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ARCHIVED 2009-2010 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Teacher Education Program
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Admission and retention policies in teacher education programs are based on the standards and guidelines of the State of North Carolina and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Approved institutions must have established procedures for implementing decisions regarding admission to and retention in teacher education programs. The state and NCATE guidelines require continuous evaluation of students admitted to teacher education programs and states that those found unlikely to succeed as teachers should be withdrawn.
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Conceptual Framework for the Professional Education Program
The professional education program at Western Carolina University fulfills its mission by creating and nourishing a community of learners guided by knowledge, values, and experiences. The guiding principles of this community include the belief that the best educational decisions are made after adequate reflection and with careful consideration of the interests, experiences, and welfare of the persons affected by the decisions; appreciation of and respect for diversity; and the fostering of the responsible use of technology. Second Academic Concentration
A second academic concentration is an eighteen hour course of study in an academic discipline required of education students enrolled in a B.S.Ed. program in elementary, middle grades, or physical education. The concentration areas available are the following: anthropology, art, biology, communication training and development, English, health promotion and wellness, history, mathematics, natural science, philosophy, political science, psychology, social sciences, sociology, Spanish, and theatre. A second academic concentration declaration form must be completed and filed in the dean’s office. Second Academic Concentrations
(18 Hours must be completed for each concentration)
Please select one of the following: 1. Anthropology Hours: 18
Additional courses:
Select 15 additional hours from upper level Anthropology courses. Students must choose either a 2D or 3D concentration:
2D Concentration includes
Plus an additional 9 hours chosen from:
Painting, drawing, printmaking, photography or book arts courses. 3D Concentration includes
Plus an additional 9 hours chosen from:
Ceramics or sculpture courses. 4. Cherokee (Total hours: 18)
Choice of either a language or cultural competency concentration: Required
Select 12 hours in Cherokee Language from the following: Electives
One approved elective. Cultural Competency Concentration
Required
Three hours of Cherokee Language (CHER 101 or equivalent) and Elective Hours
Twelve hours from at least two other disciplines: 5.Communication Training and Development Hours: 18
Additional courses:
Select 12 hours from:
- CMTD 316
- CMTD 412
- CMTD 413
- CMCR 465
7. Health Promotion and Wellness Hours: 18
Additional courses:
Select 6 hours from: Note:
Selecting HEAL 250 and or PE 255 will result in 19 hours in the SAC. Students may take either SM 213 or HSCC 150. Additional courses:
Select 12 hours of junior-senior level history courses. Students majoring in middle grades education must also complete:
Elective courses:
The following elective courses or other courses approved by the Head of the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science to complete a minimum of 18 hours. 10. Natural Science Hours: 18
Additional courses:
Select 2 hours from any AST, BIOL, CHEM, GEOL, or PHYS course not counted for Liberal Studies. Additional courses:
Select 12 hours of philosophy or religion courses at the junior-senior level. 12. Political Science Hours: 18
Additional courses:
Select 15 hours from any 200 level and above Political Science courses. Additional courses:
Select 3 hours from: 6 Hours of Psychology electives
(excluding PSY 320 and PSY 321)
14. Social Sciences Hours: 18
Available only to Middle Grade majors. Select 6 hours in each of the following three categories. One of the choices must be a geography course, and all courses must be exclusive of liberal studies. And one of the following:
Category II.
Two of the following: And one of the following:
Additional courses:
Select 15 hours from any 200-level and above sociology course. Additional courses:
Select 3 additional hours from upper level Spanish courses. Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Acceptance and registration in a department do not guarantee admission to the teacher education program in that department. A student is not officially in a teacher education program until approved by the student’s major department and by the Teacher Education Council. The applicant’s fitness for teaching in the chosen area is determined on the basis of demonstrated academic ability and other personal characteristics conducive to effective teaching. A student may be considered suitable in one area and unsuitable in another. Students with speech defects that will interfere with successful teaching may be required to take corrective therapy.
Students who plan to receive a degree in education or a license through Western Carolina University must apply for and be officially admitted to a teacher education program. Students should apply for admission to teacher education during the semester in which they are enrolled in EDCI 231 (BK 250 for B-K majors), a course that is prerequisite to all other courses in the professional education sequence. Application should be made during the advisement and pre-registration weeks of the semester. Application forms are available in Room 219, Killian Building. The only courses in the professional education sequence that may be taken before being fully admitted to teacher education are EDCI 231 and PSY 320 or PSY 322 (BK 250 and SPED 313 for B-K majors). Admission criteria
All requirements for admission to teacher education should be met by the beginning of the semester following the semester in which the student submitted the application. The following criteria are minimum requirements for admission:
- Completed at least 30 hours;
- Earned a C (2.0) or higher grade in EDCI 231, ENGL 101;
- Earned (and then maintain) a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5; students with a major in elementary or middle grades education must earn (and then maintain) a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75;
- Achieved the minimum required scores on the PPST (Reading, Writing, Mathematics);
- Complete the M5-336 Dispositions Scale via TaskStream;
- Complete the Professional Beliefs About Diversity Scale via TaskStream;
- Submitted the application for Admission to Teacher Education.
