Teacher Education Certification Program
U.T. Dallas offers a rigorous university-based teacher certification
curriculum and has built an outstanding reputation for producing excellent
teachers.
Coursework and field experiences leading to teacher certification are
planned delivered through the U.T. Dallas Teacher Development Center
(972-883 2730) in coordination with the other Schools in the relevant
disciplines. A model is used which calls upon the total resources of
the institution rather than relying on a school of education. The State
Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) and Texas Higher Education Coordinating
Board have reviewed the content and procedures of these curricula.
Initial teaching certificates may be earned by undergraduates, concurrently
with their degree studies, or by graduates from this or other institutions.
Additional teaching field(s) may be added to valid certificates presently
held.
As of September 1, 1999, all Texas teaching credentials must be renewed
every five years. SBEC (State Board for Educator Certification), working
in conjunction with the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher
Education Coordinating Board, has revised the rules governing educator
preparation, shifting the process away from a prescribed schedule of
required classes and semester hours to a standards-based system that
identifies the knowledge and skills required for a beginning teacher
in Texas. These standards are aligned with the Texas Essential Knowledge
and Skills, the state’s required curriculum for public school
students. SBEC reduced the types of certificates offered but each new
certificate requires a greater breadth and depth of knowledge on the
part of the beginning teacher. This greater breadth also enables the
teacher to teach more than one subject in their teaching field. Rather
than a rigid list of courses, Texas law now requires persons seeking
educator certification to perform satisfactorily on comprehensive examinations.
The educator preparation program is required to determine their candidate’s
eligibility to test as part of the registration process for these testing
programs. The SBEC web site (http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/) is the best
source of up-dated information.
Certification Subject Areas
The following are subject areas in which The University of Texas at
Dallas offers approved teaching fields leading to teacher certification.
Grades 8-12 Certification
Undergraduate students must complete at least 24 semester hours
of appropriate course work in each teaching field, a reading in the
content area course, 18 semester hours of professional education,
including student teaching, and pass the two required state comprehensive
examinations (TExES). Certification for grades 8 - 12 is offered in
the following fields:
English Language Arts and Reading
Social Studies
Computer Science
History
Life Sciences
Physical Sciences
Science
Mathematics
Grades 4-8 Certification
Undergraduate students must have an academic major with 24 hours
of appropriate coursework in the teaching field, complete 18 hours
of professional education, including student teaching, nine semester
hours of reading, six semester hours of mathematics above the core,
and three semester hours of science above the core. In addition, candidates
will be required to pass examinations for Pedagogy and Professional
Responsibilities, and content TExES examinations in the appropriate
certification area.
At U.T. Dallas, the Grade 4-8 certification program, just like the
Grade 8-12 certification plans, calls upon the total resources of
the university rather than relying on a school of education. Students
will need to consult closely with undergraduate advisors in their
university academic school to design an appropriate degree plan.
Certification fields for Grades 4-8:
- Science (4-8) (Science Education in the School of Natural Science
and Mathematics)
- Mathematics (4-8) (Science Education in the School of Natural
Science and Mathematics)
- Social Studies (4-8) (School of Social Sciences)
- English Language Arts and Reading (4-8) (School of Arts and Humanities)
- Generalist (4-8) (School of General Studies) – because
this certificate qualifies a candidate to teach multiple subjects
in a middle school, additional academic course work is required
in order to prepare the candidate for the rigorous, broad-based
“Generalist 4-8” TExES examination.
Early Childhood - 4 Certification
Generalist
The Generalist Certification is the only certification available
for students interested in Early Childhood – Grade 4. The content
related TExES for this certificate will test for a broad-based content
mastery. Students are advised to work with advisors in the School
of General Studies or the School of Human Development if they seek
degrees that lead to teaching certification in EC-Grade 4.
Undergraduate students need to consult with the appropriate academic
program to design an undergraduate degree plan. All teacher certification
candidates must register with the Teacher Development Center and take
their upper-level professional development and education related course
work and field experiences through the Center and the School of General
Studies. It is the responsibility of the Teacher Development Center
to assure that content and the professional development curricula meet
the certification accountability requirements outlined in the Texas
Education Code and monitored by the State Board for Educator Certification
(SBEC).
U.T. Dallas does not currently certify teachers in Reading, Physical
Education, Bilingual Education, Special Education, Speech, Journalism,
Art, or Music.
All Teaching Fields
All undergraduate students must meet the 42-hour core curriculum for
The University of Texas at Dallas. All candidates for certification
at U.T. Dallas are required to pass 18 hours of professional development
courses, including six hours of student teaching. In addition to the
professional education courses, state requirements for courses in Reading
are offered for each certification level. Also, candidates must demonstrate
computer literacy and effective public speaking.
Admission
Upon admission to the University, undergraduate students should meet
with a faculty advisor in the major field to develop a degree plan,
indicating to the advisor that the student is seeking teacher certification.
Students must then apply for admission to the teacher education certification
program, meet program GPA and THEA requirements, and complete a Certification
Plan through the Teacher Development Center
Post Baccalaureate Program
Persons who already have baccalaureate degrees may seek teacher certification.
