2023-2024 Graduate Catalog College of Education

The College of Education includes the Departments of Special Education and Educational Administration and Foundations, the School of Teaching and Learning, the Office of Clinical Experiences and Licensure Processes (CELP) in the Cecilia J. Lauby Teacher Education Center, and the University Laboratory Schools.

The mission of the College of Education is to provide state and national leadership in teacher and administrator education, educational research, and educational policy.

The preparation and continuing professional development of educators is the core of this mission. The guiding framework for teacher education at Illinois State University, "Realizing the Democratic Ideal," captures the values of all education programs. A comprehensive offering of degree, certification, and outreach programs operated year round at both undergraduate and graduate levels constitutes the primary mechanism through which the mission is fulfilled.

The College also fulfills its strategic mission of influencing education by providing support systems for faculty engaged in research, evaluation, product development, and other creative activities. The research agenda of the College is focused on production, synthesis, and application of knowledge that contributes to solutions of contemporary education problems and issues.

The third way the College meets its responsibility to influence education is to interact directly with practitioners in the field in a variety of school, agency, and association partnerships. In addition, the College is an active participant in discussions related to educational policy development within national, state, and local arenas.

The Illinois Board of Higher Education has approved Illinois State University to offer full masters and doctoral programs off-campus. For further information contact the department chairs of Educational Administration and Foundations and Special Education or the director of the School of Teaching and Learning.