Teacher Education Licensure Program

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Director of Teacher Education - David Hayes
Professors - David Hayes and Stephen A. Roderick
Associate Professors - Gene Taylor, and Jennifer Trujillo
Assistant Professors - Richard Fulton, Mary Ann Goff, Kristine Greer, and Mary Lynne Herr
Visiting Instructor - Toi Creech

Fort Lewis College offers a Teacher Education Licensure Program designed to enable students to qualify for a Colorado teaching license. The program makes it possible both to complete a bachelor’s degree and qualify for a teaching license within four academic years. All students are encouraged to schedule a meeting with the Director of Teacher Education during their first term regarding the Teacher Education Licensure Program, approved majors, and requirements necessary for licensure. The Teacher Education Department is located on the top floor of Education and Business Hall (EBH 244). Students may also visit the Teacher Education website at
http://extended-campus.fortlewis.edu.

The Fort Lewis College Teacher Education Department endeavors to attract individuals with a high potential for successfully completing teacher preparation courses and fieldwork. The Director of Teacher Education serves as the contact person for curriculum advising.

Steps to Becoming a Licensed Teacher

Undergraduate Students: Undergraduate students interested in seeking teaching licensure at Fort Lewis College should fully understand that there are several steps in the process. The Director of Teacher Education can answer any questions about the process. Interested students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Director (EBH 244) for this purpose. The steps to teacher licensure for undergraduate students are as follows:

Students must select the approved major for their chosen licensure area, as indicated below under Teacher Licensure Programs Offered at Fort Lewis College and Approved Corresponding Majors.

In consultation with an academic advisor in the appropriate major, and during their first term, students should plan a program of studies that will qualify them to graduate and meet licensure requirements in a four year period, if that is their goal. Interdisciplinary Studies majors seeking elementary education or early childhood education licensure should be advised by a Teacher Education faculty member. Students must meet with their academic advisor prior to registration each term.

Students seeking licensure in a K-12 or 7-12 area will be advised by a faculty member in their major. These students also should meet with the Director of Teacher Education during their first term at Fort Lewis College to be assigned to a Teacher Education advisor. The Teacher Education advisor will help the student understand the requirements and policies leading to licensure, and will help them in developing their program of studies. Students must meet with their academic advisors prior to registration each term.
Upon earning at least 30 credits, students may apply for admission to the Teacher Education Licensure Program. To do so, students must secure an application from the Teacher Education Department, complete the application, and return it to the Teacher Education Department. Admission requirements are indicated below. Applicants who meet these requirements will receive a letter indicating their admission. Students who have not been admitted to the Teacher Education Licensure Program are not eligible to take the 400-level methods courses needed for licensure.
Students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Licensure Program must apply for student teaching by the third Friday of the first month of the fall or winter semester that precedes their student teaching term. Requirements for admission to student teaching are indicated below.
Students who complete student teaching must apply to the Colorado Department of Education for Colorado licensure. Requirements for being recommended for licensure are indicated below.

Post-baccalaureate Students: Students who have already earned a bachelors degree typically seek teaching licensure and not a second degree. Therefore post-baccalaureate students are admitted to Fort Lewis College as unclassified students and do not choose a major. Post-baccalaureate students interested in seeking teaching licensure at Fort Lewis College should fully understand the several steps in the process prior to applying for admission to Fort Lewis College. The steps to teacher licensure for post-baccalaureate students are as follows:

Potential students should submit a letter to the Director of Teacher Education, Fort Lewis College, Durango CO 81301. In this letter potential students should specify the licensure program of interest (programs are listed below) and should include in the same mailing copies of transcripts from all colleges attended. The transcripts may be unofficial at this point. The Director of Teacher Education will then review the transcripts and send information to the potential student on the courses he/she needs to complete in the chosen licensure program and other information about the program.
Following this transcript evaluation process, interested post-baccalaureate students should schedule an appointment with the Director of Teacher Education to address concerns or questions, to establish a GPA for the purpose of later admission to the Teacher Education Licensure Program, and to plan a program of studies. Note: Establishing the GPA is based on several factors and will be explained to potential students in information sent to them in step one, above.
Following this appointment, interested post-baccalaureate students should apply for admission to Fort Lewis College.
Post-baccalaureate students admitted to Fort Lewis College are advised by the Director of Teacher Education. Students should meet with their advisor each term prior to registration.
Post-baccalaureate students may apply for admission to the Teacher Education Licensure Program once they have met the requirements indicated below. Post-baccalaureate students must secure an application from the Teacher Education Department, complete the application, and schedule an admission appointment with the Director of Teacher Education. Students who have not been admitted to the Teacher Education Licensure Program are not eligible to take the 400-level methods courses needed for licensure.
Post-baccalaureate students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Licensure Program must apply for student teaching by the third Friday of the first month of the fall or winter semester that precedes their student teaching term. Requirements for admission to student teaching are indicated below.
Post-baccalaureate students who complete student teaching must apply to the Colorado Department of Education for licensure. Requirements for being recommended for licensure are indicated below.