They should consult with an advisor in the Teacher Development Center
after they have been admitted to the university through the Office of
Admissions to develop a certification plan. Post-baccalaureate students
may complete the required 18 semester hours of professional education
course work at the graduate level and apply most of these hours toward
a Masters of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies degree or they have the
option of taking many of these courses at the undergraduate level if
they do not wish to pursue a masters degree. Students who plan to take
the professional development core as graduate courses must pass the
TExES content examination for their teaching. See the U.T. Dallas Graduate
Catalog for details.
Post-Baccalaureate students must meet the 24 semester hour requirements
in the appropriate teaching field. A certification plan will be developed
based on an evaluation of the student’s transcript and score on
the TExES content examination. When appropriate, students may take the
required courses in their teaching field(s) at the graduate or undergraduate
level. Post Baccalaureate students must demonstrate computer literacy
and effective public speaking. All students must fulfill the U.T. Dallas
requirement for student teaching or supervised internship.
Guidelines for Admission to The University of Texas at Dallas
Teacher Certification Program
In compliance with Chapter 227 of the Texas Administrative Code
and the HEA Title II accountability requirements, The University of
Texas at Dallas Teacher Development Center has established guidelines
for writing certification plans and officially admitting a student to
the Teacher Certification Program.
Every student seeking teaching credentials at U.T. Dallas must meet
the following requirements.
Provisional Admission
Entitles a prospective student who has applied for admission to
U.T. Dallas to be advised for a certification plan and/or to take
the initial courses related to certification:
Official Admission
A U.T. Dallas undergraduate student must do the following to be
officially admitted to the Teacher Development Program and be considered
a candidate for certification:
- Fill out an application for admission to the Teacher Development
Program (available on the web site for U.T. Dallas Teacher Development
Center – http://www.utdallas.edu/teach/). A committee of faculty,
administrators, and public school educators will review all applications
before students can proceed in the program.
- Have successfully completed the following courses: Education
Psychology (ED 3339) and American Public School (ED 3314 or ED 53XX)
at UT Dallas.
- Candidates must be officially admitted into the U.T. Dallas Teacher
Certification Program before they can register for the appropriate
Classroom Management course or any Curriculum and Instruction Methods
Course, Student Teaching or Post-Baccalaureate Supervised Teaching
Internship.
GPA Requirements for Teacher Certification
Students must maintain a 2.75 GPA in all professional education course
work and in teaching fields. Grades of “D” are not acceptable
in the content teaching field(s) or in professional education coursework.
A grade of “C” is not acceptable for Classroom Management
or Curriculum and Instruction Methods courses. All core professional
education coursework must be taken at U.T. Dallas. Students must participate
in 40 hours of structured field experience in area school districts
that are partners with U.T. Dallas. See course descriptions for these
requirements.
Requirements for Admission to Student Teaching and Post-Baccalaureate
Internships
Student teaching or a supervised internship will be required of all
students in the U.T. Dallas Teacher Certification program. Applications
for student teaching or a supervised Post-Baccalaureate Internship will
be accepted at one of several information sessions held early in each
long semester (before October 15 in the fall and before March 15 in
the spring). For further information contact the Teacher Development
Center.
Students must complete all required coursework prior to student teaching
and must have a GPA of 2.75 in teaching fields and have passed both
appropriate state mandated exit examinations. All candidates must have
exhibited professional maturity, acceptable class attendance, and maintained
a “B” or better in Curriculum and Instruction and Classroom
Management courses in order to be placed in a student teaching assignment.
All students must adhere to the highest ethical standards in order to
receive a grade in student teaching. A committee of faculty, administrators,
and field placement educators will review all applications for supervised
student teaching or Post-Baccalaureate internships.
Post-Baccalaureate students working toward initial certification at
the Master’s Degree level and who meet U.T. Dallas standards,
may be eligible for substituting current teaching experience for student
teaching. See the U.T. Dallas Graduate Catalog for details.
A student teaching or internship fee will be included in the total registration
charges. Students must be registered before they can begin their student
teaching.
Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES)
All persons completing Texas teacher training programs for initial
Texas certification must pass proficiency test(s) in their field(s)
of certification. All candidates for initial teacher certification must
pass:
- Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities test at the appropriate
level, and;
- Content specialization test.
It is the responsibility of the teacher preparation program to determine
when a student is prepared to take the examination. The University of
Texas at Dallas has aligned education courses with the competencies
identified as critical for teachers and offers preparation seminars
at least once each semester for U.T. Dallas students. For information
on TExES registration and eligibility, please review the Teacher Development
Center Website – http://www.utdallas.edu/teach/ or contact the
Teacher Development Center. TExES preparation manuals are available
in the U.T. Dallas and Off Campus bookstores and can be downloaded from
the web at http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/. Students should access this
information before or during the first semester of enrollment at U.T.
Dallas. Students are encouraged to prepare early for the content related
specialization examinations. Students must pass both examinations prior
to being placed in a student teaching or supervised internship assignment.
Application for Certification
Students who successfully fulfill all requirements (GPA, course work,
TExES examinations, and student teaching) should apply for certification
on the State
Board of Educator Certification website. It is very important for
a student to review this site for current requirements because fees
and procedures do change. The law now requires that all candidates for
teacher certification have a clear criminal background search via a
national finger printing process. Once all forms have been properly
processed, the U.T. Dallas Certification Officer can access student
online applications and, upon verification of requirements, will make
recommendations for certification online. Recommended students will
immediately receive a “verification of recommendation” email
from SBEC. Official Certificates are mailed by SBEC within four weeks.
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