All REAL Courses

  • It is recommended that candidates starting Bilingual Education courses with USF begin with course EEND 631 followed in sequence by EEND 632 (these courses may be taken simultaneously). 
  • In addition to course work noted, candidates seeking a Bilingual Education Endorsement in Illinois are required to complete 100 clock hours (or three months of teaching experience) in a bilingual setting. A tracking log should be retained, along with a letter verified by an administrator, of all hours or teaching experiences in a bilingual setting. The log and administrator verification will be required when applying to add the endorsement through ELIS and may be requested during an audit of educator records.
  • Appropriate Target Language Proficiency or English Language Proficiency test (as applicable) will be required.
  • For current information regarding Illinois State Board of Education requirements for licensure and endorsements (including tests when applicable), please visit ISBE.

EEND 631 Theoretical Foundations of Bilingual and ESL (4)

EEND 632 Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL (4) 

EEND 633 Assessment of Bilingual and ESL Students (3) 

EEND 634 Cross Cultural Studies/Limitied-English Proficient Students (3) 

EEND 637 Methods and Materials for Teaching Bilingual Students (3) 

EEND 638 Supporting English Language Learners in the Inclusive Classroom (1) 

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

REAL 612 Educating for Character (3)

REAL 616 Becoming a School of Character (3)

REAL 694 Topics: Ethical Decision Making and Virtue Development (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

Click the image below learn more about becoming a State School of Character!

Character Education

Learn how your school can apply to be recognized as a School of Character!

EEND 602 Survey of Gifted Education (3)

EEND 613 Differentiated Instruction (3)

EEND 614 Behavioral Strategies for the Heterogeneous Classroom (3)

EEND 640 Development and Characteristics of Individuals with Special Needs (3) 

REAL 694 Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted and Talented Students (3)

REAL 695 Social Emotional Development for Gifted and Talented Students (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

  • The University of St. Francis does not currently offer a full program for the Director of Special Education endorsement. The courses noted below are those frequently required to satisfy deficiencies for educators pursuing the endorsement via ISBE credential evaluation: Director of Special Education Option 2 
  • Option 2 for the Illinois Director of Special Education endorsement currently requires 1) a master’s degree, 2) endorsement in an administrative field, 3) two years of full-time experience providing special education services, 4) and specific coursework in both special education and administration of special education as outlined by ISBE.
  • Educators who already have the LBS I endorsement on their Illinois Professional Educator License may have already satisfied the requirement for EEND 644.

EEND 600 Introduction to Special Education Finance (3)

EEND 606 Supervision of Programs for Exceptional Children (3)

EEND 641 Legal and Historical Foundations in Special Education (3)

EEND 644 Specialized Curriculum and Methods in Special Education (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

REAL has partnered with the Illinois High School College Driver Education Association (IHSCDEA) to provide Driver Education courses for educators interested in pursuing a Safety and Driver Education endorsement.

See ISBE Requirements for Safety and Driver Education Endorsements

Driver Education Courses offered at USF
Each title listed is three (3) semester hours and tuition is $1,000 per course.

The following courses may be used toward the required distribution for 12 of 24 hours for endorsement:

The following elective course may be used toward additional required hours:

Cohorts are now forming for Spring 2020 and Fall 2020!  CLICK HERE to contact IHSCDEA and express your interest in joining an upcoming cohort.

REAL 642 Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities: 1 in 5 (1)

REAL 643 Part II: Multi-Sensory Teaching Strategies (1)

REAL 644 Part III: Foundations and Structure of Oral and Written Language (1)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

Courses will close as noted or sooner if the course is at capacity. If a waiting list is available it will replace the registration link for the course.

REAL 646: edTPA-Support for the Licensed Professional (0 credit/enrichment workshop)

Course is offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register
  • Courses offered in Educational Technology were developed using ISBE’s standards for the Technology Specialist endorsement and are on file at the Illinois State Board of Education.
  • Educators pursuing a Technology Specialist endorsement may not need all courses offered and are encouraged to visit ISBE to view current requirements for adding the Technology Specialist endorsement to a valid PEL.

