There are different levels of standards and outcomes to which teacher candidates must attend. Teacher candidates must be able to design their lessons to meet K-12 content standards. Additionally, teacher candidates must demonstrate the knowledge and skills outlined in the Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice (Standards 1-10).
St. Olaf College’s Education Department has established Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs) for the students who complete the education program and receive licensure. Additionally, the Education Studies concentration has ILOs as well. These outcomes were generated from the department’s guiding document, the Conceptual Framework.
K-12 Content Standards
MN Standards
To access the MN K-12 content-area standards, visit the MN Department of Education website (Academic Excellence: Academic Standards).
ESL standards: ESL WIDA Standards
Common Core Standards
The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort coordinated by the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) and the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO). These standards define the knowledge and skills students should have within their K-12 education careers so that they will graduate high school able to succeed in entry-level, credit-bearing academic college courses and in workforce training programs (from www.corestandards.org).”
Minnesota has adopted the English Language Arts standards from the Common Core, but not the Mathematics standards.
Teacher Education Standards
In order to be licensed, St. Olaf teacher candidates must demonstrate mastery of the Minnesota teaching standards in content and pedagogy. Using Tk20, teacher candidates will upload key assessments that demonstrate these competencies. Additionally, the spring prior to student teaching, teacher candidates will complete a Candidate Presentation outlining their level of preparation for student teaching based on how well they met Minnesota Standards of Effective Practice.