculum sheet for content area course) "B" average or above
- Completion of Good Moral Character Statement
- Current BCI/FBI check (taken within the last year)
- Writing Assessment
Candidates for degrees outside of the Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies (Music and Art) are enrolled in the college awarding the particular degree, however these students must meet the above requirements and be admitted to upper division in Department of Teacher Education and Leadership Studies (TELS) in order to enter the junior and senior level courses leading to a teaching license.
Students should meet the requirements for admission to teacher education by the end of their sophomore year. Later qualification does not justify waiving any course prerequisites or planned sequences, and usually results in prolonging the period of study beyond the usual four years.
Graduation and/or Licensure Evaluation
A Request for Graduation and/or Licensure Evaluation form should be completed and submitted in Banner one year prior to student teaching and/or application for licensure. This form generates a program evaluation to assure that the student meets graduation and/or licensure requirements.
Requirements for Student Teaching
Application for a student teaching must be filed with the Education Advisement Office, Beeghly Hall Room 2101 during the preceding semester in which student teaching is to be completed. Teacher candidates must register for 10 hours of student teaching and two hours for the student teaching seminar in their licensure area. Students anticipating more than one teaching license should seek advisement in Beeghly Hall Room 2101. To qualify for a student teaching assignment, the student must have satisfied the following requirements:
- BCLASSE Upper Division Status
- A minimum overall G.P.A. of a 2.75
- Completion of the program prerequisites
- An average of 2.67 in the major/teaching area and professional education courses (each computed separately with no grade less than a C)
- A passing score on the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) tests and/or the equivalent as required by the Ohio Department of Education
- Completion of a criminal background check
No additional courses may be taken with student teaching. The Administrator of Student Field Experiences must be notified in writing prior to a student's attempt to register for course(s) outside of student teaching. Student teachers are required to complete, submit for national scoring, and pass the edTPA, Teacher Performance Assessment. The Department of TELS requires the passage of the edTPA with a minimum score of 39 (34 for Foreign Language) as one of the requirements for licensure. Student teaching may deviate from the University calendar depending on the academic calendar of the assigned school.
Requirements for Licensure
Initial Licensure
The Dean of BCLASSE has the authority to recommend to the Ohio State Board of Education, and other licensure agencies, those Youngstown State University graduates who qualify for licensure in any teacher education program offered by the University. Students earning degrees through other colleges must complete all requirements of the teacher education program in order to be licensed. All candidates for any teaching license must meet the requirements for program admission in TELS, but the degree earned may be conferred by any of the University colleges in accordance with the specific requirements for the degree desired.
However an overall undergraduate grade point average of 2.75 and 2.67 in the major field(s) and professional-education courses must have been earned if the student is to be recommended for licensure by Youngstown State University, irrespective of the type of degree received. In addition, each candidate for licensure must pass the State of Ohio prescribed licensing examination(s) Ohio Assessments for Educators, ACTFL (foreign language) and the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) prior to receiving YSU's recommendation for licensure.
For more information regarding additional fields, or endorsements, consult the academic advisors in Beeghly Hall Room 2101.
Post-Baccalaureate Licensure
Post-baccalaureate students desiring Youngstown State University's recommendation for licensure in Ohio and any other state must be admitted to the University. Post-baccalaureate students are advised in the undergraduate student advisement office (Beeghly Hall Room 2101) and are advised in the same manner as undergraduate students. They must meet the standard set of requirements for admission and upper-division status in BCLASSE. They must satisfy the teaching field, and professional education requirements comparable to the undergraduate program. Post-baccalaureate students may use approved, documented program equivalency to satisfy appropriate parts of the licensure program.
Licensure in a Second Teaching Field
Post-baccalaureate and undergraduate students seeking licensure in a second teaching field will need to satisfy the approved academic program as stated in the catalog under the section "Teaching Fields." The same quality point requirements apply to second teaching fields as those for initial licensure. A passing score on the specialty exam of the State of Ohio for the second teaching field is required prior to YSU's recommendation for the second teaching field.
Advisement
All prospective teachers are advised by the academic advisors in Beeghly Hall. Secondary students, middle childhood students, and multi-age students are also advised in the department in which their major or areas of concentration are located. To be eligible for licensure, candidates for education degrees must satisfy the catalog requirements in effect on the date of admission to upper division.
Title II, Higher Education Act
The United States Department of Education maintains data on pass rates on licensure exams for all institutions of Higher Education. The most recent data on the pass rate for Youngstown State University and other Ohio institutions is available on the Department of Education website. Please click here for the Institutional Report on the Quality of Teacher Preparation, Title II, Higher Education Act.
Curricula and Courses of Instruction
Each curriculum leads to an Ohio resident educator license. Minimum requirements for teachers' licenses are determined by the Ohio Department of Education; if those requirements change, they become effective immediately at Youngstown State University. State department minimal requirements may be, and usually are, exceeded by University requirements.
Disclaimer: Educator Licensure tests and qualifying scores listed in the ODE charts and on the ODE website are subject to change by the Ohio State Board of Education.
For more information, visit The Beeghly College of Liberal Arts, Social Sciences and Education.