Teacher Licensure Programs Policies and Procedures

Teacher Education Mission

The Teacher Education Unit (TEU) at Minot State University focuses on preparing teachers who demonstrate reflective decision-making and the ability to integrate knowledge of content, students, and the contexts in which we learn.

Our mission is to prepare educational professionals with:

• knowledge of content and knowledge of cognitive and developmental sciences,
• performance skills, and
• professional dispositions toward the students, curriculum, and reasons they teach.

This preparation will allow them to work successfully with:

• varied students,
• in changing classroom environments,
• within a global community.

Teacher Education Philosophy

Our philosophy for Teacher Education at MSU is to:

• prepare learners to participate in a democratic society,
• engage learners’ natural curiosity about their communities and the world,
• access and purposefully reflect upon continuously evolving knowledge-bases in their content area(s) and cognitive/developmental sciences,
• construct skills and attitudes necessary for critical thinking and the useful application of knowledge,
• build effective teacher/student/community relationships, and
• demonstrate a sense of agency toward ethical, respectful, and responsible behaviors.

THEREFORE, WE BELIEVE:

• Responsibility for the preparation and continuing development of teachers, must be shared by University faculty, educational practitioners, and the state, through its educator licensure standards;
• Teacher Education faculty must model ethical professional practice;
• Teacher Education faculty must be involved in both scholarly activities and the field of practice, to continually clarify and expand the professional knowledge base in both content and pedagogy;
• Teacher Education faculty must systematically evaluate programs and graduates to assure their continued high quality;
• Teacher Education programs must reflect global diversity and prepare professionals to teach in a pluralistic and multicultural society within a global community;
• The education of teachers must consist of a course of study that demonstrates high expectations, including a broad liberal education, academic subject matter preparation, knowledge of cognitive and developmental characteristics (of children, adolescents, young adult learners) and general and content-specific preparation in teaching methodology;
• The Teacher Education program and subsequent graduate study must include a wide variety of school-based experiences that serve as opportunities for candidates to apply pedagogical knowledge, grounded in research from cognitive and developmental science, and reflect on its application;

Teacher Education Vision

The vision we hold of our graduates is embodied in the Teacher Education Unit’s Conceptual Model, Teachers as a Reflective Decision-makers, focusing on Action, Reflection and Knowledge (ARK).

Teachers who act are decision-makers who model professional practice, who have a sense of purpose and agency to engage and empower students within inclusive communities of learners. They value, encourage, and monitor the sustained, active involvement of every student in carefully planned, meaningful learning experiences. They collaborate willingly with colleagues and other professionals on educational issues, to plan and implement practices informed by professionally grounded evidence. They offer and receive support in continuing to develop as an expert teacher.

Teachers who reflect are decision-makers who evaluate relevant choices for teaching, decide and act on the preferred choices. They continually reevaluate their choices in light of their effectiveness, evidenced by students’ responses and achievement, and by current literature and research. They reflect on cognition and learner development in regard to how students process information in the mind/brain, and the influences of the contextual environments in which students live. They hold the perspective of improving students’ future success, and life-long learning as an engine driving the common good of society.

Teachers who know are decision-makers who have acquired a strong knowledge base in subject-area content, cognitive and developmental sciences, and pedagogy. They understand that these knowledge-bases interact to help students construct meaning and useful knowledge. They understand the importance of continually striving for currency across these areas. This multi-disciplinary knowledge base provides information for reflection and action in teaching situations as well as the skills and attitudes necessary to ensure continued growth.

Professional Dispositions

In addition to the InTASC Standards, MSU Teacher Education Unit faculty has designed six professional dispositions statements which embody how we expect our graduates to be disposed toward the students, curriculum, and reasons they teach. Candidates and graduates should be:

1. The teacher candidate demonstrates respect: **Actively observes, recognizes, respects, and responds to all learners and their families (the diversity present in a classroom).
2. The teacher candidate demonstrates communication: "Uses effective written and oral communication to develop positive interactions with others through a variety of venues (face-to-face, digital, etc.) to achieve a common goal. 
3. The teacher candidate demonstrates collaboration: **Recognizes, values, and seeks out the voices of various stakeholders for the ultimate purpose of cooperation and collaboration inside and outside of the classroom."
4. The teacher candidate demonstrates a commitment to complexity of content: **Actively seeks to understand content at a deeper, fuller level and seeks the same for students
5. The teacher candidate demonstrates a commitment to student learning: **Actively engages learners in their own learning and uses data as an impetus to make decisions, both instructional and otherwise, short-term and long-term.
6. The teacher candidate demonstrates reflection: **Engages in thinking about teaching and learning, evaluating what is working and what is not working, and actively seeking to improve practice and student learning
7. The teacher candidate demonstrates responsibility:  **Takes responsibility for teaching strengths and weaknesses, as well as student learning and non-learning. 

