Education
Faculty
JOE HELBLING, PH.D., Director of Teacher Education, DEPT. CHAIR
KATHY GILBOY, ED.D.
Mission
The mission of the Teacher Education Program is to prepare students for lifelong learning, intellect, imagination, self-confidence, and motivation, while preparing them for the teaching profession. Students investigate, reflect, analyze, and judge reality and truth through inquiry and discussion. Committed to educating each student as a total human being, the teacher education unit helps students to receive, respond to, organize, and characterize values. Specifically, students develop values about teaching, society, health behaviors, moral issues, education, and political influences. We ask our students to think boldly about the opportunities and responsibilities presented to us by a rapidly changing world. Students within the Program are encouraged to live Carroll College’s mission by participating in community service and by interacting with children and adults from diverse cultural, religious, economic, and intellectual backgrounds.
Teacher Education advances this mission as it works within the Carroll College’s Teacher Education Conceptual Framework. That framework is built upon a liberal arts education, structured by traditional educational philosophies, and embraced by an atmosphere of dignity, which values justice of all persons.
Student Learning Outcomes
The goal of Carroll College’s Teacher Education Program is to support students in developing teaching competencies in their chosen fields and assist them in becoming education professionals capable of responding to their students’ individual needs. Teacher education graduates from all programs will demonstrate competence in the following Montana teaching standards:
- Demonstrate understanding of how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, behavioral health continuum, and physical areas, and differentiate developmentally appropriate instruction for learners of all abilities based on evidence-based practices;
- Use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures, languages and communities, including American Indians and tribes in Montana and English Language Learners (ELL), to ensure inclusive environments that enable each learner to meet high standards;
- Work with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation;
- Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) the candidate teaches and create individualized learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content, and include the instruction of reading and writing literacy into all program areas;
- Demonstrate understanding of how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues;
- Use multiple methods of assessment, including formative and summative assessments, to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making;
- Plan and implement evidence-based practices that support the social, emotional, well-being, behavioral, and academic needs of all students;
- Use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections and build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways;
- Engage in ongoing professional learning and use evidence to continually evaluate candidate practice, particularly the effects of candidates choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapt practice to meet the needs of each learner;
- Interact knowledgeably and professionally with students, families, and colleagues based on social needs and institutional roles;
- Engage in leadership or collaborative roles, or both, in content-based professional learning communities and organizations and continue to develop as professional educators; and
- Demonstrate understanding of and ability to integrate history, cultural heritage, language and contemporary status of American Indians and tribes in Montana.
Program Requirements and Progression Benchmarks
To ensure the development of competent, ethical, and reflective educators, the Teacher Education Program (TEP) at Carroll College has established a series of progression benchmarks that students must meet to continue in the program and be recommended for licensure. These benchmarks align with state and national standards and reflect candidate growth in knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Students are assessed at multiple points in their preparation and must meet academic, professional, and field-based performance expectations. The Teacher Education Program reserves the right to review a candidate’s standing and progress at any point, and may require additional support plans or deny progression based on academic or professional concerns.
Key Progression Benchmarks
Benchmark 1: Completion of the Freshman Year
- GPA: Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Students must earn a minimum of a C- in all Professional Education Requirements, Major Program Requirements, and Other Program Requirements. Courses may be repeated up to 2 times until a C- or better is obtained.
- Courses: Completion of ED-102 - Foundations of Education, ED-103 - Instructional Media and Technology, PSY-203 - Developmental Psychology, CORE-110, and CO-101 - Basic Communication.
- Advisors: Elementary Education majors should identify an advisor in the Education Department by the end of the freshman year. Secondary Education majors should identify two advisors: an advisor in the Education Department faculty to ensure state licensure guidelines are followed, and an advisor from the faculty in their content area to coordinate their program.
