Education
Wilmington College Teacher Education Program, which is designed to prepare teachers in the liberal arts tradition, is granted Accreditation by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) though December 2025. The College develops professional educators who demonstrate a thorough knowledge of the subjects they will teach as well as an understanding of the teaching and learning process, the needs of exceptional learners, and public policy and educational advocacy. Teacher education candidates are expected to possess and convey high expectations to all students they teach. Teacher education candidates will gain the ability to teach diverse student populations and develop an understanding of the particular culture and community in which they teach. They will become professional educators equipped to create positive learning environments that encourage active student engagement and self-motivation. They will become reflective practitioners who are able to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders in establishing P-12 learning communities.
In addition to Education coursework required for each major, teacher education candidates must complete requirements set forth by the Ohio Department of Education including earning passing scores on the Ohio Assessment for Educators (OAE) tests required for their respective licensure area(s). You may find a complete list of required OAE tests by licensure area by accessing http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Teaching/Licensure/Prepare-for-Certificate-License/Educator-Licensure-Examinations and clicking “Educator Licensure Testing Requirements”.
Teacher education candidates who satisfy all other degree requirements within their major without successfully completing student teaching cannot be recommended by Wilmington College for an Ohio teaching license. The Wilmington College Teacher Education Program cannot issue teaching licenses; it can only recommend qualified teacher education candidates to the Ohio Department of Education for one of the following 4-Year Resident Educator licenses. Candidates who have successfully completed the corresponding Education major and passed all required OAE tests will be recommended.
We encourage you to apply for your teaching license as soon as possible after you graduate. Ohio Department of Education periodically changes requirements for licensure and if you are in the system with a current license, you will often be “grandfathered” into the new requirements without having to do extra work. However, if you do not get a license and the requirements change, we are bound by the state to follow the new requirements on any license application, whether or not the applicant for licensure met the requirements that were set at the time they graduated. Those new requirements could require additional coursework, different licensure exams, etc. which would have to be completed before a licensure application could be approved.
Primary Education License – Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5
Primary Education Intervention Specialist License – Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 5, General and Special Education (dual license)
Middle Childhood License – Grades 4 through 9
Candidates must select two teaching fields, 20 semester hours each, from the following:
- Language Arts,
- Mathematics,
- Social Studies,
- Science.
Adolescence to Young Adult License – Grades 7 through 12
Candidates must complete one of the following majors relating to their desired teaching field:
- Integrated Language Arts,
- Integrated Mathematics,
- Integrated Social Studies,
- Life Sciences,
- Life Sciences with Chemistry
K-12 Intervention Specialist License – Candidates must select from either a Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Intensive concentration.
Career-Technical License in Agriscience – Grades 4 through 12
Candidates must complete an Agriculture major.
Applying for a New 4-Year Resident Educator License
In your first or second semester in the Education Program at Wilmington College, you will set up an OH ID account through the state of Ohio in order to apply for a Pre-Service teaching permit. You will be given instructions and walked through the process to set up your account. Once you have completed the tasks for the permit, you can submit the application for it. This must be complete prior to going into the classrooms for any reason ( observation, assignment completion, field practice or student teaching). Without this permit on record, you will not be able to complete any field requirements. The permit is good for 3 years so you will need to renew it prior to student teaching - be sure to watch your expiration date so you have this done in a timely fashion.
After you graduate from Wilmington College, you will use that same OH ID account to apply for the 2-year Resident Educator license. This will allow you to teach full-time in your own classroom while completing the Resident Educator program during your first two years of teaching. Once you have met those requirements you will be able to apply for a 5-year Professional Teaching License thought the district in which you are teaching.
Admission to the Teacher Education Program (For Licensure Majors Only)
Education majors who wish to become teacher education candidates for licensure must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program by the end of their fourth semester at Wilmington College. Education majors who transfer to Wilmington College with 60 or more hours must be admitted to the Teacher Education Program by the end of their second semester at Wilmington College. Candidates who have not been admitted to the Teacher Education program on time may pursue an Education Studies major or choose another major apart from Education.
