Undergrad. Catalog 07: Teaching Certification

Revised May 2007

Teaching Certification Programs

The primary mission of the teacher education programs at West Chester University is the preparation and continuing development of educational professionals. The University subscribes to learning and teaching in context in order that all PK-12 students achieve in the public schools and other education environments throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The University is committed to excellence in teacher education by preparing candidates to exhibit five unit outcomes: knowledge and pedagogical specialist, assessment and instructional designer, diversity advocate and classroom community builder, school and community professional, and self-directed practitioner.

The University is committed to preparing exemplary professionals to assume their roles and responsibilities as educators in a multicultural, global society; to pursue personal and professional development opportunities; to support the continuing improvement of schools; to assume leadership; and to participate in the education community.

West Chester University offers 19 undergraduate certification programs for students who wish to prepare themselves to be certified teachers. These programs, which are described more fully in the departmental listings, include:

Department	Program and/or Degree
Biology	B.S.Ed.: Biology
Chemistry	B.S.Ed.: Chemistry
Communication Studies	B.S.Ed.: Communication
Early Childhood and Special Education	B.S.Ed.: Early Childhood B.S.Ed.: Special Education
Elementary Education	B.S.Ed.: Elementary Education
English	B.S.Ed.: English
Foreign Languages	B.A.: Elective Certification: French, German, Latin, Russian, Spanish
Geography and Planning	B.A.: Elective Certification Social Studies
Geology and Astronomy	B.S.Ed.: Earth-Space Science Certification only: General Science
History	B.A.: Elective Certification Social Studies
Kinesiology	B.S.: Health and Physical Education
Mathematics	B.S.Ed.: Mathematics
Music Education	B.M.: Music Education: Vocal, Choral, General, Instrumental
Physics	B.S.Ed.: Physics
Political Science	B.A.: Elective Certification Social Studies

FORMAL ADMISSION TO TEACHER EDUCATION

All students seeking a bachelor's degree in education or a bachelor of arts degree with elective certification must formally apply for admission to teacher education. This provision applies to those who received University admission to pursue teacher education.

Beginning September 1, 2003 the minimum standards for formal admission to a WCU teacher preparation program include:

1. Major in a teacher-education program or enrolled in an elective certification program;

2. 48 semester-hour credits of college-level study;

3. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 on all college-level work;

4. Passing scores, as established by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) on the currently specified PPST's (Praxis I: Reading, Writing, and Mathematics). Please consult with the Teacher Certification Office, 302 Recitation Hall regarding up-to-date testing information or visit the PDE Web site: www.pde.state.pa.us.

5. Six semester-hour credits of college-level (100 level or above) mathematics, three semester-hour credits of college-level (100 level or above) English composition, and three semester-hour credits in literature taught in English; and

6. Recommendation by the department of the student's major. (Department recommendation may be contingent upon completion of additional and/or more rigorous requirements than the minimum described above.) Secondary education majors obtain a recommendation from their content adviser as well as their professional and secondary education adviser.

WCU teacher education students who achieve formal admission to teacher education must maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.80 to retain formal admission status. Students who were formally admitted after September 1, 2003 must complete their programs with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 to qualify for PDE teacher certification. Each program has designated, for its own majors, its advanced professional courses. Only those majors who have been formally admitted to teacher education are eligible to take these courses. The Teacher Education Center, 251 Francis Harvey Green Library, processes all applications for formal admission to teacher education programs.

Students who earn formal admission to teacher education and later fall below the required cumulative GPA are permitted to take course work to improve their GPA to the required level (2.80). Such students will not, however, be permitted to register for additional advanced professional education course work in their programs until they again achieve the minimum cumulative GPA required for formal admission (2.80).

Early Field Experiences

Designated courses require early field experience to observe and work with PK-12 students in schools and other settings. Students must have updated clearances for TB, criminal background, FBI, and child abuse before they can be assigned to schools to perform course assignments/other requirements.

STUDENT TEACHING

Student teaching is the concluding experience of the teacher education program. Students majoring in early childhood, elementary, foreign languages, secondary, and special education must file applications to student teach with the Teacher Education Center (251 Francis Harvey Green Library). Students majoring in health and physical education and music education must file applications with their departments.

