Teacher/Educator Preparation Programs

The academic standards below apply to all bachelor’s degree programs that prepare students for teacher certification.

Academic Standards and Progress in the Program

Teacher candidates must maintain good standing in the program to qualify for student teaching and receive a recommendation from Southern Connecticut State University for State of Connecticut initial teacher certification. They also must demonstrate the following:

• Personal attitudes and dispositions that will affect their performance as a teacher;
• Professional behavior appropriate to the context which demonstrates that actions reflect directly upon the status and substance of the profession;
• Confidentiality of all information concerning colleagues and students obtained in the educational process;
• Integrity and honesty in written and verbal communication and in all coursework related to the professional program for teacher certification; and
• An undergraduate academic performance of at least a 2.7 GPA average. A candidate, who after acceptance into a teacher education program completes 9 or more credits with a cumulative GPA of less than 2.7, will be placed on College of Education academic probation. The student will have one semester to raise the GPA to 2.7 or higher. Failure to do so will result in dismissal from the College of Education.

The College of Education follows the Scaffolding Success Action Plan (SSAP) policy to establish action plans as needed, All candidates are required to familiarize themselves with this policy.

Fingerprinting and Background Check

Connecticut law requires all candidates in teacher/educator certification programs to undergo state and federal criminal history background checks before participating in school-based field experiences and student teaching. All candidates enrolled in a course requiring entering a P-12 school to complete an assignment, field experience requirement, and student teaching placement will be required to have a background check completed with the school in which they are placed. Any prior convictions revealed in a candidate’s background check may prevent Connecticut school districts from accepting that candidate for placement and may impact their ability to complete the teacher certification program.  The University will not be responsible for a candidate's inability to complete the program. Background checks are conducted exclusively by the school districts, which determine on a case by case basis the appropriateness of the placement. SCSU does not conduct, receive, review, or engage in discussion regarding student background check results.

Student Teaching

Student teaching requires a full-time commitment. As such, teacher candidates are not permitted to take other courses during the semester in which they student-teach, other than the student teaching seminar that is taken simultaneously with student teaching. Additionally, candidates must have all courses and academic requirements completed prior to the semester of student teaching. All incomplete grades need to be cleared prior to the start of the student teaching semester. In the case of a justifiable extenuating circumstance, a student may petition the College of Education Dean or their representative for a waiver of this requirement, provided they have the support of their program.

Certification in CT

To be recommended for certification in CT, candidates must successfully complete all program requirements, be in good standing, and pass all assessments mandated by the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) such as licensure exams. CSDE assessment requirements (e.g. Praxis® II) vary by certification area. For more information, please visit the CSDE website:  https://portal.ct.gov/sdecertification/Knowledge-Base/Articles/Resources/Assessments/What-assessments-are-required-for-CT-educators?language=en_US. 

Please note, candidates must meet the certification requirements in effect on the date the CSDE receives the certification application. If CSDE regulations change, candidates may need to meet the new requirements in order to be eligible for certification. Candidates are responsible for familiarizing themselves with Connecticut's teacher certification regulations and keeping abreast of changes to those regulations. Certification news and alerts are available on the Connecticut State Department of Education website.

Extra-Curricular Modules

The College of Education has made the following non-credit modules available to students at no cost to complete the additional CSDE requirements noted above. Students may register for these modules in Banner Student self-service:

• COE 200 - Social Learning in Children Module
• COE 201 – Dyslexia Module
• COE 203 – Computational Thinking Module

Revocation of Admission to the Professional Program

Candidates may be dismissed from the professional program for any of the following:

• Not achieving the required cumulative GPA of 2.7
• Demonstrated unprofessional behavior or an inability to respond appropriately in various contexts which affects their performance as a teacher, and/orbased on the Level 2 review of the College of Education following the procedure to establish a Scaffolding Success Action Plan.
• Falsified or misrepresented documentation or information provided for programmatic, academic, or professional qualification/competency purposes;
• Not achieving an acceptable standard on the performance assessments required by the College of Education, the Educator Preparation Provider Council (EPPC), or the certification program;
• Other due and sufficient cause.