School of Education Policies

E-mail Communication

Electronic mail (e-mail) is the official means of communication with candidates at IU South Bend. A candidate’s failure to receive or read official university communications sent to the candidate’s official e-mail address does not absolve the candidate from knowing and complying with the content of the official communication. It is recommended that candidates check e-mail messages at least once daily. The university provides a simple mechanism for candidates to forward e-mail from the official university e-mail address to another e-mail address of the candidate’s choice. However, candidates who choose to have e-mail forwarded to another e-mail address do so at their own risk.

Required Grades and Grade Point Average

In order to be a candidate in good standing at IU South Bend, candidates must earn a cumulative grade point average of 2.0. However, to be admitted into the Teacher Education Program candidates must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and earn a C or higher in every required course. If a candidate earns a grade of C– or lower in a required course, the course must be retaken until a grade of C is earned. Candidates must also have a grade point average of 2.5 in their content courses. For example, if a candidate is earning a license in physics, the overall grade point average for all physics courses must be at least a 2.5.

Repeating Courses Policy

The following policy applies to students who enter the School of Education in fall 2011 or later.

If an undergraduate student withdraws after (4) four weeks, or receives a final grade below a “C” in an education course (i.e. any EDUC prefix), the student will be allowed to subsequently enroll in the course only one more time within 36 months of the “W” grade appearing on the transcript.

Praxis® Requirements

Required Praxis I® Scores

Board approved licensing assessment changes for Praxis I® alternatives (effective May 10, 2011). For more information on these changes, visit the website at http://www.doe.in.gov/improvement/educator-effectiveness/teacher-testing.

Visit the Educational Testing Service (ETS) website at www.ets.org/praxis to view specific dates of the Praxis I® and registration deadlines. The registration deadline for the examination is usually four to five weeks in advance of the test. It can take up to six weeks for test results to be posted; candidates must plan ahead to meet deadlines.

Beginning May 2011, alternate assessments will be accepted in place of the Praxis I® scores listed below. Students should check with the Office of Education Student Services for information about other acceptable assessments.

Praxis I® Passing Scores

Mathematics | 175 or above
Reading | 176 or above
Writing | 172 or above

The Praxis I® or alternate assessments listed below must be taken and passed before candidates may register for EDUC-F 201 Exploring the Personal Demands of Teaching: Laboratory Experience and EDUC-F 202 Exploring the Personal Demands of Teaching: Field Experience.

• ACT with a score of at least 24 based on Math, Reading, Grammar, and Science;
• SAT with a score of at least 1100 based on Critical Reading and Math;
• GRE with a score of at least 1100 based on Verbal and Quantitative prior to 8/1/11;
• GRE with a score of at least 301 based on Verbal and Quantitative after 8/1/11; or
• Praxis I composite score of at least 527 based on Reading, Writing, and Math.

Note | ACT, SAT, and GRE scores do not include writing. Anyone with a Master’s Degree or higher from a regionally accredited institution is exempt from this requirement.

Praxis II® Secondary Majors

Secondary majors must submit passing scores on Praxis II® examinations before they are allowed to pass Checkpoint Two and begin their student teaching experience.

Some of the required Praxis II® examinations and required cut scores will change as of September 1, 2011. In addition, many PRAXIS II exams will be replaced by new PEARSON exams by September 2013. Students should check with the Office of Education Student Services for information about other acceptable assessments and new cut scores.

Praxis II® Specialty Area Examination Requirements

Tests listed are required as of September 1, 2012. Tests will change as of September 2013. Some tests in this list may be taken in other formats. Check with your advisor to be sure you register for the correct test.

• Chemistry Licensure | Chemistry: Content Knowledge (test code 0245)
• Earth and Space Science Licensure | Earth and Space: Content Knowledge (test code 0571)
• English to Speakers of Other Languages | English to Speakers of Other Languages (test code 0361)
• French Licensure | French: World Language (computer test code 5174)
• German Licensure | German: World Language (computer test code 5183)
• Language Arts Licensure | English Language, Literature, and Composition: Content Knowledge (test code 0041)
• Life Science Licensure | Biology: Content Knowledge (test code 0235)
• Math Licensure | Mathematics: Content Knowledge (test code 0061)
• Music | Music: Content Knowledge (computer test code 5113) or Content Knowledge (paper test code 0113)
• Physical Science Licensure | Physics: Content Knowledge (test code 0265) and Chemistry: Content Knowledge (test code 0245)
• Physics Licensure | Physics: Content Knowledge (test code 0265)
• Pre-Kindergarten Education | Pre-Kindergarten Education (computer test code 5531)
• Social Studies Licensure | Students should check with the Education Student Services Office for current information about PRAXIS II requirements for a social studies license.
• Spanish Licensure | Spanish: World Language (computer test code 5195)

Praxis II®—Elementary and Mild Interventions

To complete requirements for Checkpoint Three and certification requirements for the state of Indiana, elementary majors and candidates completing requirements for the mild interventions certification must earn passing scores on the appropriate Praxis II® examinations. Candidates must submit their Praxis II® score report with passing scores before they can be recommended for licensure and graduation.

Elementary Generalist: Primary and Elementary Generalist: Intermediate

Students should check with the Education Student Services Office for current information about PRAXIS II requirements for an elementary license.

