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College of Education

Dean: Julie McIntosh, Ed.D.; 419-434-4062

Chair Advanced Professional Programs: Rife

Chair of the Doctorate of Education Program: Theriault

Co-Chairs of the Doctorate of Education in School Psychology Program: Coles, Wagner

Chair of Licensure and Endorsements: Garlough

Director of Field Experience: Gilbert

Licensure Officer: Willeke

Professors: McIntosh, Rife

Associate Professors: Brasfield, Dyer, Garlough, Gillham, Moser, Munger, Schilling

Assistant Professors: Coles, Crates, Davis, Grant, Parker, Recker, Theriault, Wagner, Wysocki

Assistant Professors of Teaching: Ochsner, Teeple

Content Program Directors

Social Science: Postic

Science: Tice

Language Arts: C. Denecker

Math: Dinavahi

Health and Physical Education: Fournier

Japanese, Spanish, TESOL/Bilingual Education: Kawamura

Visual Arts: Escobedo

State-Mandated Changes in Teacher Licensure Requirements

The Ohio legislature and the Ohio Department of Higher Education continue to implement new teacher licensure standards for education candidates. In order to comply with new regulations, the College of Education at The University of Findlay will initiate ongoing changes.

While the faculty and administrative staff of the College of Education make every effort to ensure accuracy of information given to students enrolled in teacher education programs, the College of Education reserves the right to insert without prior notice changes or additions that will improve the quality of these programs. These changes usually result from authorized licensure modifications imposed on the University by the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio Department of Higher Education, the Ohio legislature, and/or the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP). Updated information will be shared with students in writing and orally in a timely manner. Please contact the program director/department chair in the licensure area of interest for the most up-to-date information.

Competency Requirements

All students at The University of Findlay must demonstrate competency in reading, writing, and computers. A student must earn grades of “C” or better in all education courses and the specified content area courses in the middle childhood, adolescent/young adult and multi-age courses of study.

Prerequisites

All prerequisite courses must be completed with at least a grade of “C.” Some courses require a higher grade than a “C” for the prerequisite. The course description will list the required grade if different from a “C.”

Teacher Education Majors, Licenses, and Endorsements

Bachelor of Arts in Education Programs:

Adolescent/Young Adult/Integrated English/Language Arts (grades 7-12)

Adolescent/Young Adult/Integrated Social Studies (grades 7-12)

Multi-Age/Japanese (grades K-12)

Multi-Age/Spanish (grades K-12)

Multi-Age/Visual Arts (grades K-12)

Bachelor of Science in Education Programs:

Adolescent/Young Adult/Integrated Mathematics (grades 7-12)

Adolescent/Young Adult/Integrated Science (grades 7-12)

Adolescent/Young Adult/Life Science (grades 7-12)

Intervention Specialist Education/Mild to Moderate Disabilities (grades K-12)

Middle Childhood (choose two of four content areas: mathematics, language arts, science, social studies) (grades 4-9)

Multi-Age/Health and Physical Education (grades K-12)

Multi-Age Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) Education (Age 3 to Grade 12)

Primary Education (pre-kindergarten-grade 5) (Primary License in the State of Ohio)

Minors:

Second Language Education (for foreign language or TESOL majors only)

Special Education

Endorsements:

Middle Childhood Generalist (grades 4-6 self-contained)

Reading (graduate level)

Pre-Kindergarten Special Needs

License Requirements

An Ohio Resident Educator License, valid for four years, is required for participation in the Resident Educator Program. The resident educator license will be issued to individuals who complete the following requirements:

  • Hold the degree required by the license;
  • Have successfully completed portfolio reviews at all four levels (three for post-baccalaureate candidates);
  • 12 semester hours of reading for primary education, middle childhood, intervention specialist majors;
  • Three semester hour content reading course for adolescent/young adult and multi-age licensure;
  • Have completed an approved program of teacher preparation;
  • Are deemed to be of good moral character (have not been convicted of a felony);
  • Any misdemeanors, other than traffic offenses, will be reviewed by the Ohio Department of Education’s legal department;
  • Have successfully completed professional examinations required by the State Board of Education (Ohio Assessments for Educators);
  • Have demonstrated skill in integrating educational technology into instruction for children;
  • Have completed required Application for Licensure Forms;
  • Have been recommended by the dean of an institution approved to prepare teachers;
  • Have fulfilled all requirements of the College of Education Undergraduate Assessment Plan.

If a candidate is interested in teaching in states other than Ohio, he/she should review that state’s requirements with the College of Education licensure officer early in the education program. Final authority for issuing licenses rests with the individual states.

If an applicant has had a criminal record expunged, it needs to be noted on his/her application; otherwise, he/she can be denied a license for falsifying his/her application. Some offenses are non-employable, which means a person could get a license but not a job. A list can be obtained through the Ohio Revised Code.

Accreditations

The Educator Preparation Program at The University of Findlay is approved by The Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Higher Education. The college is accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Education Preparation (CAEP) and the Higher Learning Commission.

