Teacher Education Program Regulations

Admission to Teacher Education Program

(Effective Fall 1997)

General Admission Regulations

1. All students seeking admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP) must file an application with the Council for Professional Education (C.P.E.). Application forms and other related information are available in the Education Department, located in the Education and Humanities Building. (The Teacher Education applicant must be recommended by a faculty member, academic advisor, and respective departmental chair on the application form.)

2. During the sophomore year, students must file an application by October 1st or March 1st. All applicants must have a cumulative grade point average of 2.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

3. Students are expected to take the PRAXIS I by the end of their freshman year and pass the PRAXIS I by the end of their sophomore year. Satisfactory performance on the PRAXIS is a prerequisite for admission to the Teacher Education Program.

4. The chair of the Education Department with a designated committee will review each application for admission and submit a list of students for final approval to the Council for Professional Education. Each applicant will be informed in writing of the action taken by the Council.

5. Students admitted to the Teacher Education Program shall receive an identification card, which must be presented to the instructor for each 300-400 level methods course.

6. All declared education majors will have an assigned advisor in their respective departments.

7. Students who do not meet the admission requirements (1-6) must:

a. Meet with his/her advisor to develop a TEP Success Plan.
b. Sign a contract that specifies the plan. Both the advisor and department chair must also sign.
c. File the Plan with the Education Department.
d. Adhere to the requirements as specified in the TEP Success Plan.

8. The Council for Professional Education may withdraw a student from the Teacher Education Program at any time based upon one or more of the following reasons:

a. Unsatisfactory academic progress.
b. Disciplinary action by the institution against the applicant because of conduct.
c. Failure to remove deficiencies or to maintain standards of the Teacher Education Program.

9. Readmission to Teacher Education Program encompasses the following:

a. File a formal application for readmission to the program.
b. Document successful completion of the TEP success plan.
c. Submit a written request as to why he/she should be readmitted.

10. Applicants meeting the Specific Admissions Criteria below will be approved for admission to the Teacher Education Program.

Specific Admission Criteria

Criteria 1: General Education Prerequisites

The applicant must have earned a grade of "C" or better in the following courses: English 101, 102, 200, 201 and 202 or 205 and 206; and Mathematics 105 and 106 or the appropriate mathematics in the content area. The applicant must have completed or be completing 60 semester hours of college credit at the time of application.

Criteria 2: PRAXIS Requirement

All students (including transfer and certification students) are required to take the PRAXIS I (PPST) Skills Test by the end of the freshman year (30-36 credit hours) and to pass the PRAXIS I by the end of the sophomore year as a prerequisite for admission to the Teacher Education Program. If unsuccessful in taking the PRAXIS I Skills Test, students must meet with their academic advisor to enroll in the TEP Success Plan. Official test scores must be submitted to the Education Department's Director of Student Services and the Office of Testing. Content teacher education majors must submit copy of scores to the respective department chairs. Scores obtained on the PRAXIS I Skills Test shall become a part of the student records and used for data analysis. The PRAXIS I Skills Test is administered at Delaware State University for students several times each year.

Criteria 3: GPA Requirements

Teacher Education majors are required to maintain a GPA of 2.5 or better in order to be admitted into the Teacher Education Program. The required GPA must be maintained in order to apply for the student teaching capstone. After admission to the Teacher Education Program, students must maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher in all method courses in the education department. Students in content areas must maintain a 2.5 GPA in method courses in their respective department.

Criteria 4: Transfer Students

Transfer students must follow the procedures outlined in here. Transfer students must meet with the appropriate chair and submit an evaluation of transfer credits from the Records Office. The appropriate chair will review acceptable credits for the selected program. Students transferring with sixty or more semester hours from another college must apply for admission to teacher education at the time that they are admitted to the university.

Beginning Fall 1997, entering transfer students who meet all course requirements for admission minus the PRAXIS scores may be admitted provisionally to the program for one semester. Passage of the PRAXIS Skills Test must be achieved by the end of the first semester.

