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9/3/13
Orientation for Undergraduate (UG) and Graduate (G)
Teacher Education (TE) Candidates
Secondary Education (SEC)
Fall 2013
Dear Secondary Teacher Education Candidates,
This document includes information for undergraduate and graduate students (both MA
and Graduate Teacher Certification Programs [GTCP]). If you have any questions, please
contact
Dr. Liliana Maggioni
Coordinator of Secondary Social Studies Education Program
202-319- 6471
maggioni@cua.edu
Dr. John Convey
Coordinator of Secondary Math Education Program
202-319- 5810
conve@cua.edu
Dr. Agnes Cave
Director of Teacher Education
202-319-4633
cave@cua.edu
Ms. Jennifer Kusnierczyk
Administrative Assistant to the Director of Teacher Education
202-319-5801
218 O’Boyle Hall
kusnierczyk@cua.edu
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In this document you will find information on
1. Admission to Teacher Education
2. Admission tests
3. DC standard license and Reciprocity Agreement
4. LiveText
5. Field Experiences: Practica and Student Teaching
6. Policies in Teacher Education
I. Admission to Teacher Education
(This information is only for sophomores taking EDUC 586 since all graduate students
are automatically admitted, and most juniors have already been admitted to teacher
education [TE]. This information was also shared with sophomores who attended the fall
orientation session.)
a. Deadline for submitting all required application materials in the undergraduate
program is April 1 of your sophomore secondary (spring) semester. You need to
contact your program coordinator if your course of study does not allow you to apply
at that time.
b. Contact Ms. Kusnierczyk (Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) for all application materials in
LiveText in the fall of your sophomore year. She will send out all application forms at
the beginning of the spring sophomore semester.
c. Purchase a LiveText account at https://college.livetext.com/misk5/c1/purchase.
(Make sure you purchase, not register, your membership.) The Standard Edition
($98) is the simple version, and the Learn360 Edition ($128) includes a vast array of
video clips for your lesson plans. (Do not purchase the Field Experience Edition.)
Once you have an account, send a message with your full name and username to Ms.
Kusnierczyk at kusnierczyk@cua.edu so that your name can be added to the CUA
database.
d. As part of the application process, fill out the Teacher Education Application Form in
LiveText. Ms. Kusnierczyk (Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) will send you the URL.
e. Fill out the Candidate Profile Form in LiveText. Ms. Kusnierczyk
(Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) will send you the URL.
f. Fill out the Disposition Survey. Ms. Kusnierczyk (Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) will send
you the URL.
g. Fill out the Technology Survey: Ms. Kusnierczyk (Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) will send
you the URL. The disposition and technology surveys ask you to evaluate your own
skills and attitudes (self-assessment). These forms are not graded; we simply would
like to know a little more about you, your knowledge, skills, and dispositions.
h. Three recommendation letters will be provided by your professors. Both sophomore
level education professors (in EDUC 251 and 361) will automatically submit their
recommendations for you in LiveText. In addition you must ask an A&S professor in
your discipline (English, History, or Math) to complete a recommendation form for
you. If your A&S professor agrees, contact Ms. Kusnierczyk and give her your
professor’s contact information. Ms. Kusnierczyk will send the professor the URL for
the recommendation in LiveText.
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i. GPA info:
i. UG: Maintain a cumulative GPA (3.0) and content/education GPA
(3.0). Remember the C- policy! (If you receive a grade lower than
a C-, you need to retake the course or take another course that
fulfills that requirement. The exceptions here are TRS and
philosophy. Before registration, discuss your grade and course
selection with your advisor.)
ii. G: Maintain 3.0 GPA in education and content. If you obtain a C in
a course, you need to meet with your advisor and Chair. If you
receive two C grades, you are subject to dismissal. (See ‘Grade C
policy’ for graduate students.)
1. Courses and Key assessments: All required course assignments must be submitted in
LiveText to be admitted and to continue in the teacher education program.
2. Passing scores on admission tests: Core Academic Skills for Educators (new tests as
of F13) – See next page.
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a. PRAXIS I: required for admission
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STUDY FOR YOUR PRAXIS TEST(s)! Use Khan Academy (free tutoring on the
internet at http://www.khanacademy.org) if you need to refresh your math skills.
DC Test Requirements: http://osse.dc.gov/service/information-all-license-seekers
Create an account at www.ets.org and sign up for your PRAXIS I tests there.