- CASE Test: We highly recommend that students take the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test (CASET) by the end of their freshman year or very early in their sophomore year. Minimum passing scores for Reading, Math, and Writing must be obtained prior to admission into the Teacher Education Program. Check with the Teacher Education Program Administrative Assistant or your advisor to determine current minimum passing scores.
- CASET Waiver: Students may waive the CASET, if they can verify passing ACT or SAT scores in Reading, Math, and Writing. If ACT or SAT scores are not at the passing level for any individual area (Reading, Math, or Writing), students must obtain a passing score on the CASET in that individual area.
- Passing ACT scores are Reading-22, Math-19, and Writing-7
- Passing SAT scores are Reading and Writing-560; and Math-550
Benchmark 2: Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and have a C- or better in all program required courses at the time of application;
- Passed a minimum of 1 area (Reading, Math, Writing) of the CASET or verify passing ACT/SAT scores for a minimum of 1 area;
- Received a clean background check through the Department of Education;
- Received positive faculty evaluations of professional dispositions, and;
Received positive evaluations of professional dispositions from field experiences.
Full Admission: Upon verification of the application materials, an interview will be scheduled. Should the interview meet program requirements, students will be fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program.
Provisional Admission: Students who do not qualify for Full Admission may qualify for Provisional Admission for the following scenarios:
- GPA: Students who have a cumulative GPA of 2.25-2.74 may still be scheduled for an interview if a review of midterm grades shows that the student has the potential to meet the 2.75 criteria at the end of the semester. At the end of the spring semester, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 to be eligible for Full Admission to the TEP.
- CASET: A passing score on all sections of the CASET must be received by the following fall semester withdrawal date (usually mid-November) to be eligible for Full Admission. If passing scores are not received by the fall withdrawal date, students should withdraw from ED-323/ED-325 - Communications Arts I & II (Elementary majors) or ED-318 - Content Area Reading and Secondary Methods (Secondary majors) as students MUST be Fully Admitted in order to receive a passing grade in these courses. Students should consult with their academic advisors to evaluate their readiness for continued pursuit of teacher licensure and to discuss whether alternative options may better align with their strengths and goals.
- Interview: Students whose interview does not meet the minimum program requirements will receive feedback and may schedule a second interview. Students who do not meet minimum requirements on a second interview will have the opportunity to complete a plan of intervention that must be completed to the satisfaction of the Education Department to be eligible for Full Admission.
- Other: The Department may consider, at their discretion, provisional admission for reasons not listed in this catalog.
Notes:
- Readmission After Interruption: Students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program, but have not been enrolled in Carroll College for one semester or more, must seek readmission into the program. See “Readmission After Interruption” under Teacher Education Policies below.
- Transfer Students: Transfer students entering at the junior level may be granted conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program for one semester. See “Transfer Student Admission” under Teacher Education Policies below.
- All candidates will be informed of their admission status no later than June 30 of the application year.
Benchmark 3: Admission to Student Teaching
Students who have not been fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program by March 1st of their junior year will not be considered for student teaching. All teaching candidates in K-8, P-12, K-12, and 5-12 programs must apply for admission to student teaching. Applications must be made to the Department of Education no later than March 1st of the junior year. Failure to do so will cancel the student’s opportunity to student teach during the fall and spring semesters of the following school year. It is the student’s responsibility to seek admission to student teaching. To be admitted to student teach, students must meet the following criteria:
- Application: Submit a formal Student Teaching application to the Education Department;
- ETS Praxis Subject Knowledge Test: Receive an acceptable rating (2 or better) on the appropriate ETS Praxis Subject Knowledge Test on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge (MACK) Verification for each subject/endorsement area in which the candidate will be seeking licensure. Students must obtain a score of “3” to be recommended for licensure by the Carroll College Teacher Education Program.
