The College of Education
Teacher Licensure Requirements
Specific teacher licensure requirements for the State of Montana have been established by the Office of Public Instruction. All licenses are endorsed by the State Superintendent of Public Instruction for the appropriate level(s) and area(s) of professional competence based upon the recommendation by the Dean of the College of Education. Curriculum programs at MSU Billings prepare students for standard and professional licensure in elementary and secondary teaching and school counseling. Education students who take sufficient credits in a specific field, and meet all the endorsement requirements may receive an endorsement on their teaching license for the field of teaching upon recommendation of the Dean of the College of Education. As of July 1, 1983, all new secondary endorsements have covered grades five through twelve. State regulations specify that emphasis must be placed on the following:
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Student growth, development, and behavior.
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Reading and writing skills.
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Student teaching and observation, when combined, must cover both the seven through twelve and five through six grade levels.
To meet these requirements, the following courses and/or experiences have been included in the Bachelor of Science in Education (Secondary Education Majors):
EDF 225 Human Development in Education
OR
EDF 530 Advanced Human Development and Learning
RD 310 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
OR
RD 520 Content Area Reading and Writing
Secondary Education majors meet the requirement in grades five and six during their student teaching experience with 30 hours of observation in a 5th or 6th grade classroom.
Licensed secondary teachers wishing to extend their level from grades 7-12 to grades 5-12 through MSU Billings must complete the following:
RD 310/520 Reading and Writing Across the Curriculum
EDF 225/ 530 Human Development
An observation for a total of thirty (30) contact hours
Processing Procedures for Licensure and Endorsement
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Direct all applications for licensure to the Certification Officer in the Certification and Field Experiences Office.
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All applications for teaching licensure, teaching endorsements, and supervisory endorsements must be reviewed and receive final approval by the Certification Officer prior to institutional recommendation and final consideration by the State Licensure Office in Helena, Montana.
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The same regulation as stated in item two above applies to applicants seeking licensure outside the state of Montana.
Drug and Alcohol Course Requirement
Chapter No. 396, Section 3, Montana Session Laws 1971 “All units of the Montana University System and all private colleges and universities in Montana that offer any degree in education shall require that any person who receives any degree in education from that unit, private college, or university after December 31, 1972, must have successfully completed a course in health education to include drug and alcohol education and abuse prior to being awarded his or her degree.”
The requirement may be met at Montana State University Billings by completing HHP 201 Core Concepts in Health or HHP 411 Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drug Prevention.
Native American Studies for Teachers
(State Regulations)
In the State of Montana, any board of trustees for an elementary or secondary school district located on or in the vicinity of an Indian Reservation may require its licensed personnel to have instruction pertaining to the history, traditions, customs, values, beliefs, ethics, and contemporary affairs of American Indians, particularly Indian tribal groups in Montana. This must be a local district requirement, and the enforcement and administration are solely the responsibility of the local board of trustees.
As of 1986, 10 semester hours in Native American Studies are required of all licensed teachers in Montana to be eligible to teach Native American Studies. However, the utilization of a qualified Native American resource person under the supervision of a licensed teacher may be used in lieu of the credit requirement.
Teachers of Native American Studies
Licensed teachers with any endorsement may teach Native American Studies classes if they have 10 credits of Native American Studies courses. The following courses are recommended:
| |
Credits |
| *NAMS 181 Introduction to Native American
Studies |
3 |
| *NAMS 211 Social Issues of the Native American |
3 |
| NAMS/ENGL 303 Literature of the American
Indian |
3 |
| NAMS/POLS 314 The Indian and the Law |
3 |
| NAMS 327 Montana Indian Groups Prior to 1862 |
3 |
| NAMS 328 Montana Indian Groups From 1862 to the Present |
3 |
| NAMS/PHIL 413 Native American Philosophies and Religion |
3 |
| NAMS/ART 439 Survey of American Indian Art |
3 |
| *May satisfy Academic Foundations requirements. |
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