Teacher Licensure Programs Offered at Fort Lewis College and Approved Corresponding Majors

Undergraduate students interested in being licensed as a teacher in Colorado must first choose an academic major that corresponds to a specific licensure program. The licensure programs and their corresponding academic majors follow. The requirements for the selected licensure program are found under each major’s teaching option.

Early Childhood Education Licensure (birth to 3rd grade)
> Academic Major: Interdisciplinary Studies Major-Teacher Education option
Elementary Education Licensure (grades K-6)
> Academic Major: Interdisciplinary Studies Major-Teacher Education option
Secondary English Licensure (grades 7-12)
> Academic Major: English-English for Secondary Teachers option
Secondary Mathematics Licensure (grades 7-12)
> Academic Major: Mathematics-Mathematics for Secondary Teachers option
Secondary Science Licensure (grades 7-12)
> Academic Major (one of the following four majors):
Biology - Biology for Secondary Teachers option
Chemistry - Chemistry for Secondary Teachers option
Geology - Earth Science for Secondary Teachers option
Physics - Physical Science for Secondary Teachers option
Secondary Social Studies Licensure (grades 7-12)
> Academic Major: History-Social Studies for Secondary Teachers option
Secondary Spanish Licensure (grades 7-12)
> Academic Major: Spanish-Spanish for Secondary Teachers option
Art Licensure (grades K-12)
> Academic Major: Art- The Art K-12 Teaching option
Music Licensure (grades K-12)
> Academic Major: Music-The Music K-12 Teaching option
Physical Education Licensure (grades K-12)
> Academic Major: Exercise Science-The Exercise Science K-12 Teaching option

Additional Licensure Options

Students in all licensure programs may seek an add-on licensure in Linguistically Diverse Education (often referred to as English as a Second Language). Students who have added licensure in Linguistically Diverse Education may also seek an add-on licensure in Linguistically Diverse Education Specialist: Bilingual Preparation. As both of these add-on licensure programs entail additional coursework, students should expect that the time needed to complete both the primary licensure program and an add-on will exceed four years. Interested students should speak with Dr. Jennifer Trujillo, Program Coordinator, EBH 248, to determine specific courses they will need to take.

It is also possible for ISM students to become licensed in both Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education without additional coursework. Students interested in this option should speak with their advisors or with the Director of Teacher Education.

Requirements for Admission to the Teacher Education Licensure Program

To gain admission to the Teacher Education Licensure Program, students secure an application from the Director of Teacher of Education and, once completed, schedule an admission appointment with the Director. Admission requirements follow:

A completed Teacher Education application and a current Fort Lewis College transcript that shows that the applicant is currently enrolled at the College; is in the approved major for the licensure area (or is a post-baccalaureate student seeking licensure only); and has completed a minimum of 30 credits. Students may apply with fewer than 30 credits if they meet application requirements 2-6 below.
Completed ED 222 (Education: Global Perspectives) with a minimum grade of B-. It is possible for students to be admitted while taking this course if they meet requirements 3-6, but they will still need to earn a minimum grade of B- in ED 222 as a requirement for student teaching.
Submission of fingerprints for a Colorado Department of Education background investigation.
Attained a cumulative Fort Lewis College GPA of at least 2.75.
Degree seeking students only: Completed Comp 150 or Comp 126 or Comp 250 with a minimum grade of C (not C-).
Degree seeking students only: Completed one college level math or approved equivalent course with a minimum grade of C (not C-). Remedial courses are not accepted as a fulfillment of this requirement.

PERC Petition: Applicants who have not attained one or more of the above requirements, except requirement #3, may submit a petition to the department’s Professional Education Review Committee for approval to be admitted. The PERC petition may be obtained from the Director of Teacher Education. The PERC is composed of three Teacher Education faculty members who will review the applicant’s petition. The PERC will review each case on its merits; not all requests to the PERC are granted.

Required Field Experiences

Fort Lewis College students in the Teacher Education Licensure Program will complete a minimum of 800 hours of field experience activities throughout their program. Students must have submitted fingerprints for a background check in order to enroll in any course with a field-study component.

300-Level courses: Students will take 300-level courses that include field study components. The number of courses differs among the various programs.

400-Level courses: Students will take courses that include field study components with the focus on planning and teaching lessons under the direction of veteran classroom teachers. Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education students will be involved in a three-term immersion program that combines teaching methodology courses with practical application in field study.

Student Teaching: Students in the Secondary and K- 12 licensure programs complete a full term of student teaching. The third immersion term is considered the official student teaching term for students in the ISM Major (El Ed and ECE).

Requirements for Admission to Student Teaching

Secondary and K-12 students and ISM El Ed and ECE second-term immersion block students will attend a special meeting in the first week of the fall or winter semester prior to their intended student teaching term/third immersion term. Applications for student teaching/third immersion term are distributed at this meeting and must be submitted by the deadline announced at this meeting, typically three weeks after the meeting. For more information, students should contact Will Camp, Coordinator of Field Experiences, EBH 242. Students may apply to student teach in the Durango area or in out-of-area school districts.