Criteria 5: "Certificate Only" Students

"Certificate Only" students must be admitted formally to Delaware State University. Certification students may be required to complete course work as prescribed by the respective academic department in which they are seeking certification. Certification students will be assigned an advisor by the department in their area of certification. Beginning Fall 1997, certification only students may be provisionally accepted to TEP for one semester in order to take and pass PRAXIS.

Certification students are responsible for getting a transcript analysis (course count/evaluation) from the State Department of Education prior to seeking admission to the Teacher Education Program.

All "certification only" students must meet with the Delaware State University Education Department chair and submit:

1. A copy of the State Department of Education letter specifying required courses for certification; and
2. A copy of the content area curriculum sheet specifying additional courses from respective area chairs

Students must also take 15 credit hours minimum of professional and pedagogical courses in addition to Student Teaching (12-400) as specified by the University's Education Department.

Criteria 6: Returning Students

Returning students with five or more years of absence must retake method courses. In addition, the returning student's transcript will be evaluated and the student may be required to take or retake additional courses.

Criteria 7: Interview Process

All students who wish to enter the Teacher Education Program must be interviewed prior to admission by a panel of faculty members from the Professional Education Unit. The panel shall include at least one member from the student's major area of certification. Students may apply for admission to the Teacher Education Program only twice. Students who are denied admission to the Teacher Education Program on the first try, may apply the following semester if all requirements have been met.

Policies and Procedures: Admission to Student Teaching

General Admission Criteria

1. 1. Student teaching occurs during the last full semester of enrollment prior to graduation and is considered the culminating experience for students in Teacher Education.
   
   Student teaching consists of one semester of an assigned, on-site practice with a minimum of 65 days and 200 clock hours. Students are not permitted to register for additional courses without approval from the Council for Professional Education (CPE).
    
2. Completed applications for student teaching must be submitted to the Office of Clinical & Field Experiences prior to March 1 for the fall semester and October 1 for the spring semester. Application forms for student teaching are available in the Office of the Office of Clinical & Field Experiences in the Education and Humanities Building.
   
   Complete admission to the Teacher Education Program is a prerequisite for student teaching.
   
    
3. After review, the Director of Clinical & Field Experiences, upon the approval of the Council for Professional Education, will notify the applicant by letter that the application for admission to student teaching has:
   
   a. been approved; or
   b. been disapproved with a statement of the reason(s) for disapproval.
   
    
4. Applicants who meet the Specific Criteria below will be approved for admission to student teaching.
   
   Specific Admission Criteria for Student Teaching

Criteria 1 Senior Status — Students who have senior status or above

Criteria 2 Grade Point Average
Students must have a cumulative minimum grade point average of 2.5 and a "C" or better in the teaching area and in all courses taught by the Education Department. Students must also have a "C" or better in methods courses in the respective content area.

Criteria 3 Curriculum Audit
Students must submit a senior status curriculum audit to the Records Office. This audit should be conducted and signed by the major advisor and department chair before September 15 (for spring semester) and February 15 (for fall semester). All courses listed on the curriculum sheet must be completed prior to student teaching.

Criteria 4 Prerequisites
No applicant will be permitted to student teach while on academic probation.

All applicants must have completed the following courses with a grade of "C" or better: courses in the academics disciplines, 300 level; psychology courses; and, all courses in the Education Department.

Criteria 5
Students who are successfully completing student teaching should apply for an Institutional Recommendation for Certification through the Office of Clinical Experiences.

