Professional Studies for Educators

Professional studies in the College of Education consist of both generic courses taken by all persons planning careers as educators and specialized studies related to specific professional practice settings. All teacher education students will study knowledge and skills in human development, basic instruction, technology, foundations, cultural diversity, and children with special needs. Students must also know and display dispositions expected of educators. Required courses for knowledge and skills include EDPR 2111, LEAD 2010 (music education students do not take this course), ICL 4800, SPED 2000, and student teaching. Necessary skills in assessment, behavior management and specialized instructional methods are incorporated in courses delivered by their respective specialty areas. Specific requirements are listed in the section of the Catalog addressing each major.

Accreditation

The College of Education holds membership in the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. Its undergraduate programs, as well as all graduate degree programs through the doctoral degree for the preparation of teachers and related school personnel, are approved by the Tennessee State Department of Education. The College is fully accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

Licensure Areas

Areas of licensure that are available at the completion of undergraduate education programs include:

Special Education

Modified K-12 (460)

Comprehensive K-12 (461) (as an add-on endorsement only)

Physical Education K-12 (420)

Elementary K-6 (499)

Middle Grades 4-8 (440)

Early Childhood PrK-3 (467)

Visual Arts (427)

Music Inst. K-12 (429)

Music Voc./Gen K-12 (428)

Recommendation for teacher licensure in any of the following teaching areas is contingent upon the completion of a baccalaureate degree in the appropriate academic area followed by completion of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree or licensure program:

Visual Arts (K-12)

English as a Second Language (K-12)

Elementary K-6 (499); Middle Grades 4-8 (440)

Early Childhood Pre K-3 (467)

Special Education

Modified K-12 (460)

Comprehensive K-12 (461)

Early Childhood Pre K-1 (465)

Physical Education K-12 (420)

Secondary (Enhanced Student Teaching)

English 7-12 (407)

French K-12 (491)

German K-12 (492)

Spanish K-12 (495)

Russian K-12 (494)

Latin K-12 (493)

Other Foreign Language (496)

Mathematics 7-12 (413)

Biology 7-12 (415)

Chemistry 7-12 (416)

Physics 7-12 (417)

Earth Science 7-12 (418)

History 7-12 (421)

Government 7-12 (423)

Geography 7-12 (422)

Economics 7-12 (424)

Psychology 9-12 (426)

Sociology 9-12 (425)

Vocational Subject Areas

Business Education (474)

Business Technology (475)

Marketing (471) [only issues jointly with Economics (424)]

Consumer Homemaking. 5-12 (450)

Care/Guidance of Children 9-12 (451)

Food Management Production 9-12 (453)

Students who intend to enter the Master of Arts in Teaching program should consult their major advisor and the College of Education Advisor for information about this program to ensure that the general education curriculum, pre-professional studies, and teacher licensure requirements are completed.

Endorsements at the Graduate Level

Speech/Language Pre K-12 (464)

Counselor K-12 (487)

School Administrator

Beginning Administrator K-12 (A Standard) (480)

Professional Administrator PreK-12 (483)

School Psychologist (089)

Library Information Specialist (073)

English as a Second Language (490)

Special Teacher of Reading K-8 (075)

Special Teacher of Reading 7-12 (076)

Admission to Teacher Education Program

Students who plan to pursue an undergraduate program of studies leading to teacher licensure must submit a formal application to the College of Education Teacher Education Program (TEP). Students are encouraged to apply for admission in their sophomore year.

Prerequisites for formal admission to the Teacher Education Program are as follows:

1. Complete a minimum of 45 semester hours.

2. Complete and submit the TEP application. Applications can be downloaded from the following site: http://coe.memphis.edu/TCED/tepadmissions.asp.

3. Complete with a grade of C- or above ENGL 1010, ENGL 1020, LEAD 2010 (music education majors do not take LEAD 2010), EDPR 2111, an appropriate course in speech, and the general education required Math course(s).

4. Take and submit satisfactory scores (according to criteria established by the Tennessee State Board of Education and the College of Education, the University of Memphis) on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST). Students scoring a 22 or above on the Enhanced ACT do not have to take the PPST. Passing scores for the PPST: Reading 174, Writing 173, and Mathematics 173.

5. Earn and maintain a GPA of no less than 2.50. An undergraduate student whose cumulative grade point average drops below 2.50 will not be admitted/retained in the Teacher Education Program.

6. Interview successfully with College of Education faculty and P-12 teachers/administrators. You must have taken the PPST and have a 2.40 GPA to be interviewed.

7. Obtain recommendations from two college or university professors. Recommendation forms are included with the TEP application.

8. Submit and request forwarding to the Office of Teacher Education and Student Support Services a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation criminal history background check.

Candidates who do not meet the regular Teacher Education Program (TEP) Admissions criteria may apply for alternative admission based on the following policy:

Alternative Admission Based on PPST Scores

1. The candidates must meet the minimum cut-off scores for two of the three subtests or they cannot appeal.

2. The appealed PPST subtest score cannot vary more than 3% (5 points) from the acceptable minimum score.

3. Candidates who do not meet the minimum requirements must meet the following guidelines to submit an appeal based on PPST:

a. Must have a GPA of 2.50

b. Must have taken the PPST subtest in question twice

c. If appealing the Reading or Writing Test, the student must have at least a 3.00 average in ENGL 1010 and 1020

d. If appealing the Mathematics Test, the student must have a 3.00 average in all required mathematics courses in the general education curriculum.

e. All of the above courses must be taken at an accredited college.

4. Candidates MUST have take all relevant core courses as described above for their appeals to be considered.

5. Candidates who have the required grade point average and the required grades in the specified courses may be approved by the Director of Teacher Education without further appeal committee action.

