Concordia’s School of Education curriculum has been developed to be fully consistent in compliance with all standards and requirements established by the Michigan State Department of Education, the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and the professional organizations governing the content specialty areas of each content and grade band. Successful completion of the curriculum qualifies teacher candidates for the Bachelor of Arts Degree and teacher certification. Teacher candidates can add the Lutheran Teacher Diploma if desired. The School of Education offers programs in the following areas: Elementary Teacher Education, Secondary Teacher Education, and K-12 Teacher Education.

Mission

The School of Education equips and inspires Christian servant leaders to pursue integrity and excellence in the delivery of educational services within professional and lifelong learning throughout the world.

Program Outcomes

The School of Education has created and adopted a set of program outcomes, providing a description of the knowledge, skills and dispositions candidates are expected to demonstrate in order to receive the recommendation for a state teaching certificate. Each candidate's progress towards achieving these outcomes is assessed and documented throughout the program and is the primary basis for determining admission and continuance in the program, admission into the student teaching experience, and program completion. The eight program outcomes are:

Servant Leader

1. Faith Integration: Candidates display the Christian principles that are central to the university's mission.
2. Caring Relationships: Candidates establish caring, supportive relationships with students, families and colleagues.

Reflective Practitioner

1. Disciplinary Knowledge: Candidates demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the skills and frameworks of their content areas appropriate to their certification.
2. Instruction and Pedagogy: Candidates understand and implement best practices of instruction and deliver well-differentiated and well-aligned instruction that empowers students as learners.
3. Communication: Candidates demonstrate effective
   communication skills to enhance teaching and learning.
4. Assessment: Candidates use various types of assessment to evaluate student progress and to improve their instruction.
5. Classroom Environment: Candidates assess and respond appropriately to the cultures of diverse classrooms, schools and the community

Lifelong Learner

LL8. Professionalism and Personal Growth: Candidates engage in continuous growth by consistently expanding their professional knowledge, skills and dispositions.

Clinical Experiences

Achievement of the program outcomes is best accomplished through frequent, intentional opportunities for teacher candidates to explore and develop them in interactions with children and exemplary teachers in diverse settings. Therefore, School of Education programs involve a wide variety of clinical experiences providing opportunities to observe, discuss, and practice emerging skills and foster growth under the guidance of a mentoring teacher.

Candidates are expected to demonstrate a growing understanding of what it means to be a professional in dress, demeanor, disposition, and relationships and to be a positive representative of Concordia University and the School of Education. They are expected to take seriously the need to be on time, to be respectful of the teaching and learning in the classroom, and to be conscientious regarding absences. The ability and readiness to demonstrate these examples of professionalism are addressed and assessed throughout the program.

Candidates will be required to track hours and clinical experiences. Any and all paperwork required for an individual course will be provided to the candidate.

School-based clinical experiences are part of the requirements for the majority of courses.  With guidance, direction, and feedback from the course instructors, these experiences provide opportunities to practice and refine teaching skills, while also developing professional dispositions. Assessment rubrics for these activities will be completed by the course instructors and/or cooperating teachers.

Scheduling Clinical Experiences

Candidates will receive fieldwork information within the first week of each term. Candidates are responsible to follow guidelines to find appropriate clinical placement per course that requires fieldwork assignments. Prior to candidates attending clinicals, candidates must submit the clinical approval plan. Candidates are to conduct clinicals in a classroom setting with a certified teacher.

Eligibility for Participation in Clinical Activities

The practice of Michigan’s Board of Education has been to deny, revoke or suspend a teaching certificate for misdemeanor or felony convictions. In response to the State's regulations regarding such infractions, the School of Education requires all students participating in field based activities to complete a background check. If at any point during the program, a candidate’s background check status changes, he/she will be required to fill out a Rule 101 form. All candidates will complete a Rule 101 form while preparing for Student Teaching (EDU 395).

If a candidate replies positively to any questions regarding conviction or charges related to felonies or certain misdemeanors, involvement in clinical experiences will be postponed. The Dean will determine whether the conviction or charge is serious enough to indicate the possible denial of a teaching certificate by the State of Michigan. If it is determined that such a possibility exists, the candidate will be denied the opportunity to participate in clinical experiences and will be counseled to withdraw from the teacher education program.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to immediately report to the School of Education Dean any changes in previously submitted Rule 101 Statement responses or background checks.

All candidates who are involved in clinicals through the School of Education courses are required to submit to a one-time criminal background check prior to placement in clinicals. It is required that the background check be conducted through CastleBranch service. The background check results will be on file at Concordia University Ann Arbor.

Admittance into School of Education

A candidate must be formally admitted into the School of Education to take upper level courses. This typically occurs in a candidate’s second year. Please see the School of Education Handbook for specific details on requirements for admission. All applications for admittance must be submitted to the School of Education office during finals week of the previous term. In order to ensure enough time for application approval and interviews, applications received after the due date will be deferred to the next term.

The Student Teaching Term

During the term prior to student teaching, candidates will take EDU 395: Preparing for Student Teaching, where they will apply for admission into the student teaching term. At the end of EDU 395, candidates who have completed all requirements for student teaching will receive notification to enroll in the appropriate student teaching course. Please see the School of Education Handbook for further information regarding student teaching requirements.

Program Completion

In order to graduate with a degree from the School of Education all required coursework must be completed including a professional term of student teaching.

Michigan State Certification Requirements

In order to be certified with the State of Michigan, a candidate must have completed the following requirements:

1. Passing scores on all required Michigan Tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC) for desired grade bands and content. Additional certifications (i.e. additional grade bands, content areas, and/or special education) require passing scores on the corresponding MTTC tests. Candidates must apply for certification within 5 years of passing the MTTC.
2. Successfully completed all university and program requirements, plus have the approval of the program coordinator.

Majors

• K-12 Health and Physical Education
• K-12 Music Education
• Lower Elementary Education (Grades Pk – 3)
• Upper Elementary Education (Grades 3-6)
• Middle Level Secondary Education (Grades 5 – 9) – English
• Middle Level Secondary Education (Grades 5 – 9) – Mathematics
• Middle Level Secondary Education (Grades 5 – 9) – Science
• Special Education Learning Disabilities *Must be taken in concordance with another major listed
• Upper Level Secondary Education (Grades 7 – 12) - English
• Upper Level Secondary Education (Grades 7 – 12) - Mathematics
• Upper Level Secondary Education (Grades 7 – 12) - Science
•  Secondary Education (Grades 6 – 12) – Social Studies