Lakeland University Education Program Guide 2026

Understanding Lakeland University’s Teacher Education Mission

Lakeland University’s Education Program, housed within the Center for Teacher Excellence, stands as a Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction–approved pathway for aspiring educators who seek to make a meaningful difference in K-12 classrooms. The program’s stated mission focuses on preparing teachers who can “serve the needs of all children and young adults by teaching the knowledge and skills needed to become caring, competent and professional educators.” This mission reflects a holistic approach to teacher preparation that extends well beyond content mastery alone.

The program is designed to develop three core competencies in every graduate: the ability to function as a reflective practitioner, an effective communicator, and a competent integrator of curriculum and technology. These competencies align directly with the broader demands facing modern educators, who must navigate increasingly diverse classrooms, rapidly evolving educational technology, and growing accountability standards. For prospective students evaluating other university programs, Lakeland’s emphasis on reflective practice and technology integration represents a distinctive pedagogical commitment.

Within the broader context of Lakeland University’s institutional mission “to educate men and women of diverse backgrounds, enabling them to earn a living, to make ethical decisions, and to lead purposeful and fulfilling lives,” the Education Program occupies a central role. It channels these values into concrete professional outcomes: teachers who are not only technically proficient but also ethically grounded and culturally responsive. The program’s eight strategic goals encompass everything from advanced mastery of educational theories to character education understanding, reflecting the U.S. Department of Education’s emphasis on preparing educators who can support the whole child.

Certification Pathways and Teaching Specializations

One of the most significant decisions prospective education students face is choosing the right certification pathway. Lakeland University offers three distinct routes to Wisconsin teaching licensure, each targeting different grade levels and subject areas. Understanding these pathways early in the academic journey is critical, as the choice affects coursework sequencing, field placement options, and career trajectories in ways that compound over time.

The Elementary and Middle School pathway (K-9) prepares graduates to teach across kindergarten through ninth grade. This generalist certification requires completion of an education major specifically designed for elementary and middle school contexts. It is available at all Lakeland campus locations, making it the most accessible pathway for students who may need geographic flexibility. K-9 candidates must also pass the Foundations of Reading Test as an additional endorsement requirement, ensuring they possess the literacy instruction skills essential for early education contexts.

The Middle and High School pathway (4-12), available only at the main campus, requires students to complete a subject area major alongside the professional education sequence. Currently, the available subject majors include English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. This pathway appeals to students with deep passion for a specific discipline who want to share that expertise with adolescent learners. The requirement for a full subject area major, rather than merely a minor, ensures that 4-12 graduates possess genuine content expertise comparable to non-education majors in the same field.

The Kindergarten through Grade 12 pathway (K-12), also restricted to the main campus, covers the broadest age range and is available in Music, Spanish, and Technology Education. The Technology Education track involves a distinctive collaboration with Lakeshore Technical College (LTC), reflecting the specialized facilities and expertise required for this certification area. Music education candidates follow a particularly intensive track that includes separate methods courses for choral, instrumental, and general music instruction.

Admission Requirements and Application Process

Gaining admission to Lakeland’s Education Program is a multi-step process that evaluates academic performance, professional disposition, and personal commitment to teaching. The program treats application and admission as two distinct events, and students are strongly encouraged to apply at least two years before their intended student teaching semester. This timeline allows sufficient preparation and ensures all prerequisites can be completed without last-minute complications.

The six core admission requirements begin with a minimum of 40 semester hours of completed college coursework carrying a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. This threshold applies across general studies, major and minor coursework, and the professional education sequence. Three written faculty recommendations are required, with at least one coming from an Education Program faculty member or instructor. These recommendations must address the candidate’s teaching potential, professional disposition, and academic capabilities.

Completion of EDU 100 (Introduction to Education) with a grade of C or higher serves as a gateway course requirement, ensuring that all admitted students have a foundational understanding of the teaching profession before committing to the full program. The application package must also include a reflective essay describing the candidate’s thoughts, experiences, and motivations regarding becoming a professional educator, along with an honest assessment of personal strengths and areas for growth. This essay serves as both a writing sample and a window into the candidate’s self-awareness and professional maturity.

