Program Overview

Elementary and Secondary Programs

The Department of Education offers an Elementary Education Major, with Kindergarten through Grade 6 licensure. A Middle-Level Endorsement is also available for teaching Grades 5-8 in the areas of science, communication arts/literacy, mathematics and social studies. The Secondary Licensure in Grades 5 through 12 is a teaching major in a specific content area. Licensure for grades Kindergarten through 12 is also offered for selected majors. We offer plenty of opportunities to teach abroad through our Global Educators program!

The Minnesota Board of Teaching approves all of the Teacher Education Programs at Gustavus Adolphus College for the preparation of licensed teachers. Students who complete the selected teacher education program receive a Bachelor of Arts Degree and are licensed to teach in all Minnesota schools and can apply for licenses in other states.

Teacher education students may also qualify for a coaching minor by completing the course requirements as outlined by the Department of Health and Exercise Science.

All Gustavus students are required to complete general requirements as listed here.

Accreditation

The College is accredited by Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board (PELSB) and is approved to offering the following programs:

  • Chemistry: grades 9-12
  • Communication Arts & Literature (CALT): grades 5-12
  • Elementary Education: grades K-6 and includes options for Middle-Level Endorsements in:
    • Communication Arts and Literature: grades 5 - 8
    • General Science: grades 5 - 8
    • Mathematics: grades 5 - 8
    • Social Studies: grades 5 - 8
  • General Science (for Secondary Science Education majors): grades 5-12
  • Health: grades 5-12
  • Life Science or Biology: grades 9-12
  • Mathematics: grades 5-12
  • Physical Education: grades K-12
  • Physics: grades 9 - 12
  • Social Studies: grades 5-12
  • Visual Arts: grades K-12
  • Vocal, Instrumental, and/or General Music: grades K-12
  • World Languages and Cultures in Spanish or Latin: grades K-12 
     

Conceptual Framework

The conceptual framework undergirds the Gustavus Teacher Education Program. Initial structuring of the framework was based on the five attributes of a teacher education program knowledge base presented by Galluzzo and Pankratz (1991). Our conceptual framework is not static but in fact, represents the dynamics of an ever-changing professional landscape. The current 2011 redesign continues to be framed by our core philosophical tenets, the research literature, program outcomes, and complete evaluation procedures and processes which guide feedback to the candidate and the program.

Educators for Minnesota Schools

At Gustavus Adolphus College, we hold high standards for our teacher education program. In order to assess how we are meeting these standards and preparing our candidates, we engage in regular collection and analysis of performance-based data. Among other indicators, these data indicate that our candidates are well prepared and in high demand. 

Our candidates are in high demand

  • On average, over 90% of Education major graduates are hired for teaching positions within the first year. We also have graduates admitted to grad school, accepted into the Peace Corps, or work abroad following graduation.
  • These positions included districts and schools around Minnesota as well as teaching positions in other states.

Our candidates are well prepared

  • Our candidates perform well on the edTPA, an assessment process that requires teacher candidates to demonstrate skills and knowledge developed in teacher education programs.
  •  An overwhelming majority of Elementary and Secondary majors perform very well on their state-mandated evaluations, including the edTPA and MTLE tests. Our department offers support and resources to prepare for these required evaluations. 
  • All Education faculty are qualified by advanced academic preparation for the faculty member's current assignments which leads to fully prepapared candidates.