Life Science Education
Life Science Education
ODU's Life Science Education program prepares graduates to teach biology in grades 7-12.
Program Highlights
- Bachelor of Science degree in Life Science Education.
- Licensure-only option available for those who hold a bachelor's degree.
- Courses are drawn from both Education and Biology programs.
- Curriculum emphasizes content knowledge, critical thinking and laboratory skills.
Degrees & Courses
Read the degree requirements and course descriptions, plus view a sample 4-year plan.
Outcomes & Careers
Graduates in Life Science Education are prepared to teach biology in grades 7-12 or continue on to graduate school.
Education Division
Get to know ODU faculty members, view current news and events, and more.
Kappa Delta Pi
Kappa Delta Pi (KDP) is an International Honor Society in Education, whose purpose
is to connect future educators with each other and other education advocates. KDP
strives to reach out to the community through education by volunteering, fundraising,
and organizing events.
For more information about this organizations, contact Dr. Marlissa Stauffer at stauffem@ohiodominican.edu or (614) 251-4621.
ODU's education programs are approved for the preparation of teachers by the Ohio Board of Regents and are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Visit .
ODU's Education Field Office organizes and administers all field and clinical experiences
in the teacher education programs. We partner with area school districts and their
teachers to help provide quality and diverse field experiences for our future educators.
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The following Ohio Dominican University teacher licensure programs satisfy the academic requirements for teacher licensure programs at the Bachelor鈥檚 degree and Post-Baccalaureate level set forth by the State of Ohio: Art Education, Primary Education, Intervention Specialist (mild to moderate, moderate to intensive), Middle Childhood Education, Adolescence to Young Adult (Chemistry Education, Integrated Language Arts, Integrated Mathematics, Integrated Science, Integrated Social Studies, Life Science). The following Ohio Dominican University teacher licensure programs satisfy the academic requirements for teacher licensure at the Master鈥檚 degree level set forth by the State of Ohio: TESOL, Intervention Specialist. The principal licensure program at Ohio Dominican University satisfies the academic requirement at the Master鈥檚 level set forth by the State of Ohio.
ODU graduates who complete one of these programs are eligible to sit for the appropriate Ohio Assessment for Educators exam. Ohio teacher licensure and principal licensure applicants must complete a background check. Detailed licensure information is available at the Ohio Department of Education website.
All of the Ohio Dominican teacher programs and principal program are accredited by both the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Students who wish to teach or be a principal in a state other than Ohio should contact
the program director/advisor to discuss the need to satisfy additional requirements
for that state.
To find out whether a program satisfies requirements from your home state, please visit the ODU Licensure & Certification Programs and State Requirements page.
Initial Licensure Transition Points and Policies
| Transition Points for Initial Licensure | Criteria Assessments | Systems / Policies to implement the criteria |
|---|---|---|
| Prior to Transition Point 1 Pre-Professional Stage |
BCII Checks to participate Introduction to Teaching field experience. | The Education Division office (Ohio Dominican University) checks off the candidate's
name in TK20, once BCII check results are received and cleared. Candidates' BCII result
sheets are scanned and stored electronically as well, in the Division server folder.
