Annual Institutional Title II Report Card

2014–2015 Title II Report Card

Teacher Education Mission

The mission of Teacher Education at Bradley University is to prepare teachers who will be effective leaders, advocates, and life-long learners. We believe that teaching and learning are dynamic, interactive, life-long processes based on empowering interactions among learners.

Teacher Preparation Programs

Bradley University offers 15 baccalaureate programs leading to state teacher certification and graduate-level certification programs in Educational Administration and School Counseling.

Student Characteristics

Most undergraduates (95.3 percent) are of traditional college age; 95.2 percent attend full-time, and 82.0 percent are Illinois residents. Thirty-four percent of all students are minority students. The average ACT score for the fall 2014 freshmen was 25.6. Undergraduate enrollment is 4,588. Graduate enrollment is 640 and doctorate enrollment is 72. Total enrollment is 5,300.

Admissions Requirements

Admission to Teacher Education Program: Candidates must have earned a minimum grade point average of 2.5 overall, 2.5 in education courses, and a 2.5 in their content major or concentration. Candidates must have earned grades of not less than a C in COM 103, ENG 101, and a mathematics course that meets university general education requirements. They must have completed a prescribed group of education courses for each major with the appropriate GPA and no Ds, passed the Illinois Certification Test of Academic Proficiency (TAP) – or successfully achieved the ACT/SAT minimum score required by the Illinois State Board of Education to qualify for a TAP waiver, demonstrated appropriate pre-professional behaviors and dispositions, been cleared on a check of criminal history, and received a satisfactory vote of the faculty at advancement to degree candidacy.

Admission to Student Teaching: Candidates must have maintained a minimum grade point average of 2.5 overall, 2.5 in education courses, and a 2.5 in their content major or concentration. They must have been advanced to candidacy, passed the Illinois Licensure Test in their content area, and been cleared on the State Police fingerprint check.

Accreditation

Bradley University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools; the College of Education and Health Sciences is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE); and all teacher preparation programs are approved by the Illinois State Board of Education. Individual teacher preparation programs are accredited by one of the following: National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI), National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE), National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM), and Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).

 Best Practices

• Practicum experiences in the schools begin the freshman year and continue each year of the program, increasing in responsibility.
• Each candidate will have clinical experiences in the full range of his or her certification and in a diverse setting.
• The university has Professional Development School partners at each level from early childhood through high school.

 Notable Features and Accomplishments

• On August 1, 2014, the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB) unanimously approved the Department of Teacher Education’s proposal for a redesigned elementary education program, fully aligned with the revised Illinois Administrative Code (IAC). The SEPLB was extremely complimentary of the program's design, particularly its English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement component. Professors Cecile Arquette, Dean Cantu, Jean Marie Grant, and David McMullen played a critical role in developing the redesigned elementary education degree, which serves as the first in the state to fully integrate the ESL endorsement into the program.
• In October, the experience of Abby Baron, a special education major in the Department of Teacher Education, who was interning at in Israel at the Tel Aviv Center for the Blind during the Israel-Hamas conflict, was featured in Peoria TV (WEEK and WMBD) news stories.
• On October 8, 2014, Shari Britner served on an expert panel, Supporting Female and Minority K-12 Students in Science and Math, at the Illinois Education Research Symposium.
• At the Founder’s Day Convocation held on October 17, 2014, Elizabeth M. “Libby” Birky, M.A., Curriculum and Instruction ’02, was awarded Outstanding Young Graduate. Birky is co-founder of So All May Eat, Inc. (SAME Café), a non-profit organization that provides locally grown organic food to all patrons of the SAME Café in Denver, Colorado, regardless of their ability to pay. Since opening in 2006, SAME Café has served more than 120,000 meals.
• On October 24, 2014, the annual Literacy Fiesta was held in the Owens Professional Development Room in Westlake Hall. The Literacy Fiesta combined learning activities, picture books, and stations created by preservice teachers in Heljä Antola Crowe’s English Language Learners courses, and Dr. Sherrie Pardieck’s Children’s Literature classes. The instructional activities were created in the courses and made available for students from St. Mark School’s kindergarten through fifth grade. Bradley University preservice teachers taught their learning activities to the children as they visited each learning station, which included stories and activities from well-known authors and illustrators, ELL-Spanish learning activities, and picture books.
• In November 2014, Department of Teacher Education graduate Tejal (Shah) Mehta ’98 travelled to Washington, D.C., to accept the 2014 National Blue Ribbon School Award with her colleagues a from Rockland School in Libertyville, Illinois.
• The following faculty members in the Department of Teacher Education, who serve in a variety of leadership roles in the Illinois Association of Teacher Educators (IATE), played a critical role in planning the IATE Fall Conference, held at Bradley University in November 2014: Patricia Nugent, President; Dr. Twila Lukowiak, Secretary; Dr. Heljä Antola Crowe, College/University Representative; and Dr. Sherrie Pardieck, Awards & Recognitions and Membership Chair.
• On November 7, 2014, the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB) unanimously approved the Department of Teacher Education, College of Education and Health Sciences proposal for a new Middle School Education degree program with ESL Endorsement, fully aligned with the revised Illinois Administrative Code (IAC). The board was extremely complimentary of the program's design, particularly its English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsement component. The Middle School Education degree program includes the following four concentration (licensure area) options: Middle Grades English Language Arts Education with ESL endorsement; Middle Grades Mathematics Education with ESL endorsement; Middle Grades Science Education with ESL endorsement; and Middle Grades Social Science Education with ESL endorsement. Professors Cecile Arquette, Dean Cantù, Jean Marie Grant, and David McMullen played a critical role in developing the new Middle School Education degree program, which serves as the first in the state to fully integrate the ESL endorsement into the program.
• On the evening of April 2, 2015, Westlake Hall was turned blue to celebrate “Light It Up Blue,” an event designed to kick off National Autism Awareness Month. Sponsored by the Bradley Student Education Association (BSEA) and the Bradley Association for the Education of Young Children (BAEYC), the event raised funds for Autism Speaks. Executive board members of BSEA and BAEYC planned and facilitated the event.
• On April 15, 2015 the Spring Education Advisory Committee Meeting was hosted by the Department of Teacher Education and the Department of Leadership in Education, Human Services and Counseling. The meeting was held in Westlake Hall's Owens Professional Development Center. The program included a presentation by Cecile Arquette on her Fulbright Experience in Chile, and a presentation by two teacher education majors, Claire Annes and Hallie Nissen, on their Study Abroad Experience in Costa Rica.
• In Spring 2015, the Department of Teacher Education received notification from the Illinois State Board of Education that the Illinois State Educator Preparation and Licensure Board (SEPLB) approved all teacher education programs at Bradley University, as follows: Early Childhood Education; Early Childhood/Elementary Education; Elementary Education; English Language Arts; Family and Consumer Sciences; Foreign Language – French and Spanish; Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS I); Mathematics; Music; Science – Biology, Chemistry, and Physics; Social Science – History; and Visual Arts.
• In Spring 2015, Information Age Publishing announced the publication of the following book, co-authored by Professor Kevin Finson: Finson, K.D. & Pedersen, J.E. (EDs). (2015). Application of Visual Data in K-16 Science Classrooms. Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.

This is the official catalog for the 2016-2017 academic year. This catalog serves as a contract between a student and Bradley University. Should changes in a program of study become necessary prior to the next academic year every effort will be made to keep students advised of any such changes via the Dean of the College or Chair of the Department concerned, the Registrar's Office, u.Achieve degree audit system, and the Schedule of Classes. It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the current program and graduation requirements for particular degree programs.