Selection for the Teaching Profession

The nature and importance of teaching requires that students who seek to enter the profession must possess unimpeachable character, above average academic ability, and dispositions suitable for working with children and young adults. The teacher education faculty perceive their ultimate obligations to be to the students who will be taught by their graduates. Consequently, the student’s admission to teacher candidacy and to student teaching and final institutional recommendations for a teaching certificate are not achieved solely by meeting routine academic requirements. As the student in each of these steps progresses toward final certification, the faculty of the student’s certification area exercise their professional judgment as to each student’s competency for the teaching profession.

Admission into Teacher Education Program

All education majors seeking certification must successfully complete teacher education program admission, monitoring, and exit criteria procedures. Formal admission into the Teacher Education Program generally occurs when candidates earn between 48 and 60 credits. To be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program, candidates must meet the following criteria:

1. Apply for Teacher Education Council (TEC) admission approval;
2. Satisfactorily meet the reading, writing, and mathematics competencies set by the state;
3. Earn a minimum overall undergraduate QPA as identified by Pennsylvania law (2.8 or as determined by the department; transfer students’ grades are included in averaging the QPA);
4. Complete six credits of mathematics courses and six credits of English (including one composition and one literature) courses (undergraduates only);
5. Complete at least 48 credit hours by the time candidacy admission is decided;
6. Complete Act 34, FBI clearance and ACT 151 child abuse clearance (and other clearances as required by PDE); and
7. Be recommended by departmental faculty and approved by the Teacher Education Council.

Students are then admitted to candidacy in the teacher education program and are permitted to take upper level major courses. A 2.8 - 4.0 QPA is required for Pennsylvania teacher certification.

The student’s progress and mastery of competencies will be monitored while completing requirements in the program. All students are required to maintain a cumulative and major average as specified by Pennsylvania law and the respective departments, to remain in the program and to take teacher education classes. Only qualified teacher education majors are allowed to take upper-level teacher education classes.

Each department will provide each student a copy of its program requirements, course checklist, and expectations. Students must satisfy all program requirements to be recommended for the degree and teacher certification, including a 2.8 - 4.0 QPA. Certification test passing scores are set by the Commonwealth using a sliding scale. As such, the lower a candidate's QPA, the higher they must score to pass. No candidate graduating with a QPA less than 2.8 will be certified in Pennsylvania.  Candidates are responsible to ensure their final, overall QPA qualifies for certification in the Commonwealth before applying for graduation.

All applicants for teacher certification must be endorsed by the faculty adviser, the department, and the dean of the College of Education, who serves as the certifying officer for the university.

Experienced non-degree teachers, graduates of other colleges or universities, or others who need special assignments in student teaching will have their individual alternative programs planned and approved by the appropriate department and by the dean of the College of Education. Transfer students’ transcripts will be individually evaluated by the department chair to determine equivalent courses to be accepted.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education requires that all certification applicants satisfactorily pass the appropriate sections of the ETS Praxis or Pennsylvania Educators Certification Tests. Students must also complete the teacher certification application and respond to immigration, criminal record, child abuse, and health statements.

Pre-Student Teaching Field Experiences

The importance of providing opportunities for education students to observe and work directly with children in schools before student teaching is recognized. To make this possible, the director of the Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships works with departments to secure quality sites for students to engage in field experiences. Field experiences are required in association with most education courses. Prior to being placed in their first field experience, students must submit a negative test for tuberculosis form and clearances for Act 34, FBI and Act 151 (and other clearances as required by PDE and/or each school district).

Requirements for Approval to Student Teach

The Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships coordinates student teaching assignments. Students are required to submit an application to student teach to the Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships the semester prior to student teaching.

The student teaching semester is the capstone experience of the teacher preparation program. During this semester, beginning educators have the opportunity to practice and demonstrate theory in practice, reflective and deliberate decision making, and pedagogical skill as reflected in the Beginning Educator Outcomes as each student teacher forms a unique, professional teacher identity.

In order to ensure that we meet our commitment to our public school partners, as well as maintain our CAEP accreditation, it is essential that all students demonstrate professional dispositions.

All students who wish to apply for a student teaching placement must satisfactorily complete ALL requirements listed below as related to their specific major. Failure to meet these requirements in a timely manner will prohibit student teaching eligibility.

1. Have met all requirements for teacher candidacy admission as required by the major department in education.
2. Possess health, personal characteristics, and professional dispositions considered essential for successful teaching.
3. Must meet specific departmental requirements for credit totals.
4. Have successfully completed prerequisite courses in education and have NO incomplete grades.
5. Must have earned a “C” or better in all major classes (as specified by the department).
6. Have a minimum cumulative quality point average of 2.8.
7. Have the minimum QPA for the major as established by the major department.
8. Provide evidence of a current negative test for tuberculosis (within the last three months prior to the start of student teaching).
9. Have current ACT 34, ACT 151, and Act 114 (FBI) clearances (and other clearances as required by PDE and school districts). Current clearances are needed for the entire semester of student teaching.
10. Must enroll in the department’s required courses for student teaching during the registration period.
11. Must have current Student PSEA Liability Insurance and insurance for any other organization as determined by the major department.

*In order to obtain Pennsylvania certification, candidates must pass the Praxis II or Pearson Specialty Area Tests that are required for the specific area of certification.

Pennsylvania law, Chapter 354 requires a minimum 2.8 cumulative quality point average to be eligible for Pennsylvania certification.

Student Teaching

Student teaching is the culminating experience in a series of planned laboratory and field experiences. Student teachers spend a full semester off campus in a regular classroom under the guidance and direction of a fully certified, master teacher.

The university provides each student with the additional support of a university faculty member with a background in supervision and instruction. Student teaching is planned to provide an opportunity for continued professional growth in the application of theory, methods, and subject content. Students are placed in school districts with which the university has an executed affiliation agreement or articulation contract.

All student teaching arrangements are made through the Office of Field Experiences and Partnerships. It is inappropriate for students to make their own student teaching arrangements.

Student teachers are expected to comply with the following list of requirements:

1. Establishing personal transportation to and from the assigned school district.
2. Adhere to school district policies, procedures, ethics codes, schedules, and dress codes.
3. Purchase Student P.S.E.A. Liability Insurance.
4. Continue to hold current required clearances. An unacceptable clearance will result in the student being removed from student teaching.
5. Make arrangements for housing.

Teacher Education Council

The Teacher Education Council provides the governance of the teacher certification programs. The council administers existing policies related to teacher education, admits students to teacher education programs and hears appeals from students, develops and proposes new policies in teacher education, and reviews certification programs and their modifications as proposed by departments and faculties to insure compliance with the standards of state and national accrediting agencies. These policies are found in the Teacher Education Program Policy Manual and minutes of council meetings.