Praxis II®—Special Education Mild Interventions

Special Education: Core Knowledge and Mild to Moderate Application (Computer) (Test Code 5543)

Limited Criminal History Check

School corporations require a limited criminal history check before participating in field placements and/or student teaching. School corporations may deny a field placement or student teaching assignment based on a misdemeanor or felony conviction that is on the limited criminal history check. Students may visit http://www.in.gov/ai/appfiles/isp-lch/ to obtain a limited criminal history check from the Indiana State Police website. All searches conducted using this website’s online service will be considered a completed request and are subject to associated fees regardless of whether or not a detailed record is found. A response of No Records Found is an official search result. Follow the directions on the website to complete the limited criminal history check, print out the response from the website, and take a copy with you on the first day of your field placement or student teaching.

According to the new IU Child Protection Policy, students participating in other IU sponsored projects involving work with children and youth under the age of 18 may need to have a more extensive background check. Any questions should be directed to the Director of Field and Clinical Practice.

Issues Resolutions

Issues Resolutions is a process followed when a candidate has a concern that cannot be resolved at a meeting with the appropriate professional in the School of Education. If a candidate has a concern about a class or instruction, advising, or a School of Education policy, the candidate should meet individually to discuss the concern in an attempt to resolve it in a satisfactory manner. If the issue/concern is not resolved by the end of the meeting, the candidate should be advised that he or she can follow a process to seek resolution at other levels. The candidate should ask for an Issues Resolution form and cover sheet from the Office of Education Student Services. The candidate should follow the directions on the cover sheet. All steps should be documented. Certain issues follow university policies. For example, any grade grievances follow IU South Bend procedures.

Professional Conduct and Letters of Concern

In addition to academic performance, IU South Bend’s teacher certification candidates are evaluated on the basis of their professional conduct, dispositions, and teaching performance. It is particularly important that IU South Bend education candidates demonstrate professional behavior and dispositions in host schools since they represent the university. Improper conduct on their part can adversely affect the lives of children. Unsatisfactory professional conduct or performance on the part of an IU South Bend education candidate, whether on campus or in host schools, may result in that candidate’s separation from the Teacher Education Program.

The process by which unprofessional performance or concerns regarding dispositions is documented is the Letter of Concern. The letter may be used by any professional connected with the Teacher Education Program to identify a candidate in the program whose professional performance or approach is questionable.

Because grades reflect the candidate’s academic performance, this letter is not used to report academic problems. Rather, it is used when there is a strong concern about a candidate’s ability to become a professional educator. For example, a candidate may exhibit a genuine dislike for children, frequently miss class or be tardy, or have behaviors that would seem inconsistent with the requirements of the education profession.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is a serious infraction. All procedures in the Code of Student Rights, Responsibilities, and Conduct are followed in all cases of plagiarism.

Plagiarism and academic misconduct include, but are not limited to, the following:

1. Copying any other person’s work and submitting it as one’s own, whether as a written document or an oral presentation.
2. Copying or paraphrasing passages, sentences, phrases, data, statistics, isolated formulas, and visual aids from print, oral, or Internet sources without proper acknowledgment.
3. Using someone else’s ideas without giving credit to the source.
4. Submitting a professionally prepared research paper as one’s own work.
5. Submitting work that resulted from an unauthorized collaborative effort as individual work.
6. Reusing or recycling a paper or research done for credit in a previous course without the permission and approval of all the professors involved.
7. Offering material assembled or collected by others as one’s own project or collection.
8. Fabricating or creating material (statistics, text, etc.) to cite as a legitimate source.
9. Documenting a source inaccurately.

Visit the following links for additional information | sites.google.com/a/umail.iu.edu/plagiarism-tutorial/ or judicial.iusb.edu

The intent of this system is to add professional judgment to the teacher education process. When a Letter of Concern is filed, the candidate, the dean, and the advising office receive copies. Confirmation of this notification is sent to the person who filed the Letter of Concern. Except in very serious situations, two Letters of Concern must be received before a candidate’s case is reviewed by the dean, an advisor, and a faculty member. It is assumed corrective action will be taken and candidate performance will be monitored. However, such a review can result in termination of the candidate’s involvement in the program.

Transfer Credit

Candidates transferring from other degree programs and/or schools must meet with an advisor who determines whether prior courses meet the requirements of their desired degree program. Candidates who transfer may not be able to complete the degree program in the usual number of hours and semesters.

If candidates wish to complete courses at other institutions, they should obtain approval for these transfers prior to registering for the course. Advisors in the Office of Education Student Services can assist with this process.

Pass/Fail Option

The university regulations for this option apply in the School of Education. A candidate may elect to receive a Pass/Fail rating in classes to fulfill general-education requirements, providing they are not in the major teaching areas or part of the requirements in professional education. The request for a Pass/Fail option must be completed during the first three weeks of fall and spring semesters, and during the first two weeks of a summer session by processing the prescribed request in the Office of Education Student Services. This election is not reversible. The limitation on Pass/Fail options described on page 32 of this publication applies.

Note | Students should realize that an F in a credit-bearing course will be calculated in the GPA. Also, Pass/Fail courses do not count toward the required credit hours for the Dean’s List. If a passing grade is earned through this option, a grade of P is posted to the transcript.

Applying for Graduation

Resident candidates must file an application for graduation with the Office of Education Student Services. Deadline dates are as follows:

Graduation | Deadline | Tentative List Posted by

May | October 1 | February 15
August | October 1 | February 15
December | March 1 | September 15

Candidates completing work for degrees in the School of Education in absentia must notify the advising office of the School of Education at least two months prior to the time the degree is granted. Candidates not in the School of Education must obtain an application from the dean of the school in which they are enrolled. No education degrees are conferred, nor teaching licenses recommended, without the candidate’s successful completion of all certification requirements, including satisfactory performance in student teaching and successfully completing Checkpoint Three.