To be eligible to complete a student teaching experience, candidates (undergraduates and post-baccalaureates) must have

completed the prerequisite course requirements,
met the state-mandated grade point average (2.80) or higher,
satisfied the requirements for formal admission to teacher education, and
provided an ETS score report that they completed the Praxis II test(s) in the subject area where the candidates are enrolled to achieve certification.

See program listings and advising sheets for specifics and any other program requirements. Students should contact their departments for the requirements. A student must earn an academic grade of C or better in both student teaching assignments and graduate with the state-mandated minimum grade point average (3.0) or higher to qualify for a Pennsylvania teaching certificate. Students receiving a grade of C- or lower in either or both student teaching assignments will not be eligible for a teaching certificate.

Students are assigned a student teaching placement in schools with which the University has a formal agreement.

To graduate from a teacher education program with a baccalaureate degree, that is, to be a program completer, candidates must have

completed the required course work,
earned at least minimum grades in courses specified by their program,
achieved formal admission and maintained qualification requirements,
earned an overall GPA of at least 3.0,
achieved grades of at least C in both student teaching courses, and
earned passing scores on the Praxis II test(s) required in the subject area/program where they are enrolled to achieve certification.

To be a program completer in a teacher education program, post baccalaureate candidates must have achieved all of the above provisions including earning passing scores on the Praxis II test(s).

TEACHING CERTIFICATION

Students apply for a Pennsylvania certificate through the University's Teacher Certification Office. As soon as all certification requirements have been met, students' applications are signed by the certifying officer at West Chester University and forwarded to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Applicants for the certificate must be citizens of the United States. A noncitizen must have declared the intent to become a citizen of the United States to qualify for a teaching certificate. For more information, contact the University's Teacher Certification Office.

Application forms and information about certification are available from the Teacher Certification Office in the College of Education.

Postbaccalaureate students who wish to obtain teaching certification should consult with the Teacher Education Center located in Room 251, Francis Harvey Green Library.

THE PRAXIS SERIES EXAMINATIONS
Professional Assessments for Beginning Teachers

Students pursuing initial Pennsylvania Instructional Level I Certification must pass the examinations prescribed at the time of certification by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Currently, these examinations include the following:

As part of the requirements for formal admission to teacher education, all students must pass the PPST (Praxis I) exams in reading, mathematics, and writing. Students are strongly encouraged to take these exams in the second semester of the first year of college study.
Candidates in programs leading to N-3, K-6, and K-12 certification must pass the Fundamental Subjects: Content Knowledge exam (#30511). Some programs require passing scores for this test prior to student teaching. Consult with your academic department for requirements specific to your major.
All candidates for certification must take all required Praxis II tests prior to student teaching. An ETS score report of all Praxis II tests must be produced, during preregistration for student teaching, as evidence of completing the academic department's test requirements.
All candidates must pass all required Praxis I and II tests in order to graduate from their teacher education major program.

HEA - Title II Praxis Test Results for Program Completers

Regular Teacher Education Preparation Program for 2005-2006 Academic Year

Results from Educational Testing Service

Assessment Type (Aggregate)	Number Taking Assessment	Number Passing Assessment	Passing Rate
			Institutional	Statewide
Basic Skills	688	688	100%	99%
Academic Content Areas (mathematics, English, biology, etc.)	670	628	94%	95%
Other Content Areas (career/technical education, health education, etc.)	91	91	100%	100%
Teaching Special Populations (special education, ESL, etc.)	73	73	100%	100%

In 2005-2006, 100% of the 688 candidates passed the Praxis Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics. Of the 670 candidates who completed their academic content knowledge tests in areas such as mathematics, English, biology, elementary education, etc., the pass rate was 94%. The 91 candidates completing tests in health and physical education (88) and communication (3) passed their specialty exams. All of the 73 candidates who completed the special education and teaching speech for the language impaired passed these tests. Ninety-nine percent of the 542 candidates who completed the Fundamental Subjects: Core Content Knowledge test passed this exam, a requirement in elementary education, special education, foreign languages, early childhood education, health and physical education, and music education.

