The Early Childhood Special Education Teacher Education Program consists of six benchmarks each with its own responsibilities and requirements which mark your progress in the program. Each benchmark is contingent on passing the previous benchmark.

Benchmark I - Admission to the University

The first transition point for all initial teacher education program students is admission to the University.  At this point all assessments are universal college level requirements across colleges/schools. Freshman applicants must submit evidence of a good high school record, as well as satisfactory scores on the SAT or ACT.  Transfer students must have earned a cumulative scholastic average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale.  Transfer students with fewer than 20 hours of credits must also have satisfactory ACT or SAT scores.  All admitted freshmen and transfer students who do not present satisfactory ACT or SAT scores must take proficiency tests in English and mathematics prior to their first semester at Loyola. Students who do not receive scores at the levels required will be placed into courses that must be completed prior to admission in the ECSE Block I sequence.

Benchmark II - Admission to Teacher Education and Pre-Primary Block I

Upon completion of the initial core requirements, students will be formally admitted to the School of Education if they have an overall GPA of 2.5 and GPA of 2.8 in education courses. Candidates must also successfully meet the following requirements:

• CIEP 229 Educational Psychology
• ELPS 219 American Education
• College Writing Course
• CIEP 210 Early Childhood Development: Typical and Atypical
• State of Illinois Test of Academic Proficiency (formerly known as the Basic Skills Test)
• Completed application for the Teacher Education Program
• Faculty recommendation and approval of the Teaching and Learning Affinity Group
  
  

Benchmark III - Admission to Primary Block

Candidates will formally be admitted to the Primary Block if they have met the following requirements:

• Successful completion of Pre-Primary Block with a C+ or better.
• Faculty recommendation and approval of the Teaching and Learning Affinity Group.
• GPA of 2.5 overall, and GPA of 2.8 in education courses

Benchmark IV - Admission to Primary Student Teaching

Candidates will be formally admitted to Primary Student Teaching if they have met the following requirements:

• Successful completion of all course work with a C+ or better.
• Submitted the Application for Student Teaching
• Faculty recommendation and approval of the Teaching and Learning Affinity Group.
• Complete the Dispositional Self-Assessment
• GPA of 2.5 overall, and GPA of 2.8 in education courses
• Passing scores on the ECE Exam and the ECSE exam.
  
  
  
  

Benchmark V - Program Completion

The next transition point is completion of student teaching and degree conferral. During student teaching, which represents the program phase leading up to the this transition point, program students are assessed using a student teaching evaluation that is aligned directly with Illinois Learning/Professional Teaching Standards, the Loyola University Chicago Conceptual Framework, and the ECE and ECSE Standards.  Candidates will be recommended for graduation if they have successfully met the following requirements:

• Successful completion of all program and degree requirements
• Successful completion of student teaching
• 128 semester hours of course work
• A GPA of 2.5 for coursework and 2.8 in the major
• Impact on Student Learning Project
• Professional Practice Profile
• Assessment of Dispositions completed by faculty at the “Acceptable” level.

Follow-Up Studies of Graduates

Approximately three months after graduation, alumni will receive a School of Education Exit Survey that reflects both program and unit outcomes and current employment information (Appendix A, pg 47).  In addition to feedback from our graduates, the program also gathers data from employers of our graduates. The Coordinator of Clinical Services is responsible for coordinating a telephone survey to selective school officials regarding our graduates.  Schools selected for the survey will be drawn randomly from the student teaching school site database of the previous academic year. The designated school official will receive the survey with instructions that he/she will receive a phone call in the next week to respond to the questions.  The data will then be compiled and shared with the faculty.