EEND 675: Foundations of Educational Technology (3)

EEND 676: Collaborative Web Tools in Education (3)

EEND 677: Multimedia Tools in Education (3)

EEND 678: Effective Technology Integration Into Lessons and Curriculum (3)

EEND 679: Assessing and Improving Student Achievement with Technology (3)

EEND 680: 21st Century Educational Leadership (3)

EEND 681: Managing Educational Technology Services (3)

EEND 713: Engaging eLearning (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

You may also like:
EEND 638 Using Technology to Flip Learning (1)

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

  • Candidates starting ESL courses with USF are to begin with course EEND 631 followed in sequence by course EEND 632 (these courses may be taken simultaneously). Taking the two course out of sequence must meet with instructor approval.
  • In addition to course work noted, candidates seeking an ESL Endorsement in Illinois are required to complete 100 clock hours (or three months of teaching experience) in a bilingual or ESL setting. A tracking log should be retained, along with a letter verified by an administrator, of all hours or teaching experiences in a bilingual setting. The log and administrator verification will be required when applying to add the endorsement through ELIS and may be requested during an audit of educator records.
  • For current information regarding Illinois State Board of Education requirements for licensure and endorsements (including tests when applicable), please visit ISBE.

EEND 631 Theoretical Foundations of Bilingual and ESL (4)

EEND 632 Methods and Materials for Teaching ESL (4)

EEND 633 Assessment of Bilingual and ESL Students (3)

EEND 634 Cross Cultural Studies/Limitied-English Proficient Students (3)

EEND 636 Linguistics (4)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

Candidates interested in adding both ESL and Bilingual Education endorsements will also need to take EEND 637, complete their 100 hours (or three months teaching) in a bilingual setting, and pass the appropriate Target Language Proficiency test as required by ISBE.

EEND 637 Methods and Materials for Teaching Bilingual Students (3)
View Spring Course Dates and Register for EEND 637

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

REAL 618 Financial Literacy Using Children’s Literature (1)

REAL 619 Financial Literacy Using Math Applications (1) 

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register
  • Courses offered in Health Education were developed using ISBE’s standards for the Health Education endorsement and are on file at the Illinois State Board of Education.
  • Educators pursuing a Health Education endorsement may not need all courses offered and are encouraged to visit ISBE to view current requirements for adding the Health Education endorsement to a valid PEL.

EEND 730 School Health Curriculum and Evaluation (3)

EEND 731 Mental and Emotional Health in Education (3)

EEND 732 Nutrition in Education (3) 

EEND 733 Drug Education (3)

EEND 734 Teaching Personal Health (3)

EEND 735 Environmental Health in the Classroom (3)

EEND 736 Disease Prevention in Education (3)

EEND 737 Human Sexuality in Education (3)

EEND 738 Assessment & Evaluation in Physical Education (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

EEND 725 Legendary Teacher Traits (3)

REAL 695 Instructional Practices for High Student Achievement (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

The courses noted under the section Middle School Professional Coursework may meet requirements for teachers with an existing/open deficiency letter from ISBE expiring on or before June 30, 2020. The endorsement must be ISSUED BY ISBE on or before June 30, 2020 so educators with an open deficiency must complete outstanding courses and submit corresponding transcripts to ISBE well in advance of the deadline. 

Spring 2020 will be the last opportunity to complete EEND 630 and EEND 687 as noted under the section for Middle School Professional Coursework.

Middle School Professional Coursework

EEND 630 Psychology and Development of the Middle School Child (3)

EEND 687 Middle School Philosophy, Curriculum and Instruction (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

Middle Grades/Adolescent Methods Courses
Educators enrolled in middle grades methods courses at USF are required to demonstrate a strong understanding of the content and skills required for the applicable content area endorsement. It is highly recommended that the appropriate content area coursework is completed prior to enrolling in the methods courses. EEND 691, 693, 694, and 695 are designed with the assumption that enrolled students have sufficient content knowledge, as the courses focus on instruction in pedagogy.

Please submit the following interest form to begin the process of registering for adolescent methods courses at USF: Adolescent Methods Course Interest Form

View ISBE’s Acceptable Areas of Coursework for Endorsements

EEND 693 Methods of Teaching Adolescents Social Science
August 19 – December 13, 2019 | blended course (USF Main, R, 6-8:45 p.m.)

EEND 694 Methods of Teaching Adolescents Mathematics
August 19 – December 13, 2019 | online course

EEND 695 Methods of Teaching Adolescents English/Language Arts
August 19 – December 13, 2019 | online course

If you are interested in teaching Middle Grades and do not currently hold one of the following endorsements: 5-8 or 6-8 Middle Level, K-12 Special Teaching, PK-12 Teaching, or PK-21 Special Education, please visit Subsequent Teaching Endorsements via Focused Programs

Please check back for upcoming opportunities.

