Introduction
The Three Cycles of
Candidacy
Cycle
I: Admission Candidacy
Cycle
II: Continuing Candidacy
Cycle
III: Exit Candidacy
Application to
Teacher Education Fee
Administrator
or Teacher Certificate Fee
Conflict
Resolution and Appeal Procedure
Policy
Regarding Teacher Certification and/or Endorsement
for
Postbaccalaureate Students
Validity of
Provisional Certificate
Requirements
for Professional Education Certification
Procedures
for Professional Education Certification
Professional
Education Certificate Renewal
(NOTE:
In some places, the wording of this policy has been modified
to clarify policies for postbaccalaureate students).
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.
Students
may 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.
Undergraduates
and Graduates of regionally accredited institutions must
provide transcripts from all educational institutions attended
to the Center for Student Services at the time of application.
The
three-cycle process leading to teacher certification is
summarized below. Students must follow the requirements in the
Teacher Education Student Handbook and the requirements of the
Michigan Board of Education in effect at the time they
complete the application process.
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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. Upon completion of
all requirements for Cycle I, the student will be placed on a
list that is ranked in order by composite scores. Admission to
teacher education will occur twice a year, once in September
and once in February, and will be based upon the student's
composite score. When enrollment has to be limited in teacher
education, rank order scores will be used to determine
admission to the program. Therefore, students who have met all
requirements for admission may not be admitted if their
composite scores are not sufficiently high to be above the
cutoff score.
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
This point in the teacher education program has
been established as a method to verify candidates' ongoing
growth and development in the teacher education program. By
fulfilling all competencies listed in the EHS Teacher
Education Student Handbook and Student Teaching Handbook,
candidates are eligible to continue in the program and move to
their student teaching experiences. Cycle II includes, but is
not limited to items such as departmental approval of all
majors and minors, completion of all professional education
courses, registration with CMU Career Services, successful
completion of an interview with EDU 458 faculty, and
completion of a specified mid-tier experience. For specific
requirements, consult the EHS Teacher Education Student
Handbook and the EHS Student Teaching Handbook.
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Cycle
III: Exit Candidacy
This point in the teacher education program is
intended as a verification of eligibility related to
graduation and certification. The Cycle III interview normally
takes place during the student teaching semester. For specific
requirements and details about Cycle III, consult the EHS
Teacher Education Student Handbook.
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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. This fee must be paid at the Student
Services Court in the lower level of the Bovee University
Center. A copy of the receipt must be submitted by the student
to the Center for Student Services prior to the date when your
application materials are due. For more information about the
Application to Teacher Education Fee, please contact the
Center for Student Services at 774-3309.
Certificate
Fee
Public Act 339 of 1988 requires candidates for a
teaching certificate or school psychologist certificate to
sign a certification agreement and to pay a fee within 30 days
when billed by the Michigan Department of Education. Top
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Conflict
Resolution and Appeal Procedure
- A
student who has a complaint regarding teacher
certification decisions should make known his or her
complaint as soon as possible, but in no case later than
sixty days after the beginning of the next regular
semester. Any exception to the time limitation shall be
for unusual and most compelling reasons. At each step of
the process, the student will be given the opportunity to
present relevant information, and the reasons for the
decision will be explained to the student.
-
A
student who feels that arbitrary and/or capricious
decisions have been made in evaluating admission, or
continuing requirements for the teacher education program,
or in the recommendation for certification, should seek
counsel and advice from his or her professional advisor.
The advisor will attempt to resolve the conflict.
-
If
the student is still not satisfied, he or she may request
in writing a consultation with the Director of
Professional Education. In the absence of the Director of
Professional Education, the student’s request in writing
should be sent to the Dean of the College of Education and
Human Services. In such cases, the dean shall act in place
of the director.
-
If
the student is not satisfied with the decision of the
Director of Professional Education, the student may submit
an appeal in writing to the Professional Education
Selection, Admission and Retention Committee. The
Professional Education Selection, Admission and Retention
Committee has the authority to overrule decisions made by
the Director of Professional Education regarding admission
or continuing requirements for the teacher education
program or in the recommendation for certification. Appeal
decisions made by the Professional Education Selection,
Admission and Retention Committee are final. Top
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Policy
Regarding Teacher Certification and/or Endorsement for
Postbaccalaureate Students
A postbaccalaureate student is defined as a student
with a non-teaching bachelor’s degree from a four-year
regionally accredited institution who is seeking teacher
certification, a student with a teaching degree who is seeking
teacher certification and/or endorsement in an additional
area, or a student with a teaching degree who is seeking
provisional or continuing certification and/or endorsement in
an additional area.
-
Postbaccalaureate
students must follow the "Standards Leading to
Teacher Certification" as published in the Bulletin
and meet Michigan Department of Education requirements
listed in the Teacher Education Student Handbook.
-
Postbaccalaureate
students must have majors and/or minors signed by a
departmental advisor in the department offering the major
or minor. Course substitutions may be approved only by the
departmental advisor.