The ETS website (http://www.ets.org/praxis/dc/requirements) includes all necessary
information on taking the PRAXIS I tests. Just click on PRAXIS I – Qualifying Score
Option to see the test(s). You can click on the tests, e.g., PRAXIS I Writing, and can find
information on the number of questions, material and concepts covered, and types of
questions.
If you do not use your ACT, SAT, or GRE scores, you will need to take all three Core
Academic Skills for Educators tests (Reading, Writing, Math). Each test lasts 2 hours on
the computer, and you can take the tests a few days after you register.
1. Core Academic Skills for Educators (Reading, Writing, Math) (not PRAXIS II)
 To register for the test, contact ETS at http://www.ets.org (or call 1-800-7729476) and tell them the zip code of the area where you'd like to take the test. You
can select among various test locations.
 Sophomores: Take admission test(s) in December, January or early February the
latest so that you obtain your scores by the time you apply to teacher education on
April 1st.
 Computer-Based Testing (CBT) allows you to see your scores in PRAXIS I
Reading and Math right away. It takes 6 weeks to obtain the score from the
writing test, which is hand-scored.
 Make sure you mark CUA as one of the recipients of your scores because both
need to get your official score report from ETS directly. If a code for DCPS or
OSSE is available, please mark that too.
If you need special accommodations for the PRAXIS tests, you need to request those
accommodations four (4) weeks prior to registering for the tests.
When your scores are delivered to you (either hard or electronic copies), please save your
scores on your computer immediately. (I would recommend scanning in the hard copy so
that it can be E-mailed. The digital copy needs to be saved from your ETS account also as
it is available on the internet only for 45 days.)
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b. PRAXIS II (content and pedagogy) tests are taken once you are admitted
to teacher education. More specifically, the PRAXIS II content test needs
to be taken at least two months before the student teaching semester
begins (no later than November for spring student teaching), and the
PRAXIS II pedagogy test should be taken two months prior to applying
for a license (in March of your student teaching semester if you want to
apply for a license right after graduation).
*Please note that if you are asked for a license at an interview before you obtain your DC
license, the Director of Teacher Education can write a college completion verification
letter stating that you are eligible for a license upon completion of all requirements.
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NEW TESTS in math & English as of Fall 2013
o English Language Arts: Content Knowledge (5038) to replace 0041
o Mathematics: Content Knowledge (5161) to replace 0061
Licenses can be obtained in additional subject areas as long as the required
PRAXIS II content and pedagogy tests are passed! For each additional license you
need to add another $50 to the application packet.
All PRAXIS II information can be located at www.ets.org. Click on PRAXIS,
then PRAXIS II. Specific information can be located by going to State
Requirements, click on District of Columbia, click on PDF file next to test.
II. DC Standard License and Reciprocity
Candidates are eligible for the standard (Regular II) DC license upon completion of a
program (required field experiences and courses as well as key assessments in those
courses) and passed all Core Academic Skills for Educators (or alternative) and PRAXIS
II tests. This Regular II license is now valid only for four years not five.
 Use the F-2 Application for Initial DC Educator License form at
http://education.cua.edu/res/docs/License/Application-for-DC-Educator-LicenseREGULAR-II-S12.pdf to apply for your Regular II (standard) teaching license.
 Use the F-5 Application for Teaching Endorsement at
http://education.cua.edu/res/docs/kd-6-f5-osse-teaching-endorsement-app-vf-614-10.pdf if you plan to obtain licenses in additional areas in which you did not
complete a program but passed the required PRAXIS II content and pedagogy
tests.
 Use the Regular I (provisional license) application if you are a teacher of record
and need a provisional license while you are completing the teacher education
program. This license is valid only for two years (not three) until all requirements
are fulfilled for a Regular II (standard) license.
 Once you graduate, CUA notifies DC’s Office of the State Superintendent of
Education of your program completion. Having received all your application
materials, OSSE will need 6-8 weeks to issue your teaching license.
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 FBI background check info:
o FBI check URL and list of locations:
http://osse.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/osse/publication/attachments/
Criminal%20History%20Report%20all%20other%20applicants_8.pdf
Everyone applying for a DC license must obtain a national background check from the
FBI. (Documents are available on our website at
http://education.cua.edu/Current%20Students/students.cfm). You should start the FBI
check procedure 3-4 months prior to completing your degree so that you have the
background check results by the time you submit your license application packet form to
the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE). Upon your graduation, CUA
informs OSSE of your program completion and sends the appropriate paperwork to
OSSE. Once your application packet you submit to OSSE is complete, OSSE will process
your license. Submitting your FBI check results to OSSE late will delay the process.
