2025-2026 Academic Catalog

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Education

JOE HELBLING, PH.D., Director of Teacher Education, DEPT. CHAIR

KATHY GILBOY, ED.D.

Mission

The mission of the Teacher Education Program is to prepare students for lifelong learning, intellect, imagination, self-confidence, and motivation, while preparing them for the teaching profession. Students investigate, reflect, analyze, and judge reality and truth through inquiry and discussion. Committed to educating each student as a total human being, the teacher education unit helps students to receive, respond to, organize, and characterize values. Specifically, students develop values about teaching, society, health behaviors, moral issues, education, and political influences. We ask our students to think boldly about the opportunities and responsibilities presented to us by a rapidly changing world. Students within the Program are encouraged to live Carroll College’s mission by participating in community service and by interacting with children and adults from diverse cultural, religious, economic, and intellectual backgrounds.

Teacher Education advances this mission as it works within the Carroll College’s Teacher Education Conceptual Framework. That framework is built upon a liberal arts education, structured by traditional educational philosophies, and embraced by an atmosphere of dignity, which values justice of all persons.

Student Learning Outcomes

The goal of Carroll College’s Teacher Education Program is to support students in developing teaching competencies in their chosen fields and assist them in becoming education professionals capable of responding to their students’ individual needs.  Teacher education graduates from all programs will demonstrate competence in the following Montana teaching standards:

1. Demonstrate understanding of how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, behavioral health continuum, and physical areas, and differentiate developmentally appropriate instruction for learners of all abilities based on evidence-based practices;

2. Use understanding of individual differences and diverse cultures, languages and communities, including American Indians and tribes in Montana and English Language Learners (ELL), to ensure inclusive environments that enable each learner to meet high standards;

3. Work with others to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning and that encourage positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation;

4. Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) the candidate teaches and create individualized learning experiences that make the discipline accessible and meaningful for learners to assure mastery of the content, and include the instruction of reading and writing literacy into all program areas;

5. Demonstrate understanding of how to connect concepts and use differing perspectives to engage learners in critical thinking, creativity, and collaborative problem solving related to authentic local and global issues;

6. Use multiple methods of assessment, including formative and summative assessments, to engage learners in their own growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher’s and learner’s decision making;

7. Plan and implement evidence-based practices that support the social, emotional, well-being, behavioral, and academic needs of all students;

8. Use a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections and build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways;

9. Engage in ongoing professional learning and use evidence to continually evaluate candidate practice, particularly the effects of candidates choices and actions on others (learners, families, other professionals, and the community), and adapt practice to meet the needs of each learner;

10. Interact knowledgeably and professionally with students, families, and colleagues based on social needs and institutional roles;

11. Engage in leadership or collaborative roles, or both, in content-based professional learning communities and organizations and continue to develop as professional educators; and

12. Demonstrate understanding of and ability to integrate history, cultural heritage, language and contemporary status of American Indians and tribes in Montana.

Program Requirements and Progression Benchmarks

To ensure the development of competent, ethical, and reflective educators, the Teacher Education Program (TEP) at Carroll College has established a series of progression benchmarks that students must meet to continue in the program and be recommended for licensure. These benchmarks align with state and national standards and reflect candidate growth in knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions. Students are assessed at multiple points in their preparation and must meet academic, professional, and field-based performance expectations. The Teacher Education Program reserves the right to review a candidate’s standing and progress at any point, and may require additional support plans or deny progression based on academic or professional concerns.

Key Progression Benchmarks

Benchmark 1: Completion of the Freshman Year 

    • GPA: Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.5. Students must earn a minimum of a C- in all Professional Education Requirements, Major Program Requirements, and Other Program Requirements. Courses may be repeated up to 2 times until a C- or better is obtained.

    • Courses: Completion of ED 102 - Foundations of Education, ED 103 - Instructional Media and Technology, PSY 203 - Developmental Psychology, CORE 110, and

      CO 101 - Basic Communication.

    • Advisors: Elementary Education majors should identify an advisor in the Education Department by the end of the freshman year. Secondary Education majors should identify two advisors: an advisor in the Education Department faculty to ensure state licensure guidelines are followed, and an advisor from the faculty in their content area to coordinate their program.

    • CASE Test: We highly recommend that students take the Core Academic Skills for Educators Test (CASET) by the end of their freshman year or very early in their sophomore year. Minimum passing scores for Reading, Math, and Writing must be obtained prior to admission into the Teacher Education Program. Check with the Teacher Education Program Administrative Assistant or your advisor to determine current minimum passing scores. 

      • CASET Waiver: Students may waive the CASET, if they can verify passing ACT or SAT scores in Reading, Math, and Writing. If ACT or SAT scores are not at the passing level for any individual area (Reading, Math, or Writing), students must obtain a passing score on the CASET in that individual area. 

      • Passing ACT scores are Reading-22, Math-19, and Writing-7 

      • Passing SAT scores are Reading and Writing-560; and Math-550

Benchmark 2: Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)
  Formal application to the Teacher Education Program: Meet the following criteria not later than March 1st of the sophomore year:

    • Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 and have a C- or better in all program required courses at the time of application;

    • Passed a minimum of 1 area (Reading, Math, Writing) of the CASET or verify passing ACT/SAT scores for a minimum of 1 area;

    • Received a clean background check through the Department of Education; 

    • Received positive faculty evaluations of professional dispositions, and;

    • Received positive evaluations of professional dispositions from field experiences.