Teacher Advisement and Field Placement Office

The Teacher Advisement and Field Placement Office (TAFP) serves all candidates enrolled in Teacher Education programs across campus. This office is responsible for regularly scheduled group meetings held throughout each academic year (Student Teaching orientations, and Student Teaching seminars). In these meetings, candidates are specifically coached regarding admission, retention, and exit policies, as well as various application procedures and deadlines associated with MSU’s Teacher Education program and certification. Office members are available for candidates on an individual basis to answer questions related to their progress through the Teacher Education program. In addition to advisement, the office is responsible for coordination of all Teacher Education field-based experiences in partnership with the schools, including practicum arrangements and student teaching placements.

Admission to Teacher Education

 All candidates seeking a BSEd degree from Minot State University (including alternative access candidates) must be admitted to teacher education. Alternative access candidates who are only seeking licensure with MSU coursework are advised of the requirements for licensure in relation to basic skills tests, GPA, and exit tests but are not required to be admitted to teacher education, (updated 9/15/2023 TEAC & P&P 9/19/2023).

The candidate must submit a completed admissions application in SLL. Candidates who meet all criteria are admitted on a weekly basis and then those admissions are ratified by TEAC. Candidates who do not meet requirements may appeal for permission to enroll in restricted courses by completing an appeal form but will not be fully admitted until all requirements are met. TEAC meets approximately two times per month.

The admission process involves the following:

• A completed NDBCI or ESPB background check or a valid substitute teaching license
• A cumulative GPA of 2.50 or higher (or recalculated GPA based on one of the two recalculation methods -- please talk to your advisor or to the TAFP Office about these methods if you are unsure).  Students who have met all other requirements for Admission to Teacher Education and do not hold an overall GPA of 2.5, but do demonstrate a 3.00 GPA in their last 45 semester hours of study, may petition for special review by TEAC for admission to Teacher Education. Students granted admission by TEAC under this provision must demonstrate an overall GPA of 2.5 prior to Student Teaching. Students who do not meet the cumulative GPA are also allowed to file an appeal to TEAC and submit a GPA calculation that counts only courses required for the full four-year degree (including general education courses).
• A major GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Satisfactory completion of ED 260L Clinical I
• Basic skill competency in reading, writing, and math.  Here are the ways to demonstrate these competencies:
  • Reading:  Grade of "A" or "B" in Engl 110, or any English literature course; OR ACT Reading score of 20; OR PRAXIS I CASE test score in reading of 156; OR SAT score of 540.
  • Writing: Grade of "A" or "B" in Engl 120;  OR ACT ELA score of 20; OR ACT Writing score of 6.5; OR PRAXIS I CASE test score in writing of 160; OR SAT score of 5 or more.
  • Math: Grade of "A" or "B" in Math 103, 104, 107, 165, 210, 277, 377, 378; ACT math score of 21; PRAXIS I CASE test score in math of 150; SAT score of 530 
  • Or submit an admission application based on a disability waiver
• Advisors recommend candidate admission to TEAC following a review of all requirements for admission in the application
• The TEU administrative assistant will provisionally admit teacher candidates who meet all criteria for admission and that status is then ratified to full admission at a meeting of TEAC. TEAC will grant or deny admittance to Teacher Education at each meeting throughout the year on a rolling basis.  After admittance to Teacher Education, the candidate may register for restricted education courses provided all other prerequisites are met.
• The advisor(s), upon verifying all of the required information in SLL, sign the verification form, and the student can upload the verification form into SLL.

The Teacher Education Administrative Council will grant or deny admission to Teacher Education at the scheduled meeting following the submission of an application.  After admission to Teacher Education, the candidate may register for restricted education courses provided all other prerequisites are met.

Application for Student Teaching

Prospective student teachers should make application for student teaching nearly a full semester in advance of their expected placement. Application materials and instructions are available from the Teacher Advisement and Field Placement office (Swain Hall 218) and in SLL.  Candidates should check the TAFP website for relevant published deadlines and announcements regarding student teaching. Only completed applications, submitted in SLL by the published deadline, will be processed and considered for approval for student teaching.

