College of Education
Requirements for Admission
Admission to teacher education is required for
all students expecting to complete a teacher education program leading to
initial certification in any teaching field. Students must be admitted in order
to enroll in any course in the Early and Advanced Professional Blocks.
Admission to the Teacher Education Program
requires the submission of a formal application to the Student Assessment and
Monitoring Committee, c/o College of Education. The application packet may be
submitted after 48 semester hours of coursework and during the semester
preceding the semester of enrollment in teacher education courses.
All candidates for the Bachelor of Science in Education degree or for
certification only must complete a major in a certifiable teaching area. The
following requirements must be met:
A. Declare a major and minor if required. Students
must meet specific requirements
of the major/minor and should consult with the respective college to
determine specific
requirements.
B. A cumulative GPA of 2.6 or better in all course
work attempted.
C. Complete courses in written communications, oral
communications, and
mathematics (ENGL 101, SPCM 101, and
MATH 102) with no grade less
than “C”.
D. Complete the pre-professional courses (EDFN 338,
EPSY 302, and
SPED 100) with a “C” or better.
E. Successfully complete Praxis I Pre-Professional
Skills Tests in Reading, Writing,
and Mathematics and computer competency tests according to current
established minimum scores.
F. Obtain signed recommendation forms from at least
two faculty members. One
must be from an instructor of either EDFN 338, SPED 100, or EPSY
302.
The other form must be completed by the student’s advisor.
G. Submit an electronic teacher education portfolio
with all artifacts delineated in
the Application to Teacher Education.
H. Sign professional conduct statement and a
disclosure statement of convictions
for certification in South Dakota.
I. Attend an Admission to Teacher Education session
at the beginning of the
semester of application
J. Verification of successful completion of 30 hours
of community service.
Notification of Application Status for Admission
to Teacher Education Programtc "Notification of Application Status for Admission
to Teacher Education Program"
Upon review of application materials, the Student Assessment and Monitoring
Committee notifies students in writing of their acceptance status. Admission
applications are placed in one of four categories, as follows:
Admission:
Applicants who meet all criteria are given this status and are granted immediate
admission. Thereafter, students are free to enroll in the necessary professional
education courses.
Provisional Admission:
Applicants who do not meet all of the criteria,
but who are currently engaged in completing the missing requirements, are
granted provisional admission. At the time the appropriate documentation is
submitted indicating deficiencies have been removed, the student is granted full
admission to the teacher education program.
Denied:
Students whose difficulties in meeting admission
criteria are deemed severe are denied admission. These students are notified of
the denied admission and referred to their adviser in order to develop a plan to
correct the deficiencies. The student’s adviser submits an Advisee Plan of
Action form to the Chair of the Student Assessment and Monitoring Committee. A
completion date is included in the plan and the Chair of the Student Assessment
and Monitoring Committee monitors the completion of the plan. Upon its
successful completion, the student may then resubmit an application for
admission. If the student fails to complete the plan, the adviser and Chair of
the Student Assessment and Monitoring Committee help the student determine
whether to continue to address the problem or to explore other alternatives.
Conditional Admission:
Requests for variance from the admission policy may be granted in rare cases or
under extraordinary circumstances. If the variance is approved, applicants may
be granted Conditional Admission to the teacher education program. Conditional
Admission is not granted routinely. Any student who wishes to request a variance
from the admission requirements must submit a written request for consideration
to the Student Assessment and Monitoring (SAM) Committee of the Professional
Education Council. All requests for variance must include any and all
documentation presented as evidence to support the request and must include a
plan and projected date for the completion of the admission requirements. The
SAM Committee will act on all requests in a timely manner.
Approval for Student Teaching:
The capstone experience of the teacher education
program at Dakota State University is student teaching which occurs during the
final semester prior to graduation. Student teaching is a major component of the
curriculum and a professional development experience. During student teaching,
the aspiring teacher reconstructs and tests theory, applies it, and further
develops a personal teaching style. Within student teaching, the student assumes
major responsibility for the full range of teaching in an approved school
situation under the guidance of qualified personnel from Dakota State University
and the cooperating elementary and secondary schools. Student teachers are
normally placed in only those school districts with which the College of
Education has formal agreements. While students may request specific student
teaching sites, locations for student teaching are influenced by the
availability of host schools and faculty availability for supervision. The final
decision for student teaching sites is made by the Director of Field Services.
Candidates must file an
application with the College of Education during the semester prior to student
teaching.
To qualify for student
teaching, candidates must meet the following requirements:
A. Formal admittance into the Teacher Education
Program.
B. A cumulative GPA of 2.6 or better.
C. A 2.7 or better GPA in major field courses.
D. Satisfactory completion of all coursework prior to
student teaching.
E. Satisfactory completion of all professional
education coursework, with a
“C” or better.
F. Satisfactory completion of Level III Field
Experiences based on an evaluation
from the cooperating teacher and a recommendation from the
assigned university
supervisor.
G. Successfully complete Praxis II Content Exam(s) in
applicable certification
area(s) according to current established minimum scores.
H. Submit and gain approval of electronic portfolio
(contents indicated in
application materials).
I. Request ADA accommodation if necessary. ADA
students must submit
recommendation from the ADA Committee to be admitted.
J. Schedule an appointment with the Registrar to
review the degree/program audit
(computer record of status of completion of degree/program
requirements which
also identifies any outstanding coursework). Candidates may also
complete the
application for graduation during this appointment.
K. Submit a disclosure statement of convictions for
certification in South Dakota.
NOTE: Admission to Student Teaching is
required for enrollment in ED 488, ELED 488, SPED 488 and SEED 488.
Teaching certificates in
South Dakota are issued by the South Dakota Department of Education. The
elementary certificate qualifies the holder to teach subjects in grades K-8. The
K-12 or secondary certificate qualifies the holder to teach subjects in grades
K-12 or 7-12 respectively. A middle level certification and applicable middle
school content certification are required to teach in formally organized middle
schools or junior highs in South Dakota. All teacher education programs at
Dakota State University include a middle level certification that is embedded
into required education coursework while middle school content certification
will continue to require completion of specific content courses.
Students who successfully
complete teacher education programs at Dakota State University are eligible to
receive a recommendation for the applicable teaching certification in the State
of South Dakota. All education graduates are encouraged to apply for South
Dakota certification immediately upon completion of their degree.
Teacher education graduates
may also be eligible for Dakota State University recommendation for
certification in other states, but because teaching certification/licensure
requirements vary among states, Dakota State University cannot guarantee the
graduate will be immediately certified in a particular state. To obtain specific
requirements, contact the Certification Officer in the College of Education. |
