Indiana Tech is proud to introduce a new degree program designed to educate tomorrow's educators. The elementary education degree will prepare graduates to become certified K-6 teachers with an endorsement in Exceptional Needs, allowing graduates the option to teach children with special needs.

This exciting new program is uniquely designed to embrace the university's commitment to:

Respect and understand others of different race, beliefs, age, gender, and cultures along with varying learning styles and abilities.

Incorporate applications of technology as effective tools to promote and enhance learning.

Students selecting the elementary education major will enroll in general core courses and the exploration phase of teacher education courses during the freshman and sophomore years. During the fourth semester of study, students will apply for admittance to the Teacher Education Component in order to complete the degree program and all of the requirements to qualify for Indiana teacher certification. The course of study during the junior and senior years addresses specific concepts necessary for teaching as well as student teaching.

Application requirements for admission to the Teacher Education Component are as follows:

• Minimum 2.5 grade point average in all coursework. Transfer grades will be calculated in the overall average to determine eligibility.
• Passing scores on all sections of Praxis I (Reading 176, Writing 172, Math 175).
• Portfolio documenting field experiences and related work with children and disposition evaluations.
• Recommendations addressing character and commitment to teaching.
• Background check to determine eligibility for teaching license.
• Interview with members of the Teacher Education Admissions and Retention Committee to determine disposition toward teaching.

The program is being developed in accordance with the standards of the Indiana Professional Standards Board of the Indiana Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The university is in the development process and is currently accepting students into the Elementary Education program for Fall 2006. In Fall 2007, the first cohort of students will be admitted into the Teacher Education Component of the Elementary Education program.

According to the Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, job opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years will vary from good to excellent. Most job openings will result from the need to replace the large number of teachers who are expected to retire through 2014.

Shortages of qualified teachers will likely continue with some states and districts offering bonuses and higher pay. Teachers who are geographically mobile should have a distinct advantage in finding a job. Job prospects should be better in inner cities and rural areas. Increasing enrollments of minorities, coupled with a shortage of minority teachers, should cause efforts to recruit minority teachers to intensify.

Beginning salaries vary by geographic location and whether the school is public or private. According to the NACE Fall 2005 salary survey, the average national starting salary for elementary teachers was $30,904. The Bureau of Labor Statistics noted a national mean average salary for all elementary school teachers (not in special education) to be $46,350. In Indiana, that average was $44,410. For elementary education teachers in special education, the national mean average salary was $47,360 while Indiana had a mean average of $41,800. Public schools tend to offer higher salaries than private schools.