Retention in Teacher Education Criteria for Retention in Teacher Education:

1. Teacher Education candidates must maintain cumulative grade point averages of at least 2.50 in all courses in the Teacher Education core, and overall, 2.5. The candidate must receive at least a “C” grade in every course of the Teacher Education core and methods courses that require admission to Teacher Education. A grade below a “C” in a Teacher Education core course that does not require admission to teacher education may not place a candidate on probation, but prior to student teaching candidates must obtain a grade of not less than a “C” in all core courses. At the end of each semester, grades will be reviewed and if the stated conditions are not met the candidate is placed on probation. This probation must be remedied by the end of the next semester, or the candidate is automatically dropped from Teacher Education. A candidate on probation will not be allowed to student teach. See the section on “Effect of Probationary Status.”
2. The candidate must meet any additional departmental requirements. Students are requested to check with their advisors concerning any additional departmental requirements.
3. The candidate is expected to demonstrate the dispositions of a good teacher throughout the program by demonstrating commitment to: respect, communication and collaboration, complexity of content, student learning, reflection, and responsibility. Candidates who display inappropriate dispositions are to be reported by faculty or field-based supervisors. Prior to filing the report faculty would be expected to discuss their concerns about the candidate’s disposition with the candidate. If discussion of the concern does not remedy the problem, then an inappropriate disposition report is filed. Both the candidate and the reporting person should sign the report. If the candidate is unavailable (e.g., due to excessive absences) the report may be filed without the candidate’s signature. The written report is filed with the Teacher Education Unit office (Swain 218), who will forward copies to the candidate’s advisor and department Chair. The form will describe the inappropriate disposition or behavior and also indicate the level of urgency in remedying the situation. Any report of inappropriate dispositions will require that the reporting faculty member be notified of an advisor/candidate action plan to remedy the concerns. In the case of multiple reports of inappropriate dispositions or an egregious incident the candidate will be required to meet with the Teacher Education Administrative Council (TEAC) which will determine what action needs to be taken. Action may include an advisor/candidate plan to remedy concerns, probation with a plan to remedy concerns, or removal from the program. In the event of multiple reports or an egregious incident, a “plan follow through” report must be filed with TEAC prior to recommendation for licensure.
4. The candidate must maintain continuous enrollment. Candidates who are not enrolled at the University for more than one semester (excluding summer semesters), will be dropped from Teacher Education and must be re-admitted to Teacher Education before proceeding with any coursework requiring admission to Teacher Education.

Effect of Probationary Status

1. The candidate on probation must work to remedy the causes of probation and may not take any further coursework requiring admission to Teacher Education other than courses that need to be retaken. This should involve consultations with the faculty advisor.
2. Following the probationary semester, the Teacher Education Administrative Council (TEAC) will review the candidate's status. This review will include but not be limited to: the grade point averages, dispositions, recommendations from faculty, and the previous probation history. The TEAC will change the candidate’s status to fully admitted or will drop the student from the Teacher Education program. The candidate will be informed of the decision at the end of the semester. A candidate dropped from Teacher Education will be dropped from any course requiring admission to Teacher Education.
3. Candidates on probation may not apply for student teaching.

Procedure for Readmission to Teacher Education

If a candidate was dropped from Teacher Education for failure to enroll for a semester, the candidate must meet with their advisor and be recommended for reinstatement by their advisor and the department chair.

If a candidate was dropped from the program for other reasons, they must go through the full admissions process, but will not be required to duplicate relevant items from the first admission.

Exit Requirements from Teacher Education

1. Successful completion of all coursework outlined by the Teacher Education Unit and the major department.
2. Successful completion of student teaching including all required documentation.
3. Completion of required Praxis II and PLT tests.
4. Make a formal application for graduation.

Praxis II

All candidates must complete the Praxis II content and PLT exams relative to their major to be eligible for graduation. Individual departments may use their discretion in determining the most effective placement of the testing within their sequence of courses for the major.

To be eligible for licensure in ND, all candidates must demonstrate satisfactory basic content knowledge in their major as indicated by their Praxis II test(s) scores. Candidates must take the appropriate PRAXIS II test for each major they have. SPED majors are not required to take the PLT. Early Childhood majors must successfully complete the ECE PLT, Elementary Education majors must successfully complete the K-6 PLT, Secondary majors must successfully complete the 7-12 PLT, and K-12 majors must successfully complete the 7-12 PLT.

Candidates who take but do not meet or exceed the minimum Praxis II or PLT test scores established by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board may have their degree posted provided all other degree requirements are met. Candidates will be reminded that without passing the Praxis II and PLT exams, they will not be provided with a letter of support indicating that they have met ND standards for licensure.

Praxis II and Teaching Minors

A documented teaching minor will allow candidates to add that area to their licenses. Candidates may also, under current ESPB rules, add an area to their teaching licenses by successfully completing the Praxis II examination in that area, even if that area is at a different grade level, provided that they obtain initial licensure in their major area.

Licensure

The Head of the Teacher Education Unit recommends licensure based on the candidate meeting the guidelines established by the Education Standards and Practices Board of North Dakota and the requirements of the teacher education program at Minot State University.

Teacher Education Coursework