Qualifications
What are the minimum qualifications to apply?
To be eligible for the AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency program, you must have:
a bachelor's degree with a minimum GPA of 2.5/4.0
the required college-level course work to meet Illinois certification requirements for the grade level/content area you choose to teach
passing scores on the Illinois Basic Skills test and the appropriate Content Area test OR you may apply if you are (or will be by June 2012) a certified teacher (Illinois or another state) and have been teaching 2 years or less.
I am still in school completing my Bachelors degree. Can I still apply for the AUSL program?
Yes! If your bachelor's degree will be conferred by June 2012, you may apply to begin the AUSL program in June 2012.
I have been out of college for several years or more. May I apply for the program?
Yes! AUSL seeks passionate and dedicated individuals with a variety of backgrounds and experiences. If you have completed other graduate or professional course work since you earned your bachelor's degree, you will need to send us transcripts for all of those courses in addition to your bachelor's degree transcript(s).
Do I have to live in Chicago to participate in the AUSL program?
No. During your 2012-13 training year, you may live in or outside the city of Chicago. However, Chicago Public Schools requires its teachers to live in the city of Chicago, so you will need to abide by the CPS residency policy when you begin your full-time teaching career following graduation.
Teachers in a few high-need content areas, for example secondary Math and special education, are eligible to apply for a waiver of the residency policy. AUSL cannot guarantee that a resident will be granted a waiver.
I currently live outside Illinois. May I apply?
Yes, AUSL welcomes applications from candidates outside Illinois who choose to make a commitment to training and teaching in Chicago for five years or more.
Do I need to be a US Citizen to apply?
Residents are employees of AUSL during the residency year and CPS after graduation. Therefore, a prerequisite for admission to our program is eligibility to be employed in the United States.
What is the ideal candidate profile for the AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency program?
There is no single “best” profile to become a successful teacher in an AUSL school. AUSL seeks individuals from all backgrounds and types of experience who are passionate about changing the lives of children and youth in Chicago's low-income communities. Our school communities and students benefit from having teachers with diverse backgrounds and life experiences.
Process
What is the admissions timeline?
AUSL accepts applications throughout the year and reviews them in four review cycles: October 15, December 15, February 15, and April 1. After you submit your online application and we receive your supplemental documents, AUSL will review your file. Candidates who pass this review are invited to a half-day interview session in Chicago.
After this half-day review and any outstanding test results or transcripts are received and reviewed, AUSL will communicate acceptances to the program. The earlier you complete your application, the earlier you will be reviewed and notified.
I only took one course at a university. Do I still need to submit a transcript from that school?
Yes. AUSL requires an official, sealed transcript from all undergraduate and graduate institutions you have attended, regardless of how many credits were earned.
How is the application process different if it is difficult for me to come to Chicago?
If it is difficult for you to come to Chicago, you may request that your Selection Day session (if invited) be held on the day before your basic skills and/or content area test date so you will only need to travel to Chicago once. After you submit your online application and register for tests, contact AUSL Admissions at admissions@ausl-chicago.org so we can schedule accordingly.
If I am not accepted to the program, may I apply again?
You may apply once for each program year. (If you apply for the June 2012 program start and are rejected, you must wait until fall 2012 to re-apply to start the program in June 2013.)
If you have applied to AUSL for previous program years, you must submit an entirely new online application. If you previously sent us supplemental documents, call our office at 773-534-0129 and we will see if we can complete your file with documents from our files. We encourage you to e-mail admissions@ausl-chicago.org to request feedback so you can understand how you might strengthen your application (for example, complete course work deficiencies, obtain work or volunteer experience with urban children, etc.).
Certified Candidates
Can I apply to AUSL if I am already a certified teacher?
Yes, our program is appropriate if you have two or fewer years of full-time teaching experience as a certified teacher. AUSL's program will also allow you to earn a Master's degree in one year and you will receive a year of full-time, paid, and highly individualized mentoring and guided practice in the classroom.
I am (or will be) certified to teach in another state, not Illinois. Can I apply to the AUSL program?
Yes! You will, however, need to contact the Illinois State Board of Education to request a transfer of your certificate to Illinois. Depending on the state you are coming from, this process may require you to pass one or more tests and you may also need additional course work to meet Illinois requirements for your grade level/content area. Please call AUSL Admissions at 773-534-0129 soon after you submit your online application to discuss whether you need to do anything further to meet Illinois certification requirements.
Non-Certified Candidates
I have experience teaching in environments where certification is not needed. May I still apply?
Yes! Your prior experience working with children or young people will increase the attractiveness of your candidacy for our program.
What grade levels or content areas am I eligible to teach?