Alternative Admission Based on Grade Point Average

Candidates appealing to be admitted to TEP because their grade point average has fallen below 2.5 must meet the following requirements in order to appeal:

1. Must have passed all sections of the PPST

2. Must provide, as part of their appeal, a plan describing the courses they will repeat or take to raise their grade point average to the 2.50 minimum and a proposed timeline. No restricted courses can be included in the plan.

Special Notes:

1. Candidates may not appeal for alternative admission if they have less that a 2.50 grade point average and have not met the minimum requirements of the PPST. These students will be advised individually regarding a remediation plan to improve their grade point average and/or PPST performance. In some instances, the candidate may be counseled out of the program.

2. Candidates who submit passing scores on the required Praxis II content knowledge exam for their licensure area may be afforded special consideration for admission to TEP if they have not passed two of the Praxis I exams after two attempts.

Retention

Candidates may be referred for retention throughout their program of studies. If candidates' graded point average drops below the required 2.50, they will not be allowed to take any restricted courses in subsequent semesters and will lose their TEP admission status. Referrals can be made for academics, but also for teacher dispositions related to ethical or attitudinal problems. The College of Education's Professional Disposition guide the retention process. Candidates may be referred for counseling or to review before the TEP Retention Committee.

Pre-Student Teaching Clinical Experiences

Students pursuing teacher licensure complete, as a part of their program, a variety of required clinical experiences incorporated into professional education courses. Students will be expected to have experiences in a variety of settings and with pupils who reflect differences in age, socioeconomic backgrounds, and cultural heritage.

Clinical experiences include both laboratory experiences (typically fulfilled on campus) and field experiences (typically fulfilled in PreK-12 public schools). The early childhood programs require field experiences in PreK-3 grades. Other licensure programs require placements in a variety of grades (K-12). The amount of time spent in a clinical experience varies according to the specific requirement being met. Fulfillment of these experiences requires that students make available out-of-class time between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. All students are required to complete the number of field experience hours expected in their licensure area.

Completion of field experiences will occur in sites arranged and approved by the University of Memphis College of Education Office of School Based Clinical Practice.

Student Teaching

Students who pursue degree programs at the University of Memphis that lead to teacher licensure must complete their student teaching requirements in placements arranged, coordinated, and approved by the Clinical Coordinator of the College of Education. Student teaching assignments are full day in length for 15 weeks.

Student teaching is offered only during the fall and spring semesters in area schools. No student teaching assignments for initial licensure are made during the summer semester. Under the direction of cooperating teachers and university supervisors, opportunities are provided for observation of sound teaching practices and for realistic experiences culminating in assumption of full-time teaching responsibilities.

All students seeking initial licensure are required to complete a professional semester consisting of a minimum of 15 weeks of student teaching and an associated seminar. NO OTHER COURSES MAY BE TAKEN DURING THE PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER.

Students who have completed all or part of their student teaching experiences before enrolling at the University of Memphis, and who desire to receive this institution’s recommendation for licensure, should expect to complete a minimum of six semester hours of credit in student teaching at the University of Memphis.

Grades in student teaching are reported as "S" (satisfactory) or "U" (unsatisfactory).

Requirements for enrollment in student teaching are:

1. File an application the semester before student teaching.

2. Gain full admittance to and good standing in the Teacher Education Program one semester before student teaching.

3. Attain classification as a senior with a minimum grade point average of 2.50.

4. Complete of all prerequisite professional education courses.

5.Earn a minimum grade of "C" in University General Education Program courses, each required professional education course, and each course in the major.

6. Submit passing scores on the Content Knowledge Exam for the specific area of licensure being sought. Candidates must submit scores on the appropriate content knowledge exam preferably at the time of application to student teaching, but no later than 30 days prior to the first day of student teaching for the semester in question. Submit scores or registration forms for the Principles of Learning and Teaching and any other required specialty exams of the PRAXIS II before or during student teaching. Failure to submit score reports will result in the grade of IP for student teaching. Satisfactory scores on PRAXIS II examinations are required for teacher licensure in Tennessee.

7. Submit background checks per school district policy, if required.

Graduation

To be recommended for graduation and licensure, students must complete the requirements listed below:

1. Minimum of 120 semester hours, including at least 45 hours of upper division courses.

2. Overall minimum GPA of 2.50.

3. A minimum GPA of 2.50 in all courses taken at the University of Memphis, excluding all credit transferred from other institutions.

4. Minimum grade of "C" in each required professional education course and each course in the major.

5. Submit scores for all Praxis II licensure exams.

For Tennessee Teacher Licensure, students must obtain satisfactory scores in Principles of Learning and Teaching and Specialty Area Examinations of the PRAXIS II, according to the criteria established by the Tennessee State Board of Education.

Any courses taken in excess of those needed to fulfill the requirements of professional education courses and major and minor endorsement areas, are considered to be general electives and are included only in the calculation of the overall GPA. In those areas where students are required to take elective courses, the student, in consultation with and approval of the major advisor, designates where the elective courses are to be applied.

Majors

In addition to completing the degree requirements listed above for teacher licensure, B.S.Ed., students must complete requirements for the Human Development and Learning, Integrative Studies, Physical Education Teacher Education, or Special Education major. Following the requirements for these majors are the requirements for the non-licensure degree and majors offered through other departments in the college.

Careers in Related Occupational and Professional Areas

Career options are available in related occupational and professional areas of Dietetics, Food Systems Management, Exercise Science, Physical Education, Leisure Management, and Sport Management through the Department of Health and Sport Science. A non-licensure degree for business/industry, available through the Department of Instruction and Curriculum Leadership,prepares individuals to become trainers and educational leaders in non-school settings. For additional information consult the College of Education Office of Advising and Student Services or the appropriate academic department.