- GPA: Have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in Major and Minor Program Requirements, Professional Education Requirements, and Other Program Requirements in each K-8, 5-12, K-12, or P-12 Major and Minor area. Elementary Education (K-8) candidates must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in Elementary Education Content Coursework GPA on the Montana Assessment for Content Knowledge Verification;
- Courses: All Major and Minor Program Requirements, Professional Education Requirements and Other Program Requirements must be completed, with a grade of “C-” or better;
- Faculty Evaluations: Receive positive faculty evaluations, and;
- Field Experience Evaluations: Receive positive evaluations from past field experiences.
Notes:
- Student Teaching Placements: See details under Teacher Education Policies below.
Benchmark 4: Program Completion and Licensure Recommendation
To be recommended for licensure by the Carroll College TEP, students must:
- Cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and C- or better in all Professional Education Requirements, Major and Minor Program Requirements, and Other Program Requirements.
- Successfully complete all degree requirements, including Student Teaching (ED-410);
- Demonstrate competencies in teaching skills and professional dispositions as assessed during student teaching;
- Achieve passing scores on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge (MACK). The MACK includes three sources of evidence:
- GPA in content-area coursework;
- Praxis Subject Knowledge Test aligned with the candidate’s endorsement area(s);
Content knowledge demonstrated during student teaching, as evaluated by the cooperating teacher.
Students must meet minimum expectations in each component as well as an overall minimum score. Elementary candidates may be required to meet minimum expectations across multiple content areas (English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies).
Middle School Area Of Concentration
Students with secondary or elementary teaching majors desiring to teach at the middle school level (grades five through eight) should add this emphasis to their academic preparation. This emphasis prepares the prospective teacher for the unique nature of the middle school child and program.
In addition to the Professional Education Requirements and Other Program Requirements for elementary or secondary education, the following requirements must be met:
- Students must take methods courses aligned with their teaching major/minor (for secondary) or area of emphasis (for elementary) and complete student teaching at the middle school level.
- Areas of academic emphasis for education majors include mathematics, science, language arts (English), and social science. To obtain the Middle School area of concentration, elementary education majors must take a minimum of 12 additional semester hours of coursework in one area of academic emphasis, beyond the requirements for the elementary education major. The emphasis area and specific coursework must be approved by the students' academic advisor in Department of Education.
Teacher Education Policies
Admission into the Teacher Education Program
The Teacher Education Program is a structured sequence of coursework and field experiences that includes benchmarks for formal admission, student teaching, and program completion. Students pursuing any Education major that leads to teacher licensure, including Elementary, Secondary, and K–12 programs, must be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program. Admission to Carroll College does not automatically qualify a student for admission into the Teacher Education Program. All students pursuing academic programs that lead to teacher licensure must submit a Program Admission Application to the Department of Education, by the end of their sophomore year (not later than March 1st of their sophomore year). It is the student’s responsibility to seek admission to the program.
Admission Requirements
To be considered for admission, students must meet the following criteria for acceptance:
- Receive acceptable minimum scores on the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or provide verified passing scores on an acceptable college entrance exam (ACT or SAT);
- Earn a grade of “C-” or better in CO-101;
- Earn a grade of “C-” or better in CORE-110;
- Earn a grade of "C-" or better in all program required courses;
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 at the time of application;
- Complete an interview that meets program standards;
- Receive positive faculty recommendations;
- Pass a clear background check; and
- Demonstrate a positive performance in prior K-12 field experiences
The student's application will be evaluated by Department of Education faculty based on the above criteria. Applicants will be fully admitted into the program, provisionally admitted on a provisional basis, or denied admission into the program.
Provisional Admission
Students will be admitted on a provisional basis if they meet the following criteria:
- Passed at least a minimum of one area (reading, writing, mathematics) of the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test or possess verified scores on an acceptable college entrance exam (ACT or SAT) in a minimum of one area (reading, writing, mathematics);
- Participated in an interview but may not have met program standards;
- Have not yet met the 2.75 cumulative GPA requirement but are expected to do so before the start of the fall semester of the junior year.
- All other areas have met program standards.
