Teacher Education Program

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The Education Department Programs

Mission of the Teacher Education Program

The Mission of the Teacher Education Program is to provide the educational community and society at large with competent, caring, and ethical educators who are life-long learners, reflective practitioners, and effective communicators. The Teacher Education program provides opportunities for students to grow academically and professionally. The program promotes an appreciation for diversity, as well as a regard for research-based and innovative practices. The ethic of service and dedication are expected of Teacher Education candidates to meet the diverse needs of all students within the learning community.

The Teacher Education Program (TEP) information in this 2019-20 Undergraduate Bulletin addresses the following certification programs as mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) that will be followed by all students starting in Fall 2010 or after. The programs are:

Pre-kindergarten through fourth grade (PK-4) certification has replaced the Kindergarten through sixth grade (K-6) certification.
Middle Level certification in grades four through eight (4-8) with five areas of concentration: Mathematics, Science, English, Language Arts and Reading, Social Studies, and Mathematics/Science.
Secondary Education grades 7-12, with teacher certification in Biology, Chemistry, English, Earth & Space Science (with a major in Earth and Environmental Sciences), Physics, Spanish, and Social Studies (with a major in History or Political Science).
Special Education dual certifications - PK-12 grade band.
Special Education is now a stand alone major (PK-12)
Students are expected to review and comply with all policies of the Wilkes University Education Teacher Education Program and of the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). Each semester, students should consult with their academic advisor for any changes or considerations. The Education Department maintains specific advising checklists and policy documents to guide students in their respective programs. NOTE: Policies may change or be revised according to new or updated Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) regulations.

Teacher Education Program Admission Requirements:

PDE requires that students preparing for teacher certification must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program at Wilkes University. Admission criteria for formal admission to the Teacher Education Program include:

complete 48 semester hour credits, including six credits of Mathematics and six credits of English,
submit the following current, valid clearances:

Act 34 State Police Criminal Record Check [must report ‘NO CRIMINAL RECORD IN PA’];
ACT 151 Child Abuse History Clearance [must report ‘NO RECORD EXIST IN PA DEPARTMENT OF HUMAN SERVICES DATABASE’],
Act 114 FBI Fingerprint Check, [must report ‘SEARCH OF FINGERPRINTS HAS REVEALED NO PRIOR ARREST’] and a
completed Act 24 Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form.
Act 31 - Completed online mandated reporter training (https://www.reportabusepa.pitt.edu/webapps/portal/execute/tabs/tabAction?tab_tab_group_id=_91_1)

NOTE: If there is a criminal infraction on any of these clearances, a field experience placement in a school is unlikely. Therefore, this will result in the student not being able to take the class(es.) Decisions about permitting students to observe or student teach in a school are made by the school district. The University cannot guarantee that persons with entries in their criminal record will be permitted to be assigned to field placements. While State law bars certain offenders from schools, districts often impose more extreme requirements. The Coordinator of Field Experience Placements, the Coordinator of the Teacher Education Program, and the Education Department Chairperson will consult with the student who has entries on any clearances to determine whether a placement in a school district might be likely or not.

complete and submit formal the Teacher Education Program Application, personal Philosophy of Education, Disposition Assessment, signed Code of Professionalism and Academic Honesty, and a signed Student Acknowledgement of Grade Point Average (GPA) and Test of Basic Skills (form shown below). This process is completed during ED 190 or upon transfer from another institution. Here is the information from the Pennsylvania Department of Education indicating required scores for all tests of basic skills: https://www.education.pa.gov/Educators/Certification/CertTestingRequirements/Pages/default.aspx

Student Acknowledgement of Grade Point Average (GPA) and Test of Basic Skills (TBS) Policy of the Wilkes University Education Department

Teacher Education Program Requirements for Student Teaching for All Majors and Minors:

Successful completion of the requirements for TEP Admission and Retention.
Achievement of the major and minor GPA requirements.
Attendance at the Student Teaching Placement Meeting in the semester prior to student teaching.
Completion of all required paperwork obtained at the Student Teaching Placement Meeting in the semester prior to student teaching.
Submission of all clearances with no offenses.
Completion of all required course work and fieldwork, with the exception of ED 390: Student Teaching and EDSP 388: Inclusionary Practice.
Registration form with advisor’s signature for PK-4 and Middle Level Education majors; or
For Secondary Education majors or minors, approval of student teaching eligibility by the major content area academic department chair and advisor, the Education Department, and the Teacher Education Committee.

NOTE: Student teaching placement is contingent upon availability of supervisors and decisions of school administrators. Students may not student teach in a school from which they have graduated. Students are expected to reside within driving distance from Wilkes University when completing the student teaching semester. Students should not plan to work while student teaching.

