EDUCATION/SPECIAL EDUCATION

Types of Certification Trinity offers teacher education programs leading to the following teaching certificates in the state of Illinois:

• Elementary (K-9 certification)
• Secondary (6-12 certification) in the following major subject areas: biology education, business education, education education, chemistry education, English education, history education, and mathematics education
• Special programs (K-12 certification) in art education, music education, physical education, and Spanish education
• Special education (K-12 certification) Learning Behavior Specialist I

All education department programs meet Trinity’s general education requirements of an oral communication course (Communication Arts 101), field education (student teaching internship), and capstone requirement (Education 454). Students who have taken three years of both science and math (including Algebra II) in high school are the most successful in our teacher education program.

Transfer students: Transfer students must complete the education requirements of the catalog in the year in which they enter Trinity.

Field Experience: The state of Illinois requires students to complete a number of preclinical experiences prior to student-teaching, called field experience. Field experience is a component of multiple education and special education courses, and placements are made by a field experience coordinator. Students experience a variety of settings and grade levels to prepare them for the realities of the teaching profession. Students in each teacher education program must complete 200 hours of field experience prior to student-teaching.

Digital Portfolios: All education majors and minors complete a digital portfolio. Students pay a one-time, non-refundable technology fee of $100 in Computer Science 109. Transfer students who receive transfer credit for Computer Science 109 will also be assessed a fee of $100.