All candidates must:
- Complete ED130 and ED230 with a grade of B- or better. If a student has transferred in either a Human Development OR Educational Psychology course from another institution with a B- or higher score, the student will need to complete the ED231 Human Development and Learning Connections course to complete the remaining content from our ED230 course.
- Earn a cumulative grade point average of at least 2.70.
- Satisfactory completion of field experience in a school setting pre-approved by the Education Area during ED130.
- Completion of the questionnaire required by the Ohio Department of Education regarding license eligibility and sign the ODE Office of Professional Conduct’s good moral character statement of assurance.
- Completion of BCI and FBI fingerprint report indicating “employable” (completed during ED130 or ED132).
- Completion of teaching field as listed below:
Primary Education, Primary Education Intervention Specialist, and K-12 Intervention Specialist, majors must:
Complete EN101 or EN103H, MT102, a humanities course, and a science course from the required general education curriculum with a grade of “C” or better. In addition, these courses must be completed with an average of at least 2.75.
Middle Childhood majors must:
Complete one course from each of the two selected content areas (English, Math, History, or Science) with a grade of “C” or better. In addition, these courses must be completed with an average of at least 2.75.
Adolescence to Young Adult, and Career-Technical majors must:
Complete two courses from the selected content major/concentration with a grade of “C” or better. In addition, these courses must be completed with an average of at least 2.75.
Denial of Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Students denied admission to the Wilmington College Teacher Education Pogram may submit a written appeal to Education Area faculty. The required Education Area Appeal Form may be obtained from the Education Area office. Students are also encouraged to meet with their respective academic advisor to discuss remediation opportunities. Students should resubmit the required Application to the Teacher Education Program once all necessary admission criteria set forth in the Wilmington College Course Catalog have been met.
Warning Flag System
Both prior to a student’s admission to (including Education Studies majors) and after a candidate’s admission to the Teacher Education Program, Education Area faculty, Wilmington College site supervisors, site school administrators, and cooperating teachers retain the right to issue a warning flag to a student or teacher candidate who engages in behavior that would jeopardize the student’s or teacher candidate’s ability to successfully fulfill the responsibilities of a professional educator. The behavior(s) necessitating a warning flag may be academic in nature or indicate the student or teacher candidate does not possess the dispositions the Wilmington College Education Area has identified as being essential for effective educators. These dispositions and related behaviors necessitating a warning flag are listed below. Please note that examples of warning flag behaviors listed do not constitute an exhaustive list and Education Area faculty, site supervisors, site school administrators, and cooperating teachers may address any other behaviors they deem related to a listed professional disposition. Documentation of each warning flag, and subsequent remediation plans and faculty decisions, will become part of a student’s/teacher candidate’s permanent file.
NOTE: A total of three warning flags will result in a student’s or teacher candidate’s permanent removal from the Teacher Education Program.
Professional Disposition |
Examples of Warning Flag Behaviors |
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Responsible and ethical professional behavior |
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Professional dress and demeanor in school settings |
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Respect for cultural diversity |
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Belief that all students can learn |
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Appreciation of the vital role of families in facilitating student learning outcomes |
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Willingness to implement new instructional methods/technology |
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Interest in professional growth |
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Willingness to positively impact student learning outcomes, teaching, and school improvement |
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The following steps occur in the warning flag system.
NOTE: Students or teacher candidates will automatically be placed on program probation for one semester when a warning flag is issued. Those placed on program probation are encouraged to work closely with their academic advisors and Student Resource Center to develop strategies for improving overall academic and professional performance.
- The Education Area faculty member, site supervisor, site school administrator, or cooperating teacher notifies the Wilmington College Field Director, Education Area Coordinator, and Education Area Support Coordinator of the behavior(s) constituting a warning flag(s) in writing with supporting evidence as necessary.
