UTSA College of Education Human Development Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program.

UTSA College of Education Human Development

Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program

Agenda• Overview of Texas Standards

• Fitness to Teach

• Program Admission Requirements

• Field Experiences

• Restricted courses

• TExES Exams

• Student Teaching

• Contact Information

Overview of Texas Standards

• State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) sets the standards for beginning teachers

• Standards can be found at: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us

• SBEC requires all teacher candidates to pass the TExES pedagogy and content area exams

• Study guides for the exam can be found at: http://www.texes.ets.org/prepMaterials/

Overview contd.• Degree vs. Certification:

– Requirements for each are different– Degrees are awarded by UTSA– Certificates are issued by the State of Texas upon

recommendation of UTSA– All students will receive degree advising from

COLFA or COS (PE and Health are the exception)– COEHD Advising Center assists students with

meeting certification requirements

Fitness to Teach• Must be read prior to applying to the Teacher Certification

Program

• Fitness to Teach Policy addresses:

– Academic Requirements

– Personal and Professional Requirements

– Cultural and Social Attitudes and Behavior

– Physical Skills

– Emotional and Mental Abilities

• Policy can be found athttp://coehd.utsa.edu/FTT/FTT.htm

Admission Requirements• Cumulative GPA must

be 2.5 or better• Earn a CC or better in

WRC 1013 AND WRC 1023.

• Junior Standing with at least 9 hours completed at UTSA

• Core Complete

Admission Requirements

• Passing scores on THEA, ASSET, COMPASS, ACCUPLACER or other exemptions.

ASSET COMPASS ACCUPLACER THEA

Reading 41 81 78 230

Math 38 39 63 230

Writing 40 59 85 220

Essay 6 6 6

Admission Requirements• Complete a Teacher

Certification Program Application in ASAP

• Submit authorization for a Texas Dept. of Public Safety Criminal Background Report

Field Experience• Field Experience (field work) is time spent in

an educational setting, usually a public school, in addition to regular class hours.

• Field Experiences allow students to:– Develop teaching skills in the context of a school

setting– Develop an understanding of the needs of diverse

learners

Field Experience:What does it require?

• Each student is required to complete a minimum number of hours of observation or participation per class, per semester

• For example:– Reading courses: 20 hours

– Curriculum and Instruction courses: 25-30

– Other courses: refer to the course description for details

• Criminal background checks required

Restricted Courses • Must have all prerequisites completed AND be

admitted to the teacher certification program

• Restricted courses require advisor clearance and be obtained online by following the instructions found at http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/Advising/documents/OnlineInstructionstoRestrictedCourses.pdf

Advising Tips: Field Experiences and Restricted

Courses• Plan carefully to make sure all prerequisites

are met

• Check course descriptions in the current catalog to determine course prerequisites

• Build in travel time before and after field-based courses

Criminal History Background process

• Every student is required to fill out a criminal background check at the time of course registration. Please visit http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/FESP/BG_Checks/BG_Intro.htm to get the form and for more information about criminal background checks.

• If you have ever been arrested, it is very likely that the arrest(s) will appear when your background check is run. To learn more about how arrest(s) on your record can impact your ability to become a certified teacher, please visit http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/FESP/BG_Checks/Impact.htm

COEHD courses that involve field experience require that a criminal history check be conducted before students are allowed to participate in or obtain class credit for field-based assignments.

TExES Certification Exams• Students are encouraged to complete all practice tests,

reviews, and TExES exams the semester before student teaching

• Information for practice exams, review sessions and state exam registration procedures can be found at http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/TExAS/Home_TExES.htm

• For more information please contact the TExES Testing Office at 210-458-5849.

Student Teaching• A placement for student teaching requires attendance

at a mandatory meeting ONE long semester in advance

• Requirements and guidelines for student teaching and application information will be discussed and disseminated at meeting

• Deadlines:• Spring Semester – October 1• Fall Semester – February 15

• All coursework should be completed before student teaching

Student Teaching contd.

• Student teaching is a full-time commitment and working while student teaching is highly discouraged

• Student will be assigned to a school and cooperating teacher Monday-Friday for the entire semester

• If you anticipate the need for financial aid assistance, contact COEHD Student Services at least 2 semesters before you student teach

COEHD Scholarships and Services

• Visit COEHD Scholarship webpage and for assistance

• http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/scholarships/home_scholarships.htm

• Services offered:– Guidance in finding and applying for scholarships– A “Scholarship Alert” e-mail– Essay writing assistance

• Be aware of application deadlines

Contact Information• College of Education

http://coehd.utsa.edu

• College of Sciencehttp://www.utsa.edu/cosuac/

• College of Liberal and Fine Artshttp://colfa.utsa.edu/advising/

• Certification Questions:458-6287 (1604) or 458-2550 (DT)http://coehd.utsa.edu

• KIN Degree Advising458-4424 (1604) or 458-2550 (DT)

• Student Services/ScholarshipsFrancesca [email protected]

• Field Placement QuestionsRon [email protected]

• Student Teaching QuestionsJanet Scott [email protected]

• TExES Exam Questions Cherie Weiss [email protected]

Congratulations!!

• If you would like a printout of this tutorial, please visit:http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/advising/admin_U_T_C.htm

• Close this window and return to ASAP

• Take the brief quiz

• Apply to the Teacher Certification program