Secondary Education

Admission to Secondary Teacher Education

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

Step 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. Deadlines

• 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.

Step 3. Academic Requirements

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0, except for Music program.

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

• Minimum GPA of 3.0 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.

• Successful interview with TE interview panel.

*If you are seeking a Special Education endorsement, you also need a passing score on Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators in Mathematics (150) for admission.

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 seeking endorsements in subjects that have been identified 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 the 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).

Step 1. Application Package

Refer to the Boise State Teacher Education website for application information.
Boise State Teacher Education application information

Step 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.

Step 3. Academic Requirements

• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00, except 2.75 for STEM Ed and Music.
• Minimum GPA of 3.00 in the major field, minor field (except STEM Ed 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 certification 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.

Special Information for Transfer Students/Students with Prior Degree

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 Masters in Teaching (MiT) program if the GPA was 3.0 or better. The content area(s) GPA must be a 3.0 for the MiT program and a 2.75 for a second Bachelor’s.
• Students seeking single subject certification must complete 45 semester credit hours in the appropriate content area(s).

Secondary Teacher Education Courses

The following are the professional courses required for Secondary Teaching certification, unless noted differently by specific content area majors.

*Candidates majoring in Art, Music, and Physical Education must complete two 8 week, 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

In order to become a certified teacher in Idaho, you must:

Receive a Bachelor’s degree in the University department offering the content courses in your chosen subject area.

Complete an approved program of study in a major endorsement area:

• 45 credit hours in your major endorsement area OR
• 30 credit hours in your major endorsement area AND 20 credit hours in a second endorsement area.

Complete the required professional education coursework.

• This includes Student Teaching and supervised field experience.
• You must take a Teaching Methods course in every subject you are seeking endorsement in.
• All endorsement areas require a minimum of 20 semester credit hours.

Pass your required state certification PRAXIS II exams.

You will then be recommended to the State Department of Education for an Idaho Teaching Credential after meeting the following requirements:

1. Completing the application for an Idaho Teaching Credential (this information will be sent to you after graduation).
2. Submitting official transcripts from ALL colleges and/or universities attended.
3. Receiving a completed Institutional Recommendation from the COED Dean’s Office.Successfully completing the Standard Performance Assessment for Teachers, Individual Professional Learning Plan, and Professional Year Assessment.
4. Submitting official Praxis II assessment score sheet(s).

Information regarding the certification process will be given at the Pre-Employment Seminar during the final semester of Student Teaching.

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.

See a roadmap to certification here.

Students typically apply to Secondary Teacher Education around the first semester of their Junior year, after taking ED-CIFS 201, EDTECH 202 (if applicable), STEM-ED 101, 102, 210, and 220 (if applicable), and some 100 and 200-level content coursework.

Many Teacher Education programs at Boise State follow the cohort model, meaning that you can only apply to Teacher Education in the Fall semester. Consult your advisor if you are unsure whether your program is cohorted.

Most Teacher Education programs require a 3.0 cumulative, degree, and Education GPA to be admitted into the program (this varies slightly with Music Ed). Consult your advisor if you are concerned that you may not meet the GPA requirement.

Every Secondary Education program has different content requirements, and it’s important to know what they are so you don’t miss anything as you progress through the program. Meet with your advisor regularly and familiarize yourself with your catalog & AAR.