Residents must have completed college-level course work in the content area(s) they wish to teach, in accordance with the Illinois State Board of Education standards for certification. These state standards differ for elementary, middle, and secondary content areas. Analyze your transcript(s) using our transcript analysis forms to determine the content areas in which you are qualified to teach.
It is okay to apply even if you identify any shortages (or deficiencies) in the credit hours you have, especially if they amount to 6 or fewer semester hours. After you pass AUSL's initial screening, AUSL staff will contact you to discuss options for addressing your deficiencies.
I filled out the transcript analysis form and I am missing some required course work. Can I still be admitted?
If you are missing 6 or fewer semester hours of college-level course work, National Louis can make arrangements with you for you to earn those few credits during your Master's degree program year. To earn your Master's degree and certification, however, all "deficiencies" must be made up before you complete the AUSL program year.
If you have more than 6 semester hours of coursework deficiencies, you will need to close the gap by earning the needed college-level course credits before the program begins in mid-June. Call AUSL Admissions at 773-534-0129 to address your specific situation.
If you are still in college, identify courses that will address deficiencies and take them during your final semester or quarter of college.
If you are applying to train to teach middle or secondary Math, and if you have already completed your bachelor's degree, financial support for pre-admissions coursework may be available. >> Learn more
Which tests do I take?
All non-certified residents must pass two tests before the start of the program: the Illinois Basic Skills test (or the Test of Academic Proficiency) and the content area test applicable for the grade levels/content area(s) you are qualified to teach (based on the transcript analysis form).
Be sure to take the test for the content area that your transcript analysis qualifies you for (for example, if your major was Chemistry, you need to take the Chemistry test and not any other science test). Applicants with mismatched content area tests and transcripts may need to take and pass a different test to correct the error, or may not be admitted to the program.
Please choose and register for your tests as early as possible, because fees increase sharply close to the test date. Applicants who take tests in February 2012 (or earlier) have a real advantage, because they may re-test in April 2012 (if necessary) to complete testing requirements in time to join the program in June 2012.
Is the Basic Skills test being replaced by the Test of Academic Proficiency?
ICTS is in the process of phasing out the Basic Skills test and replacing it with the Test of Academic Proficiency 400 (TAP), which will go into effect in Spring 2012. Passing either test, not both, is required for admission. As of now, the computer-based testing for the ICTS Basic Skills test (300) is no longer available. Until registration of the Test of Academic Proficiency 400 (TAP) becomes available, AUSL candidates may register for the paper version of ICTS Basic Skills test.
What happens if I don't pass part or all of the Basic Skills test (or the Test of Academic Proficiency) or my content area test on the first attempt?
You may re-take your content area test and you may also re-take subtests of the Basic Skills test (or the Test of Academic Proficiency) that you don't pass the first time. Re-register promptly, and study up in advance of the test! The absolute latest testing date for testing for enrollment in June 2012 is April 14, 2011. The best strategy, especially for the Basic Skills test (or the Test of Academic Proficiency), is to invest some time to brush up on the required knowledge before you take the test so you will pass everything on the first attempt.
I took and passed my Basic Skills and/or Content Area tests a few years ago. Do I need to re-take them?
ITCS Basic Skills (or the Test of Academic Proficiency) and Content Area test scores are valid for ten years. Since you will complete our program and apply for your certificate in June 2013, only passing scores dated after June 2003 will be eligible for your application for June 2012 enrollment in our program. Both versions of the Basic Skills test (the old 096 version and the new 300 version) are acceptable. If your test results are older than June 2003, you will need to re-take the test(s).
May I submit an application before I register for or receive my test scores for the Basic Skills (or the Test of Academic Proficiency) and/or Content Area tests?
Yes! Please submit your online application and forward e-mail registration confirmations for the appropriate tests to admissions@ausl-chicago.org. We will review your application before you take your tests, but cannot give you a final confirmation of your acceptance to our program until we receive your passing test scores.
Why are uncertified Secondary Social Science candidates required to take the Praxis 2 Content Area test?
The school accreditation body (NCATE) has added this Secondary Social Science requirement for our university partner. Thus, this test is now a requirement for admission to the NLU Master's of Arts in Teaching graduate program. Register for the Praxis II Social Studies Content Knowledge examination test 0081, which is currently only available in paper form.
Residency Year
When does the 2012-13 residency program year start and end?
The program will start on June 11, 2012 and end on the last day of school for the CPS 2012-13 school year (on or about June 14, 2013).
Which Master's degree will residents earn during the residency year?
After successfully completing the residency year, residents without prior teaching certification will earn a Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) from National Louis University. Previously certified residents will earn a Master's of Education in Urban Education (M.Ed.) from National Louis University. (Note: This M.Ed. does not fulfill requirements for the Illinois Type 75 Administrative certificate.)
