Education Major: Primary Education Licensure Track (PEL)

Program Description

Education offers educator preparation programs that lead to licensure in the State of Ohio. It is fully accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). While specific elements of educator licensure vary from state to state, there is sufficient similarity so that the programs offered at Heidelberg will satisfy requirements in many states. Licensure candidates must apply for the appropriate Ohio Department of Education license within one calendar year of earning the Education degree.

Ohio teaching licenses are awarded to Education Majors in the following areas:

1. Primary Education-Pre-K through Grade 5
2. Middle Childhood Education-Grades 4 through 9
3. Adolescent to Young Adult-Grades 7 through 12
4. Multi-Age- Music Education-Pre-K through Grade 12
5. Intervention Specialist-(Special Education) Grades K through 12

Candidates may receive a two-year Resident Educator license in one of the first four areas listed. In addition, candidates may add Intervention Specialist to the Primary, Middle Childhood, or Adolescent to Young Adult license, (this is not a stand-alone program at Heidelberg). Note that this will require additional coursework and will take additional time above and beyond the Four-Year Graduation Guarantee. Candidates seeking licensure in two areas must student teach in each area for at least six weeks.

Entering first-year students are classified as Conditional Education Majors (EDC) and take first-year courses EDU 110 , EIS 200 , and PSY 101 . Upon successful completion of these courses (C-or higher) and achievement of a minimum 2.85 GPA, EDC majors enroll in EDU 220  and apply for admission into the Educator Preparation Program. 

Once accepted into the Educator Preparation Program, Conditional Education majors will be classified as Education Licensure Candidates (EDL). Education majors must be classified as EDL to enroll in 300-level professional education classes. They also must maintain a 2.85 cumulative GPA in order to enroll in any professional education courses at the 300-level or above.

Education Licensure Candidates (EDL) must earn passing scores on all state-mandated tests required for their licensure area before they will be permitted to register for student teaching (EIS 426 , EIS 427 , EIS 428 , EIS 429 , EIS 430 ).

All Education majors must complete the education licensure core courses. Beyond these, candidates need to complete the courses required for their specific licensure area. Any EDU or EIS course that is a prerequisite for any other EDU or EIS course must be passed with a grade of C- or better.

Background Check Requirement

Ohio law requires that all persons working in schools with students must complete both an Ohio criminal background check and an FBI criminal background check annually, conducted by the Bureau of Criminal Identification Investigation (BCII). This applies to all education majors who are registered for any course with a field experience component. Background check fees are the students’ responsibility.

Reading Core Requirement

The state of Ohio requires that all Primary and Middle Childhood majors, as well as those adding Intervention Specialist, complete a reading core curriculum of 12 credit hours. A passing score on a state-mandated test of principles of researched-based reading instruction is required before being permitted to register for student teaching courses.

The required courses are:

• EDU 230 - Foundations of Reading 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 350 - Reading to Learn in the Content Area 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 414 - Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 285 - Phonics/Word Identification 3 Credit Hour(s)

Required Education Licensure Core Courses (43 semester hours):

• EDU 110 - Introduction to Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 220 - Principles of Teaching 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 230 - Foundations of Reading 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 324 - Teaching of Writing (K-12) 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 350 - Reading to Learn in the Content Area 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 200 - Human Growth and Development 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 272 - Educating Learners with Exceptional Needs 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 281 - Assessment and Grading for Equity in Education 3 Credit Hour(s)

• (If Intervention Specialist, take EIS 279  instead)

• EIS 320 - Family Systems/Social Issues 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 416 - Seminar in Student Teaching 3 Credit Hour(s)

•  

• EIS 426 - Student Teaching: Primary Education 5 or 10 Credit Hour(s) or
• EIS 427 - Student Teaching: Middle Childhood Education 5 or 10 Credit Hour(s) or
• EIS 428 - Student Teaching: Adolescent-Young Adult Education 5 or 10 Credit Hour(s) or
• EIS 429 - Student Teaching: Intervention Specialist 5 Credit Hour(s) or
• EIS 430 - Student Teaching: Multi-Age 5 or 10 Credit Hour(s)

•  

• PSY 101 - General Psychology 3 Credit Hour(s)

Primary Education Licensure Track (PEL) Required Courses (46 semester hours):

The goal of this track is to prepare Pre-K through Grade 5 teachers.

(in addition to the Licensure Core courses listed above)

• EDU 217 - Children’s Literature 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 225 - Introduction to Primary Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 320 - Introductory Conceptual Methods and Research for Primary Educators 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 322 - Mathematical Literacy and Methods in Primary Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 323 - Scientific Literacy and Methods in Primary Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 345 - Social Studies and Advanced Research Methods in Primary Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EDU 414 - Diagnosis of Reading Difficulties 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 273 - Building Positive Classroom Support Systems 3 Credit Hour(s)
• EIS 285 - Phonics/Word Identification 3 Credit Hour(s)
• HIS 107 - American History to 1865 3 Credit Hour(s)
• MTH 117 - Development of Number and Operation Sense 3 Credit Hour(s)
• MTH 118 - Algebraic Thinking in K-12 Education 3 Credit Hour(s)
• NDI 255 - Integrated Arts in Early Childhood 3 Credit Hour(s)
• CHM 103 - Fundamentals of Chemistry 4 Credit Hour(s)

•  

• ENS 101 - Introduction to Environmental Science 3 Credit Hour(s) or
• GEO 101 - Physical Geology 3 Credit Hour(s)

Additional Licensure Option