Frequently Asked Questions

The Mastery Based Pathway can grant an endorsement for any Standard Instructional Certificate, as long as the applicant is teaching an appropriate class. See the endorsement list here. 

  • A baccalaureate degree in any area
  • Content competency through one of the approved content area assessments:
    • Praxis II in subject-specific content area of endorsement
    • Baccalaureate degree in specific content area of endorsement
    • A combination of coursework, work experience, and volunteer experience to meet a Qualifying score on the “Uniform Standard for Evaluating Content Competency Rubric”
  • Employment with an Idaho district/charter. 

Yes. In some cases the Idaho State Department of Education will allow applicants from private schools to participate. If you have any questions about your status, please contact education@lcsc.edu.  

Modules are open for registration the first ten days of each month from February though December.  You can register as soon as you have satisfied the requirements of qualification to the program and been accepted into LC State.

Please email your unofficial transcripts to education@lcsc.edu. Apply to LC State here. 

  • Price for 5 modules
    • Current tuition prices can be found at https://www.lcsc.edu/student-accounts/tuition-and-fees.
    • Each module is 3 credits. The price for each module is 3x the price of tuition for each credit + class fees (online technology fee is $15/credit). 
    • If you decide to register for the modules one or two at a time, you will stay at the per credit price. With 5 modules, the total cost can be determined by 15x the price of tuition for each credit + class fees (online technology fee is $15/credit).
    • If you decide to register for the modules all in the same semester than you will pay the flat-rate tuition for 12-19 credits. This saves some money, but all modules must be finished by the deadline of one calendar year from the start date (which is always the first of the month registered).
  • Price for Teacher Certification
    • There are also costs to the Idaho State Board of Education to apply for an interim certificate initially and to apply for the standard teaching certificate when the program is complete (e.g. application fee, fingerprinting, official transcripts, etc). Some of these costs may be covered by your school/district.
  • Price for Praxis

At this time there are no scholarships of financial aid available through LC State. Typical aid for college is reserved for programs that lead toward degree completion. Since this program is focused solely on meeting the minimum certification requirements for endorsement most students will not take enough credits to qualify.

You may qualify for a personal loan or other financial relief through your bank, credit union, or through other sources such as fraternal organizations, clubs, community agencies, or even through your school/district.

Additionally, by taking one class at a time, you can spread the cost over the time you have to complete the program (from one to three years).

You may qualify for the Adult Idaho Launch program through the Idaho Works website.

The program needs to be completed during the length of the interim certificate provided to candidates through the Idaho State Board of Education. Within that timeframe (3 years) candidates will be engaged in different aspects of the program. The program will require two years to complete using the non-traditional route (interim certificate) due to the mentoring requirement of the district involved. The modules can be completed in as little as one semester or up to one year.

Assessments

  • The Performance Portfolio are turned in at the end of each module to demonstrate competency for the standards addressed in the module.
  • The other components of the program are required for certification as a teacher in Idaho. These include the ICLS (Literacy) Exams, TMT (Teaching Mathematical Thinking), Common Summative Assessment, and the Individualized Plan for Growth (IPLP). These are completed at different points in the program, depending on the candidate’s progress and learning plan.

Modules

  • Each module is designed for a ten-week timeframe. The activities in the first eight weeks lead towards the performance assessment. The last two weeks are designed to develop, complete, and submit the performance portfolio.
  • Modules can be completed in as little as two weeks or as long as one calendar year from the start date of the module.
  • Modules are offered on a monthly basis, providing a flexible alternative to the standard semester schedule.

Professional Development

Each quarter, a professional development (PD) opportunity will be provided for candidates. Most of these will be held on a Saturday and many will be provided online through virtual workshops, seminars, and presentations. Please reach out to education@lcsc.edu if there are any specific PD opportunities you would be interested in.

Each candidate will have a program of study developed that will provide all of the necessary components to measure the content, pedagogical, and dispositional attributes of the candidate. At a minimum the program will consist of the five modules, IPLP, and Common Summative Assessment. Additional courses, activities, and assessments are added and agreed upon at a conference prior to beginning the program. The program may be changed as well as part of the process if it becomes necessary to demonstrate competency in any of the three areas required (content, pedagogy, dispositions).

Completion of the program requires:

  • Passing the performance portfolios in each module
  • Passing the Common Summative Assessment
  • Passing all other required assessments that are applicable to the certification and endorsement area(s) (e.g. ICLS, TMT, etc.)
  • Completing the Individualized Plan for Growth (IPLP)
  • Passing the Praxis for the content area*

*Note: If a candidate is not able to pass the required Praxis exam, it is possible to meet the requirement for certification by collecting evidence of student growth data for a minimum of two years. There must be a way to quantify student achievement. A narrative explaining the data and interpretation that demonstrates student growth is also required.

Working with your school or district go to http://www.sde.idaho.gov/cert-psc/cert/apply/non-trad.html and provide all of the necessary information as required.

After being admitted to LC State and the Mastery Based program follow the steps below:

Warrior Web

  • Access Warrior Web (full weblink https://experience.elluciancloud.com/lcsc/). Under the heading: Academics click on Student Planning, then Conditions of Registration.
  • In Warrior Web, please be sure to check out the links under the My Information section.
  • See https://www.lcsc.edu/warriorhub for more information.

Email

Ensure that you can access your “WarriorMail” email address (username@students.lcstate.edu) as all official communications will need to go through this address while attending LC State.

  • Contact the program coordinator using your lcmail address (education@lcsc.edu) and request permission to register for the module(s) you want to take. Please indicate the following:
    • Number of modules you would like to register for.
    • Name of the module(s) if known
    • Start Date for the module(s) desired. (Modules are opened to begin each month except January.)
  • Once you have made the above request you will receive an email from the program coordinator stating that you have permission to register for the module(s).
  • You can either register in WariorWeb by adding the courses, or you may forward the email that you received from the program coordinator (using your WarriorMail address) to the Registrar’s office registrar@lcsc.edu and you will be permitted to enroll or will be placed in the module(s).

Payment for the Module(s)

  • After you have completed this process, you will need to contact Student Account Services (full weblink http://www.lcsc.edu/student-accounts/)  to pay for the module(s) you take.
  • Alternatively, you may pay for your tuition and fees via WarriorWeb.