What is the salary during the AUSL residency program?
Residents are employed full time by AUSL during the training year, and earn a training salary of $30,000 paid biweekly over 53 weeks beginning when the program starts in mid-June 2012. (Middle and secondary math residents receive $40,000 instead of $30,000 over the training year.) All residents who complete the program also earn a $5,500 AmeriCorps Education Award, a voucher that can be used to pay or repay educational expenses or student loans.
What is the tuition cost for the National Louis Master's degree program?
AUSL residents benefit from discounted tuition from National Louis. Rates for 2012-13 will be announced after February 1, 2012. National Louis's financial aid representatives will assist residents to apply for loans and grants.
Does AUSL provide health insurance or other employee benefits to residents?
No, the AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency program does not include health insurance benefits and National Louis University does not offer health insurance to AUSL program students. Residents under age 26 may have access to coverage under their parents' plans. AUSL will connect interested residents with an independent insurance broker who can describe available individual and family insurance products for residents to purchase on their own.
Can I choose which school I will train at during my residency year?
Residents do not choose their training site. Each site has a different mix of mentor teachers available for various grade levels and content areas. The AUSL program team will choose your mentor teacher, matching each resident with the most appropriate mentor. You will learn your school and mentor assignment a few weeks after the start of the program, sometime in July 2012.
What will my schedule look like during the program year?
Summer 2012: Full-time university course work, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. Monday – Friday at National Louis University (downtown campus). Half of the graduate course work for the Master's degree is delivered during the summer; it is an intense academic experience and a full-time commitment (or more). Classes are held from mid-June to early August.
School year 2012-13: Residents work in classrooms with their mentor teacher Monday – Thursday, whenever school is in session. Fridays are dedicated to university classes at National Louis. Some elementary residents will be assigned to schools that begin in early August; other elementary residents and all high school residents will begin working at schools a week before Labor Day. Residents who do not have time off in August will have time off during the longer school breaks throughout the year.
Summer 2013: In mid-July, residents who will be teaching at new turnaround schools attend 3 – 5 weeks of professional development to prepare for the opening of school.
Residents have paid time off on days when their assigned school site is not in session for teachers (for example, holidays, winter and spring break periods). Residents are also entitled to up to 6 additional days off for illness/personal time.
After Graduation
What salary will I earn after the residency year as a first-year CPS Masters degree teacher?
Most graduating residents will be employed as CPS Master's degree teachers beginning in fall 2013. In 2010-11, the starting salary for a CPS Masters degree teacher was $50,542 annually plus pension and other benefits, for a 38.6 week school year. This is about $3,000 higher than the starting salary for a CPS teacher without a Master's degree.
What is my commitment to AUSL following graduation from the program?
The AUSL residency program is designed to create a pipeline of talented, specially-trained teachers to fill positions in AUSL-managed Chicago Public Schools turnaround schools. When you join our program, and in exchange for AUSL's investment in your salary, stipend, and other expenses of your training, you will sign a contract committing to teach in an AUSL school for a minimum of four years after graduation. If you do not fulfill that commitment, you will be obliged to repay all or a portion of the stipend paid to you during your training year. Cohorts of new graduates of the residency program join talented school leaders and other like-minded experienced teachers to undertake a whole-school transformation of a failing school to get it on the path to becoming a high-performing school.
Am I guaranteed to have a teaching job in an AUSL school after graduating from this program?
Placing AUSL Chicago Teacher Residency graduates in AUSL-managed turnaround schools is AUSL's mission. AUSL seeks to support every graduate to find a great teaching position, ideally in an AUSL school. Each spring, AUSL principals observe residents in the classroom and select new teachers for their schools.
However, AUSL does not force any principal to hire a teacher, so placement is not absolutely guaranteed. For the small number of AUSL graduates who are not placed in AUSL schools, AUSL provides assistance to find other positions in schools in high-needs Chicago neighborhoods. Historically, over 95 percent of our graduates are teaching somewhere in Chicago during the school year immediately following graduation.
What happens if for some unforeseeable reason I am not able to fulfill my commitment to teach for four years in an AUSL school following graduation?
If you are unable to meet your commitment, you will be required to repay the stipend you received during your training year ($12,000 for most residents, $22,000 for Math). If you fulfill part of your commitment and teach part of the four years, these amounts will be reduced. If a resident is not placed in an AUSL school upon graduation, becomes disabled, or if there are other special circumstances, AUSL will be flexible about repayment expectations on a case-by-case basis. (Moving out of Chicago is not considered a special circumstance.)
