Criteria for Admission to Teacher Education

Students intending to earn a teaching certificate in conjunction with a degree must complete and submit a formal application to the Teacher Education Program. The student will complete necessary Teacher Education paperwork in EDUC 250. Students who have not been admitted to the program will have limited course offerings at or beyond the 300 level with the exception of those earning a B.A. in Early Childhood or B.A. in Studies in Education.

1. Display satisfactory skills as demonstrated by successful completion of the following courses with these minimum grades:
   
   
   

   ENGL 110	College Composition I	C
   ENGL 120	College Composition II	C
   or ENGL 125	Business and Technical Writing	C
   MATH 103	College Algebra	C
   COMM 110	Fund. of Public Speaking	C
   GEOG 103	Multicultural World, Global Issues	C
   PSYC 111	Introduction to Psychology	C
   PSYC 255	Child and Adolescent Psychology	C
   EDUC 250	Introduction to Education	B
   EDUC 298	Pre-Professional Field Experience	B

2. Successfully complete the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators prior to admission to Teacher Education with scores that meet or exceed the North Dakota state requirements in Reading (156), Math (150), and Writing (160) or secure a composite score of 466 and pass two of three subtests;
3. Attain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75;
4. Admission Interview;
5. Consideration of recommendations from faculty, staff, or other references;
6. Proof of current student liability insurance;
7. Proof of approved background check; and
8. Receive final approval from the Subcommittee of Admission and Retention when all criteria are met.

Certification and licensure requirements for teachers are impacted by changes in rules and regulations at the institutional, state, and federal levels. It is the teacher education candidate’s responsibility to be aware of these changes and their potential effects on employability.

Transfer Students

1. Must be enrolled for one semester prior to full admission;
2. Must meet all requirements as listed in the criteria for admission to Teacher Education; and
3. Transfer students must contact the Division of Education (Education Building 116C) during their first semester to complete required paperwork. 

Degree seeking, non-degree seeking, and students with prior degree(s) will have their files reviewed on an individual basis.

Continuance in Teacher Education

Admission to teacher education does not guarantee that the teacher education candidate will be retained in the program. To continue in the Teacher Education program, the student must:

1. Maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.75;
2. Demonstrate expected dispositions including: Timeliness, attendance, dress and appearance, attitude and composure, initiative, ethics and confidentiality, organization, flexibility, teacher awareness, communication, sensitivity to diversity, assessment, cooperation/collaboration, rapport/communication, self-reflective, responsiveness to feedback, lifelong learner, attitude toward learners, ways to contribute; and
3. Continue to obtain satisfactory recommendations from faculty, staff, and field-experience supervisors. If requirements for continuance are not maintained, the Admission and Retention Committee may recommend suspension from the program.

If any one of the above three criteria are not met, the Chair of the Division of Education and Psychology will review and may appoint a 3-person subcommittee of the Admission and Retention (A & R) Committee to review the student file and relevant materials (InTASC evaluations, Disposition Evaluations , GPA, Coursework, etc.).   A determination of action will be made by the 3-person committee that may include: mentoring, improvement plan, probation or expulsion. A recommendation of expulsion from the program will be moved to the full A&R Committee.

Student Teaching

All students in teacher education will complete at least 10 semester hours (and 5 S.H. if seeking additional credentials) of student teaching.

Admission to student teaching requires:

1. Full admission into the Teacher Education Program;
2. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75;
3. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 in each teaching major and minor or area of specialization;
4. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 in all professional education course work;
5. Completion of three-fourths of the coursework, specifically including courses listed (per major) in the Teacher Education Handbook document “Courses Required Prior to Student Teaching”;
6. Completion of all methods courses and professional education coursework with a grade of “C’ or better, excluding EDUC 250 and EDUC 298 where a “B” is required;
7. Recommendation of the major advisor;
8. Fingerprinting and a background check clearance; and
9. Approval from the Committee for Admission and Retention.

NOTE: A policy statement for students wishing to student teach out of an 80-mile radius is available from the Director of Student Placement in the Division of Education.

Exiting the Teacher Education Program

A favorable recommendation for teacher certification upon completion of the entire teacher education program requires:

1. All teacher education graduates must earn a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in their cumulative, major, minor, and professional education coursework.  A grade of “C” or better is required for all professional and methods education courses, excluding EDUC 250 and EDUC 298 where a “B” is required; and
2. All teacher education graduates are required to take Praxis Subject Assessments and Principles of Learning and Teaching (Early Childhood Education, Elementary or Secondary). As of 5/19/2016 candidates must meet the following minimum scores for licensure.

Early Childhood Education Content Test	Computer Test #	Min. Score
Early Childhood Education	5025	156
Principles of Learning & Teaching: Early Childhood	5621	157
Elementary Education Content Test	Computer Test #	Min. Score
Elementary Education: Curriciulum, Instruction & Assessment	5017	153
Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades K-6	5622	160
Secondary Education Content Test	Computer Test #	Min. Score
English Language Arts: Content Knowledge	5038	167
World & US History: Content Knowledge	5941	151
Social Studies: Content Knowledge	5081	153
Mathematics: Content Knowledge	5161	160
General Science: Content Knowledge	5435	150
Biology: Content Knowledge	5235	153
Chemistry: Content Knowledge	5245	147
Physical Education: Content Knowledge	5091	143
Principles of Learning & Teaching: Grades 7-12	5624	157
Speical Education Content Test	Computer Test #	Min. Score
Special Education: Preschool/Early Childhood	5691	159
Special Education: Elementary or Secondary (Choose one)
Special Education: Teaching Students with ID	5322	156
Special Education: Teaching Students with	5372	154
Behavior Disorder/Emotional Disturbance
Special Education: Teaching Students with LD	5383	151

3. All teacher education graduates must take the Praxis Subject Assessments prior to graduation. Information regarding test registration can be found at www.ets.org;
4. Successful completion of electronic portfolio and presentation; and
5. A favorable recommendation from a majority from the Teacher Education Committee.

NOTE: Praxis Subject Assessments must meet or exceed the North Dakota requirements prior to seeking licensure.

Upon exit, students may continue to expand their certifications through the addition of minors, majors and endorsements.  Students seeking an additional SPED major immediately following completion of their first major must complete the major requirements which may or may not include 30 unduplicated credit hours.

Appeals

Students have the right to appeal any negative decision regarding admission or continuance to the teacher education program, admission to student teaching and /or recommendations concerning teacher certification to the Admission and Retention Committee (A & R).  Appeals are initiated by written request to the Chair of the A&R committee.  The following documentation must accompany the request:

1. Written explanation giving reasons the decisions should be reversed
2. Documentation substantiating the students explanation
3. A current copy of the student’s transcript
4. Written recommendation for a reversal of the decision from the student’s advisor or a professor in the major field.  Note:  Students must inform the Division Chair of Education of the faculty member or staff member’s name they wish to receive a recommendation from so that an internal document requesting a recommendation will be sent to and received from the faculty or staff member electronically. 

*Documentation will be reviewed by the Chair of the Admission and Retention Committee and Reviewable Cases will be brought to A&R.

Timeframe

• After the decision has been made, the student will have 1 week to appeal the decision.  Information will be sent to the student via Mayville State University’s method of communication (MaSU email).
• The A&R Committee will have two weeks to respond to the student’s request for appeal.