Secondary Education Program

Admission to Secondary Teacher Education

Admission to secondary teacher education is required before a student can enroll in early field experience coursework. Application is available via Taskstream and submitted electronically for review by Teacher Education faculty and staff (Education Building, Room 722).

1. Application Package: Refer to the Boise State Teacher Education website for application information. A $50 assessment fee is due upon application.

Boise State Teacher Education application information

Step 2. Deadline:

• First Friday in February for fall semester admission

• Third Friday in September for spring semester admission

• A $50 fee will be assessed to late and/or incomplete applications

3. Academic Requirements:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, except for IDoTeach and Music programs.

• Minimum GPA of 3.0 in all major content courses (2.75 in IDoTeach and Music).

• Minimum GPA of 3.00 in all education classes.

• Minimum grade of C in ED-CIFS 201 Foundations of Education or its equivalent.

• Minimum grade of C in EDTECH 202 Teaching and Learning in a Digital Age.

• A passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators in Mathematics (150) for those seeking an endorsement in special education.

• Successful interview with TE interview panel.

*No other test will be accepted in lieu of the Praxis.

Limitations to Admission

Because a large number of students seek admission to secondary teacher education, not all applicants can be admitted. Each academic year, applicants are accepted until the target number of candidates is reached. Priority is given to those with the highest academic GPA and to those specialty areas that have been identifed as shortage areas in Idaho. Shortage areas may change over time.

Continued Enrollment

To continue taking coursework in teacher education, every secondary education student must be reviewed and approved by Teacher Education faculty and staff. Approval is based on:

• The student’s academic record

• Faculty judgment about student’s knowledge, skills, and disposition necessary for success as a teacher, determined through coursework, observation, and interviews. Further information on these traits can be found at the Boise State Teacher Education website.

Boise State Teacher Education website

Admission to the Professional Year

The following requirements apply to all students seeking certification as K-12 or secondary teachers. Field experiences are scheduled through Teacher Education, Education Building, Room 722.

1. Application Package: Refer to the Boise State Teacher Education website for application information.
Boise State Teacher Education application information

2. Deadlines:

• First Friday in February for admission to the Professional Year for the fall semester

• Third Friday in September for admission to the Professional Year for the spring semester

• A $50 fee will be assessed to late and/or incomplete applications

3. Academic Requirements:

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, except 2.75 for IDoTeach and Music.

• Minimum GPA of 3.00 in the major field, minor field (except IDoTeach and Music), and in all required education courses.

• Senior standing and successful completion of Early Field Experience.

• Completion of sufficient credit hours in major subject areas assigned.

• Passing scores on Praxis II in certifcation areas.

• Fingerprinting and background check.

Special Information for the Professional Year

1. Students are expected to engage in responsible teaching, participate in co-curricular activities, maintain close contact with faculty and students in the public schools, and participate in seminars and conferences with their university liaisons.

2. Students may be dismissed from a program leading to certification if found guilty of any offense which would be grounds for revocation or denial of an Idaho teaching certificate. Questions regarding this policy should be addressed to the Associate Dean for Teacher Education in the Education Building, Room 706.

3. Student Teaching can be taken only once.

4. Students pay a fee upon registration for student teaching.

5. Students can expect to be placed in a school within a 50-mile radius of Boise State.

6. Students accepted to the Professional Year who opt to postpone student teaching must reapply.

1. Transfer students must meet requirements for admission to secondary teacher education and student teaching and complete at least 6 semester hours in secondary teacher education at Boise State prior to student teaching.

2. Students with a prior degree who seek secondary certification must:

• Have an earned degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

• Be enrolled in a Boise State degree program, either a second bachelor’s degree at the undergraduate level if the cumulative GPA was at least a 2.75, or the Graduate Certificate in Secondary/K-12 Teaching program if the GPA was 3.0 or better. Te content area(s) GPA must be a 3.0 for the Graduate Certificate program and 2.75 for second bachelor’s.

• Students seeking single subject certification must complete 45 semester credit hours in the appropriate content area(s).

The following are the professional courses required for secondary teacher certification unless noted differently by specific content area majors.

*Candidates majoring in Art, Music, and Physical Education complete two eightweek, 7 credit student teaching experiences (Blocks III and IV), one at the elementary level and one at the middle or secondary level, rather than just one experience (Block III) for 14 credits.

Secondary Education Certification Requirements

Students from Boise State are recommended to the State Department of Education for an Idaho Teaching Credential after meeting the following requirements:

1. Completed application for Idaho Teaching Credential (see http:// sde.idaho.gov/cert-psc/cert/apply/index.html).

2. Official transcripts from ALL colleges and/or universities attended.

3. Completed Institutional Recommendation from COED Dean’s Office.

4. Successful completion of Standard Performance Assessment for Teachers, Individual Professional Learning Plan, and Professional Year Assessment.

5. Official Praxis II assessment score sheet.

Information regarding the certification process will be given at the PreEmployment Seminar during the final semester of student teaching. Standard Secondary Teaching Certificate and Endorsement Areas A Standard Secondary Certificate requires a bachelor’s degree in professional education foundations and methods, including student teaching, and either a) preparation in at least two fields of secondary teaching: first teaching field of at least 30 semester credit hours and a second teaching field of at least 20 semester credit hours; or b) preparation of not less than 45 semester credit hours in a single subject area. All endorsement areas require a minimum of 20 semester credit hours. All courses applied to an endorsement must have a grade of C or better. Additionally, candidates must have a qualifying score of an approved content area assessment (Praxis II) in any areas for which the teaching endorsement(s) will be applied, and a successfully completed supervised clinical field experience.