The College of Education is pleased to offer graduate-level courses for candidates who have earned National Board Certification. Courses are available 100% online each semester. A National Board achievement certificate must be submitted (see below) and approved prior to enrolling in the following courses.

Special tuition rate: $225 per credit hour for REAL 600, 601, 602, 603, and 695

REAL 600 Standards and Propositions NB (3) | Prerequisite Course
REAL 601 Analyzing Curriculum Planning NB (3)
REAL 602 Reflecting on Your Teaching NB (3)
REAL 603 Collaborating Relationships NB (3)

The following course is open to educators who have completed the National Board renewal process within the past two calendar years. A National Board renewal certificate must be submitted and approved prior to enrolling in the following course.

REAL 695 Accomplished Teaching (3)

Please complete the National Board inquiry form below to express your interest and validate your National Board status. Once the form and supporting documents are received, an email notification will be sent to the address provided with access to course registration.

This email will be used to confirm receipt of your submission as well as subsequent communication regarding the registration process.
This will not commit you to enrollment in any of the courses. It simply allows us to send you the registration information for the courses in which you are currently interested. *Only candidates who have completed National Board renewal may enroll in this course.
Click or drag a file to this area to upload.
Valid file formats include pdf, jpg, or png

Character Education

  • Ethical Decision Making and Virtue Development (3)

Differentiated Instruction and Gifted Education 

  • Instructional Practices Leading to High Student Achievement (3)
  • Social Emotional Development for Gifted and Talented Students (3)

Heart of Teaching

  • Legendary Teacher Traits (3)
  • Curriculum and Instruction for Gifted and Talented Students (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

In recognition of the value of teacher research experience programs as a successful form of professional development, the University of St. Francis offers NOAA Teacher at Sea participants the opportunity to receive experiential graduate credit upon completing their NOAA at sea experience.

View Sample Course Syllabus Here

REAL 688 NOAA Teacher at Sea (3-4 credit hours)

Courses are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

EEND 638 Supporting English Language Learners in the Inclusive Classroom (1)

EEND 683 Using Technology to Flip Learning (1)

EEND 684 Dissecting Math Data: Looking Past the RTI Colors (1)

EEND 692 Culturally Responsive Instruction (1)

REAL 619 Financial Literacy Using Math Applications (1)

REAL 642 Dyslexia & Reading Disabilities: 1 in 5 (1)

REAL 643 Dyslexia & Reading Disabilities Part II: Multi-Sensory Teaching Strategies (1)

REAL 644 Dyslexia & Reading Disabilities Part III: Foundations and Structure of Oral and Written Language (1) 

REAL 705 Creating Common Core IEPs (1)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register
  • The Illinois Reading Teacher endorsement requires 24 hours of coursework and is the minimum requirement for anyone assigned to teach reading who is not teaching reading as part of general classroom instruction.
  • All Reading Teacher courses are on file at the Illinois State Board of Education.
  • Candidates may not need to take all 24 credit hours and are encouraged to visit ISBE for current information on adding the Reading Teacher endorsement to a valid PEL.

REND 641 Foundations of Literacy (3) 

REND 642 Assessment Procedures and Data Analysis for Student Achievement (3)

REND 643 Exploration of Literacy Strategies and Materials for Student Achievement (3)

REND 644 Utilizing Literature in the Classroom (3)

REND 647 Literacy and Diverse Learners (3)

REND 648 Writing Instruction in the 21st Century (3)

REND 651 Reading Teacher Practicum (3)

REND 689 Disciplinary Literacy (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

You may also like:
Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities

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SPRING 2020 BLENDED COURSE OPTIONS: Select course location to view details regarding face-to-face meeting dates, tuition, and location address.

  • EEND 605 may be required if not previously completed during undergraduate or other graduate degree programs. Candidates may visit their local ROE or request assistance from the college/university where they believe the course was completed to determine if the course is still needed. USF is not able to determine if courses taken outside of the university meet ISBE requirements.
  • Courses offered at USF do not meet requirements for the Early Childhood Special Education approval.
  • Educators are encouraged to visit ISBE to view current requirements for adding the LBS I (valid for grade range held) endorsement to a valid PEL.
  • Educators interested in adding the LBS I (PreK-Age 21) endorsement to their educator license can visit our M.S. Teaching & Learning program page for more information.

EEND 605 Survey of the Exceptional Child (3)

EEND 640 Development and Characteristics of Individuals with Special Needs (3) 

EEND 642 Assessment and Diagnosis in Special Education (3)

EEND 644 Specialized Curriculum and Methods in Special Education (3)

All courses in this series are offered 100% online.

