Mathematics Education, Certificate

According to the Illinois Association of Regional Superintendents of Schools (IARSS) 2022-2023 report, Illinois continues to experience significant teacher shortages across various subjects, including mathematics. The NPR Illinois report also highlights the ongoing struggle to fill teaching positions in key areas such as math, which has been a persistent issue exacerbated by the pandemic (IARSS) (). This ongoing shortage has resulted in increased class sizes, course cancellations, reliance on less qualified individuals to fill critical teaching roles, and has fueled the increased demand for certified mathematics educators.

�� University's Mathematics Education certificate program prepares you for teacher certification in mathematics at the secondary education level. The program is open to baccalaureate graduates holding a degree in mathematics.

The sequence of coursework is approved by the Illinois State Board of Education and leads to an initial high school license in mathematics. You may also obtain an endorsement for teaching in middle school

To be recommended for an Illinois State Board of Education teaching license, you must present evidence of having passed the Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly Basic Skills), Subject-Matter Knowledge, and Assessment of Professional Teaching examinations of the Illinois Certification Testing System. You must complete a student teaching requirement in mathematics and must meet other requirements for certification through approved programs in the teacher education and certification section of the .

Program Fact Sheet

Admission & Certificate Requirements
Graduation Requirements
Advisor Information
Faculty

Admission & Certificate Requirements

Admission to Mathematics Education

In addition to meeting all university admission requirements for certificate students, applicants must meet the following requirements to be admitted to the Mathematics Education Certificate:

have a bachelor’s or higher in Mathematics from a regionally accredited college or university;
have a cumulative average G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher in all lower division courses applied to the degree program;
and submit a word-processed essay not to exceed 300 words explaining why the applicant wishes to be a teacher.

Admission to Student Teaching

Before enrolling in Student Teaching: Senior Capstone (12), an application for admission to student teaching must be submitted to the director of Field Experiences in the College of Education. The application must be submitted by December 1 for the fall term and January 31 for the spring term preceding the academic year in which the student intends to teach (student teaching is not offered in the summer term). This application for student teaching will verify that the student applying has or will have met the following requirements:

completed at least 48 hours of general education requirements with a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher in courses taken at �� University;
completed professional education course requirements, except student teaching, including a minimum of 100 clock hours of field experience with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher, with a grade of “C” or better in each course, and and with a grade of “B” or better;
must have completed methods course no more than two years before the commencement of student teaching;
have no more than six hours remaining to be completed in the certificate in which the student is enrolled with a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher and completed all courses with a “C” or better;
met all state requirements applicable to the subject matter area(s) in which the student will teach as outlined in Section IX, Staff Qualifications of the Illinois State Board of Education publication, Minimum Requirements for State Licensure;
submit evidence of having passed the Mathematics content area exam of the Illinois Licensure Testing System;
and received a positive recommendation from the Second-art Education Student Progress Committee.

Certificate Requirements

Students must meet all university requirements for a license, and in addition, students must complete the general education requirement for teacher licensure Initial Secondary License listed in the Teacher Education section of this catalog.

In addition, students must:

have a cumulative G.P.A. of 2.5 or higher;
earn a grade of “C” or better in all general education courses;
have a G.P.A. of 2.75 or higher for all general education courses;
have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher in mathematics courses with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
have a G.P.A. of 3.0 or higher for , , and , with a grade of “C” or better in each course;
earn a grade of “B” or better in , , and ;
earn a grade of “B” or better in ;
complete a minimum of 100 clock hours of supervised pre-student teaching experiences;
provide evidence of successful completion of the Illinois and U.S. Constitution examinations;
show evidence of having passed the Assessment of Professional Teaching;
meet any additional requirements listed in the Teacher Licensure section of this catalog;
and receive a positive recommendation from the Secondary Education Student Progress Committee.

Professional Education (minimum of 24 hours)

The following courses can be taken at either the lower-division or upper-division level:

Foundations of Education (3)
Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
Survey of Students with Exceptionalities (3)
Introduction to Educational Technology (3)
Introduction to Educational Technology (3)

The following courses must be taken at the upper-division level:

Educational Psychology II: Learning, Assessment and Classroom Management (3)
Principles of Secondary Mathematics Education (3)
Teaching Secondary School Mathematics (3)
Student Teaching: Senior Capstone (12)

Additional Requirements

Students may need to complete additional general education or Mathematics courses if their bachelor's degree requirements do not meet the requirements of the approved �� University program for the endorsement in Mathematics Education.