UTSA
College of
Education
&
Human
Development
Undergraduate Teacher Certification Program
Agenda
• Fitness to Teach
• Program Admission
Requirements
• Field Experiences
• Restricted Courses
• TExES Exams
• Student Teaching
• Scholarships
• Contact Information
Fitness to Teach
• Must be read prior to applying to the Teacher
Certification Program
• Fitness to Teach Policy addresses:
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Academic Requirements
Personal and Professional Requirements
Cultural and Social Attitudes and Behaviors
Physical Skills
Emotional and Mental Abilities
• Policy can be found at
http://coehd.utsa.edu/FTT/FTT.htm
Admission Requirements
• Cumulative GPA must be a 2.5 or
better
• Earn a C or better in WRC 1013
AND WRC 1023
• Have Junior Standing with at least
9 hours completed at UTSA
• Core Complete
Admission Requirements
• Passing scores on THEA, ASSET,
Compass, ACCUPLACER or meet
exemption requirement
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:
o Reading courses: 20 hours
o Curriculum and Instruction courses:
25-30 hours
o Early Childhood Education courses:
10-20 hours
o Other courses: refer to 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
which can be obtained online by following the
instructions found at
http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/Advising/document
s/OnlineInstructionstoRestrictedCourses.pdf
Restricted Courses Contd.
• EC-6 and Special Education will be
required to take “Blocked Courses”
• Require concurrent enrollment
• Designed to allow students to
spend extended periods of time in
one school setting
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
field-based courses
Criminal History
Background Check 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, contact the TExES
Testing Office at 210-458-5849.
Student Teaching
1. A placement for student teaching requires
attendance at a mandatory meeting ONE long
semester in advance
2. Requirements and guidelines for student teaching
and application information will be discussed and
disseminated at meeting
3. Deadlines:
 Spring Semester – October 1
 Fall Semester – February 15
4. 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 Monday-Friday for
the entire semester
• If you anticipate the need for
financial assistance, contact
COEHD Student Services at
least 2 semesters before you
student teach
COEHD Scholarships
and Services
• Visit COEHD Student Services webpage for
assistance
• http://coehd.utsa.edu/students/scholarships/home_
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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Degree/Program Questions:
458-4424 (1604) or 458-2550 (DT)
http://coehd.utsa.edu
Field Placement Questions:
Ron Thomas/Jesus Marquez
458-6128
ron.thomas@utsa.edu
Student Services/Scholarships:
Francesca Bronder
458-4021
TExES Exam Questions:
Cherie Weiss
458-5849
cherie.weiss@utsa.edu
Student Teaching Questions:
Janet Scott
458-5420
janet.scott@utsa.edu
Congratulations!!!
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If you would like a printout of this tutorial,
please visit
http://coehd.utsa.edu/Students/Advising
/Admin_U_T_C.htm
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Close this window and return to ASAP
Take the brief quiz
Apply to the Teacher Certification program