Middle-Grade Endorsements

Possible Middle-Grade Endorsements

While Wheaton Teacher Education Program (WheTEP) does not offer an initial teaching license for the middle- grades, anyone enrolled in one of WheTEP’s licensure programs (elementary education, secondary or special PK-12 programs) can add a middle-grade endorsement (Grades 5-8) in one or more of these four areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, General Science, Social Science.

Middle-Grade Endorsement Requirements

• Successful passage of a middle-grade content specific test. This is in addition to the initial content area test.
• 18 credit hours in the content area.
  • Included in the 18 credit hours must be the two-hour middle-grade methods course in that specific content area (such as middle school science methods). These two-hour, discipline-specific methods courses are completed in the junior or senior year, depending on the program.
  • If a previous practicum was not completed in the middle grades, EDUC 405L will need to be completed and will also counts towards the 18 credit hours.

Click Below for Specific Middle-Grades Course Requirements

• Language Arts
• General Science
• Math
• Social Science

Not Limited to One Middle-Grade Endorsement

• Elementary education majors can add as many middle-grade endorsements as desired as long as the above requirements are met.
• Secondary Education builds the middle coursework for the specific endorsement into each program (ie: Secondary History already meets the coursework requirements to add the middle-grade Social Studies endorsement).
• Secondary, Music and Modern language majors can add other middle-grade endorsements for one or more of these four specific content areas (LA, math, gen. sci., and soc. sci.) by also taking 18 credit hours in that area, including the discipline-specific methods course, and passing the state middle-grade content test.

Student Teaching in the Middle-Grades

When earning a middle-grade endorsement while in WheTEP, it is also possible to student teach in the middle-grades in this content area. This preference is expressed when applying to WheTEP.

Middle-Grade Endorsements after Wheaton

Middle-Grade Endorsements can also be completed and added to one’s initial Illinois teaching license following graduation or program completion.