Application and Acceptance to the Teacher Education Program

Acceptance to the Teacher Education Program is by application and is subject to the requirements specified in the Teacher Education Handbook. Specific requirements include

• successful completion of minimum credit hours as determined by the major,
• attainment of a minimum overall accumulative grade point average of 2.50,
• completion of all prerequisite courses with a "C" grade or better,
• submission of appropriate and favorable recommendations,
• successful completion of all required assessment tests,
• successful remediation of any dispositional concerns or the implementation of a plan for remediation, and
• meeting with the assigned advisor to review the Teacher Education Program requirements and to sign and date the Memorandum of Understanding and the Statement of Assurance of Good Moral Character form.

The candidates typically initiates the application process during the fall semester of the sophomore year or during the semester before he/she intends to be admitted. He/she follows the procedure outlined in the Application for Admission - Teacher Education Program, which can be picked up from the Center for Teacher Education office.

Candidates may not enroll in advanced education courses without being first admitted to the Teacher Education Program. However, candidates are permitted to pre-register for these courses in anticipation of admittance. If admission is denied by the CTE, upper-level courses must be dropped during the first week of the semester.

ENTRY TO SOPHOMORE LEVEL COURSES

Teacher candidates are required to meet two requirements prior to entering designated sophomore-level courses.

The two requirements are

1. passage of all parts of the Praxis I test (see below), and
2. attainment of a 2.50 GPA.

Meeting both of these requirements is crucial to staying on track in the education program, especially for early and middle childhood majors. Both ECED 2401 and MCED 2601 are the first of a series of three courses that meet only once per year. Failure to enter these courses at the appropriate time may cause a delay that would prevent the candidate from graduating in a timely manner.

Praxis I

Praxis I (Pre-Professional Skills Test PPST) is required for admission to ECED 2401, MCED 2601, or EDUC 2681. There are three parts to the PPST - reading, writing, and mathematics. Students need to achieve a passing score of 172 in mathematics and writing and 173 in reading. Candidates who fail to achieve a satisfactory score may receive remediation through various courses and/or support services. Contact your advisor or the CTE office for more information. Praxis I is typically given on campus in November, January, and April. Check the registration bulletin (available in the CTE office) for dates. There is a fee to take the test. The CTE office will help you complete the registration process. The Student Development Center administers the test.

Teacher candidates can be waived from the Praxis I requirement with an ACT composite of 25 or higher.