Concerning the academic content knowledge test, 100% of the 45 early childhood education majors passed. Candidates in two content areas (secondary English and music education) achieved pass rates from 96% to 99% while those candidates in mathematics, social studies, and elementary education attained pass rates from 91% to 95%. With only 11 candidates attempting the Spanish content knowledge test, eight achieved a passing rate. In secondary science education test areas, ETS did not ascribe a pass rate because fewer than ten individuals took the tests. Overall, as noted above, the pass rate in the academic content areas averaged 94%.

Questions related to these tests should be directed to the Teacher Certification Office, 302 Recitation Hall. West Chester University is a designated Praxis test center and administers these tests six times a year according to the dates established by Educational Testing Service (ETS).

INSTRUCTIONAL I CERTIFICATE

A student who completes one of the University's teacher education curricula and passes all Praxis tests required by the state qualifies for an Instructional I Certificate, which is issued by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. This certificate is valid for six years of teaching in Pennsylvania. Recommendation for the certificate is made by the dean, College of Education, who serves as the certifying officer of the University.

INSTRUCTIONAL II CERTIFICATE

This certificate requires three years of successful teaching in Pennsylvania under the Instructional I Certificate, successful completion of an Induction Plan approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, and the satisfactory completion of 24 semester hours of additional course work completed at a baccalaureate-granting institution, after issuance of the baccalaureate degree. This certificate is a valid license to teach in Pennsylvania.

All or part of the educational requirements for this credential may be obtained through approved, in-service programs. Effective July 1, 2000 (ACT 48) the state requires all certified teachers and administrators to engage in continuing professional development activities. WCU course work is an acceptable option for the six hours of college credit (or its equivalent) required for teachers and administrators every five years.

Certification in additional subject areas may be obtained by completing requirements for that area, or in certain areas, by completing a Praxis specialty examination (see the Pennsylvania Department of Education Web site: www.pde.state.pa.us). Students should consult the department in which they seek certification for information and an evaluation of their credits.

Special Notes Regarding Teacher Certification

Student Appeals Hearing Committee

The purpose of this committee is to hear student appeals of decisions made by the associate dean, College of Education, related to formal admission to teacher education and other matters regarding students' progress in teacher education programs. Information related to this committee is on the University's Web site under academic programs, College of Education, student information.

Teacher Education Dispositions Monitoring Process

Dispositional Expectations

If a faculty member documents that a particular teacher education or pre-service student is having difficulty with one of the following dispositional expectations in a University- or field-based course that faculty member is teaching, he/she will request a meeting with the student, share evidence of the concerns, hear the student's reason for behavior(s) of concern, make recommendations for improvement where appropriate, and follow up the meeting with a notice and action plan sent to the student and his/her department chair. The notice and action plan will be placed in the student's file in the department. The student also may be required to meet with a committee of faculty within the major department, at the department's discretion, to

1. explore the nature of the concerns,

2. hear the student's reasons for the behavior(s) of concern, and

3. discuss corrective measures for remaining in the professional education sequence.

If the behavior of concern is not corrected satisfactorily, it may lead to the department's recommendation to deny formal admission to teacher education and/or advancement in the program. These recommendations would be forwarded to the associate dean of the College of Education for a final ruling. At this time, if the student chooses to appeal the ruling, the matter would come before the Teacher Education Student Appeals Committee, according to established protocol.

For dispositional expectations, go to the University's Web site, academic programs, College of Education, student information.

Fees and Other Expenses

All students pursuing teacher certification in Pennsylvania can expect to spend between $260 and $385 on required Praxis I and II tests, $79 on criminal clearance and TB forms, and $40 on the Instructional I certification application. These clearances must be updated annually. The TB screening is good for the undergraduate career, except for early childhood education majors who require an annual screening to enter early childhood centers.

LiveText

LiveText is a courseware product required of all candidates. This product contributes to their learning; to the posting of assignments for assessment; and to storing their work, growth, and development over their undergraduate career. Candidates purchase this courseware as they would a textbook or other material for a course. They can use LiveText throughout their undergraduate studies and one year after graduation. Purchase takes place at the campus bookstore, LiveText, or other outlets.