Findings: Back-up degree
Until about 10 years ago, Illinois required elementary teachers to have a concentration of 18 credits, including 9 credits of upper division coursework. Vestiges of this regulation are still evident, with three-quarters of programs falling short of meeting the standard, most only slightly short. Nearly one-fifth failed to meet the standard, 12 of them because they allowed a concentration in education.
Judson University offered the greatest number of concentrations that did not satisfy the standard, allowing education concentrations that include early childhood education (for elementary teacher candidates), elementary education (for early childhood teacher candidates), physical education and special education, as well as concentrations in Christian studies and several management and business areas.
Lake Forest College requires that all undergraduate elementary teacher candidates take a liberal arts major in addition to their education major. Roosevelt University met the standard and expressed one of its rationales well: Teacher candidates must take a concentration in a "teachable content area."
How Illinois institutions fare on this standard
