Texas A&M University-Texarkana offers undergraduate degree programs with certification for Early Childhood-Grade 4, Grades 4-8, and Grades 8-12. Degree requirements may be found in the university catalog or contact the A&M-Texarkana Academic Services Office.

Early Childhood-4^th Grade Generalist

EC-4^th grade Generalist with EC-12 Special Education

Certification in Early Childhood-4^th grade is achieved through completion of the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (BSIS) degree. The teaching field for EC-4 certification is Generalist. Students may choose to include Special Education EC-12 certification by taking an additional 6 semester hours of Special Education courses.

Grades 4^th -8^th

Certification for Grades 4-8 is achieved through completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in English, History or Math and is offered in the following teaching fields:

English Language Arts & Reading

Math

Social Studies

Certification for grades 4-8 Science and 4-8 Math/Science is achieved through completion of the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies degree.

Secondary Grades 8-12

Certification for grades 8-12 is achieved through completion of a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, English, History or Math and is offered in the following teaching fields:

English Language Arts & Reading

Math

History

Science Composite

Life Science

Social Studies

Special Education Supplemental

A supplemental certificate for Special Education may be added to the requirements for grades 4-8 and 8-12. Students seeking the Special Education supplemental certificate complete an additional 12 semester hours in Special Education above degree requirements.

Individuals who hold a bachelor's degree and wish to obtain certification to teach in the public schools through a traditional educator preparation program may request a post-baccalaureate certificate plan. This plan will list the courses required for certification in the chosen teaching field.

The post-baccalaureate plans contain a specialization or teaching field and 18-24 semester hours of Professional Development courses that include Resident Teaching. The Early Childhood-4^th Grade Generalist certificate contains a specialization with reading as a primary focus. Teaching field hours for Grades 4-8 and 8-12 will be determined through an evaluation of the student's transcript. Contact the Office of Teacher Certification (903-223-3048 or email to bonnie.johnson@tamut.edu ) to schedule a transcript evaluation. Certification is available in the following areas:

Early Childhood-Grade 4

Generalist

Early Childhood-Grade 4 with Special Education

Generalist and EC-12 Special Education

Grades 4-8

English Language Arts & Reading

Math

Science

Social Studies

Grades 8-12

English Language Arts & Reading

History

Life Science

Math

Science Composite

Social Studies

Technology Applications

All students seeking initial teacher certification in Texas must demonstrate college level skills in reading, oral and written communication, and mathematics.

THEA
The Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) Program is used to test basic skills. The minimum score requirements for undergraduate education students are: Reading: 240, Math: 230, Writing: 220

NOTE: Students who are pursuing initial teacher certification must pass ALL three parts of the THEA prior to enrollment in ANY Education or Special Education courses. There are no exemptions for undergraduate Education students. See below for options for post-baccalaureate students.

Post Baccalaureate students may use the following options to demonstrate college level skills:

Reading	Math	Writing	Oral Language
THEA 240	THEA 230	THEA 220	TSE 40
ACT 20	ACT 20		SPEAD 45
SAT 20	SAT 20		A successful interview with College committee.
GRE 500	GRE		A degree from an accredited university in an English-speaking country.
3 sh college literature course with grade of B or above	College Algebra course with C or above or upper division math course with grade of B or above	Engl 1301 and Engl 1302 or equivalent or any upper division writing course (excluding creative writing)	Two years of successful academic work at universities where English was the language of instruction in an English-speaking country.

TEACHER PREP ORIENTATION

The Teacher Prep Orientation (TPO) is given every semester and is required for admission to the traditional Teacher Preparation program. Students are urged to attend in their first semester. Specific information is distributed explaining the policies and procedures of the university's Teacher Prep program. The opportunity for discussion, and asking questions, is provided and encouraged. It is the student's responsibility to become familiar with program requirements and to fulfill the requirements as expediently as possible.

During the Teacher Prep Orientation students will complete the application for candidacy to the Teacher Prep program.

GRADE POINT AVERAGE REQUIREMENTS

      1.    Professional Development courses:
         Students seeking EC-4 certification must complete Education, Special Education and Reading courses with a grade point average of 2.80 with no grade
         below a C. Students seeking 4-8 and 8-12 certifications must complete Education, Special Education and Reading courses with a grade point average of
         2.60 with no grade below a C. Courses may be repeated one time only.

      2.    Teaching Field or Area of Specialization:
          Students must have no grade below C and a grade point average of 2.60 or above in their Teaching Field or specialization. Courses
         must be repeated or additional courses taken until required grade point average is met. (Under no circumstances will a course be used with a grade below
         C).

      3.    Cumulative Grade Point Average:
          Students must have an overall grade point average of 2.60 or above in all of their courses for admission to the field-based and resident semesters. Courses
         must be repeated oradditional courses taken, until the required grade point average is met.

      ProfessionalDevelopment School(PDS):

      Students must have an overall GPA of 2.75 or above in all of their courses when they apply for admission to the PDS and maintain the GPA throughout
       the year of PDS.

INSTRUCTOR RECOMMENDATIONS and INTERVIEWS

During the semester/s of enrollment, instructors evaluate, in their professional judgment, students' potential for success in the Teacher Preparation program. Grades are a factor, but may not be the primary focus for this recommendation. If an Instructor deems it necessary for a student to meet with the Student Review Committee, arrangements are made and the student is notified to meet with the Committee.

Upon successful completion of all requirements noted above, students will be admitted to candidacy to the Teacher Preparation program. This does not guarantee students' acceptance for Resident Teaching.

Students seeking EC-4 Generalist and EC-4 Generalist w/Special Education certification are required to meet with the Teacher Education Admissions Committee in their first semester or the semester they are enrolled in ED 321 Effective Teaching and Evaluation.

FIELD-BASED AND RESIDENT SEMESTERS

All students seeking initial certification through an undergraduate program or through the traditional post-baccalaureate certificate program are required to complete a semester of field-based coursework and a semester of resident teaching.

The semester previous to the field-based semester, students must submit the on-line Application for the Field-based and Resident Semester. Deadlines for application are March 1 for fall placement and October 1 for spring placement.

ProfessionalDevelopment School(PDS)

The professional development School is a partnership between Texas A&M University-Texarkana and the Texarkana Independent School District (TISD) where learning to teach is accomplished through teaming with a master teacher and a university-based teacher educator for an entire year. The program is an intensive year-long internship at Westlawn Elementary School and replaces the traditional field-based and resident semesters. Students must meet the requirements for admission to the field-based and resident semesters.

Online Application for Professional Development School (Early Childhood-4th Grade)

Apply for Texas Educator Certificate Register for Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES ) State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) (www.sbec.state.tx.us) Texas Education Agency Educational Testing Service (ETS)

The state of Texas requires applicants seeking initial, professional, and administrator certificates to pass a competency exam in professional development and area of specialization. The purpose of the 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 State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has implemented a closed registration process for the Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) exams. As a result, A&M-Texarkana is required to determine the eligibility of students who request to take the TExES exam. Only candidates authorized by A&M-Texarkana will be allowed to register and test. Students should check with the Office of Teacher Certification (903-223-3048 or email to bonnie.johnson@tamut.edu ) prior to registering for a test to verify that their test approval has been entered in the SBEC system. When approved to test, students may use the online registration process through Educational Testing Service at www.texes.ets.org. Students may take only those tests required for the certification they are seeking. Texas A&M University-Texarkana is a test site for the TExES. Test dates are found in the schedule of classes or at www.texes.ets.org.