Teacher Education Program

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This Teacher Education Program (TEP) information addresses the new certification programs mandated by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) that will be followed by all students starting in Fall 2010 or after.

Programs

  • Pre-kindergarten through fourth grade (PK-4) certification
  • Special Education concentrations that specifies a grade band of Pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades (PK-12)
  • Middle Level certification in grades four through eight (4-8)

The Education Department also offers a minor in Secondary Certification Education grades 7-12 in Biology, Chemistry, English, Earth & Space Science (with a major in Earth and Environmental Sciences), Physics, Spanish, and Social Studies (with a major in History or Political Science)

Students should regularly consult with their academic advisors and the Education Department for any changes or considerations. The Education Department offers specific advising checklists and policy documents to help guide students in their respective programs.

The Teacher Education Program

Students who are preparing for teacher certification must be formally admitted to the Teacher Education Program at Wilkes University, which includes completion of a formal written application. Students are expected to review and comply with policy documents available in the Education Department office (Breiseth Hall, Rm. 204). Policies may change due to changes in the PDE regulations.

Criteria

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

The student must...

  1. Complete 48 semester hour credits (including 6 credits of Mathematics and 6 credits of English as required by the PDE);
  2. Achieve a minimum GPA of 2.5 to register for ED 190 (Effective Teaching with Field Experience) and ED 191 (Integrating Technology into the Classroom);
  3. Achieve final grades of 2.5 or higher in ED 180, ED 190, and ED 191;
  4. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.85 to proceed from 100-level ED courses to 200-level ED courses;
  5. Achieve a cumulative GPA of 3.0 to be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program and to continue in courses at the 300-level;
  6. Take and pass a test of basic skills (PAPA or Praxis Core) in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics or have earned SAT scores of 1550 with at least 500 in each area in order to be formally admitted into the Teacher Education Program and to register for 300-level Education courses;
  7. Maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA to be retained in the program following formal admission (as required by the PDE);
  8. Submit or have on file in the Education Office current, valid Act 34 State Police Criminal Record Check, ACT 151 Child Abuse History Clearance, and Act 114 FBI Fingerprint Check all showing “No Record”;
  9. Complete and submit the Teacher Education Program Application, Philosophy, Disposition Assessments, Code of Professionalism and Academic Honesty, and Agreement of Understanding of student policies.

Student Teaching Requirements

  1. Successful completion of the requirements for TEP Admission and Retention;
  2. Achievement of the major and minor GPA requirements;
  3. Attendance at the Student Teaching Placement Meeting in the semester prior to student teaching;
  4. Completion of all required paperwork obtained at the Student Teaching Placement Meeting in the semester prior to student teaching;
  5. Clearances with no offenses;
  6. Completion of all required coursework and fieldwork, with the exception of Student Teaching;
  7. Registration form with advisor’s signature; and
  8. Approval of student teaching eligibility by the major department, the Education Department, and the Teacher Education Committee.

Students are assigned to schools in Wyoming, Luzerne, or Lackawanna counties for student teaching.

Note: Student teaching placement is contingent upon availability of supervisors and decisions of school administrators. Students may not student teach in a school from which they have graduated. Students are expected to reside within driving distance from Wilkes University when completing the student teaching semester.

Requirements for Graduation and Certification

  1. Achievement of the major and minor GPA requirements;
  2. Completion of all Wilkes University and TEP requirements;
  3. Successful completion of Student Teaching, including satisfactory scores on each category of the Pennsylvania Statewide Evaluation Form for Student Professional Knowledge and Practice (PDE 430);
  4. Provided evidence of passing scores on all relevant PECT or PRAXIS II tests. NOTE: A student may graduate without passing all PECT or PRAXIS II tests, but cannot obtain PDE certification;
  5. Completed the Wilkes University application for graduation (provided by the University Registrar);
  6. Reviewed the graduation audit (provided by the University Registrar) with academic advisor;
  7. Completed PDE Application Form PDE 338G (General Application) for Pennsylvania Teacher Certification;
  8. Completed PDE application form on the Teacher Information Management System (TIMS) website external website for Pennsylvania Teacher Certification

Note: Program requirements may change at the discretion of the Pennsylvania Department of Education.