Elementary Education License: Transition to Teaching Program
Teach a child. Change a life.
Transition to teaching is for those individuals who have a degree outside of education and now want to make an impact as a teacher. We are glad you are here!
Grace College’s Transition to Teaching program is a graduate-level program that holistically prepares individuals to become effective and well-rounded teachers. The program begins with a 5 day in person residency in June, continues with a sequence of online courses, and then culminates with a study teaching experience. After completing the program, you are eligible to obtain an Indiana teaching license. This process can be completed in as little as 18 months for elementary education and 12 months for secondary education.
What if I live outside of Indiana? This program can be completed by anyone living in the United States. Indiana has reciprocal teacher licensure agreements with most states in the U.S., meaning your Indiana teaching license can be easily transferred to your state of residence. There are a few states that have additional requirements, such as passing a specific state licensure exam, but we are here to support and guide you through each step of the process. If you are a non-Indiana resident, reach out to our Transition to Teaching Director, Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu, and she will help you find the licensing requirements for your state.
What if I want to start teaching right away? If you live in Indiana, you may be eligible for a 3 year Transition to Teaching permit! The permit allows candidates who are enrolled in our program to teach in an Indiana school while also working towards your teaching license. Contact Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu with any questions!
All Grace College School of Education licensure programs have been approved by the Indiana State Board of Education and meet requirements for Indiana state licensure.
Admission Requirements
To be eligible to participate in a Transition to Teaching program in elementary education within the state of Indiana, applicants must meet one of the three conditions:
- Bachelor’s degree with cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale from an accredited postsecondary educational institution
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a GPA of at least 2.5 AND provide evidence of 5 years RELEVANT professional experience
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution AND pass the following Indiana state required content exams: (Elementary Generalist STEM subtest 5008 and Elementary Generalist Humanities subtest 5007).
If you are eligible under condition #1 (you have a bachelor’s degree and your GPA is 3.0 or higher), submit your transcripts to Grace College.
If you are eligible under condition #2 (you have a bachelor’s degree and your GPA is between 2.5 to 2.9 on a 4.0 scale, AND you have worked in a related field/education for at least five years, submit your transcripts to Grace College and a letter of reference from your employer providing the following details (your role, number of years you were in that role, how it is relevant to teaching).
If you do not have/did not have a supervisor to provide a reference for this experience (i.e., self-employed, unattainable contact information) submit a letter/email from yourself along with employment evidence to Grace College admissions. In the letter/email provide the following information: 1) your name and contact information along with your professional experience (where you worked- name of the employer, address, any contact information), 2) years you worked at this location/employer, 3) your role (what you did relevant to teaching), 4) evidence of your employment or self-employment in this role (i.e., tax documents, pay receipts/stubs, etc.). The Director of Alternative Programming & Partnerships at Grace College will evaluate your professional experience as it relates to the elementary education licensure requirements in consideration of your eligibility. You will be contacted for further information and if additional verification is required.
If you are eligible under condition #3 (you have a bachelor’s degree) then you will need to complete and pass the following assessment Elementary Education Assessment 5006 with two content area sub-assessments: (Elementary Generalist STEM subtest 5008 [passing score is 158] and Elementary Generalist Humanities subtest 5007 [passing score is 160]).
These exams are offered by Praxis. Information on when, where, and the costs for these exams is available here: https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/where-to-test.html
Study Tools & Practice Exam Resources
https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/resources/prep-materials.html?examId=5006
https://www.ets.org/praxis/site/test-takers/resources/strategies-tips.html
Looking for a scholarship specifically for this program?
Contact Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu for more information
Enrollment Deposit
Upon acceptance, submit your $100 Enrollment Deposit to accept your offer of admission. Your $100 deposit will be credited to your student account. Welcome to the Grace College community!
*Please note: Acceptance is given pending the receipt of a clear background check for you, which Grace College will request. Once this is received, you will be officially enrolled in the program. Grace College will have a link emailed and texted to you for you to complete the background check requirement. It is free and takes less than 5 minutes to complete.
Course Overview
In this course, candidates will survey the career opportunities of education and discover the role the teacher serves in relation to diverse student populations, parents/caregivers, school, and community along with the principles and theories of educational psychology.
Candidates develop a repertoire of teaching methods and strategies, techniques and skills for managing a classroom, constructing and analyzing tests and evaluation tools for classroom teachers, and develop a working knowledge of responsive instruction by applying differentiation strategies and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles.
The 16-week seminar is paired with a supervised, 5-week, scaffolded application of methods through clinical practice in a K-6 school setting. Following successful completion of the clinical practicum, candidates participate in a supervised, 10-week student teaching experience in a K-6 school setting.
Commonly Asked Questions
Additional Program Details
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No. That is entirely up to you! You can commute to Grace College campus each day of the 5-day residency, or you can stay on campus or in one of the nearby hotels. Be sure to ask for the Grace College discount!
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Yes. You need to have a bachelor’s degree earned from an accredited institution.
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If you have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary institution we can consider your GPA and how you might qualify for admittance to the Grace Transition to Teaching program based on the following Indiana state requirements for acceptance:
- Baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale; or
- Both a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution with a grade point average of at least 2.50 on a 4.0 point scale, and five (5) years of professional experience; or
- Both a baccalaureate degree from an accredited postsecondary educational institution, and proof of passing state approved content area examination(s) in the subject area.