Requirements for Admission to Student Teaching/ISM Third Immersion Term:

Senior or post-baccalaureate standing.
Pass the approved PRAXIS II or PLACE content test.
Successful completion of 100% of coursework prior to the student teaching term.
Achievement of a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 and a minimum 2.75 GPA in courses with an ED designation.
Earn a minimum grade of C (not C-) in all courses with an ED designation. In addition, students must have earned a minimum B- grade in ED 222.
Maintain the support of teacher education faculty members. Such support may be withheld for violations of academic integrity or irresponsible actions in field experiences or course work.

PERC Petition: Students not meeting the above requirements may petition for a review by the Department’s Professional Education Review Committee (PERC), which may stipulate conditions in order to be allowed to student teach. Not all PERC requests are granted. In no case may a student be allowed to student teach without having passed the approved content test.

Out-of-Area Student Teaching: Reasonable attempts will be made to approve students’ requests to student teach out-of-area (more than 70 miles from Durango). Students approved to teach out-of-area must have demonstrated consistently responsible behaviors in pre-student teaching field study and coursework. Students interested in this option should speak with Will Camp, Coordinator of Field Experiences, EBH 242, well in advance of the student teaching/third immersion term. Students who student teach out-of-area are charged an additional fee to cover the additional cost of supervision.

Required Content Tests: Students will not be placed into student teaching/ISM third immersion term until they have passed the required content test for their licensure area by the established testing dates. Thus, students should take their content test prior to the date they will apply for admission to student teaching/ third immersion term.

For students planning to student teach/enter third immersion term in a Fall semester, they should have taken their content test by the November prior to the subsequent Fall semester (for example, if student teaching in Fall 2011, the test should be taken by November 2010). Students’ final opportunity to pass their required test in order to student teach in the Fall semester will be the March testing date (in the above example, March 2011).
For students planning to student teach/take their third immersion term in a Winter semester, they should have taken their content test by the summer prior to the subsequent Winter semester (for example, if student teaching in Winter 2012, the test should be taken by June or July 2011). Students’ final opportunity to pass their required test in order to student teach in the Winter semester will be the September testing date (in the above example, September 2011).

Study guides for all tests are on reserve at Reed Library. Students register on-line and can find additional information about the tests by linking to PRAXIS and PLACE from the Teacher Education Web Site (http://extendedcampus.fortlewis.edu/) Information on test dates also can be found on the bulletin board outside EBH 242.

Required Tests by Licensure Area

Early Childhood Education: PLACE Test 02
Elementary Education: PLACE Test 01 or PRAXIS II 10014
Secondary English: PLACE Test 07 or PRAXIS II 10041
Secondary Mathematics: PLACE Test 04 or PRAXIS II 10061
Secondary Science: PLACE Test 05 or PRAXIS II 10435
Secondary Social Studies: PLACE Test 06 or PRAXIS II 10081
Secondary Spanish: PLACE Test 09
K-12 Art: PLACE Test 28
K-12 Music: PLACE Test 29
K-12 Physical Education: PLACE Test 32

Add-on Licensure Tests (must be passed to be eligible for licensure, but not required for student teaching):

Linguistically Diverse Education: PLACE Test 17
Linguistically Diverse Education Specialist: Bilingual Preparation: PLACE Test 16

Completion of Student Teaching

To complete the Teacher Education Licensure Program, all students must receive a satisfactory grade in student teaching. Students must demonstrate satisfactory performance in their student teaching placement and must also complete a successful summative portfolio presentation as a condition for completing student teaching.

The Summative Portfolio Presentation: The portfolio presentation represents verification that the student has gained proficiency on each of the 45 elements of the eight Performance Based Standards for Colorado Teachers (PBSCTs). A summative portfolio developed by the student teacher must be presented during the student teaching term. A portfolio includes examples of the candidate’s best work and illustrates the teaching skills acquired. Students are advised to keep samples of work completed during the professional education classes as well as during student teaching for possible inclusion in their portfolio. A current collection of portfolio assessment rubrics, detailing the expected content and format of the portfolio presentation, is included in the student teacher handbook.

A three-member portfolio panel evaluates the presentation and determines whether the student has passed the portfolio presentation. The panel consists of members of Fort Lewis College faculty and staff, K-12 educators, and community members. The student teacher is responsible for choosing one panelist for the portfolio review. Students who fail the portfolio are required to consult with a designated Teacher Education faculty member for remediation and subsequently schedule a second presentation. Students who fail the summative portfolio presentation a second time will be given the opportunity for more substantial remediation, which could include repeating coursework or student teaching.

Note: The portfolio presentation requirement is currently being revised. Students will be kept informed of any changes by the department.

Recommendation for Licensure

Upon successful completion of the Teacher Education Licensure Program, students may apply for a Colorado Teaching License. The Teacher Education Department will recommend students for Colorado licensure if they meet the following requirements:

Successful completion of a Bachelor’s Degree in the approved major (undergraduate students) or completion of all content and teaching education licensure course requirements (post-baccalaureate students).
Successful completion of student teaching (which includes passing the summative portfolio as described above).
Passing the approved PRAXIS II or PLACE content test.
Submission of required materials to the Director of Teacher Education.

Students wishing to apply to another state are advised to contact the appropriate Department of Education for information about specific requirements.