A criminal background check through CastleBranch (package code AK77) became mandatory effective Spring 2025. The program does not accept background checks from other providers, reflecting the need for standardized reporting that meets Wisconsin DPI field placement requirements. Finally, candidates must submit a Benchmark I portfolio demonstrating initial progress toward professional standards. Admission decisions are made by formal faculty vote at three scheduled meetings per year: August, December, and May, with corresponding submission deadlines of July 31, November 30, and April 30.

Professional Education Course Sequence

Lakeland’s professional education sequence is organized into four carefully structured categories that progressively deepen students’ pedagogical knowledge and practical skills. This tiered approach ensures that students build foundational understanding before advancing to specialized methods courses and, ultimately, the capstone student teaching experience. The sequence reflects best practices in teacher education program design endorsed by organizations like the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

Category I consists of open courses that any Lakeland student can take without formal admission to the Education Program. These include EDU 100 (Introduction to Education), EDU 140 (Introduction to Educational Technology), and cross-listed courses like EDU/PSY 230 (Educational Psychology) and EDU/PSY 330 (Human Growth and Development). This open access policy serves a dual purpose: it allows interested students to explore education as a potential career before making a formal commitment, and it provides useful elective options for students in other majors who may benefit from understanding educational principles.

Category II courses require formal admission to the program and include field experience courses (EDU 373), the education capstone (EDU 449), and special topics offerings (EDU 480). These courses represent the transition from theoretical study to applied practice, with field experiences placing students in actual classroom settings under the guidance of cooperating teachers. Category III encompasses the specialized teaching techniques courses that are differentiated by certification pathway. K-9 candidates take methods courses in science, mathematics, children’s literature, language arts and social studies, and reading instruction. The 4-12 pathway offers subject-specific methods courses, while K-12 candidates take specialized courses aligned with their chosen field.

Category IV, the student teaching capstone, represents the culmination of the entire program. Students complete EDU 450, 455, 460, or 465 depending on their certification pathway, with all student teachers simultaneously enrolled in EDU 470 (Student Teaching Seminar). The seminar provides structured reflection opportunities and professional development during the intensive field placement period. Importantly, students who register for admission-required courses before being formally admitted will be asked to drop them, underscoring the program’s commitment to sequential skill development.

Bloom’s Taxonomy as the Conceptual Framework

A distinctive feature of Lakeland’s Education Program is its explicit adoption of Bloom’s Taxonomy of Educational Objectives as the unifying conceptual framework for the entire teacher preparation curriculum. While many education programs reference Bloom’s Taxonomy as one tool among many, Lakeland elevates it to a foundational organizing principle that shapes course design, assessment strategies, and the overall progression of the student experience. This commitment to a coherent theoretical framework provides students with a consistent lens through which to understand and evaluate their own professional growth.

The framework progresses through six levels of cognitive complexity, from the most basic (Knowledge) through Comprehension, Application, Analysis, and Synthesis to the most complex (Evaluation). Each progressive level presumes mastery of the earlier, more basic levels, creating a scaffolded approach to learning that mirrors the developmental progression students will later facilitate in their own classrooms. For aspiring teachers, understanding this taxonomy at a deep, experiential level is invaluable because it directly informs how they will design lesson plans, create assessments, and differentiate instruction for learners at varying cognitive stages.

The practical implications of this framework choice are significant. Course assignments and assessments throughout the program are designed to require progressively higher-order thinking as students advance. Early courses may emphasize knowledge recall and comprehension of educational theories, while advanced methods courses and student teaching demand the synthesis and evaluation skills that characterize expert teaching practice. This alignment between the program’s theoretical framework and its pedagogical practice represents a form of modeling: students experience the learning progression they will later create for their own students, as supported by research from the National Center for Education Statistics on effective teacher preparation strategies.

Field Experience and Student Teaching Requirements

Field experience and student teaching represent the most intensive and transformative phase of Lakeland’s Education Program. The student teaching requirement spans a full semester of 18 school weeks or more, during which candidates work full-time in assigned school classrooms following the cooperating school district’s calendar rather than the university’s academic calendar. This immersive approach ensures that student teachers experience the complete rhythm of school life, including parent-teacher conferences, professional development days, and grading periods.

