UTSA
College of Education
Human Development
Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program
Agenda
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Overview of Texas Standards
Fitness to Teach
Program Admission Requirements
Field Experiences
Restricted courses
TExES Exams
Student Teaching
Contact Information
Overview of Texas Standards
• State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC)
sets the standards for beginning teachers
• Standards can be found at:
http://www.sbec.state.tx.us
• SBEC requires all teacher candidates to pass
the TExES pedagogy and content area exams
• Study guides for the exam can be found at:
http://www.texes.ets.org/prepMaterials/
Overview contd.
• Degree vs. Certification:
– Requirements for each are different
– Degrees are awarded by UTSA
– Certificates are issued by the State of Texas upon
recommendation of UTSA
– All students will receive degree advising from
COLFA or COS (PE and Health are the exception)
– COEHD Advising Center assists students with
meeting certification requirements
Fitness to Teach
• Must be read prior to applying to the Teacher Certification
Program
• Fitness to Teach Policy addresses:
– Academic Requirements
– Personal and Professional Requirements
– Cultural and Social Attitudes and Behavior
– Physical Skills
– Emotional and Mental
Abilities
• Policy can be found at
http://coehd.utsa.edu/FTT/FTT.htm
Admission Requirements
• Cumulative GPA must
be 2.5 or better
• Earn a C or better in
WRC 1013 AND WRC
1023.
• Junior Standing with
at least 9 hours
completed at UTSA
• Core Complete
Admission Requirements
• Passing scores on THEA, ASSET,
COMPASS, ACCUPLACER or other
exemptions.
ASSET
COMPASS
ACCUPLACER
THEA
Reading
41
81
78
230
Math
38
39
63
230
Writing
40
59
85
220
Essay
6
6
6
Admission Requirements
• Complete a Teacher
Certification
Program Application
in ASAP
• Submit authorization
for a Texas Dept. of
Public Safety
Criminal
Background Report
Field Experience
• Field Experience (field work) is time spent in
an educational setting, usually a public school,
in addition to regular class hours.
• Field Experiences allow students to:
– Develop teaching skills in the context of a school
setting
– Develop an understanding of the needs of diverse
learners
Field Experience:
What does it require?
• Each student is required to complete a minimum
number of hours of observation or participation per
class, per semester
• For example:
– Reading courses: 20 hours
– Curriculum and Instruction courses: 25-30
– Other courses: refer to the course description for details
• Criminal background checks required
Restricted Courses
• Must have all prerequisites completed AND be
admitted to the teacher certification program
• Restricted courses require advisor clearance and
be obtained online by following the instructions
found at
http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/Advising/documents/
OnlineInstructionstoRestrictedCourses.pdf
Advising Tips: Field Experiences
and Restricted Courses
• Plan carefully to make sure all prerequisites
are met
• Check course descriptions in the current
catalog to determine course prerequisites
• Build in travel time before and after fieldbased courses
Criminal History Background process
COEHD courses that involve field experience require that a
criminal history check be conducted before students are allowed
to participate in or obtain class credit for field-based
assignments.
• Every student is required to fill out a criminal background check at the
time of course registration. Please visit
http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/FESP/BG_Checks/BG_Intro.htm to get
the form and for more information about criminal background checks.
• If you have ever been arrested, it is very likely that the arrest(s) will
appear when your background check is run. To learn more about how
arrest(s) on your record can impact your ability to become a certified
teacher, please visit
http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/FESP/BG_Checks/Impact.htm
TExES Certification Exams
• Students are encouraged to complete all practice tests,
reviews, and TExES exams the semester before
student teaching
• Information for practice exams, review sessions and
state exam registration procedures can be found at
http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/TExAS/Home_TExES.htm
• For more information please contact the TExES
Testing Office at 210-458-5849.
Student Teaching
• A placement for student teaching requires attendance
at a mandatory meeting ONE long semester in
advance
• Requirements and guidelines for student teaching and
application information will be discussed and
disseminated at meeting
• Deadlines:
• Spring Semester – October 1
• Fall Semester – February 15
• All coursework should be completed before student
teaching
Student Teaching contd.
• Student teaching is a full-time
commitment and working while
student teaching is highly
discouraged
• Student will be assigned to a school
and cooperating teacher MondayFriday for the entire semester
• If you anticipate the need for
financial aid assistance, contact
COEHD Student Services at least 2
semesters before you student teach
COEHD Scholarships
and Services
• Visit COEHD Scholarship webpage and for
assistance
• http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/scholarships/ho
me_scholarships.htm
• Services offered:
– Guidance in finding and applying for scholarships
– A “Scholarship Alert” e-mail
– Essay writing assistance
• Be aware of application deadlines
Contact Information
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College of Education
http://coehd.utsa.edu
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College of Science
http://www.utsa.edu/cosuac/
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College of Liberal and Fine Arts
http://colfa.utsa.edu/advising/
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Certification Questions:
458-6287 (1604) or 458-2550 (DT)
http://coehd.utsa.edu
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KIN Degree Advising
458-4424 (1604) or 458-2550 (DT)
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Student Services/Scholarships
Francesca Bronder
458-4021
francesca.bronder@utsa.edu
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Field Placement Questions
Ron Thomas
458-6128
ron.thomas@utsa.edu
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Student Teaching Questions
Janet Scott
458-5420
janet.scott@utsa.edu
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TExES Exam Questions
Cherie Weiss
458-5849
cherie.weiss@utsa.edu
Congratulations!!
• If you would like a printout of this tutorial,
please visit:
http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/advising/adm
in_U_T_C.htm
• Close this window and return to ASAP
• Take the brief quiz
• Apply to the Teacher Certification program