Students who are not directly admitted into the program will be informed of any deficiencies and may be given further opportunity for admission following academic counseling and/or academic assistance and/or counseling.
Notes:
Students who have been admitted into the Teacher Education Program, but have not been enrolled in Carroll College for one semester or more, must seek readmission into the program. See "Readmission After Interruption" below.
For Junior Level Transfer students: Transfer students entering at the junior level may be granted conditional admissionto the Teacher Education Program for one semester. See “Transfer Student Admission “ below. Two months prior to the end of that semester, they must submit a formal application for full admission. Their application will be evaluated using the same criteria as for sophomore-level students entering at the junior level and are admitted to the program on a conditional basis for one semester. One month prior to the close of that semester, junior transfer students must submit an application for full admission into the Teacher Education Program. Transfer candidates will be reviewed using the same criteria as Carroll College sophomore students.
All candidates will be informed of their admission status no later than June 30 of the application year.
Readmission After Interruption
Students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program but have not been enrolled at Carroll College for one semester or more must seek readmission to the program. Readmission is not automatic and will be reviewed by Department of Education faculty.
The readmission process may include:
- Submission of a written request for readmission;
- An updated transcript review to ensure continued academic eligibility;
- A review of previously assessed field experiences and professional dispositions;
- An updated background check, if more than one year has passed since the last clearance;
- Additional requirements at the discretion of the department, especially if program standards or licensure requirements have changed during the student’s absence.
Students returning after an extended absence may be required to complete additional coursework or field experiences to ensure alignment with current program expectations.
Transfer Student Admission
Students who transfer to Carroll College and intend to pursue teacher licensure must apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program in accordance with all standard admission procedures and timelines.
Junior-level transfer students may be granted conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program for their first semester at Carroll College. These students must submit a complete application for full admission during that semester (by October 15 for Fall Semester). The Department of Education will notify students of their admission status no later than November 10, or the official course withdrawal deadline, whichever comes first.
Transfer students are required to:
- Meet the same admission criteria as students who begin their education coursework at Carroll College, including GPA minimums, course grades, testing requirements, and dispositions evaluations;
- Submit official transcripts from all previously attended institutions for review by the Department of Education;
- Complete any missing pre-admission courses, including those with embedded field experiences, which provide essential assessment data on professional dispositions and teaching potential;
- Participate in an advising meeting with a Department of Education faculty member to develop a customized plan of study;
- Complete at least one supervised field experience that includes a formal evaluation of professional dispositions, as approved by the Department of Education. If prior field experience was completed at another institution, students must provide sufficient documentation (e.g., supervisor evaluations or disposition rubrics) for departmental review. If such documentation is not available or deemed insufficient, the department may require the student to complete a customized field placement at Carroll College prior to admission.
Post-Baccalaureate Pathway to Licensure
Individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution and wish to pursue initial teacher licensure may be eligible to complete a customized post-baccalaureate program of study at Carroll College. These candidates will meet with an advisor in the Education Department to determine licensure area(s) of interest and to complete a transcript review.
Based on this review, a tailored plan will be developed that outlines the coursework, field experiences, and assessments required to meet Carroll’s Teacher Education Program standards and Montana licensure requirements. In some cases, previously completed coursework may be deemed out-of-date or not aligned with current research-based practices, in which case the student may be required to repeat or update prior coursework.
Post-baccalaureate candidates must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program and meet all the same benchmarks for progression, including student teaching, licensure assessments (e.g., the MACK), and demonstration of professional dispositions.
Admission to Student Teaching
All teacher candidates in K-8, K-12, and 5-12 licensure programs must apply for admission to student teaching. Admission into the Teacher Education Program at the end of the sophomore year does not automatically guarantee approval for permit one to pursue student teaching as a senior student.
Students who have not been admitted to the Teacher Education Program by March 15 of their junior year will not be considered for student teaching.