-
Postbaccalaureate
students must complete all Professional Education courses
and other degree/certification requirements for either
elementary or secondary students as published in the
Bulletin.
-
The
Center for Student Services will submit a list of the
names of all students applying for student teaching the
following semester to each student’s major and minor
department for approval or denial.
-
The
Center for Student Services will audit the signed major
and minor of all students to certify that they have met
all the requirements before recommending them for
certification.
-
Certification
will be recommended for those teaching areas in which CMU
presently offers a major or minor.
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Validity
of Provisional Certificate
A current Elementary Provisional Certificate is valid
for teaching all subjects in grades kindergarten through five,
and major and minor fields in grades six through eight (upon
completion of the required subject area tests) as specified on
the certificate and kindergarten through eight in a
self-contained classroom. It is valid for six years and may be
renewed for three years, provided the applicant presents ten
semester hours of credit in a planned program as approved by
the university when earned after the issuance of the initial
certificate. A second three-year renewal may be granted
provided the applicant presents 18 semester hours of credit in
a planned program as approved by the university when earned
after the issuance of the initial certificate.
A
current Secondary Provisional Certificate is valid in subject
matter fields in grades seven through twelve in which the
applicant has completed a major(s) or minor(s) as specified on
the certificate. It is valid for six years and may be renewed
for three years provided that the applicant presents ten
semester hours of credit in a planned program as approved by
the university when earned after the issuance of the initial
certificate. A second three-year renewal may be granted
provided the applicant presents 18 semester hours of credit in
a planned program as approved by the university when earned
after the issuance of the initial certificate.
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Requirements
for Professional Education Certification
Professional Education Certificate: The Elementary or
Secondary Professional Education Certificate may be issued to
a candidate who has met the following requirements:
-
Has
taught successfully for three years, according to the
validity of his or her provisional certificate.
-
Has
presented evidence that he or she has completed 18
semester hours in a planned course of study beyond the
issuance date of the initial certificate. This advanced
course of study must be applicable to the applicant’s
professional development and signed with an advisor. A
copy of this program must be on file in the Center for
Student Services.
-
Elementary
applicants for the Professional Education Certificate must
have completed 6 semester hours in the methods of teaching
reading, and secondary applicants must have completed 3
semester hours in the methods of teaching reading. (If the
required reading credit was completed prior to receiving
the Provisional Certificate, it need not be repeated
within the required credit for the Professional Education
Certificate.) Top
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Procedures
for Professional Education Certification
The Candidate Shall:
-
Submit
a planned program of study beyond the bachelor’s degree
signed by the advisor and candidate.
-
If
the candidate has been admitted to a master’s degree
program, he/she may submit a copy of the Authorization
of Graduate Degree Program, signed by the advisor, with
the application as evidence that the student is pursuing
a "planned course of study beyond the bachelor’s
degree."
-
A
candidate who is not pursuing a graduate degree or who
has initially been granted non-degree status in graduate
school, or who is pursuing undergraduate study may
obtain approval for a "planned course of
study" beyond the bachelor’s degree from an advisor
in the appropriate department by contacting the
Center for Student Services. The student is expected to
have a signed program on file before registering for his
or her first graduate course work at Central Michigan
University.
-
Obtain
an application for a Professional Education Certificate
from the Center for Student Services, 204 Ronan Hall, when
the last of the requirements are in progress.
-
Fill
out the application and return it to the Center for
Student Services.
-
Return
a copy of the provisional certificate
-
Send
official transcripts directly to the Center for Student
Services for any of the 18 hours of credit not earned at
Central Michigan University, including an official
transcript of the reading requirement when appropriate.
The
University Will:
-
Evaluate
the qualifications of the candidate to determine whether
he or she satisfies requirements for a Professional
Education Certificate.
-
Obtain
a statement of support or recommendation from an
appropriate school official concerning the relevance of
this program plan for the professional development of the
candidate.
-
Recommend
the candidate to the State Department of Education for a
Professional Education Certificate if his or her
qualifications are found satisfactory.
-
Record
issuance of the Professional Education Certificate on the
student’s permanent record when notified by the State
Department of Education.
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Professional
Education Certificate Renewal
-
Professional
Education Certificate is valid for 5 years and shall be
renewed at the end of the 5-year period for an additional
5 years upon the applicant’s completion of 6 semester
hours of academic credit from an approved teacher
preparation institution, or the submission of evidence of
the equivalent in continuing education units completed
through professional development programs or professional
activities defined and approved by the State Board.
Submission is made to the Michigan Department of
Education.
-
For
persons who do not complete the requirements of subrule
(1) of this rule, the certificate expires on June 30 of
the year of the certificate’s expiration.
-
To
reinstate an expired Professional Education Certificate, a
person shall apply to the State Board for a reinstatement
and shall present evidence of the completion of the 6
semester hours, or their equivalent, in approved
professional development programs or approved professional
activities specified in subrule (1) of this rule.
- Credit
completed out of state shall be in an approved teacher
education institution and approved by the Michigan State
Board of Education prior to enrolling in a course.
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