View Spring Course Dates and Register

You may also like:

EEND 638 Supporting English Language Learners in the Inclusive Classroom (1)

Dyslexia and Reading Disabilities Series

REAL 705 Creating Common Core IEPs (1)

Experiential Workshops with USF’s Partners in Education
Fermilab, AMTA Midwest Modeling Workshops, and more!

  • Dates vary  by workshop
  • Optional graduate credit

General Information - Courses and Registration

The University of St. Francis is accredited by both the Higher Learning Commission (hlcommission.org) and the Illinois Board of Higher Education (ihbe.org). College of Education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (ncate.org) and approved by the Illinois State Board of Education (isbe.net).

  • Textbooks and course materials are not included in the price of tuition.
  • Current semester specials can be found at stfrancis.edu/real/specials.
  • Partnership course and cohort rates may be confirmed by contacting REAL at real@stfrancis.edu
  • Full payment of course tuition is required during the registration process. Payment may be made via credit card (processing fee applies) or electronic check through our secure registration site.
  • Student accounts may reflect a credit balance until semester tuition bills are posted (mid-December for Spring, mid-May for Summer, and late July for Fall).

*Tuition subject to university increases.

Courses offered through REAL are not eligible for federal financial assistance. Federal financial assistance like the Federal Direct Loan program can only be used for degree-seeking programs.

Online courses are structured to include discussions and assignments requiring active participation. Online courses are not self-paced. Candidates are expected to actively participate for the duration of the course. Candidates who are not able to commit to the full range of course dates should consider enrolling in an alternate semester.

Online courses in the College of Education, are structured and presented in a highly interactive instructional environment where candidates learn from the instructor, course materials, and one another. In the online environment, each candidate must respond to discussion questions posted by the instructor based upon reading assignments and course content, post responses to the instructor’s questions, and provide timely feedback to other candidates. Direct interaction with the instructor and other candidates in the course IS mandated. New course materials appear in each module. Candidates are expected to review all materials for optimal participation and learning. Assignments are embedded within each course, and the instructor provides feedback using assignment-specific rubrics and qualitative comments. The model for interaction within the online environment is instructor-candidate, candidate-instructor, and candidate-candidate.

When do classes meet online? While candidates are not expected to log in at a specific date and time, there are online discussions, assignments, and assessments that are due each week. It is recommended that candidates log in the first day of the course to establish attendance, get a sense of the online environment, and view course expectations.

How many assignments/topics are required to be posted and how often? Online courses typically consist of at least eight modules with readings and assignments in each. Most online courses require a minimum of three formative assessments and one summative.

How often do candidates need to read and post comments? Every week candidates are given several chapters or articles to read. Minimally, instructors will expect candidates to respond to one or more discussion questions based on these readings (usually by midweek) and then thoughtfully respond to other candidates’ posts.

What is the interaction between candidates? Candidates are expected to post thoughtful feedback to other candidates’ posts each week. Many online courses provide candidates the opportunity to collaborate electronically or in a virtual environment.

What is the interaction between candidates and the online instructor? Online course work at the University of St. Francis is conducted in a lively and robust learning environment with frequent interaction between the candidate and the instructor each week. At a minimum, the instructor will pose a discussion question to which the candidate will respond; that response will then generate feedback from the instructor.

Sample syllabi for most REAL courses can be found HERE.
Actual course syllabi with detailed assignments are made available on the first day of the course.

REAL offers flexible and accessible programming with a registration process that can be completed in under 60 seconds. Educators registering for courses with the prefix EEND, REAL, RECT, and REND simply locate a course title and select the corresponding date links to access the online registration form. No university application, transcripts, or test scores are required to register for courses taken as a special (non-degree seeking) graduate student through REAL.

Degree-seeking candidates and those enrolling in focused programs should register online through their MyUSF Student Account.

You can visit us in Donovan Hall (C-201) on the main campus in Joliet.

Mailing Address:
REAL at the University of St. Francis
500 Wilcox Street, C201
Joliet, IL 60435

 

YES! Candidates may roll up to 18 hours of graduate credit previously earned through REAL at the University of St. Francis (prefixes EEND, REAL, REND) into the M.S. Reading and M.S. Teaching and Learning programs.
 
For additional information, please contact:

Maggie Stevenson, Graduate Admissions Counselor
mstevenson@stfrancis.edu
815-740-3389

 

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