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Becoming a Teacher

Entering the Professional Program in Teacher Education at Charleston Southern University

Each student who intends to complete an approved program leading to teacher certification must first be admitted to the Professional Program in Teacher Education at Charleston Southern University. Students must complete all requirements as outlined in the catalog in effect at the time the student is officially admitted to the Professional Program in Teacher Education. Each student is assigned an advisor in the School of Education, and early and consistent advising is necessary to ensure that a student’s program of study includes the correct course sequence for the requirements of the teacher education program.

Step 1: Complete the following courses with a grade of "C" or better.

· English 111/112 - English Composition and Rhetoric
· Mathematics Core Requirement (as applicable to particular programs of study)
· Education 201 - Principles and Philosophy of Education
· Education 300 – Psychology Applied to Effective Teaching
· Education 313 – Introducation to Human Growth and Development

Step 2: Obtain a passing score on the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST/PRAXIS I). However, students who score 24 on ACT, or 1100 on SAT which was taken prior to March 2005, or 1650 on SAT taken since March 2005 do not have to complete the Praxis in order to enter the Professional Program in Teacher Education.

Upon completion of English 112 and the mathematics core requirement, students should register for the PPST/PRAXIS I, which tests basic skills in reading, mathematics, and writing. When students register for this test, they must be sure to indicate that scores be sent to Charleston Southern University and the South Carolina Department of Education. Registration information for the PPST/PRAXIS I is available from Educational Testing Service. South Carolina cutoff scores for the PPST are as follows:

· Reading - 175
· Writing - 173
· Mathematics - 172

Step 3: Complete a minimum of 60 semester hours of course work and maintain a GPA of at least 2.5 on a 4.0 scale both overall and in the certification area.

Step 4: Submission of two letters of recommendation from faculty outside the Professional Program in Teacher Education.

Step 5: Complete an Application for Admission to the Professional Program in Teacher Education with the signature of the education advisor and of the content advisor, if applicable.

Step 6: For secondary or K-12 education, students are also expected, where admission criteria have been established for the major in the discipline, to meet admission requirements for the major field of study.

Applications and forms may be obtained from the School of Education office. The application and forms should be turned in immediately following the semester in which candidates have completed 60 semester hours, passed the PRAXIS I, and completed the required courses with a grade of "C" or better. It is very important that students apply for admission to the Professional Program in Teacher Education as soon as the requirements have been met. A student must be admitted to the Professional Program in Teacher Education before enrolling in advanced methods courses. Once the application has been received and all criteria are met, the student’s file will be reviewed by the Dean of Education and submitted with a recommendation to the Teacher Education Committee for review and action. When the Teacher Education Committee formally admits students to the Professional Program in Teacher Education, each student admitted receives an acceptance letter from the Dean of Education.

Teacher Licensing

Each state requires a person to have a license to teach in its public schools. In addition, many private schools are now requiring their teachers to possess a state teaching certificate. Licensing is essential for the protection of students and to ensure that teachers have met established standards of quality in their teacher preparation programs. It is imperative that students work closely with their advisor(s) each semester to ensure that teacher licensing requirements are being met. Application packets for teaching licenses are provided during the directed teaching semester, and are also available in the School of Education office. Students are to apply for a teaching license only if they have met all requirements previously outlined in the official programs of study. The following briefly summarizes the steps for receiving a South Carolina teaching license:

· Step 1: Complete the Application for a South Carolina Teaching Credential and, at the same time, sign a request for a complete transcript to be sent to the State Department of Education. Submit a fingerprint card with a certified check or money order for $75.00 made out to the S C Department of Education.

· Step 2: Check your personal score report to make sure that official scores for the PRAXIS II have been sent to the South Carolina State Department of Education and CSU.

· Step 3: Submit the completed application to the School of Education office. The Dean of Education will then review the student’s records to make sure that the student has successfully completed an approved teacher education program. Upon satisfactory review, the application will be signed by the Dean and submitted to the State Department of Education. It then takes approximately eight weeks for the teaching license to be processed.

Completion of an approved program does not automatically ensure recommendation for licensure by the Dean of the School of Education. Although completion of an approved program of studies will usually result in recommendation, it may in fact be withheld as a result of failure to satisfactorily complete requirements and activities described by the faculty, unsatisfactory performance during student teaching, or the student’s failure to change behaviors which are considered to be impediments to successful teaching.

For candidates seeking certification in states other than South Carolina, it is strongly recommended that they obtain a South Carolina teaching certificate first. Many states have reciprocal agreements with South Carolina that allow individuals who hold a South Carolina teaching certificate to receive initial certification in those states.

Required Examinations (Praxis II)

In addition to the completion of specified scholastic requirements, an individual applying for
teacher licensure must present the minimum required score on the appropriate examination(s)
as established by the South Carolina State Board of Education.

A summary of test information is available through the Educational Testing Service (ETS).
The ETS site also has specific information on each test, sample test questions and registration
information.

Consult the test requirements listed below to determine the test requirements for South
Carolina ... click here

 

Praxis II Flash Cards for Elementary Education Majors

To assist Elementary Education majors with preparation for the Praxis II examination, the department has secured a set of flash cards that cover both the content area tests and the Curriculum and Assessment tests. This card set includes thousands of individual “questions” that will assist candidates in reviewing critical knowledge that may be imbedded in the Praxis II Examinations for Elementary Education.

These cards have been organized and are available for three hour check out through the Reserve Desk in the CSU L. Mendel Rivers Library. The contact person for this is Dr. Linda Rousseau. lrousseau@csuniv.edu or 863-7941.

Library hours are posted on the website at http://www.csuniv.edu/library/index.html

Candidates can check the cards out and study individually or in small groups in the library. The cards cannot be removed from the library. If you have further questions about the Praxis II cards, contact Dr. Linda Karges-Bone, lbone@csuniv.edu or 863-7570.

Reciprocal Licensing

The following states are a few of the state that have reciprocal agreements with South Carolina that allows individuals who hold a South Carolina teaching license to receive initial certification. Alabama, California, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Washington DC, West Virginia. For a complete list refer to the following website