Through reciprocity candidates are eligible for a Regular I license in 44 states and
jurisdictions.
Reciprocity agreement for standard license
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wyoming
The application fee is $50. DC continues to revise their license application form; please
obtain the latest version at http://education.cua.edu/Current%20Students/students.cfm (go
to the License Forms tab at the top) or from Ms. Kusnierczyk.
Forward completed application packets to:
OSSE – Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Educator Licensure and Accreditation
810 First Street NE, 5th Floor
Washington, DC 20002
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III. LiveText
All TE candidates need to have purchased LiveText (the cheaper version suffices) and
need to submit key assignments (identified by faculty) in LiveText. Make sure you save
your assignments on a flashdrive also.
Presentation in LiveText: Submission of assignments for assessment
*When registering for their new LiveText account, all candidates must enter their
Student ID (when prompted to enter their school ID) into LiveText to be properly
matched up as an enrollee in each course. (If the username and student ID are not entered
into the system, candidates will not be added to their courses and will not have access to
course materials and assignments!) Please remember to send Ms. Kusnierczyk your
LiveText username so that she can add you to our database.
Field Experiences: Practica & Student Teaching
Field Placements: Candidates are required to complete field experiences in varied
settings. Candidates are placed in various schools that are public, private, parochial, or
charter and various grade levels in their program of studies. Placements are designed to
provide candidates with the greatest variety of experiences and are arranged based on the
decisions of faculty.
Practicum Experiences
 Practicum placements take place in middle schools and high schools (Grades 712). These placements include diverse learning environments.
Do not forget to schedule your UG junior audit with the Dean’s office.
Student Teaching
 The Student Teaching Application is available in LiveText. Contact Ms.
Kusnierczyk to add your name to the database, and she will send you the URL for
the student teaching application.
 Deadline: 1st week of semester prior to student teaching (e.g., first week of
September for student teaching in the spring). You MUST take the PRAXIS II
content (not pedagogy) test before student teaching. The results are due to Dr.
Cave’s office before you start the student teaching semester. Plan ahead!
 ST-ing numbers for secondary education candidates not currently teaching:
1. EDUC 597, 598, 599
2. EDUC 498 (Undergraduate Comprehensive Examination)
3. ENG 498 or MATH 498 or HIST 498 (Undergraduate Comprehensive
Examination) – depending on your secondary teacher education major
4. Graduate students need to sign up for comps also. Ms. Mammo will send out a
message regarding the number.
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ST-ing numbers for secondary education candidates currently teaching:
o EDUC 600
Contact your program coordinator before being absent from practicum. All
missed hours must be made up.
Contact Ms. Neely (neely@cua.edu) before being absent from student teaching.
All missed hours must be made up.
Document your hours in the field (sign attendance sheet).
Before student teaching:
o TB test
o Background check
o PRAXIS II content test
Disability Support Services – Policy for Candidates Registering for Field
Experiences
If you have a disability, we encourage you to inform Dr. Agnes Cave (cave@cua.edu),
Director of Teacher Education or Ms. Elsie Neely (neely@cua.edu), Director of Field
Experiences of your disability so that we can best help you in terms of accommodations
for your field experience. We further encourage you to coordinate with the office of
Disability Support Services to ensure you obtain support for completing the program. If
you choose not to reveal this information, understand that there are consequences for that
decision. Accommodations are not retroactive. Please visit the DSS website at
http://disabilitysupport.cua.edu for additional information.
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IV. Policies
Undergraduates: We can discuss your educational progress with your parents only
if you give us permission to do so. If you want to give permission, please do the
following:
1. Obtain the Education Record Release Form at
http://enrollmentservices.cua.edu/res/docs/Education-Record-ReleaseForm.pdf and
2. Submit the completed form to the Registrar’s office.
Key assessments: All required course assignments must be submitted in LiveText
in order to be admitted to and to continue in the teacher education program.
Admission & Retention policy: Maintain the appropriate GPA to be admitted and
to continue in the program.
Repeat course policy (in case D or F)
Only one provisional semester (before admission) and one probationary semester
(once admitted to program) can be given to a candidate.
Appeal process for (1) decisions in the Unit Assessment System (if e.g., someone
is denied admission to TE) and (2) disposition concerns.
Background check for field experiences and license application
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CUA's policy regarding Absenteeism: http://artssciences.cua.edu/undergraduate/advising-handbook/formabsence.cfm
CUA's Policy on Student Academic Dishonesty can be located at the following
URL: http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad/integrityfull.cfm It is all
candidates' responsibility to become familiar with this policy.