Applicants already holding non-teacher education degrees must meet all of the above requirements except they are not required to take the PPST. (Applicants to the B-K program without a teaching license must earn minimum scores on the PPST). They must have had a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 (2.75 for elementary and middle grades education) at the time of graduation. Applicants with non-teaching degrees from accredited institutions without cumulative GPA of at least 2.5 have two options:
- The student is eligible to apply for admission to a licensure-only or a second-degree program no sooner than three calendar years after receipt of the baccalaureate degree.
Or
- The student is eligible to apply with passing scores on Praxis I tests and one of the following:
- a GPA of 3.0 in the major field of study;
- a GPA of 3.0 on all work completed in the senior year; or
- a GPA of 3.0 on a minimum of 15 semester hours of course work (relative to licensure) completed during the preceding five years.
Students must have maintained satisfactory conduct and citizenship records which are in keeping with the ethics of the teaching profession. A student who is readmitted to the university after dismissal, suspension, or expulsion will not be readmitted to the teacher education program the first term after returning. Applicants with a record of legal offenses may not be eligible for admission to teacher education.
Applications for admission to teacher education are considered and acted upon by the Professional Education Council.
Application forms are available in the dean’s office and at http://ceap.wcu.edu/DEANSHOMEPAGE/Teacher_Education_Handbook.htm. The student should process the application as indicated on the form and file it in the dean’s office two weeks before early registration for the term in which admission is sought or by the date designated each term. Continuation in the Teacher Education Program
The requirements for continuing in the program are (1) a GPA of at least 2.5 on hours attempted, (2) behavior which adheres to the code of ethics of the profession, and (3) satisfactory participation in the required professional laboratory program that is prerequisite to student teaching. An evaluation of each field experience assignment will become a part of the student’s professional record.
If a student fails any course in the professional education sequence twice, the student is withdrawn from teacher education. Course Requirements in the Program
The teacher education program requires a professional education sequence of twenty-one to thirty-two semester hours in courses pertinent to teaching in specific areas and at various levels. All courses in the sequence except internship/student teaching and the internship/student-teaching seminar must be completed before admission to internship or student teaching. The courses in the sequence are determined by the student’s major: Birth-Kindergarten Hours: 32
Elementary and Middle Grades Hours: 26
Physical Education Hours: 26
Special Education Hours: 21
Secondary and Special Subject Teaching Hours: 28
Methods:
One of the following: Additional Courses
One of the following: Clinical and Field Experience for Professional Education
The teacher education program requires field experiences in conjunction with several courses in addition to the intern/student-teaching requirement. Students are expected to make their own arrangements for transportation and housing and absorb the costs related to field experiences and internship or student teaching. Each program has different requirements, and students should discuss costs with the program head prior to applying for admission to the teacher education program. The goal of professional education clinical and field experiences is to help teacher education students learn to teach all of their pupils to achieve at high levels of performance. Although each field experience requirement has its own specific purpose and placement procedures, the strategies to achieve this goal are stated below:
- Field experience placements are made so that students have the opportunity to work with qualified educators in successful programs.
- Field experience placements are made so that students have the oppor- tunity to work with diverse learners. Teacher education students are required to complete one field experience in a diverse setting, as defined by the College of Education and Allied Professions. Students who do not complete one of the early field experience requirements in a diverse setting must be placed in a diverse setting for the internship or student teaching semester.
- Field experiences placements are made in collaboration with B-12 school personnel.
- Field experience placements are made to facilitate appropriate supervision of students.
Admission to Student Teaching/Internship
Students apply to the director of field experiences early in the semester prior to the semester in which student teaching/internship is to be done. The requirements for admission to student teaching/internship are: (1) completion of at least 39 of 42 hours required for Liberal Studies, (2) enrollment in the professional education sequence for at least two semesters, (3) completion of at least ninety hours in a teacher education curriculum, (4) one term in residence, (5) a GPA of 2.5 or above, both at the beginning of the term immediately preceding the student teaching/internship term and at the time of enrollment in student teaching/internship (2.75 GPA required for elementary and middle grades majors), (6) completion of at least two-thirds of the major, (7) completion of all records designated by the director of field experiences, (8) completion of the applicable professional education sequence except for student teaching/internship and the student teaching/internship seminar, (9) completion of an approved SBI background check (10) completion of student teaching/internship application including recommendation by adviser and department head. Continuation in Student Teaching/Internship
To continue in student teaching/internship, students must maintain satisfactory professional conduct and adhere to the policies and regulations of the school to which they are assigned. When recommended by the director of field experiences and approved by the dean, students failing to perform at a satisfactory level may be removed from student teaching/internship. Requirements for Teacher Licensure
To be eligible for teacher licensure, a student must (1) complete one of the approved teacher-education programs, (2) make a minimum grade of C (2.0) in student teaching, (3) receive a public school recommendation indicating that student teaching was successful, (4) successfully complete the technology portfolio, (5) complete applications for licensure and file them with the dean of the College of Education and Allied Professions, (6) receive a recommendation from the head of the department of the teaching major, (7) achieve the minimum score on the PRAXIS Tests, (8) receive a professional recommendation for Class A licensure by the dean of the College of Educationnd Allied Professions, and (9) pay the fee required by the State Board of Education for the issuance of a teacher license. North Carolina Teaching Fellows
North Carolina Teaching Fellows must complete requirements in addition to those for regular teacher education students. |
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