The Education Division office communicates with professors of Introduction to Teaching
courses about the status of candidates' BCII results and candidates who have not cleared
their status are not allowed to participate in their field experiences. Syllabus for Introduction to Teaching courses states the BCII checks requirement for the course and field experience. |
| Transition Point 1 Admissions to Professional Education |
Purchase TK20 and Completion of Application thru TK20 Admission Essay (Effective Teacher in 21st Century) C or better (C+ or better, beginning 2014 Fall) in Introduction to Teaching Three faculty recommendations (1 Cooperating Teacher, 1 University Supervisor, 1 ODU professor) GPA 2.5 [2.75, beginning 2014 Fall] Praxis I test: Passing Scores, Reading-173, Writing-172, Mathematics-172 [Replaced by Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE), from 2014 Fall; Passing Scores, Reading 156, Writing 162, and Math 150] |
Candidates submit TK20 fee to the Business Office at Ohio Dominican University; then
their payment information comes to the Education Division office, requesting TK20
to activate the candidates' accounts. After the candidates receive their active TK20
accounts, they can complete application form and admission essay in TK20. Candidates who meet all criteria for admissions to Professional Education are "released" to register to take EDU 200 level and above: Education Division notify Registrar鈥檚 Office about the release, then the restriction gets removed. Minimum GPAs are hard-coded in ODU Online Registration system, which allows only those who meet the requirement are able to register. In addition, the "Advising Hold" is put on all candidates' accounts for on-line registration, which allows only those who have been advised with the candidate's faculty advisor can register on-line. The Admission Essays are assessed by Introduction to Teaching professors and program coordinators to determine the candidates' written communication skills and their inclinations toward the unit's expected dispositions. Two of the faculty recommendation forms are completed by the Intro to Teaching instructor and the cooperating teacher, and the third by any other instructor 逗比直播. A transfer student may have instructors from another institution complete the forms, however, they must be filled out by someone in an educational setting, and not an employer, coach, tutor, etc. A recommendation received with "Reservations" will be red flagged and passed to the student鈥檚 program area coordinator. The coordinator will meet with the student to address the issue(s), after which the coordinator will initial and date the form. A recommendation received with 2 red flags will be passed on to the chair. He/she will meet with the program area coordinator prior to meeting with the student to develop a plan to address the issue(s). Recommendations forms are reviewed by Introduction to Teaching professors and program coordinators to assess the candidates' professionalism, dispositions and communication skills. The Division Chair, Education is ultimately responsible for determining candidates' acceptance into the program but the decisions are made in collaboration with the program coordinators and faculty. Praxis Core test scores are entered in TK20 in each individual student's account, being checked off for passing scores, by Division of Education office. |
| Transition Point 3 Program Completion |
Completion of all program requirements with a 2.500 GPA, 2.500 GPA [2.75, beginning
2014 Fall] in content courses Successful completion of student teaching (Field evaluations, Disposition rubric, Lesson planning, Reflections, Case Study and edTPA) Successful completion of edTPA (40 or higher) |
GPA requirements are hard-coded in ODU online system, as described in Transition Point
2. Mediation and resolution procedures in case candidate's performance does not meet the expected level for student teaching are specified in Student Teaching Handbook, "Procedures for Problem Resolution" and "Failure, Withdrawal or Removal from Student Teaching" section. If the candidate's edTPA score falls below 40, they are offered to do in-house retake of the portion that was scored lower than 3 in the rubric. He/she will need to schedule a meeting with his/her university supervisor to review his/her portfolio and score report. During this meeting the candidate will reflect upon the strengths and weaknesses of their performance on the assessment and may receive additional mentoring and instruction in order to advance his/her current abilities. This meeting must be scheduled prior to their completion of student teaching. The candidate鈥檚 grade for student teaching will not be issued until this meeting has occurred and the candidate鈥� oral/written reflection meets expectation (compatible to "3" in edTPA rubric scoring) which means their diploma will be held until all requirements are met. |
| Transition Point 4 Teacher Licensure |
Completion of all program requirements with a 2.500 GPA, a 2.500 GPA in content courses
[2.75, beginning 2014 Fall], earning appropriate scores on PRAXIS II exams [Replaced
by OAE, Ohio Assessment for Educators, from 2013 Fall] Submitting a positive BCII report to the Ohio Department of Education. EXIT Survey - Pre-Service Teacher Candidate Survey (by OBR) |
The Education Division office collaborates with the Registrar's Office to verify candidates'
completion of all requirements for their licensure. The Education Division office
sends candidates' OAE scores to Registrar's Office. A designated personnel in Registrar鈥檚
office audits/verifies candidates' program completion and OAE scores, and sends their
applications to Ohio Department of Education. Candidates participate in the EXIT Survey - Pre-Service Teacher Candidate Survey (by OBR) in the end of EDU 479 Student Teaching seminar. |
Have Questions? Contact Us!
Marlissa Stauffer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor & Chair of Education Division
Sansbury Hall, Room 139
(614) 251-4621
stauffem@ohiodominican.edu
For admission questions, contact:
Undergraduate Admission
Griffin Student Center, 203
(614) 251-4500
(800) 955-OHIO (955-6446)
admission@ohiodominican.edu