Format Options

The teacher education program at IUPUI is titled “Learning to Teach/Teaching to Learn” (LT/TL). The professional education courses that are part of LT/TL are tied closely to specific Professional Development Schools (PDS) in Marion County. These are schools that have entered into a special partnership with the School of Education. Some of the formal coursework as well as all of the field experiences that accompany this coursework are conducted at the PDS sites. Students also have the option to student teach at these PDS sites.

Individuals interested in majoring in elementary education have two choices, the cohort option or the blocked option. Students interested in being certified to teach at the secondary level must enroll in the blocked option of this program.

The cohort option is designed for elementary education majors who can enroll full time and can complete the program in four consecutive semesters, beginning in a fall semester. In this option, a cohort of 25 students remain together throughout their professional education courses, and are based in a single professional development school for three semesters prior to student teaching. The blocked option requires students to take their professional education courses in the same sequence, but it provides experience in a different partner school for each block. The blocked option provides flexibility for students who can enroll only on a part-time basis or must “stop out” of the program for any reason. Blocked-option courses can be started in either the fall or spring semesters, although for secondary education, students are encouraged to begin Block I in the fall.

Because LT/TL is a field-based program in which formal class sessions are integrated with field experiences, all professional education courses need to be offered at a time when teacher education candidates are able to work with students in the K-12 classroom. Most professional education courses will be scheduled during the day, and students will need to make arrangements to devote one day each week for each block, or 2-3 days for the cohort option, to complete the class and field experience work each semester.

Endorsements to the elementary or secondary programs are currently offered in coaching, driver and traffic safety education, English as a second language, kindergarten, special education, reading, and computer education. Additionally, junior high/middle school extensions to the elementary license are available in the areas of English, Social Studies, Math, Science, and Foreign Language (French, German, and Spanish). Due to upcoming changes in teacher licensing, please check with an advisor about the availability of endorsements and new Indiana Professional Standards Board guidelines.

Information about the current state licensing standards and programs is available on the Indiana Professional Standards Board web site: http://www.doe.state.in.us/dps.