General Entry Requirements

The College of Education recognizes that a candidate enters the Professional Education Program with registration for the pre-professional block, which can be taken either first or second semester of the sophomore year and completes the professional program by applying for a license. To register for the sophomore block, a candidate must meet the following criteria:

  1. Continue to maintain a GPA of 2.75 in all course work completed.
  2. Have successfully completed EDUC 161, EDUC 219 (Primary, IS, MC); ENGL 106 or ENGL 107; and SPED 134 with grades of “C” or better.
  3. Candidates in the College of Education must maintain a portfolio built around the Goals and Objectives of the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program (Pathwise domains and criteria plus four UF objectives). This portfolio is started in the freshman year and added to each year during the sophomore, methods (junior level), and senior field experience blocks. The portfolio is reviewed by a committee of faculty at both methods and student teaching levels.
  4. Faculty and administration of the College of Education reserve the right to make decisions regarding formal entry to the program that will maintain program rigor and quality.
  5. Candidates will also be evaluated by professors, cooperating teachers, and supervisors, to ensure they have the dispositions to teach. Dispositions are self- and faculty/supervisor-assessed at freshman through senior levels.

Advanced Standing Requirements

To register for junior (300-level) and senior (400-level) education courses, an education candidate must have met all the above requirements. In addition, to achieve advanced standing candidates must:

  1. Continue to maintain a GPA of 2.75 in all course work completed.
  2. Primary Education major must have successfully completed EDUC 219, EDUC 265, and SPED 261 with grades of “C” or better.

    IS major must have successfully completed EDUC 219, EDUC 265, and SPED 261 with grades of “C” or better.

    MC major must have successfully completed EDUC 219, EDUC 265, and SPED 261 with grades of “C” or better.

    AYA and MA majors must have successfully completed EDUC 265, and SPED 261 with grades of “C” or better.

Field-Based Experiences

After successfully completing the general entry requirements and prior to student teaching, each licensure candidate must complete the following:

  1. Six weeks (partial days) of observation time in the field (in a public or private school setting), as part of the pre-professional block.
  2. Six weeks (all day) in the field observing and performing limited teaching responsibilities, as part of the methods field experience (usually at junior level).
  3. Additional hours of field experiences/or clinical experiences, as determined by the teacher education faculty.
  4. Successfully complete a methods level portfolio review.

Education students who need or desire additional field experience may enroll in EDUC 333, The School Volunteer Program. Details of this variable credit course will be determined in collaboration with the director of teacher education policy and field experience and the candidate’s program director/department chair.

Students are required to be fingerprinted in order to participate in a field-based experience.

Diverse Settings

The State of Ohio Teacher Licensure Standards require a prospective teacher to “participate in field-based experiences in culturally, racially, and socio-economically diverse settings.” At least one of the three field experiences (sophomore, methods, or student teaching) will be in a setting defined as “diverse” by the Ohio Department of Education.

Student Teaching Requirements

An education candidate applies for student teaching by:

  1. Completing an application for student teaching.
  2. Completing a personal data record.
  3. Submitting the personal data record to the director of teacher education policy and field experience. This must be done by January 1 to student teach in the fall semester or by August 1 to student teach in the spring semester. Each candidate’s transcript and student teaching application are then reviewed by the licensure officer and the director of teacher education policy and field experience. If requirements have been met, the candidate is approved for student teaching. If the requirements have not been met, the candidate is notified in writing, with an explanation of the specific deficiencies.
  4. Maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all course work completed.
  5. Obtaining satisfactory status based on the BCI/FBI check. Fingerprinting is required.
  6. Having earned a grade of “C” or better in all completed major courses.
  7. Having completed a successful methods field experience (junior level) portfolio review.
  8. Obtaining a recommendation from the Director of College of Education Field Experience.

See the College of Education Ohio Assessments for Educators coordinator regarding the Ohio Assessments for Educators test requirement.

If a candidate is denied permission to student teach, he/she may request a review. The request must be in writing and must be submitted to the dean of the College of Education. After receiving the request, the dean of the College of Education will notify the Director of College of Education Field Experience. They will convene a meeting with the candidate and the candidate’s adviser to review the decision and make a final determination. The candidate will receive written notification of the meeting’s outcome. If the candidate is not satisfied with the outcome, he/she may request a review by the Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs.

Application for Licensure

The final step in the teacher preparation program is application for licensure. To be eligible a candidate must have evidence of the following:

  1. Successful completion of all University requirements for a degree;
  2. Successful completion of all College of Education requirements for a degree;
  3. Successful passage of the BCI/FBI fingerprint check;
  4. Successful completion of all levels of the College of Education Assessment Plan, including all required portfolio reviews;
  5. Successful completion of all required Ohio Assessments for Educators Exams.

When the student has completed all requirements and submitted the appropriate forms, the licensure officer will endorse the application and will send it to the Ohio Department of Education.

Title II Statement of Mission

The University of Findlay was founded in 1882 as Findlay College by the Churches of God, General Conference, and citizens of the city of Findlay. The name was changed in 1989 to The University of Findlay to reflect the dramatic growth of the institution and the addition of graduate programming.

The University of Findlay is a flexible, forward-looking institution that is constantly seeking ways of better serving students and the community. In today’s fast-paced world, Findlay is continually adapting programs and teaching methods to meet the needs of current students in preparing them for tomorrow’s careers. Education at The University of Findlay is offered in formats that accommodate students of all ages and their time-pressured lifestyles. In addition to traditional weekday classes, Findlay offers courses at night, on weekends, and online.

The mission of The University of Findlay is to equip our students for meaningful lives and productive careers. Our vision is to be recognized by our students, peer institutions, and other publics as a unique institution, vitally concerned with the growth, development, and success of each student and highly responsive to emerging opportunities for innovation in our educational programs, the learning environment we create, and the organizational processes of our institution necessary to accomplish these ends.