Introduction
The Three Cycles of Candidacy
Cycle I: Admission Candidacy
Cycle II: Continuing Candidacy
Cycle II: Exit Candidacy
Application to Teacher Education Fee
Administrator or Teacher Certificate Fee

This policy is under review by the Professional Education Council. For the latest information, students are advised to contact teacher education student services, 203 Ronan Hall.

Introduction 
Students seeking to enter the Teacher Education program at Central Michigan University are screened using multiple criteria related to teacher excellence and the CLEAR model for teacher education. The selection criteria assess characteristics appropriate for students pursuing a professional teaching practice that is Content–or knowledge–driven, LEArner-centered and Reflective/ Relevant to the multiple roles and contexts of the professional educator. Once a student is admitted, cognitive and affective skills are both developed and monitored throughout the teacher education experience, which stresses faculty mentoring of all prospective teachers. Excellent teachers demonstrate an interest in students, an ability to relate to and communicate with diverse students in varied ways, as well as the ability to motivate and facilitate learning. Teacher candidates at CMU must be learner-centered and able to communicate both in writing and in face-to-face interactions with spontaneity and clarity. The student’s aptitude for, attitudes toward, and interests in teaching, as well as his or her interpersonal skills such as empathy, rapport, and listening are assessed through a structured interview process. Academic knowledge is reflected by an overall grade point average that includes a minimum 2.7 grade point average in each teaching major and minor. Additionally, students are required to attain a C+ (2.3) or better in the professional and methods courses and a B in the introductory course. Each student will receive professional support from faculty mentors who are available not only to discuss the student’s work and experiences, but also to model the process of forming professional relationships between teachers and students. Students should apply for admission into the Teacher Education program when they have completed at least 60 credit hours of post-secondary course work or immediately upon transferring to CMU. The steps in the process leading to teacher certification are described below. Students must follow the requirements in the Teacher Education Student Handbook and the requirements of the Michigan Board of Education.
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The Three Cycles of Candidacy 
Cycle I: Admission Candidacy 
Each student who expects to earn either an Elementary Provisional Certificate or a Secondary Provisional Certificate must file an application for entry into teacher education. Application forms and related information are found in the Teacher Education Student Handbook available at the Bovee University Center bookstore. Cycle I is a two-part process, acceptance for candidacy status and admission to the teacher education program. To be accepted for candidacy status, students must successfully complete the following criteria.

1 . 60 Credit Hours: Students must have completed at least 60 credit hours of postsecondary course work. 

2. Majors/Minors: Students must submit signed majors and minors with their application. 

3. Grade Point Average: Students must maintain a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 2.7 on all postsecondary course work completed at a regionally accredited college or university. For entering transfer students and postbaccalaureate students seeking initial teacher certification, until a grade point average is earned at CMU, the GPA will be calculated on 12 semester hours or more from a regionally accredited college or university. The CMU grade point average will be used for all calculations after 12 semester hours or more have been earned at Central Michigan University. Transfer and postbaccalaureate students must submit transcripts on all prior postsecondary course work to the student services office in Ronan Hall. 

4. ELE/SED 107: Students must complete ELE/SED 107, Introduction to Teaching, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of B. Students may repeat ELE/SED 107 only once to raise their grade. If students retake this course, the most recent grade will apply for candidacy purposes. 

5. Written Expression: Students must demonstrate competence in written English in two ways: a.) Pass the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification writing subtest at the passing score set by the Michigan Department of Education, and b.) Complete ENG 10 1, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of B-. 

6. Structured Interview: Students must satisfactorily complete the structured interview with a minimum score of 33. Students may repeat the interview one time. The score will be adjusted, and the most recent score will apply for candidacy purposes. Students must contact the student services office in Ronan Hall to schedule the structured interview. 

7. Pre-Professional Experience: Students must present verified evidence of having completed at least 90 clock hours working with children or youth. Forty-five of the 90 clock hours must be acquired in a Pre-K-- 12 school classroom with the age level appropriate to the elementary or secondary certificate being pursued. Up to 20 hours may be attained in ELE/SED 107, Introduction to Teaching. The appropriateness of the experience is determined by the student services office in Ronan Hall. 

8. Competency Requirements: Students must demonstrate competence in written English, oral English, and mathematics. For candidacy purposes, regarding written English, students must complete ENG 101, or its equivalent, with a minimum grade of B-. Details pertaining to these competencies are included in the Competency Requirements subsection of the General Education Requirements section of this Bulletin. 

9. Speech and Hearing Competencies: Students must demonstrate competence in speech and hearing by passing a special speech and hearing screening administered by the Department of Communication Disorders. Details pertaining to this screening are included in the oral English Competency Requirements subsection of the General Education Requirements section of the Bulletin. 

10. Basic Skills Tests: Students must attain state-approved passing scores in reading, written English, and mathematics on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification as determined by the Michigan Department of Education. (Passing scores on these tests are mandated for all teacher education candidates seeking teacher certification.) 

11. Mentor Meeting: Students must meet with their faculty mentors at least once to review the candidacy/admission process and ensure that all requirements have been met. Faculty mentors are assigned by the student services office in Ronan Hall. 