To be eligible for student teaching, candidates must meet the following academic requirements:
- Receive an acceptable rating (2 or better) on the appropriate ETS Praxis Subject Knowledge Test on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge;
- Maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA in:
- Major Program Requirements,
- Other Program Requirements,
- Professional Education Requirements.
- (For 5-12 and K-12 minors, a minimum 3.0 GPA is required in Minor Program Requirements, Other Program Requirements, and Professional Education Requirements.)
- (Elementary Education candidates must have a minimum 3.0 GPA in Elementary Education Content Coursework on the Montana Assessment for Content Knowledge Verification.)
- Complete all Major, Minor, Professional Education, and Other Program Requirements, with a grade of C- or better.
- Note: Students with a majority of coursework completed at the C- level may not meet the 3.0 GPA requirement stated above.
In addition to academic qualifications, students will be assessed based on:
- A submitted application for student teaching;
- Positive faculty evaluations;
- Positive performance in previous K-12 field experiences.
The application deadline for student teaching is March 15 of the academic year prior to the student teaching semester. Failure to apply by this deadline will result in the student being ineligible to student teach during the following fall or spring semester. It is the student’s responsibility to ensure timely application and admission to the student teaching program.
Student Teaching Placement
Candidates admitted to student teaching cannot be guaranteed a particular school district, building, or cooperating master teacher. The decision for placement is the responsibility of the Department of Education and school district personnel.
Student Teacher Placement Options
Option 1: Local area (no additional costs/fees)
The Carroll College local area placements are within commuting distance of the Carroll campus and include the following districts:
- Helena School District #1
- East Helena School District #9
- Montana City School District #27
- Other Lewis and Clark County Schools
Option 2: Out-of-area (may require additional costs/fees)
Teacher candidates requesting student teaching assignments outside the Option 1 placement areas must have a legitimate reason for doing so. Out-of-area placements in other communities or settings will be made when:
- Local area school districts (see Option 1) cannot provide an appropriate placement in the student’s area of licensing.
- An out-of-area placement provides a more valuable experience in the student’s area of licensing.
- A placement in the local area will impose extreme hardship and prevent the student from completing the student teaching experience.
For any out-of-area request to be approved, the faculty members of the Department of Education must judge that there is a very low probability that the student will require direct intervention of department faculty members during his/her student teaching experience. For that reason, students minimally must possess a GPA 3.25 or better and have excellent previous field experience evaluations.
All out-of-area student teaching placements must be approved by the faculty members of the Department of Education prior to student teaching assignments. A student seeking an out-of-area student teaching placement must submit a written request prior to or in conjunction with his/her Application for Student Teaching to the Director of Teacher Education explaining in detail the rationale for his/her request. Appropriate documentation supporting the request should also be attached.
If the student teaching placement request is approved, the Department will determine the best possible supervision model. Supervision may be fulfilled with Carroll College supervisors, with contracted supervision by another college/university, with another qualified individual, or with the use of technology. All costs for supervision that would exceed those incurred during a Helena placement will be borne by the teacher candidate. This may include the salary of the college supervisor and all expenses associated with travel, lodging and meals.
If the out-of-teaching placement request is not approved, the Education Department will place the teacher candidate in a local area school (Option 1 listed above).
Competency Requirement: All Education Options
In the event that a student in a student teaching or internship placement is not making growth toward competency, supervisory personnel of the Department of Education and the placement setting may decide to withdraw a student from student teaching or the internship program. If such a scenario occurs, every effort will be made to provide alternative routes to graduation.
Education Advisory Panel
In striving to provide quality education for Carroll College’s elementary and secondary preservice and in-service teachers, the Department of Education solicits input from people involved in the educational community. The Education Advisory Panel is a group of educational professionals from the Helena community and current Carroll students who gather annually to discuss and document ideas to support and improve the Carroll College Teacher Education Program. The Panel consists of members who represent diverse areas of interest and school settings.
Transportation
Transportation to and from field experiences, internships, and student teaching locations is the responsibility of each student enrolled in education courses.