- A face-to-face meeting is scheduled with the student or teacher candidate, Education Area Coordinator, Field Director, and concerned party(ies) who submitted documentation of the behavior(s) in question in order to address the issues and/or concerns constituting the warning flag(s).
- During this meeting, the Education Area Coordinator and Field Director will specifically review warning flag documentation with the student or teacher candidate.
- The student or teacher candidate presents a written remediation plan and timeline that s/he feels will sufficiently address Education Area concerns.
- The student’s or teacher education candidate’s proposed remediation plan is presented to Education Area faculty who will reach consensus as to whether or not they will accept the remediation plan, suggest revisions to the remediation plan, or (in the event of an unemployable offense as contained in Ohio Revised Code) permanently remove the candidate from the Teacher Education Program. The Education Area Coordinator then notifies the student or teacher candidate of this decision in writing.
- If Education Area faculty accept the student’s or teacher candidate’s remediation plan, s/he is placed on program probation for one semester. During the probationary semester the area coordinator (or assigned designee) will check-in with the student/teacher candidate regularly regarding progress with the remediation plan steps. At the conclusion of the probationary semester, Education Area faculty review the student’s or teacher candidate’s remediation plan and reach consensus as to whether or not to allow the student or teacher candidate to continue pursuing teacher licensure or to permanently remove the candidate from the Teacher Education Program.
- If permanently removed from the Teacher Education Program, the student or teacher candidate will no longer be permitted to enroll in any Education Area coursework, internship, or field practicum course.
Admission to Student Teaching
Student teaching represents the culmination of the teacher education candidate’s educational preparation and is open only to those who have demonstrated the competencies, attitudes, and dispositions characteristic of competent, caring P-12 practitioners. Requirements for admission to student teaching include the following:
- An overall GPA of 2.75
- Teaching field GPA of 2.75
- Completion of all upper-division Education coursework with a grade of “C” or better.
- Successful completion of all Field Practicum courses, with at least one in a pre-determined urban setting or approved urban alternative.
- Completion of at least two-thirds of teaching field/concentration courses.
- A 2.75 average in ED285, ED385 and ED485.
- Achieve a passing score for the OAE professional content test(s) required for Ohio licensure by deadline in semester prior to student teaching.
- Submit a student teaching application to the Education Area during semester prior to student teaching by the specified application deadline in order to student teach the following fall or spring semester.
- Respond to the following Ohio Department of Education questions regarding licensure eligibility:
- Have you ever been convicted of, found guilty of, pled guilty to or pled no contest to any misdemeanor other than a traffic offense?
- Have you ever been convicted of, found guilty of, pled guilty to or pled no contest to any felony?
- Have you ever had a criminal conviction sealed or expunged?
- Have you ever had ANY professional certificate, license, permit, or an application for the same, revoked, suspended, limited, or denied?
- Have you ever surrendered ANY certificate, license, or permit, other than a driver’s license?
- Sign the ODE Office of Professional Conduct’s good moral character statement of assurance.
- Submit a BCI and FBI fingerprint report indicating “employable,” obtained via the Educational Service Center within the last 3 months.
- Evidence of physical and emotional fitness for student teaching
- Recommendation by the Education faculty
Denial of Admission to Student Teaching
Teacher candidates denied admission to student teaching may submit a written appeal to Education Area faculty. The required Education Area Appeal Form may be obtained from the Education Area office. Students are also encouraged to meet with their respective academic advisor to discuss remediation opportunities. Students should resubmit the required Application to Student Teach once all necessary admission criteria set forth in the Wilmington College Course Catalog have been met.
Degrees
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Adolescence to Young Adult and Career Technical Major -
Education Studies Major (Non-Licensure) -
K-12 Intervention Specialist Major -
Middle Childhood Education Major -
Primary Education/Intervention Specialist Major -
Primary Education Major