Education: Middle Grades Major: Science Track with Learning & Behavior Disorders Major

Admission to Teacher Education (Transition Point 1)

Students preparing for the teaching profession and initial teacher certification must be accepted into the teacher education program. Formal application for admission may be made upon completion of a required set of courses. Applications are obtained through the School of Education office. Transfer students desiring teacher certification must meet with the Chair to determine eligibility for admission.

General criteria for acceptance into teacher education programs are as follows:

1. Evidence of specific competency levels in the following basic skills: oral and written communication, reading, writing and mathematics. Applicants to teacher education must demonstrate these competencies through their liberal arts and professional course work (including experiences in the field) and by meeting minimum score requirements on the ACT or Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE): Reading, Mathematics, and Writing. Passing scores more than ten years old at the time of TP1 are NOT considered valid.

2. Mandatory meeting(s) with education advisor at least once per semester.

3. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75.

4. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the teaching major content area(s).

5. A minimum grade of B- in all professional education classes, with a 2.75 cumulative grade point average in professional education courses.

6. Successful completion of the required prerequisite education courses for your major (see degree requirement links below).

7. A minimum grade of C+ in ENGL 101; COMM. 103 or 205.

8. Elementary & Middle School majors – a minimum grade of C+ in MATH 101 and MATH 102.

9. Successful completion of transition point benchmarks.

10. Receipt of satisfactory recommendations from instructors of Education courses, selected General Education courses, and cooperating teachers of field-based experiences.

11. Appropriate teacher dispositions as delineated by the School of Education.

12. Code of Ethics.

13. Admission interview that assesses Critical Thinking, Creativity, Collaboration, and Communication.

Application for the Professional Semester (Transition Point 2)

Application for the Professional Semester must be filed with the School of Education during the designated spring semester prior to the term in which the student plans to student teach. Students must have been accepted into the teacher education program. General criteria for acceptance into the Professional Semester are the following:

1. Senior standing as determined at Bellarmine University by satisfactory completion of 90 or more semester hours of course work.

2. Required number of field experiences, and satisfactory completion of those experiences.

3. Acceptable academic requirements including:

a. Mandatory meeting(s) with education advisor at least once per semester.

b. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75.

c. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the teaching major content area(s).

d. A minimum grade point average of 2.75 in professional education courses, with a minimum grade of B- in all professional education courses.

e. Completion of three-fourths of all required professional Education courses with an academic standing of at least B- in each course (with an overall grade point average of 2.75 in education courses).

f. Completion of at least three-fourths of the course work for the teaching major and/or all of the course work.

g. Approval of the Teacher Education faculty. This decision is based upon evidence that the student demonstrates maturity, interpersonal and communication skills, and the attitudes, dispositions, knowledge, competence and judgment necessary to be an effective teacher.

h. Appropriate teacher dispositions as delineated by the School of Education.

i. Code of Ethics.

Exit from Program (Transition Point 3)

1. Successful completion of the professional semester.

2. Successful completion of all program requirements, including:

a. A minimum B- in all professional education courses, with an overall cumulative grade point average of 2.75 in education courses; and

b. A minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75, with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the teaching major content area(s).

c. Successful completion of all benchmark requirements.

d. Successful completion of all field requirements.

e. Appropriate teacher dispositions and resolution of any disposition intervention plans.

Teacher Certification Criteria

Teacher certifications are issued by the State of Kentucky upon recommendation from the School of Education. In order to be granted certification in Kentucky the following criteria must be met:

1. Bellarmine’s Teacher Education faculty must officially recommend that a student be issued the appropriate certification. Such a recommendation must validate that:

a. the student has been admitted to teacher education,

b. the student has passed his/her supervised Professional Semester experience, and

c. the student has completed the approved program of studies for the certificate to be issued.

2. The Teacher Education program graduate must pass the appropriate PRAXIS Assessments. Upon receipt of a completed certification application, the KDE Office of Educator Licensure and Effectiveness issues the teaching credential.