How much time will I spend in an actual P-12 classroom during my program?

Teacher candidates in Minnesota spend a large amount of time (728 hours on average) practicing and refining their teaching in P-12 classrooms. The time that teacher candidates spend in classrooms is supervised by highly qualified school and college educators. Candidates are evaluated in their school experiences, and progress in the program only when they show they are successful with P-12 students.

Will I learn about learning technologies in a teacher education program?

All Minnesota teacher education programs require that teacher candidates learn about teaching and learning with technology. This is accomplished by integrating the use of teaching and learning technologies into methods courses. Some programs also require specific technology courses, technology use in student teaching, or the use electronic portfolios.

How will I learn about working with diverse populations of students?

All Minnesota teacher education programs require that teacher candidates build understandings of diverse groups to improve their effectiveness at teaching diverse populations of students. Institutions require students to experience diverse P-12 classrooms and provide instruction on building understanding of diverse groups.

How will my progress in a teacher education program be measured?

Teacher candidates must show adequate progress while enrolled in the program. All programs monitor student progress and allow only the successful to proceed with the program. In monitoring and determining successful progress in their programs, institution:

• Require a minimum grade point average in both content and professional education courses
• Require minimum course grades in specific courses
• Require completion of specific courses
• Require admission to student teaching
• Require assessments during and after student teaching
• Monitor the student’s acquisition of the standards of effective practice
• Require students to meet the content licensure standards
• Require students to take (and pass for licensure) the Preprofessional Skills Test
• Require students to take (and pass for licensure) the PRAXIS II tests in content and pedagogy

What will be required of me for completion of a teacher education program?

Minnesota teacher education programs use a variety of assessment procedures. Summative assessments at the end of the program are designed to assure schools that the teachers they employ are qualified professionally and academically. Institutions evaluate:

• Mastery of academic content through
  • A minimum required GPA (Last year the average required GPA was 2.59 for undergraduate programs and 2.88 for graduate programs.)
  • The completion of the PPST test (and passing it for licensure)
  • The completion of the PRAXIS II content area test (and passing it for licensure in Minnesota)
• Professional knowledges, skills, and attitudes through
  • Required course grades in certain courses
  • Evaluation during and after student teaching
  • The completion of the PRAXIS II professional knowledge test (and passing it for licensure in Minnesota)
  • A determination that the Standards of Effective Practice have been met
  • A portfolio
  • Exit interviews