12. Application Fee: Students must pay a $50 application fee at the Student Services Court/Bovee University Center and submit a copy of the receipt to the student services office in Ronan Hall. 

13. Graduates Only: Postbaccalaureate students returning for initial teacher certification must be admitted to the Graduate School and must provide transcripts on all postsecondary course work to the student services office in Ronan Hall.

Admission to teacher education is the second part of Cycle I. The review of candidates for admission occurs twice a year, once in September and once in February. A composite score is derived from two criteria: The GPA calculated on the credit hours of the last 3 semesters, or at least 30 hours, whichever is greater, of course work completed at any regionally accredited college or university, and The structured interview score The composite scores will be ranked, and approximately 300 of the top ranking students will be admitted each semester. Therefore, it is possible that students who have met all the Cycle I candidacy requirements still may not be admitted to the program. 

Students must be admitted to the teacher education program before being eligible to enroll in professional education courses that have “admission to teacher education” as a prerequisite. Admission to the program is valid for five years from the date of admission to teacher education. Changes mandated by the Michigan Department of Education may become effective at any time in a student’s education program.
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Cycle II: Continuing Candidacy 
1. A minimum grade of C+ (2.3) must be earned in each professional education course and in each departmental methods course. An individual department may require a higher grade for its departmental methods course(s). 

2. Approval of the student’s major and minor must be obtained from the appropriate departments. This approval will be filed officially in the Registrar’s Office, Warriner 212, and in the Office of Teacher Education Student Services. A minimum 2.7 g.p.a. must be earned in all teaching majors and minors. Departments may set a higher g.p.a. in majors and minors and establish additional criteria for approval of students for student teaching. 

3. Competencies in educational technology and computers must be demonstrated at the Instructional Materials Center in Ronan Hall. This is accomplished in SED 220-Educational Media or ELE 320-Elementary Mathematics Methods, ELE 330 Reading in the Elementary School, ELE 340-Science and Social Studies in the Elementary School, or computer/technology courses. 

4. The student must complete any professional education courses, major courses, and minor courses that are prerequisites for student teaching. In addition, the student must complete at least 75% of the hours required in both the major and minor(s). For each professional education course completed prior to student teaching, the student must have a C+ or better. 

5. Students who plan to student teach the following semester must apply for a student teaching assignment during the first two weeks of the semester preceding the student teaching assignment. 

6. The student must plan to take and pass appropriate subject area examination(s), preferably before student teaching in case it becomes necessary to retake one or more tests. 

7. A minimum grade point average of 2.5 is required for approval to student teach; 2.7 g.p.a. is required in all teaching majors/minors. 

8. A Cycle II meeting with the student's mentor must be held. A student's professional portfolio will be developed and maintained by the mentor and student. Upon completion of all requirements for Cycle II, the student may be approved by the Professional Education Council for student teaching. 

9. Complete the Midtier Field Experience as required by the student's Major department and/or the Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development.
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Cycle III: Exit Candidacy 
1. The student must complete student teaching successfully. 

2. If the student does not successfully complete student teaching, or at the request of the supervising teacher or the student teaching coordinator, an advising session with the Associate Director of Clinical and Field Experiences to discuss the student’s progress through the program must be completed. If the Associate Director of Clinical and Field Experiences is made aware of any student weaknesses or special needs in oral or written communication skills, in mathematics, or in the ability to relate and communicate knowledge to others, the student and Associate Director of Clinical and Field Experiences will determine an appropriate action plan to be initiated by the student. The plan must be carried out to the Associate Director of Clinical and Field Experiences' satisfaction before exit candidacy is completed. 

3a. To receive an elementary provisional certificate the student must (a) complete exit candidacy, (b) satisfy the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, (c) have an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher, (d) pass appropriate subject area tests and (e) have the appropriate combination of: 1. a teaching major and minor or, 2. three teaching minors. Within the combination, two of the units must be in subject areas that are typically taught in the elementary school. The combinations must be appropriate as stated in the Bulletin. 

3b. To receive a secondary provisional certificate the student must (a) complete exit candidacy, (b) satisfy the requirements for a bachelor’s degree, (c) have an overall grade point average of 2.5 or higher, (d) pass appropriate subject area tests, and (e) have a teaching major and minor, or two teaching majors or a teaching major and two teaching minors in subject areas in which the candidate expects to teach. The combinations must be appropriate as stated in the Bulletin.
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Application to Teacher Education Fee 
Education students are required to pay a one time non-refundable Application to Teacher Education Fee. The $50.00 fee is used to help cover the cost of application and certification processing and to provide new services through the Mentor Center. This fee must be paid at the Student Services Court in the lower level of the Bovee UC prior to the date when your application materials are due. For more information about the Application to Teacher Education Fee, please contact the Teacher Education Student Services Office at 774-3309.
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Administrator or Teacher Certificate Fee
Public Act 339 of 1988 requires candidates for a teaching certificate, administrator certificate or school psychologist certificate to sign a certification agreement and to pay a fee within thirty days when billed by the Michigan Department of Education.
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