During the student teaching semester, candidates may not enroll in any other university coursework, and outside employment is “strongly discouraged.” These restrictions reflect the program’s recognition that effective clinical preparation requires total professional focus. The intensity of student teaching, which involves daily lesson planning, instruction, assessment, classroom management, and professional collaboration, leaves little room for competing academic or employment obligations. Students considering programs at institutions like Seton Hall or other professional preparation programs will find similar clinical intensity requirements.

All student teaching placements are arranged by the Education Program through administrative offices of local school systems, with placements falling within a 25-mile radius of Lakeland’s main campus or its satellite centers. The one-year lead time required for placement requests reflects the complexity of coordinating with school districts, matching student needs with appropriate cooperating teachers, and ensuring compliance with all regulatory requirements. Students who withdraw from student teaching within two months of, or after the beginning of, the semester without documented emergency conditions may be denied subsequent student teaching appointments.

An additional opportunity exists through the Wisconsin Improvement Program internship, which allows selected students to complete their clinical experience through an internship format during what would normally be the student teaching semester. This alternative pathway, available through consultation with the Director of the Center for Teacher Excellence, provides a different professional learning structure while meeting the same licensing requirements. Environmental education preparation is required for K-9, 4-12 Science, and 4-12 Social Studies candidates, fulfilled through BIO 101 Environmental Science.

Wisconsin DPI Teaching Standards Alignment

Lakeland’s Education Program is built around the ten Wisconsin DPI teaching standards that define what every licensed educator in the state must know and be able to do. These standards serve as both the curriculum development guide and the primary assessment framework for evaluating student progress throughout the program. Every course, field experience, and portfolio artifact is explicitly mapped to one or more of these standards, creating a transparent alignment between program activities and professional licensing requirements.

The standards cover a comprehensive range of professional competencies. Standard 1 (Pupil Development) requires understanding of how students grow and develop across cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical dimensions. Standard 2 (Learning Differences) emphasizes the ability to create inclusive learning environments that honor individual differences and diverse cultural backgrounds. Standard 3 (Learning Environments) focuses on creating supportive contexts for individual and collaborative learning, active engagement, and student self-motivation.

Content-focused standards include Standard 4 (Content Knowledge), which addresses deep understanding of disciplinary concepts and tools of inquiry, and Standard 5 (Application of Content), which emphasizes connecting concepts to authentic local and global issues through critical thinking and collaborative problem-solving. Standard 6 (Assessment) requires proficiency with multiple assessment methods, while Standard 7 (Planning for Instruction) covers differentiated lesson planning that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals.

The remaining standards address professional practice and leadership. Standard 8 (Instructional Strategies) requires varied approaches to promoting deep understanding, Standard 9 (Professional Learning and Ethical Practice) emphasizes ongoing professional development and evidence-based practice adaptation, and Standard 10 (Leadership and Collaboration) calls for active engagement with pupils, families, educators, and community members. These standards collectively represent the Wisconsin DPI’s vision of a well-prepared educator and form the backbone of Lakeland’s assessment system.

Portfolio Development Across Three Benchmarks

Portfolio development at Lakeland follows a structured three-benchmark system that tracks student growth across the entire program trajectory. This approach reflects current best practices in teacher education assessment, moving beyond traditional course grades to capture the kind of authentic, contextualized evidence of professional competence that leading professional programs increasingly demand. The portfolio system is divided into two stages: the pre-student teaching portfolio (Benchmarks I and II) and the professional portfolio (Benchmark III).

Benchmark I is evaluated at the point of application to the Education Program and requires three components: an educational philosophy statement articulating the candidate’s beliefs about teaching and learning, a professional resume, and course reflections for all education-related courses completed to date. This initial benchmark serves as a baseline assessment of the candidate’s professional identity development and ability to articulate educational values coherently. The philosophy statement, in particular, becomes a living document that students revise as their understanding deepens throughout the program.

Benchmark II is evaluated when students apply for student teaching admission and represents a substantial expansion of the portfolio. In addition to updated versions of all Benchmark I materials, candidates must include a minimum of two artifacts for each of Teacher Standards 1 through 8. These artifacts are drawn from coursework, field experiences, and other professional activities, and each must be accompanied by reflective commentary explaining how the artifact demonstrates competence in the relevant standard. The specificity of this requirement, two artifacts per standard with reflective analysis, ensures that portfolio development is an ongoing, intentional process rather than a last-minute compilation exercise.

