Minnesota is a highly standardized state for teacher licensure. There are four sets of standards that are important to teacher education licensure candidates. Pedagogy, Content, and Special Ed CORE (for special education candidates) standards describe the knowledge and skills teacher candidates are expected to learn in their licensure programs, while the P-12 Student Standards outline the expectations for student learning in public schools. The teacher education licensure standards are highlighted in the program syllabi to communicate how candidates learn the standards and how their knowledge of standards will be applied and assessed during their teacher education licensure program.
Standards of Effective Practice: The Standards of Effective Practice (SEPs) are general pedagogy standards that articulate the skills and knowledge that Minnesota expects all teacher candidates to demonstrate before they are licensed. Approved teacher preparation programs must document where these standards are taught and how they are assessed. Current Standards of Effective Practice are available online and will also be listed in course syllabi. New Standards of Effective Practice were approved in 2023 and will go into effect in 2025. Teacher licensure programs at the University of Minnesota are currently transitioning between the old and new standards.
Content Standards: In addition to the Standards of Effective Practice, standards specific to each licensure area (e.g. Agriculture Education, Elementary, Mathematics, Music, Social Studies) have also been approved by the state licensing board (PELSB). Check here and scroll down to the content area for your licensure area to see your specific standards. These standards will also be listed in your course syllabi.
P-12 Teaching Standards: Candidates will be teaching to the Minnesota P-12 standards for their licensure area. Candidates must be familiar with these standards as evidenced by their use in lesson planning and curriculum development. K-12 academic standards can be found here. Early childhood standards (ECIPS) can be found here.