Foundation of General Education

This sequence is designed to: (1) prepare the student to meet the demands of a changing civilization and society; (2) use sound judgment in decision-making; (3) participate in national and international affairs; (4) meet state requirements for teacher certification; and, (5) prepare students for the Florida Teacher Certification Examination (FTCE) Test of General Knowledge.

Pre-Teacher Education Courses

The following four courses (w/name change effective Fall 2015) are required as part of the student’s general education program and are incorporated into all teacher education programs throughout the State University System of Florida. They also are incorporated into Florida community college programs for aspiring education majors. All students must purchase TaskStream e-portfolio software to begin to document artifacts that exhibit their growing professional expertise.

A Planned Sequence in Professional Education

This sequence is designed to: (1) develop students’ skills in recognizing growth and development; (2) provide opportunities for students to diagnose educational problems confronting the community, state, and nation; (3) provide opportunities for students to evaluate curriculum; (4) provide students opportunities to become technologically astute; and (5) assist students in gaining practical experience in the classroom. The professional core consists of coursework that meets the general professional education requirements for initial teacher certification in the state of Florida. Check specific programs for their requirements.

A Planned Sequence in the Area of Specialization

This sequence is designed to furnish the student with a command of the subject matter in an area of specialization. In the implementation of this sequence, the available resources of the university and community are used. The College of Education has cooperative arrangements with Florida school districts for its field experiences. The field experiences are designed to provide pre-service teachers with an opportunity to examine daily classroom experiences with teachers and their students. Students must purchase liability insurance and provide documentation of one’s own medical insurance.

Criteria for Admission to Teacher Education

The College of Education monitors the admission policies for all undergraduate and graduate teacher education programs. Admission to teacher education is a formal process in which certain criteria must be met, and the Application for Admission to Teacher Education must be completed and filed. Applications are processed by the Center for Academic Success. This process must not be confused with admission to the University. All undergraduate teacher education majors will be classified as pre-teacher education students until they are formally admitted into a professional teacher education program. Pre-teacher students will be restricted to a limited number of identified courses in teacher education prior to being officially admitted to a specific teacher education program.

Students seeking admission to any teacher education program must meet all of the following criteria:

• Have a grade point average (GPA) of 2.50 or higher for the general education component of undergraduate studies; or
• Have completed the requirements for a baccalaureate degree with a minimum grade point average of 2.50 or higher;
• Have met all “Gordon Rule” requirements;
• Have a “C” or better in the required courses in their curriculum;
• Have successfully passed a criminal background investigation;
• Have successfully passed all parts of the FTCE - General Knowledge Exam;
• Have successfully completed a pre-admission interview by the College of Education Admission Committee.

Students are admitted to designated teacher education programs and/or classified as Professional Teacher Education Majors in their respective degree program when these criteria are met.

Since it is possible for students to apply for admission to teacher education at several points in their academic career, the following policies have been adopted for these variations:

• Pre-education majors at Florida A&M University are encouraged to complete the Application for Admission to the Professional Teacher Education Program and file the same with the Center for Academic Success as soon as they meet the requirements for admission. They should meet all criteria by the time they have earned 60 credit hours. If they have not met the criteria by the time they have earned 75 credit hours, they will be advised to change to a non-teaching major.
• Students transferring from a community or junior college or another four-year institution with an AA degree or 60 or more hours should apply by the end of the first semester they are enrolled at Florida A&M University. If they have not met the criteria by the time they have earned 75 credit hours, they will be advised to change to a non-teaching major.
• Students who seek to change their majors to pre-teacher education after enrolling in other programs at Florida A&M University must have a 2.5 or higher grade point average. If they have earned fewer than 60 credit hours, they should apply as soon as they meet the requirements for admission, but by the time they have earned 75 credit hours. If they have already earned more than 60 credit hours, they should apply within one semester of changing their majors. Students will be informed each semester as to their status towards admission into professional teacher education through their advisors in Center for Academic Success.

The Student Teaching Program

Student teaching is a supervised classroom teaching experience in an accredited elementary or secondary school for a minimum of fourteen weeks. Prerequisites for participating in this culminating experience are:

Preparation

To comply with the Jessica Lunsford Act and ensure the security and safety of students, faculty and staff, all student teachers must complete the following:

1. Complete a Level II background screening (fingerprinting). Application forms are available in 301-B Gore Education Complex. Cost of this screening is $95.00;
2. Secure your own medical insurance (Leon County School District only);
3. Purchase professional liability insurance; and
4. Purchase FAMU ID badge.

Requirements of Student Teaching

Student teaching is required of all teacher education majors who seek completion of a state approved program. Students desiring to participate in the student teaching program must meet the following criteria:

• Have been admitted to a teacher education program;
• Have satisfactorily completed all program requirements;
• Have a cumulative and field of study G.P.A. of 2.50 or better prior to the deadline for submission of the pre-student application;
• Have passed a Level II security background check; and
• Have passed all portions of the Florida Teacher Certification Examination.

Admission to teacher education is administered through the College of Education’s Center for Academic Success. Admission to student teaching is administered through the College of Education’s Office of Student Teaching. Application for student teaching must be approved the semester preceding the semester in which the student desires to complete the student teaching experience. Students will be required to adhere to published deadline dates.