Teachers must hold a professional license in order to teach. Degree programs in professional education at Ball State prepare candidates to obtain teaching licenses in the state of Indiana. Professional Education programs are designed to meet the requirements of the Office of Educator Licensing and Development (OELD) in the Indiana Department of Education, the agency which grants professional teaching licenses.
Licensing Changes On January 7, 2010, the Advisory Board of the Division of Professional Standards Board in the Indiana Department of Education passed a new teacher licensing framework called Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability (REPA). REPA was implemented on May 14, 2010.
Per 515 IAC 9-1-2 (PDF), students enrolled prior to the adoption of the REPA framework at Ball State University must complete their programs by August 31, 2013, and have completed all testing by December 31, 2013, or they will be subject to the new REPA rules.
Rules 2002 Candidates enrolled in a Rules 2002 program will receive teaching licenses in Indiana showing (1) what content area or areas the teacher is licensed to teach, and (2) what developmental level or levels (school settings) the teacher is licensed to teach.
Under the OELD rules, a teacher can be licensed to teach in any of a number of content fields (e.g., mathematics, business, special education, music, world language) and at any of five different school settings (preschool, elementary/primary, elementary/intermediate, middle school/junior high, or high school).
For example, the license for a mathematics teacher would look like this:
Content Area: Mathematics
School Setting: Junior High/Middle School, High School
An elementary teacher's license would look like this:
Content Area: Elementary/Primary generalist, Elementary/Intermediate Generalist
School Setting: Elementary Primary, Elementary Intermediate
A music teacher's license might look like this:
Content Area: Vocal and General Music
School Setting: All School Settings
In order to receive a Rules 2002 teaching license from OELD, the candidate must complete all requirements no later than August 31, 2013, and must be recommended by the higher education institution from which his or her professional education training was received.
Reciprocal agreements between Indiana and other states allow for licenses to be granted in those states as well upon completion of a Ball State professional education program.
Rules for Educator Preparation and Accountability (REPA) Students enrolled on or after August 2010 will receive teaching licenses in Indiana showing (1) what content area or areas the teacher is licensed to teach, and (2) what grade level or levels (school settings) the teacher is licensed to teach. Under the OELD rules, a teacher can be licensed to teach in any of a number of content fields (e.g., mathematics, business, special education, music, world language) and at any of five different grade levels: P-3 (pre-K through Grade 3), K-6, 5-9, 5-12 and P-12.
For example, the license for a mathematics teacher would look like this:
Content Area: Mathematics
Grade Level: 5-12
An elementary teacher's license would look like this:
Content Area: Elementary
Grade Level: K-6
A music teacher's license might look like this:
Content Area: Vocal and General Music
Grade Level: P-12
In order to receive a teaching license from OELD, the candidate must complete all requirements and must be recommended by the higher education institution from which his or her professional education training was received.
Reciprocal agreements between Indiana and other states allow for licenses to be granted in those states as well upon completion of a Ball State professional education program.