Endorsements
Students in the BA Urban Education – Elementary Education program can add additional qualifications to their degree beyond their Professional Educators License, giving them more options and opportunities for their teaching career.
Elementary Education (Grades 1-6) Endorsement* Heading link
*All Urban Education students graduate with the Elementary Education endorsement (Grades 1-6) as part of the program.
Students have the option to add one or more endorsements (called “subsequent endorsements”) in addition to Elementary Education if they take the appropriate courses. These optional endorsements are listed below.
Endorsement grade levels can overlap. For example, if an Urban Education student wanted to add the Early Childhood Endorsement, upon completion of the program they would be qualified to teach children at any grade level from birth/Pre-K to Grade 6.
Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) Endorsements Heading link
The Bilingual and English as a Second Language (ESL) endorsements enable Urban Education students to teach in a Bilingual and/or English as a Second Language classroom.
Early Childhood Education (Birth to Grade 2) Endorsement Heading link
Urban Education students can earn an Early Childhood Education (ECE) Endorsement to teach children from birth to Grade 2.
Learning Behavior Specialist I (Special Education) Endorsement Heading link
The Illinois Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS) I endorsement enables teachers to work with students with a wide range of disabilities, ages 5–21. Urban Education majors interested in working with diverse learners can add this endorsement to teach epecial education ages 5–21 in any of 12 disability categories.
SPED 416 (Methods of Instruction for Exceptional Learners) is already required for all Urban Education students, so only three additional courses are needed. Students choose from the courses that fit the following three requirements for the LBS I:
1. Survey of Exceptional Children requirement
SPED 461 | Political and Socio-Cultural Perspectives on Special Education (3 hours)
2. Characteristics requirement (choose one)
SPED 465 | Understanding Students with High Incidence Disabilities (3 hours)
or
SPED 467 | Understanding Students with Low Incidence Disabilities (3 hours)
3. Assessment requirement
SPED 462 | Assessment for Individuals with Disabilities (3 hours)
Middle Grades (Grades 5-8) Endorsement Heading link
Urban Education students can earn the Middle School Endorsement (Grades 5-8) in content area(s) such as Science, Social Studies, English/Language Arts, or Mathematics. Each content area requires courses in the content area plus middle school pedagogy courses.