See http://policies.cua.edu/academicundergrad/index.cfm and CUA Advising
Handbook (http://arts-sciences.cua.edu/advising/) for other policies.
Graduate Student Handbook: http://education.cua.edu/res/docs/GraduateHandbook-fall-2011.pdf
All TE documents (CF, UAS, handbooks): http://education.cua.edu/tedocs.cfm
Junior audit for undergraduate juniors
Information for graduate students regarding the comprehensive exam (Action
Research Paper), research (formerly known as non-thesis) papers and other
pertinent information will come from the Chair's office and the academic
advisors.
Please check CUA E-mail account regularly (or forward your CUA mail to your
preferred non-CUA E-mail address).
Information about student teaching and licensure is provided at the student
teaching orientation.
Master’s candidates only: Comprehensive (Action Research Paper) & Research
papers (See next page.)
o Comps: Action Research Paper in student teaching semester
o Research (formerly known as Non-Thesis Option) Papers (submitted a
semester prior to taking comps)
 EDUC 699
 EDUC 702
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MA Program Exit Requirements (As of Fall 2011, Revised in Fall 2012)
Research (formerly known as Non-Thesis Option) Papers:
Requirements. If a student chooses not to do a Master’s thesis, two research MA papers
are required. One research MA paper will be written in EDUC 699: Introduction to
Educational Research. The second research paper will be written in EDUC 702:
Advanced Foundations of Education (not in EDUC 525: Psychology of Learning for
Diverse Populations). The research papers are scholarly, comprehensive literature
review papers on an approved topic. Each paper must be at least 20 pages in length and
include at least 20 scholarly references. The professor of record for the course will grade
the research papers. Students must receive a grade of B or better in order for the paper to
count as the research paper. Students who receive a grade lower than B on the paper have
the option of working with the professor of the course to improve the paper to meet the
requirements of a research paper. Such students must complete a contract with the course
professor that specifies the steps and deadlines in revising the paper, with the final
revision submitted for approval no later than the mid-term of the following semester.
Completed research papers must be approved by the course instructor and by the
Department Chair. They indicate their approval by signing the “Research Paper Form,”
which includes an abstract of the paper.
Comprehensive Exam: Action Research Paper
Requirements. MA students will write an Action Research Paper (ARP) during their final
teaching experience while enrolled in a field experience course. Criteria include a clear
statement of educational philosophy, use of pretest data to document the problem under
study, use of the reflective framework to examine dilemmas related to teaching strategies,
use of scholarly literature to explore appropriate interventions, implementation of an
intervention, use of posttest data to document the effect of the intervention on student
learning, and personal reflection about the processes involved with transforming one’s
teaching. This paper must be 20-40 pages in length and include at least 20 scholarly
references. The faculty member who supervises the candidate during student teaching
will evaluate the paper using the ARP Comprehensive Exam Scoring Rubric. The
candidate’s average score must “meet expectations.” If the university supervisor is not a
faculty member, a faculty member will be assigned to evaluate the ARP. Completed
ARP papers must be approved by the assigned faculty member and by the Department
Chair. They indicate their approval by signing the “Comprehensive Exam Action
Research Paper Form,” which includes an abstract of the paper. Papers must be
submitted to the department before the graduation deadline date in order to graduate in
the same semester.
Electronic submission will occur as required by the program for the research papers and
Action Research Paper (ARP) comprehensive exam.
This policy is effective beginning in Fall 2011 (and was revised in Fall 2012).
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Additional Information
Dr. Convey will begin offering the secondary math methods course starting in Fall
2014. The course numbers are 479 for undergraduates and 579 for graduate students.
CUA’s professional education unit has been accredited by NCATE since 1975, and
all programs are state and SPA approved.
All important documents (Conceptual Framework [documents, videos], Unit
Assessment System) are uploaded at the following website:
http://education.cua.edu/Current%20Students/students.cfm
Study Abroad
o If you’re interested in studying abroad, meet with your advisor/program
coordinator and then see Dr. Cave for more information.
o SEC candidates need to see their program coordinator and the content advisor
for advisement.
Communication with your instructor and advisor
Impact of personal photos/videos on internet
CUA resources for academic and emotional support
I verify that I have attended the orientation meeting and received all TE materials. I
understand that if I have any questions, I can contact my advisor, Ms. Jennifer
Kusnierczyk (Kusnierczyk@cua.edu) and Dr. Agnes Cave (cave@cua.edu) in the
Teacher Education Office located in O’Boyle.
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Signature of Teacher Education Candidate
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Date