Endorsements

If you have or are in the process of getting a K-9, 6-12 or K-12 teaching certificate in Illinois, you can obtain an endorsement in mathematics at either the middle school level (grades 6-8) or at the high school level (grades 9-12). You need to be certified to teach at the same level as the endorsement you are pursuing. Obtaining an endorsement in mathematics means that you have satisfied the minimum Illinois requirements to teach mathematics in the state at the level of the endorsement.

Middle School Endorsement (Grades 6-8)

For the middle school endorsement in mathematics the required 18 hours are broken down into seven content areas. You must have a course in at least four of those areas as well as an instructional methods course focused on teaching mathematics at the middle school level.

In order to teach at the middle school level in Illinois you need to fulfill:

• Three hours of educational psychology aimed at the middle school level.
• Three hours of philosophy and methodology focused on the middle school level.

If you already hold an Illinois teaching certificate these requirements may be met by taking EPS 419 (The Middle School Child) and TLCI 422 (Middle School Organization and Instruction) in the College of Education. If you are pursuing a 6-12 certificate or a K-12 certificate, you should see your program advisor.

The list of courses given below indicates course work that the Department of Mathematical Sciences finds acceptable for those seeking an endorsement to teach mathematics. At the discretion of the department, other courses may also be found acceptable toward meeting the requirements for an endorsement.

18 semester hours in the field, including:

• Three semester hours in the methods of teaching mathematics in grades 6-8 MATH 410 Methods of Instruction in the Mathematics Curriculum for the Middle School (3)
• 15 semester hours to be selected from four of the following areas:
  • Math content courses for elementary teachers
    • MATH 201 Foundations of Elementary School Mathematics (3)
  • Calculus
    • MATH 229 Calculus I (4) or MATH 230 Calculus II (4)
  • Modern algebra or number theory
    • MATH 303 Introduction to Number Theory (3) or MATH 420 Abstract Algebra I (3) or MATH 480 Number Theory (3)
  • Geometry
    • MATH 302 Introduction to Geometry (3) or MATH 353 Axiomatic Geometry (3)
  • Computer Science
    • CSCI 230 FORTRAN (4) or CSCI 240 C++ (4)
  • Probability and Statistics
    • STAT 200 Elementary Statistics (4) or STAT 300 Introduction to Probability and Statistics (3)
  • History of Mathematics
    • MATH 304 History of Mathematics through the 17th Century (3)

High School (Grades 9-12)

For the high school endorsement in mathematics you need to complete 24 hours of mathematics courses and pass the Content Area Test of the Illinois Certification Testing System. If you have a major in mathematics (at least 32 hours), passage of the Content Area Test is not necessary. The completion of a teaching methods course in high school mathematics is highly recommended.

If you are pursuing an initial certificate in another discipline area for either grades 6-12 or K-12, you'll need to complete these courses in order to receive an endorsement to teach mathematics for grades 9-12. If you already hold a valid Illinois teaching certificate, fulfillment of these requirements can lead to an endorsement to teach mathematics grades 9-12. If you hold a valid Illinois teaching certificate that covers grades 6-12 or K-12, the adding of an endorsement onto the certificate is processed by the State of Illinois.

The list of courses given below indicates course work that the Department of Mathematical Sciences finds acceptable for those seeking an endorsement to teach mathematics for grades 9 - 12. At the discretion of the department, other courses may also be found acceptable toward meeting the requirements for an endorsement.

24 semester hours in the field, including:

In addition to completing the above courses, you must pass the Mathematics Content Area Test of the Illinois Certification Exam.