Waiver of Student Teaching

A waiver of Student Teaching may be requested by students prior to their senior year if the following requirements are met:

1. The teaching experience should have occurred within the last six (6) years.
2. The teaching experience must have been in a public, approved private, or parochial school.
3. Documentation must be submitted for at least three (3) years of successful teaching experience in the area of specialization in which certification is requested. documentation should be organized and neatly bound.
4. All teaching experience to be considered must be documented by former principals and/or supervisors acquainted with the quality of teaching done by the student. Forms will be supplied for this purpose. These forms, along with supporting letters received from the school personnel involved, will become a part of the student's file. All documentation will be evaluated by the respective department, Education Department, and the Council for Professional Education. The documentation must meet the requirements for all student teachers at Delaware State University.
5. Each person requesting a waiver of student teaching must successfully complete six (6) additional semester hours of 300-400 level education courses. These six hours are in addition to regular course requirements.
6. Evidence of passing scores on the PRAXIS I Skills Test must be included in the documentation.
7. Upon recommendation of the Council for Professional Education, an on-site school visit will be made by three members of The Council for Professional Education of Delaware State University to evaluate the student's performance in an actual classroom situation.

Other Requirements for Teacher Education Majors

Health and Background Checks

1. All students must have a T.B. test before fall of each year of field experience. Documentation should be submitted to the Coordinator of Field Experiences and the Director of Student Teaching respectively.
2. Delaware State law requires that individuals who are to student teach must have a certificate from a physician stating that they are free of any disease that would compromise or jeopardize others.

Insurance

1. Students should show evidence of health insurance coverage.
2. Students are responsible for liability insurance.

Placement

1. Students' preferences are taken into consideration in making student teaching assignments; however, final determination of placements are at the discretion of the Director of Student Teaching and/or Chair of the Education Department.
2. Students are not to make their own preparations for placement for student teaching or other field experiences.
3. Each academic program will provide supervision for its student teachers. Students seeking certification, not involving a degree, must have approval from the chairperson of the appropriate department and must have an assigned college supervisor for the student teaching experience.

Transportation

1. Students may reside on campus or at home during their student teaching period. However, in some instances, it may be necessary for the student to arrange living quarters in the community in which they are assigned to student teach.
2. Students are required to provide their own transportation or to make arrangements for transportation during student teaching and early field experiences.

Early Field Experiences (Clinical Experiences)

1. All education majors must participate in field experiences. Field experiences are required for content method classes and courses within the Education Department.
2. Students are expected to be professional: dress appropriately, be on time, maintain appointments, and meet expectations of the course given by the instructor. Students may be withdrawn from placements due to lack of professionalism.
3. Early field experience students must file an application for field experience for courses with the coordinator by September 15 for the fall semester and February 15 for the spring semester.
4. Students must have a T.B. test before the fall of each year that placements will be made. The field experience begins with 12-204, Philosophical Foundations of Education. Placements will not be made without a current T.B. test.
5. Students are expected to obtain between 60-100 clock hours of field experiences depending on the program and academic department. These hours are in addition to student teaching. Students must keep a log of their hours and submit copies to both the Early Field Experience coordinator and to the faculty teaching the EFE course.
6. There are four phases to field experience at Delaware State University: Phase 1 - observation, Phase 2 - observation with minimal participation, Phase 3 - practica, and Phase 4 - student teaching. Students will participate in each phase and have a variety of experiences at different age levels within diverse populations of students. Delaware State Catalog and course syllabi identify the required number of hours for field experiences.

Council for Professional Education (CPE)

The Council for Professional Education is an advisory body to all Teacher Education Programs (TEP). The Council is composed of representatives from each department at the University with a teacher education curriculum, the Education Department Chairperson, the Director of Student Teaching, the Coordinator of Field Experiences, Primary Program Coordinator, Early Care and Education Coordinator, Special Education Program Coordinator, Secondary Education Program Coordinator, Content Area Program Coordinator, students and other appointed University representatives. The Education Department is the administrative body for the Professional Education Unit and the Council for Professional Education.

Students may appeal any decision made by the Council for Professional Education in the following sequence:

1. Chairperson of the Education Department
2. Council for Professional Education
3. Appeal to appropriate Academic Dean