Full Admission: Upon verification of the application materials, an interview will be scheduled. Should the interview meet program requirements, students will be fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program. 

Provisional Admission: Students who do not qualify for Full Admission may qualify for Provisional Admission for the following scenarios:

  • GPA: Students who have a cumulative GPA of 2.25-2.74 may still be scheduled for an interview if a review of midterm grades shows that the student has the potential to meet the 2.75 criteria at the end of the semester. At the end of the spring semester, students must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 to be eligible for Full Admission to the TEP. 

  • CASET: A passing score on all sections of the CASET must be received by the following fall semester withdrawal date (usually mid-November) to be eligible for Full Admission. If passing scores are not received by the fall withdrawal date, students should withdraw from ED 323/325 - Communications Arts I & II (Elementary majors) or ED 318 - Content Area Reading and Secondary Methods (Secondary majors) as students MUST be Fully Admitted in order to receive a passing grade in these courses. Students should consult with their academic advisors to evaluate their readiness for continued pursuit of teacher licensure and to discuss whether alternative options may better align with their strengths and goals. 

  • Interview: Students whose interview does not meet the minimum program requirements will receive feedback and may schedule a second interview. Students who do not meet minimum requirements on a second interview will have the opportunity to complete a plan of intervention that must be completed to the satisfaction of the Education Department to be eligible for Full Admission.

  • Other: The Department may consider, at their discretion, provisional admission for reasons not listed in this catalog. 

Notes:

  • Readmission After Interruption: Students who have been admitted to the Teacher Education Program, but have not been enrolled in Carroll College for one semester or more, must seek readmission into the program. See “Readmission After Interruption” under Teacher Education Policies below.

  • Transfer Students:  Transfer students entering at the junior level may be granted conditional admission to the Teacher Education Program for one semester. See “Transfer Student Admission” under Teacher Education Policies  below.  

  • All candidates will be informed of their admission status no later than June 30 of the application year.

Benchmark 3: Admission to Student Teaching

 Students who have not been fully admitted to the Teacher Education Program by March 1st of their junior year will not be considered for student teaching. All teaching candidates in K-8, P-12, K-12, and 5-12 programs must apply for admission to student teaching. Applications must be made to the Department of Education no later than March 1st of the junior year. Failure to do so will cancel the student’s opportunity to student teach during the fall and spring semesters of the following school year. It is the student’s responsibility to seek admission to student teaching. To be admitted to student teach, students must meet the following criteria:

    • Application: Submit a formal Student Teaching application to the Education Department; 

    • ETS Praxis Subject Knowledge Test: Receive an acceptable rating (2 or better) on the appropriate ETS Praxis Subject Knowledge Test on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge (MACK) Verification for each subject/endorsement area in which the candidate will be seeking licensure. Students must obtain a score of “3” to be recommended for licensure by the Carroll College Teacher Education Program.

    • GPA: Have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in Major and Minor Program Requirements, Professional Education Requirements, and Other Program Requirements in each K-8, 5-12, K-12, or P-12 Major and Minor area. Elementary Education (K-8) candidates must have a minimum 3.0 grade point average in Elementary Education Content Coursework GPA on the Montana Assessment for Content Knowledge Verification; 

    • Courses: All Major and Minor Program Requirements, Professional Education Requirements and Other Program Requirements must be completed, with a grade of “C-” or better;

    • Faculty Evaluations: Receive positive faculty evaluations, and; 

    • Field Experience Evaluations: Receive positive evaluations from past field experiences.

Notes: 

  • Student Teaching Placements: See details under Teacher Education Policies below. 

Benchmark 4: Program Completion and Licensure Recommendation

 To be recommended for licensure by the Carroll College TEP, students must:

    • Cumulative grade point average of 3.00 and C- or better in all Professional Education Requirements, Major and Minor Program Requirements, and Other Program Requirements.

    • Successfully complete all degree requirements, including Student Teaching (ED 410);

    • Demonstrate competencies in teaching skills and professional dispositions as assessed during student teaching;

    • Achieve passing scores on the Montana Assessment of Content Knowledge (MACK). The MACK includes three sources of evidence:

      • GPA in content-area coursework;

      • Praxis Subject Knowledge Test aligned with the candidate’s endorsement area(s);

      • Content knowledge demonstrated during student teaching, as evaluated by the cooperating teacher.

Students must meet minimum expectations in each component as well as an overall minimum score. Elementary candidates may be required to meet minimum expectations across multiple content areas (English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies). 

 

Majors and Minors

The following majors and minors leading to Montana Teacher Licensure are offered at Carroll College:

Majors:

Elementary Education (K-8)

Elementary Education (K-8) and Special Education (P-12) Combined

Secondary Education - English Education (5-12)

Secondary Education - Mathematics Education (5-12)

Secondary Education - Social Studies Education (5-12)

Secondary Education - Science Education (5-12) 

Minors: 

Reading (K-12) 

Special Education (P-12)

 

In order to teach with a minor, students must also have a major in a teacher licensure area.