“Preparing reflective, responsible decision makers in a global and diverse, democratic society.”

Since its establishment in 1876 as the Iowa State Normal School, the University of Northern Iowa has maintained its affirmed commitment to the support of excellence in teacher education. This commitment was recognized by the Iowa General Assembly in 1967 when the function of the university was redefined to include as its primary responsibility the preparation of " . . . teachers and other educational personnel for schools, colleges, and universities . . ." It is also acknowledged by the university in organizing and defining teacher education as an all-university function.

Nearly 25% of Iowa’s teachers are prepared at UNI.

Students and Faculty:
(The following data are approximate and are representative of a typical year.)

8% minority students at UNI.
10% minority faculty at UNI.

5% minority population for the state of Iowa.

Approximately 140 teacher education faculty members (nearly 18% of total faculty) provide instruction in the P-12 teacher preparation programs.

Professional Education Faculty members engage in writing and research activities along with their classroom instruction, service to the university, and commitment to teacher preparation. Department Chairs or Directors evaluate all faculty members yearly for successful performance in teaching.

Programs

81 licensure programs. Accredited by Iowa Department of Education every 7 years.

Undergraduate teaching degrees/year = 20 – 25% of total degrees granted at UNI.

Preparation Experiences

Teacher Candidates complete 32-33 hours of licensure course work that include:

• Field experiences
  • Articulated field experiences throughout the program, beginning prior to admission to the Teacher Education Program
  • 12 weeks to 25 weeks of field experience prior to student teaching, depending on the major
  • 16 weeks of guided student teaching by UNI faculty supervisors who have been/are master classroom teachers
• Assessment of progress
  • Articulated, guided, and graduated reflection of teaching practices and student achievement using the Teacher Work Sample tool.
  • Articulated, guided, and graduated performance in teaching in the field prior to and during student teaching, assessed on performance rubrics.
  • Teacher Candidates monitor personal progress toward program completion through the UNITED system: UNI Teacher Education Data system, on MyUNIverse.
• Connection of Theory to Practice
  • Professors in professional education courses collaborate with Price Laboratory School faculty members to create a visible connection between theory and practice.
  • Professors in methods courses work with teachers in PK-12 classrooms to ensure connections between methodology and student performance.
  • Student Teaching supervisors conduct weekly seminars and bi-weekly classroom visits that connect theory to practice during the 16-week student teaching experience.
• Consistency and Coherence
  • UNI faculty and supervisors continue to provide candidates with knowledge, encouragement, and support regarding the nature of teaching and learning as students move toward becoming professional teachers.

Facilities

The Office of Teacher Education is located in the Schindler Education Center.

Licensure core courses (the Professional Education Sequence) are taught by faculty from the College of Education in the Schindler Education Center. Methods courses occur across campus within each major’s college. Field experiences occur at Price Laboratory School, throughout the region, and across the country and globe.

The 96 licensure programs reside in all five of the university’s colleges.

Accountability

The UNI Teacher Preparation Program is performance-based, reflecting national content standards and state practitioner preparation standards. Each student is held responsible for documenting his/her competency through prescribed performance evaluations and assessments, articulated throughout the program and available for review and monitoring on the electronic accountability system known as the UNI Teacher Education Data (UNITED) system.

Office of Teacher Education

Interim Director:

Melissa Heston
617 Schindler Education Center
Melissa.Heston@uni.edu
319-273-2236

Record Analyst:

Barbara Hill
159A Schindler Education Center
Barbara.Hill@uni.edu
319-273-2265

Responsibilities:

• Oversees governance of the Teacher Education Unit

• Acts as advisor to and intermediary for state and national policies as they affect UNI Teacher Preparation

• Coordinates Teacher Preparation across colleges at UNI

• Reports to state and national agencies for program approval and membership information.

• Monitors the procedures/requirements for admission to teacher education programs at the undergraduate level

• Serves as the licensure officer for all educational personnel in the University

• Maintains the scope of program reports for the Iowa Department of Education, updating changes in curriculum as they occur 

The Offices of Teacher Education operate to meet many objectives, including:

1. Monitors entrance requirements for all students entering teacher education

2. Monitors and evaluates student progress toward becoming fully admitted into teacher education and maintaining status in the Program

3. To monitor student progress through the undergraduate programs and maintain records up to entry into student teaching

4. To maintain accurate records on all educational licensure curriculum to ensure programs meet state requirements

5. To be the link among all colleges housing teacher preparation programs

6. To report to state and national agencies which require accountability for teacher education programs