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Teacher Education Program

Concordia University Texas currently offers State-approved programs for Elementary (Early Childhood through grade 6), Middle School (grades 4-8), Secondary (grades 7-12) and Special Education (grades EC-12). Certification based on the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Certification  Rules for an Educator Preparation Program. Upon completion of a teacher education program at Concordia and successful completion of the State certification examinations (TExES), a graduate may apply for recommendation for the appropriate Texas State certification.

Beginning in Fall 2013, students wishing to be admitted into the College of Education will need to complete the following COMMON EXPERIENCE course requirements:

Foundation Courses

ENG 1316 Academic Research and Writing

MTH 1351 College Algebra

EDU 3323 Educational Technology

COM 1300 Fundamentals of Communication

LRD 1101 Life and Leadership

Liberal Arts Emphasis

PSY 1311 Intro to Psychology

POLS 1303 Intro to American Government

ENG 1317 Intro to Literature

Fine Arts - 3 credit hours (Any Art, Drama or Music course)

HIS 1301 U.S. History to 1877

AST 1401 Intro to Astronomy

Kinesiology - 3 credit hours

REL 1301 New Testament History & Readings

REL 1311 History & Literature of the Old Testament

 

Additional Requirements:

Global/Cultural   3 hours from:

ENG 2301 World Lit Classicism

HIS 2321 Western Civ to 1715

HIS 3301 History of Mexico

HIS 3308 Asian History & Culture

HIS 3314 Trad/Val Classical Civ

PHIL 3301 Survey of Western Phil

Foreign Language
Two consecutive terms (at least 6 credit hours) of a non-English language

 Five Certification Majors are offered by Concordia University Texas:

 

Elementary School Curriculum Major ESL Generalist EC-6

Specializations:

 

Middle School Curriculum Major Grades 4-8 Generalist

Specializations:

 

Middle School Curriculum Major Grades 4-8 Content

Specializations:

 

Secondary School Curriculum Major Grades 7-12 Content

Specializations:

 

Special Education Curriculum Major

Specialization:

 

The following is a helpful link for those training to be an educator:

 

Formal Admission into the Teacher Education Program

You should submit your application by December 1st of the junior year. Specific requirements are detailed in the following material.

Application forms for admission into Teacher Education are available from the College of Education office. Applications are to be submitted by December 1st of the junior year, before you anticipate beginning professional education courses. Transfer students should consult with their advisers at the earliest possible date to determine their eligibility for admission. Applications must be submitted to the Director of Elementary Education or Director of Secondary Education, and will be evaluated by the Teacher Education Committee on the basis of the following criteria:

Requirements for Full Admission

  • Upper level standing (a minimum of 75 semester credit hours passed) and a cumulative GPA of 2.50 maintained at all times. (For purposes of admission to the Education Program, the GPA of education transfer students is determined by adding CTX work to the entering GPA with all courses attempted included in the GPA calculations.)
  • Grade of "C" or better in all CORE classes, professional courses, and specialization courses. 
  • Presentation of minimum or higher scores on the current mandated admission. (THEA scores are presently set at 230 in mathematics and reading, and 220 in writing.)
  • Maintenance of a grade point average of 2.50 or higher in all course work in each of the following areas: Professional education, Specialization courses attempted in the respective major, and Lutheran Teacher Diploma courses (if applicable).
  • Satisfactory ratings in: Initial interview with Advisor, Gallup survey on teacher strengths, and Periodic self-assessments and conferences with professors and Directors of Majors.
  • Satisfactory rating in field experiences as determined by the Teacher Education Committee on the basis of data compiled by and submitted to the Director of Teacher Education.
  • Personal, social, and moral qualities, and personal and mental health suitable for teaching as outline in the College of Education's Code of Ethics. All applicants must receive clearance from each of the following offices or persons prior to admission: Dean of Students, Provost,  Faculty Advisor, and Faculty head of each teaching field/specialization attempted..
  • Completed application form, block course plan, and meeting with either the Director of EC/Elementary Education or the Director of Secondary Education.

Requirements for Provisional Admission

Provisional admission may be granted at the discretion of the Teacher Education Committee to students meeting the following criteria:

  • Cumulative grade point average of 2.50 on all work attempted and maintained at all times.

  • Presentation of minimum or higher scores on the current state mandated admission test (THEA).

  • Complete all requirements for full admission to the Teacher Education Program within one semester. (The only exception to this is if the required course is not taught during that semester.)

 

Certification Examination Information

TExES (Texas Examination of Educator Standards) are a required part of the process for becoming a certified teacher in Texas.

Every person seeking educator certification in Texas must take and pass comprehensive exams. As stated by TEA, "The purpose of these examinations is to ensure that each educator has the prerequisite content and professional knowledge necessary for an entry-level position in Texas public schools."

The foundation for the TExES tests is the TExES Educator Standards, which are based on the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS). Both the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) and the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas (ExCET) are criterion-referenced exams designed to measure knowledge in relation to an established criterion rather than to the performance of other candidates. All of the tests contain multiple-choice questions. Some tests have additional assessment modes (e.g., open-ended written responses).

Currently, there are four Pedagogy and Professional Responsibility (PPR) TExES exams and 60 content area specialization certification exams. All of the PPR exams are offered in two formats; PBT (paper-based tests) and CAT (computer-based tests). Most content area tests are available as CAT; the remainder must be taken as a PBT. For a complete listing of TExES examinations, their competencies, tips for taking TExES, strategies, and brief Practice Tests, see the TExES test website: www.texes.ets.org

 

  1.  How do I obtain approval to test? Approval to test is granted through the College of Education offices, once the student has met appropriate requirements.

Undergraduates - contact Glenda Prewett at 512.313.5108 or glenda.prewett@concordia.edu

Graduate students inTeacher Certification, Educational Administration or Advanced Literacy - contact Alison Chai at 512-313-5119 or alison.chai@concordia.edu

2. Will I always need to get approval from Concordia University in order to take a TExES exam? What about after I graduate and am teaching and want to add another certification?

You must get approval from Concordia University until such time as you complete your initial (first-time) certification in Texas. Initial Certification requires that you pass a Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities TExES exam as well as an appropriate content area TExES.

Once you have your initial certification, you may add additional certifications by simply registering to take a TExES exam through the "certification by exam only" route. Some certifications, such as Reading Specialist or Principal, require additional coursework/degrees/experience.

3. May I take both the Pedagogy & Professional Responsibilities (Professional Development) TExES and my content area TExES in the same testing day?

Concordia University advises against taking more than one TExES exam in a day.

This fosters your success on all TExES exams.

4. Is there a required order in which I must take my TExES exams?

You may take the TExES exams in any order but we recommend taking your content test first.

CTX recommends the content area before the Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) .

CTX recommends completing all TExES exams before student teaching.

TEA holds TExES scores until you complete your program at Concordia.

 

Helpful Internet links when preparing for TExES include:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/
http:// www.excet.nesinc.com
http://www.texes.ets.org
ttp://www.texesreviews.com/

Job Search Website:

http://www.tea.state.tx.us/districtSearch.aspx

Search individual school district websites

This page was last updated on May. 14, 2013.
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