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Yes, you can continue to work while taking these courses. The only time you will need to be on Grace campus is during five days at one time in the beginning of the program. You will likely need to make other arrangements during your final semester when you are in practicum and student teaching for 15 weeks.
You may be eligible for a Transition to Teaching permit to teach while you complete the program. It is available to those formally accepted and enrolled in an approved Indiana T2T program program. The permit allows you to teach for 3 years in the area in which you are seeking licensure while you complete your T2T program.
This link will give you more specific information and instructions for the Indiana Department of Education. Further questions can be directed to our Transition to Teaching Director, Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu.
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The next cohort begins June 10-June 14, 2024 with our in person residency. The residency is 3 credit hours. In addition we will also begin SED 5310 Instructional Planning for All Learners during residency. This gives you the opportunity to begin the program with in person instruction and onboarding, making the transition to online learning and graduate level work more smooth and supported, while also building bonds with your instructors and classmates.
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Students are responsible for getting their own textbooks.
Elementary Program Textbook List and Links
Secondary Program Textbook List and Links
By clicking on the book link, you will be directed to where the book is sold on Amazon.com. You are free to purchase the book from your preferred seller.
*Those in the Warsaw Community Schools Cohort have their books purchased by WCS. They do not need to purchase textbooks.
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Withdrawal Refund Schedule:
Withdrawal 1-7 days after course has begun= 100% tuition refund
Withdrawal 8-14 days after course has begun= 50% tuition refund
Withdrawal 15 days and beyond after course has begun= non refundable
Note: Day refers to the number of calendar days from the first official day of classes for the session. Individuals who withdraw within the first seven days will receive a full refund.
See the Grace College Online Handbook for guidance on withdrawing from a course.
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Courses are taught completely online through Canvas, our virtual course management system.
The courses are delivered in a weekly module format. Each week you will have course readings, a direct instructional resource (video, voiced over presentation, etc.) from your professor, a discussion or forum post, and at least one culminating assignment. There may be other assignments or requirements throughout the course as well.
We are committed to equipping our students to become competent and capable classroom teachers. Our program is centered around student learning and support, so we are with you every step of the way to assist or help as needed.
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Yes, Grace College is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.
The School of Education is accredited by CAEP and ACSI. In addition, the School of Education was awarded the prestigious 2023 Frank Murray Recognition for Continuous Improvement from CAEP.
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The courses are graduate-level and require dedicated time and effort to learn the material and complete the required assignments. On average, it is suggested a student will spend 3 hours of work time for every one hour of course credit. The Transition to Teaching courses are worth 3 credit hours each, meaning time spent can be calculated by multiplying 3 credit hours by 3 hours of work equaling 9 hours per week. For an 8 week course, the average time needed to complete the course is 72 hours total.
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High speed internet access
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Computer or laptop (a mobile device, such as a phone or tablet, is not recommended)
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Click here for the 2024-2025 Elementary Program Schedule.
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The Office of Student Financial Aid Services is responsible for giving financial aid information to students, as well as administering all the financial aid programs at Grace. If you have any questions about scholarships, grants or loans, the financial aid staff would be happy to assist you. You can reach out to them at financialaid@grace.edu or (800) 544-7223, ext. 6162.
For more information, go to the Grace College Financial Aid and Scholarship website.
For a potential scholarship opportunity for Indiana residents, contact Courtney Thrasher at thrashce@grace.edu.
For a general graduate scholarship search, go here.
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We will exempt students with a pedagogy minor from Grace College from SED 5300 Ethics of Teaching and the Learner. Other than this exemption, we do not accept transfer credit towards the T2T program.
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Yes, there is a student teaching as a culminating experience to end the program. This is an in person teaching experience that also includes an online seminar component as a well as a Teacher Work Sample project. During student teaching, the candidate is supported by a college supervisor and classroom supervisor.
No formal field experience is required. Some of our courses do require you to teach or interact with a child or small group, but you are able to do this around your schedule. Each assignment requiring the candidate to teach or interact with children includes an option for those already in a school setting and those who are not in a school setting. We want our program to be as accessible as possible for those outside of the traditional education field.
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Yes, all candidates must pass a content and pedagogy test through Praxis before receiving licensure from the Indiana Department of Education.
Elementary education licensure requires taking and passing 5622 Principles of Teaching and Learning and 5006 Elementary Education Assessment. The Elementary Education Assessment consists of two subtests: 5007 Elementary Education: Reading and Language Arts & Social Studies (Humanities) and Elementary Education: Mathematics and Science subtest (STEM).
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Yes, many states have reciprocity agreements which ease the transfer of an Indiana state teaching license to another state. Some states only allow for a temporary teaching license while the out-of-state licensed teacher completes an application and additional state specific requirements for a license in that state. Contact Florell Hand at handfa@grace.edu with any questions about licensing.
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You can access Canvas by logging into the Grace portal at portal.grace.edu and choosing the Canvas (LMS) link on the left side of the screen. You can also access Canvas directly at grace.instructure.com.
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Go to grace.instructure.com and choose the Forgot Password link. It will take you through the steps of resetting your password.
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All course materials (assignments, quizzes, exams, etc.) are due in Eastern Standard Time.
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Follow this link to order a Grace College transcript or request it be sent to your needed organization or institution.
You can view your unofficial transcript on the Grace Portal at portal.grace.edu.
