- Submit all other appropriate information (field placement documentation, essay and resume) prior to scheduling the TEP interview.
- Complete an interview and receive a positive recommendation from the TEP interview committee.
- Demonstrate a commitment to: a) professional ethics, b) collaboration, c) diversity, d) self-reflection, e) belief in students’ ability to learn, f) technology, g) the teaching profession, and h) professional growth. In addition, specific dispositions are sometimes identified as appropriate for individual programs as a result of other association/organization affiliations. Violations of the honor code or student behavior policies as stated in the current UTC Student Handbook may be reviewed by the TEP Committee and may impact the final decision regarding admission to the TEP and/or approval for student teaching experiences.
- Students pursuing any degree in education which leads to licensure must meet all required elements at each level of the Checkpoints in order to be able to move forward to additional courses. These provisions include not only those established by the UTC Teacher Preparation Academy, but also those mandated by the school systems in which students complete field placements. Education students must successfully meet the requirements for an initial Background Screening at Checkpoint 1 and must also pass an FBI/TBI Fingerprinting Procedure prior to admission to the student teaching experience. Failure to meet these or any other parts of any Checkpoint will prevent an individual from advancing to the next level.
*Final responsibility for ensuring that these requirements are met prior to being admitted to the Teacher Education Program rests with the student.
Applicants will receive notification of their TEP status following the interview. An applicant who is denied admission will be notified of the deficiencies and of suggested resources or activities which may correct these. Decisions of the TEP Committee may be appealed. Information may be obtained from the TEP Committee chair.
Tests for Admission to Teacher Education Programs
Individuals seeking admission to teacher education programs in Tennessee must pass the Praxis I Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST). The Tennessee Board of Education has also approved two additional options for admission of teacher candidates. Undergraduate or post-baccalaureate applicants who have attained an ACT composite test score of 21 or above or a composite test score of 22 or above on the Enhanced ACT or who have attained a combined verbal and mathematics score on the SAT of 920 or above or 1020 or above on the Recentered SAT shall be exempt from the Praxis I.
UTC is committed to strict adherence to Tennessee Board of Education requirements regarding official admission to the TEP. An applicant to the TEP may take the required test(s) an unlimited number of times.
For full teacher licensure, the Tennessee Board of Education requires the achievement of state-approved minimum scores on
specified tests of the Praxis II Series. Information about the tests may be obtained from the Certification Office or the UTC Testing Center.
Admission to Student Teaching*
The application for admission to the student teaching semester must be filed approximately six months preceding the actual experience. If a student plans to student teach during the spring semester of an academic year, the application must be completed and on file no later than September 1 of the preceding year. For the fall semester of an academic year, the application should be completed and on file no later than the preceding March 1.
Application for student teaching is not necessarily contingent upon official admission to the TEP; therefore, a student should apply for student teaching to comply with the required deadline dates. However, a student will not be permitted to student teach until he or she has satisfactorily met all requirements for admission to the TEP.
Before admission to student teaching, the undergraduate or post-baccalaureate student must:1
- Secure official admission to the TEP.
- Submit student teaching application with signature of assigned faculty advisor.
- Satisfactorily complete all professional education courses.
- Satisfactorily complete at least 90 percent of coursework in content area(s).
- Earn a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on courses completed at UTC, a cumulative 2.5 grade point average on all courses, a 2.5 grade point average in professional education courses with no grade lower than C, a 2.5 grade point average in content area courses with no grade lower than C.
- Submit five copies of a resume.
- Students pursuing any degree in education which leads to licensure must meet all required elements at each level of the Checkpoints in order to be able to move forward to additional courses. These provisions include not only those established by the UTC Teacher Preparation Academy, but also those mandated by the school systems in which students complete field placements. Education students must successfully meet the requirements for an initial Background Screening at Checkpoint 1 and must also pass an FBI/TBI Fingerprinting Procedure prior to admission to the student teaching experience. Failure to meet these or any other parts of any Checkpoint will prevent an individual from advancing to the next level.
*Final responsibility for ensuring that these requirements are met prior to being admitted to student teaching rests with the student.
All students seeking teaching licensure must meet the student teaching requirement. Student teaching (PDSII) is a full-semester experience; participants are placed in cohorts in two schools having different characteristics. Assignments vary according to state requirements for the licensure sought.
Student teaching is evaluated on a satisfactory/no credit basis. Successful completion of student teaching requires meeting all of the requirements of the field placements plus passing scores on all of the required Praxis II tests. A student not satisfactorily com
