College of Education Admission and Retention Policies

The College of Education at Northeastern Illinois University is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), 2010 Massachusetts Ave., NW, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20036; phone (202) 466-7496. This accreditation covers initial teacher preparation programs and advanced educator preparation programs. NCATE is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation to accredit programs for the preparation of teachers and other professional school personnel.

College of Education Admission Requirements
for Undergraduate Candidates

Admission to the College of Education is required before you enroll in more than six credits of coursework in your Education major. Listed below are the COE Admission requirements.

Requirement	Documentation Needed
1. Declaration of Major (GPA of 2.5/4.0) and Illinois Certification Testing System Basic Skills Test- Passing Score Note: Special Education requires a cumulative GPA of 2.75; HPERA requires a major GPA of 2.75	See your program advisor to declare your major. Submit your Basic Skills Test report copy to your advisor who will attach it to your major declaration and forward it to the COE Office¹.
2. COE Application Form	Click here to obtain an application. Complete and submit to CLS 4044
3. “C” or better in each of the following: ENGL 101, and college level math leading to NEIU math competency (If needed at NEIU, ELED candidates take MATH 108 for COE Admission; ELED candidates also take MATH 109 as part of program requirements before student teaching)	Transfer students: Submit copy of your Transfer Evaluation of Credits to the COE Office, CLS 4044. NEIU resident students: Submit copy of unofficial NEIU transcript to COE Office, CLS 4044.
4. Recommendation from a university professor Note: HPERA majors must obtain this recommendation from their major advisor	Click here to obtain an application. Follow directions on recommendation form and submit in sealed envelope with professor’s signature on seal.
5. Fingerprint-based Illinois State Police criminal background check based on the Uniform Conviction Information Act (UCIA)	Click here to obtain an application.
6. 2.5 cumulative GPA/4.0 Note: Special Education requires a cumulative GPA of 2.75	The COE will access your academic records at NEIU.
7. 30 semester credits at NEIU or transfer credits	The COE will access your academic records at NEIU.

***Please submit items 2, 3 and 4 together at the same time. It is your responsibility to check to see that your application file is complete. You will be notified in writing when you have been accepted into the College of Education.

1. Inner City Studies majors are not required to take ICTS Basic Skills Test.

2. Human Resource Development and Inner City Studies majors are not required to complete a background check.

A FEW WORDS ABOUT STATE TESTING
Recent legislation has been enacted in the Illinois legislature that mandates when state tests must be passed in Colleges of Education. The law states that students must pass the ICTS Basic Skills Test prior to entrance into a teacher education program. Further, students must pass their ICTS subject area test prior to student teaching. A third test on pedagogy (Assessment of Professional Teaching/APT) will be added October 2003. Teacher candidates will be required to pass the APT prior to receiving a teaching certificate.

REQUIRED STATE OF ILLINOIS EXAMINATIONS

ICTS Basic Skills Test
Proof of successful passage of this test must be submitted to the College of Education before a student can be admitted to the College. See Requirements for COE Admission

ICTS Subject Area Examination
No student will be allowed to student teach until he or she can show proof of successful passage of the appropriate subject area test. See CEST Office, CLS 4023, for specific test reporting deadlines.

ICTS Assessment of Professional Teaching Examination:
Students must also pass the Illinois Assessment of Professional Teaching test prior to receiving state certification. It is recommended that this be taken during the student teaching semester.