Benchmark III, completed during the student teaching semester, adds artifacts for Teacher Standards 9 and 10 (the professional practice and leadership standards that can best be demonstrated through clinical experience), along with copies of all cooperating teacher and supervising instructor evaluations and detailed student teacher reflections. This final benchmark is assessed during the closing weeks of student teaching as part of EDU 470 (Student Teaching Seminar). The university provides all education students with access to a digital portfolio system, ensuring standardized formatting and secure, accessible document management throughout the multi-year portfolio development process.

Content Knowledge and Praxis II Requirements

Demonstrating content knowledge mastery is a critical component of Lakeland’s teacher certification process, and the program offers two pathways to satisfy this requirement. The first option is achieving a passing score on the appropriate Praxis II content test administered by the Educational Testing Service. The Praxis II exams are nationally recognized assessments of subject-specific content knowledge, and passing scores are set by the Wisconsin DPI for each certification area. This option provides an external, standardized validation of content expertise.

The alternative pathway requires maintaining a cumulative 3.0 GPA across specific course categories, with detailed calculation rules that vary by certification pathway. For 4-12 and K-12 candidates, the GPA is calculated across major courses, minor courses (if applicable), professional education sequence courses, and general studies, with certain course categories excluded from the calculation. For K-9 candidates, the GPA threshold applies to the education major, professional sequence, and general studies. Critically, regardless of overall GPA, no grade lower than C in any major, minor, or professional sequence course is permitted. Any sub-C grade must be rectified before a student teaching placement can proceed.

K-9 candidates face an additional content knowledge requirement: passage of the Foundations of Reading Test. This test is specifically designed to ensure that elementary teachers possess the specialized knowledge needed to provide effective reading instruction, reflecting Wisconsin’s commitment to early literacy outcomes. While students may begin student teaching if they have attempted the test at least three times without passing, they must eventually pass to receive the K-9 teaching license endorsement. This policy balances the need for reading instruction competence with practical considerations about test anxiety and multiple-attempt fairness.

The dual-pathway approach to content knowledge verification offers meaningful flexibility while maintaining rigorous standards. Students who excel in standardized testing formats may prefer the Praxis II route, while those who demonstrate consistent academic excellence across their coursework may find the GPA pathway more representative of their actual content knowledge. Both pathways must be satisfied in conjunction with all other student teaching admission requirements, with deadlines of March 31 for fall placements and October 31 for spring placements.

Career Outcomes and Wisconsin Educator Licensure

Successful completion of Lakeland’s Education Program culminates in the university’s recommendation to the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction for an initial educator license. This recommendation represents the program’s professional endorsement that the graduate has met all academic, clinical, and dispositional requirements for beginning teaching practice. The initial license is the entry-level credential in Wisconsin’s tiered licensing system, and it authorizes graduates to seek teaching positions within the certified grade levels and subject areas.

The career landscape for Lakeland education graduates benefits from the program’s strong regional reputation and its deep connections with local school districts. The placement network developed through decades of student teaching partnerships provides graduates with both professional references and employment leads in communities where Lakeland is already a trusted partner. The program’s emphasis on clinical preparation, with 18+ weeks of intensive classroom experience, means that graduates enter the workforce with more hands-on teaching experience than many of their peers from programs with shorter clinical requirements.

For educators looking beyond initial licensure, the competencies developed at Lakeland provide a strong foundation for advanced certifications, graduate study, and leadership roles. The portfolio development process, which documents growth across all ten DPI teaching standards, creates an artifact collection that supports applications for advanced licensure tiers, National Board Certification, and graduate program admission. The reflective practice skills cultivated throughout the program prepare graduates for the continuous professional learning that characterizes long, successful teaching careers.

Lakeland’s approach to teacher education, combining rigorous academic preparation with extensive clinical experience and structured portfolio assessment, positions its graduates to contribute meaningfully to the educational communities they serve. As the teaching profession continues to evolve in response to changing demographics, technological advances, and shifting policy landscapes, the foundational skills and dispositions developed in programs like Lakeland’s become increasingly valuable. Whether graduates teach in the rural communities surrounding Plymouth, Wisconsin, or carry their Lakeland preparation to schools across the country, the program’s emphasis on reflective practice, content expertise, and professional ethics provides a durable professional foundation.