Teacher Education Program Requirements for Graduation and Certification

Meet the major and minor GPA requirements.
Complete all Wilkes University and TEP requirements.
Successfully complete Student Teaching, including satisfactory scores on each category of the Pennsylvania Statewide Evaluation Form for Student Professional Knowledge and Practice (PDE 430);
Provide evidence of passing scores on all relevant PRAXIS II tests or PECT (PA Educator Certification Tests) for the appropriate area or subjects. NOTE: A student may graduate without passing all PRAXIS II tests or PECT but cannot obtain PDE certification.
Complete the Wilkes University application for graduation, which is provided by the University Registrar.
Review and complete the graduation audit with academic advisor and submit documentation to Student Services;
Submit PDE Application online via TIMS (Teacher Information Management System).

NOTE: Program Requirements may change at the discretion of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Students pursuing teacher certification at Wilkes University must comply with the following:

1. Prior to Enrolling in:

ED 190 - Effective Teaching with Field Experience Credits: 3
ED 191 - Integrating Technology into The Classroom Credits: 3
earn a final course grade of 2.50 in ED-180: Educational Psychology and
achieve an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.50

1. By the End of the Fall or Spring Semester Break

Students in ED 190 must complete the online practice Praxis Core for all or any required sections of the test. The practice modules of the Reading, Mathematics, and Writing tests are available at https://www.longsdalepub.com/courses/praxis/start/index.html School number: 84332 School Key: praxis core.

2. By the Last Week of the Semester, Students Must Take an Authentic Test of Basic Skills: PAPA or Praxis Core.

To receive course credit, students must submit a copy of the registration form to the ED 190 professor. These forms will be submitted to the Teacher Education Program Coordinator. Students must take the necessary modules of the PAPA test: Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Registration information is available at http://www.pa.nesinc.com [Fee waivers are available; students need to apply at the beginning of the semester to receive waivers, if eligible, in a timely way.]
OR
complete necessary tests of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE): Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Registration information is available at www.ets.org/praxis/pa [Fee waivers may be available; students need to apply by the ETS deadlines to receive waivers in a timely way.]*

3. Prior to Enrolling in:

ED 220 - Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners Credits: 3
EDSP 210 - Teaching Students with Special Needs Credits: 3
EDSP 263 - Infants, Toddlers, and Young Children with Special Needs Credits: 3 (formerly ED 263) (15 hours of field experience)
ED 264 - Child Development and Cognition – Classroom Application Credits: 3 (30 hours of field experience)-
EDSP 225 - Teaching Students with High Incidence Disabilities with Field Experience Credits: 3 (Cross List with EDSP 501)
Students must earn a final course grade of 2.5 in ED-180, ED-190 and ED-191, and earn an overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 2.85

1. Prior to Enrolling in Special Education Dual Certification Designated Courses,

EDSP 226 - Teaching Students with Low Incidence Disabilities with Field Experience Credits: 3
EDSP 227 - Behavior Intervention and Support with Field Experience Credits: 3
Students must meet all of the requirements for ED 220 , EDSP 263 , ED 264 , EDSP 210 , and EDSP 225 , and Havepassing scores in the required modules of a test of basic skills [SAT/ACT or Praxis Core or PAPA].-

1. Prior to Admission to the Teacher Education Program and to Enrolling for any 300-Level Education Course and/or Content Methods Course, Students Must:

Pass all modules of any test of basic skills in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics; students may ‘mix and match’ qualifying scores from the SAT/ACT and the PAPA and the Praxis Core. (See more info below)
Earn a 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA)
Submit a completed Teacher Education Program Application.

1. To Maintain Enrollment in the Teacher Education Program

Students must earn at least a 2.5 in all 200-level and 300-levelEducation courses; if they do not, they must repeat the course.

NOTE:

Transfer students who already have completed ED 190 must comply with #2 and #3 in their first semester at Wilkes.

Information on the Pennsylvania Department of Education Basic Skills Assessment

Basic Skills Assessments - Composite Score Option

Students may combine reading, writing and mathematics module scores from different test providers to meet the basic skills requirements.
Students may use the composite score method to meet the requirement when they do well in one or two areas to compensate for a lower score in the other area.
The composite score is the sum of the passing scores. Use the Composite Score Calculator when mixing tests. Note When using the composite score, each test must meet or exceed the minimum score listed.

IMPORTANT: Detailed information about the Basic Skills Assessments, minimum composite score requirements, SAT/ACT, PAPA and Praxis I scores is available here.