Education, PK-12, World Languages, BS

Teacher Candidacy Screening

All teacher candidacy requirements are completed using Taskstream. The following outline presents criteria for the teacher candidacy programs.

1. Verification of at least 48 semester hours in order to meet PDE chapter 354.23 regulations.
2. Verification of at least 3.00 GPA overall and the grade of “C” or above in Education and Teaching area courses taken by the time of application.
3. Clearances: Valid PA Criminal Record Check (Act 34), PA Child Abuse Clearance (Act 151), and Federal Criminal History Record Information - FBI Fingerprinting (Act 114) indicating “no record,” as well as the Arrest/Conviction Report and Certification Form (Act 24) and TB test results.  Any citation on the Act 34, act 151 or Act 114 will result in unsuccessful screening.
4. Passing scores on the PAPA examinations (Reading, Writing, Mathematics) or Praxis I Core Exam or ACT or SAT examinations. The Education Department will inform the candidates about the examination requirements per updates from Pennsylvania Department of Education.
5. Satisfactory completion of a candidacy interview process as designed and implemented by the Education Department.
6. Completed recommendations from instructors in the following courses.

EDUC 142 - (D, S) Exceptional Lives  
EDUC 223 - (EPW, S) Educational Psychology, GR 4-12  

More specific criteria for teacher candidacy for each program is shown below.  More information is provided by the Undergraduate Program Director at scheduled meetings each semester.

Teacher Candidacy Requirements:

Completion of the following courses with a minimum grade of C:

• EDUC 142 - (D, S) Exceptional Lives 
• EDUC 223 - (EPW, S) Educational Psychology, GR 4-12  
• WRTG 107 - (FYW) Composition   (or WRTG 105  + WRTG 106 ) 
• ENLT- Elective
• 6 semester credit hours of college-level mathematics at the 102 or higher level as outlined below.

Student Teaching Requirements  

The culminating experience in the Teacher Education Program is student teaching. To apply for student teaching, the student will have: 

• completed or be currently enrolled in all major courses required to be completed prior to student teaching (as noted on specific program guides),  
• earned a grade of “C” or better in major courses completed prior to student teaching,  
• earned a grade of “C” or better in teaching area courses completed prior to student teaching, 
• obtained an overall GPA of 3.00.

(All major courses must be completed prior to student teaching as noted in specific program guides; not all teaching area courses must be completed before student teaching.)

Students must demonstrate that these requirements are still met at the end of the fall or spring semester of application to student teach.