Council on Teacher Education

Contact Information:
Campus Location: 412 S. Peoria, Suite 634 (MC 134)
(312) 355-0714
cte.uic.edu

Administration:
Director and Licensure Officer, Sierra Ryan, (312) 355-0718
Student Teaching Coordinator, Brittney Beck-James, (312) 355-1872
Candidacy Coordinator, Shatell Coleman, (312) 355-0714

Overview of Licensure Phases and Processes

The Council on Teacher Education (CTE) is the professional education unit for the University of Illinois Chicago responsible for coordinating Professional Educator Licensure (PEL) programs and maintaining the State of Illinois Licensure requirements. CTE serves programs in the College of Education; the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts; the College of Nursing; and the Jane Addams College of Social Work.

  • Decisions about licensure are a joint effort of a candidate’s program, the Council on Teacher Education (CTE), and the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE).
  • The program coordinator and faculty have the main responsibility for ensuring that candidates are prepared to become licensed teachers and are, thus, entitled to apply for licensure. They approve qualifications before the CTE begins its process of evaluation.
  • The CTE’s licensure officer entitles an individual to apply for a license at the state level. The CTE checks that candidates have met state requirements, such as passing the required state-level tests and completing the course, assessment, and grade requirements stipulated by the program as addressing state objectives.
  • ISBE makes the final decision about whether or not a candidate receives licensure based upon the information it receives from the institution and a candidate’s application.

Admission to Candidacy

To be eligible for candidacy, candidates must meet the following criteria:

  1. Completed general education coursework; earned a minimum cumulative GPA as specified by the program, including transfer credits; and completed professional education requirements.
  2. Completed the minimum number of clock hours of fieldwork specified by the program and as part of the professional education coursework.
  3. Completed all other requirements as specified by the program.

Admission to Student Teaching

To be eligible for student teaching, candidates must meet the following criteria:   

  1. Completed general education coursework; earned a minimum cumulative GPA as specified by the program in all coursework, including transfer credits; completed professional education requirements with a minimum as specified by the program; and completed coursework in their teaching field with a GPA as specified in their program.
  2. Completed the minimum number of clock hours of fieldwork specified by the program and as part of the professional education coursework.
  3. Passed the Illinois Content Area Test in the teaching field if student teaching will occur.
  4. Submitted a student teaching application before the deadline.
  5. Completed the student teacher registration process for the school district where student teaching will occur, typically including a criminal background check and TB test.a
  6. Met any additional requirements as specified within each program.

Entitlement to Illinois State Licensure

To become licensed, candidates must have done the following:

  1. Met all requirements for graduation in their home college.
  2. Completed and logged all early field experiences.
  3. Completed and passed all assessments including all licensure exams and the Illinois Content Test.
  4. Successfully completed student teaching.
  5. Completed and filed a licensure application and any related endorsement requests with the Council on Teacher Education.
  6. Completed and submitted an exit survey.

Illinois Licensure Test Requirements

Before the license is issued, the candidate must pass a series of examinations required by the Illinois State Board of Education. All tests are valid indefinitely. 

The Illinois State Board of Education occasionally changes the requirements for licensure. For current information, contact the academic advisor in the major field of study or the Council on Teacher Education.

a

Teacher candidates are responsible for bearing the expense of the TB test and the criminal background check.

Undergraduate Education Programs

The University of Illinois Chicago offers educator preparation programs in various content areas and grade ranges. For a list of programs, please visit the Council on Teacher Education website.

Contact the appropriate department for more information on educator preparation programs.