Certification-Only Alternative Teacher Certification Programs
Purpose
The purpose of the certification-only alternative teacher certification program is to offer an alternative teacher certification pathway for people seeking employment in positions requiring Louisiana teacher licensure.
Note: This program is for people who are not already certified and are seeking initial certification. For those who already have Louisiana state teaching certification and wish to add additional certifications, please contact the Graduate Coordinator for the Department of Teaching & Learning.
After successful completion of all requirements, students may be recommended for certification through the Louisiana Department of Education.
Admission Requirements
- Earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher on all undergraduate course work. In the case of a cumulative GPA that is 2.5-2.749, the candidate may interview for admission. For GPAs of less than 2.5, please consult program advisors.
- Passing scores on the Praxis II in the content area in which the candidate is seeking certification.
- Vocal or Instrumental Music: Those seeking admission for alternate certification in these areas must have at least a bachelor’s degree in the content area. Those who do not have a degree in the content area must meet with the head of the Department of Music and Performing Arts for additional course work.
- Completed application for graduate admission to the University through the Office of Admissions for the non-degree Certification-Only Program.
Due to the coursework requirements typical of education courses, which frequently include clinical practice hours, the Department of Teaching & Learning considers fulltime enrollment to be 6 credit hours per semester for graduate students enrolled in programs through Teaching & Learning.
Teacher Candidacy
A person seeking to become a teacher must maintain academic standards and demonstrate qualifications for successful teaching including satisfactory performance in clinical practice. Therefore, the College of Education at Southeastern Louisiana University reserves the right to recruit, admit and retain in the Professional Program in Teacher Education only those students who show evidence of being capable of performing in an acceptable professional manner. Enrollment in the professional program does not guarantee that a student will receive the certification sought simply because they complete a number of courses or is in clinical practice for the required number of hours.
Certification requirements are specified by the State Legislature and/or the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and coordinated by the State Department of Education. While programs at Southeastern are designed to meet the requirements of the State Department of Education, it is the State Department that grants certification. These requirements are subject to periodic modification, which may not occur at times appropriate for inclusion in the annual publication of the University catalog. It is the responsibility of the students to make periodic checks for such changes with their academic advisors and/or department head.
To be admitted to Teacher Candidacy, an applicant must:
- Meet all requirements for admission to Graduate Studies.
- Upon being admitted to the certification program, complete an Admission to Teacher Candidacy form. Please contact the Department of Teaching & Learning for the current online form.
- Communicate with the Dean’s Office to establish a certification file.
- Maintain a cumulative 3.0 graduate GPA with no grade below “C” and not more than one “C” grade.
Ongoing screening of each student utilizing the standards of the Professional Program in Teacher Education will occur each semester of a student’s enrollment.
Students demonstrating inappropriate behaviors for being successful in the teaching profession will be referred for a Professional Performance Review. A review may result in:
- No actions being taken but further observations.
- Recommendation of a Professional Improvement Plan (PIP) monitored by the Coordinator of the Teacher Development program.
- Referral to the Professionalism Committee which may recommend:
- Probation with specified conditions.
- Temporary suspension from Teacher Candidacy with specified conditions.
- Expulsion from Teacher Candidacy.
Electronic Assessment System
As part of the College of Education’s focus on performance-based outcomes, students enrolled in the Teacher Preparation Program will submit products to the current electronic assessment system.
The products will allow students to demonstrate their understanding of how they meet the program outcomes; provide a process by which students can become reflective practitioners to foster continuous improvement; document growth in the program and demonstrate how the students meet the requirements for knowledge, skills, and professional and ethical behavior required by the state for initial certification.
Requirements for Student Teaching Residency
The Louisiana State Department of Education regulations for certification of teachers require that students complete their clinical practice teaching under the control and supervision of the institution in which they are enrolled. The Teaching Residency/Internship semesters must be then taken in the last Fall and Spring semesters of the program. To be eligible for teaching residency/internship, students must:
- Be enrolled as a major in a program plan that leads to Louisiana teaching certification.
- Apply for teaching residency/ internship by the deadline, which occurs one semester prior to teaching residency/internship experience. Please see the following sections describing teaching residency versus internship to determine the specific requirements for each. The Director of Clinical Practice and Residency assigns grade or subject and supervising teacher.
- Pass all Praxis exams appropriate to the content area prior to enrollment in the second semester of teaching residency/internship.
- Have Teacher Candidacy status.
- Have verification from the Graduate Coordinator that they are advised to take the residency/internship in the following semester.
- Have approval from the Director of Clinical Practice and Residency.
In order to remain in the teaching internship, students are expected to meet and maintain desirable professional, physical and oral standards consistent with their positions in the public schools. A student who fails or is directed to withdraw from a teaching residency or internship must complete a one semester Professional Improvement Plan prior to a second residency/ internship experience. A student may not attempt a teaching residency/internship class a third time.
Once a student has entered either the residency or internship course sequence, the student may not switch from one to the other. Additionally, to be able to enroll in the second semester of the internship, students must
- Pass all required Praxis exams for the certification being earned.
- Earn a “B” or higher grade in the first semester of residency/internship.
To be recommended by Southeastern to the State Department of Education for full teacher certification, the following conditions must be met:
- All coursework must be completed.
- All Praxis exam requirements for the certification must be passed.
- Completion of both semesters of teaching resident/internship with a grade of “B” or higher.
Teaching Residency
The teacher resident will follow the school district’s calendar and will report to the school in the summer when teachers arrive for the school year (or December for the spring teacher resident). This will be prior to the first day of class on the University academic calendar. The teacher resident reports at the designated time for school district teachers each day and will remain at the school for at least 60% of the instructional time for the first semester. Teaching residency for the second semester is 100% of the instructional time, and the teacher resident will remain at the school until regular dismissal of teaching personnel. The hours involved in the second semester teaching residency will be approximately 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (i.e. whatever the school hours are for the residency school), Monday through Friday.
The teacher resident will be assigned to complete their teaching residency away from the campus community; therefore, teacher residents must expect that they may be asked to make arrangements to be at the assigned teaching site for part of the time during their first semester and full time during their second semester of their residency. The Director of Clinical Practice and Residency will make the assignments for each teacher resident. The assignment is made with the cooperation of the hosting school district and school. While placements for teaching residents will be made as close to their official address as possible, some may have to travel to be able to reach a site with the appropriate placement requirements for the certification and hosting mentor teacher.
It is recommended that Certification-Only students take no more than two additional courses during their teaching residency. It is more important to ensure success in the courses taken than a speedy completion of the program.
Practitioner License
Students enrolled in the Certification-Only Alternate Program may be eligible to receive a Practitioner License (PL) 2 through the Louisiana Department of Education. The PL allows students to teach while pursuing alternate certification. The PL may be issued for one school year, renewed annually, and held for a maximum of three years while completing the program. To be eligible for renewal, students must remain enrolled in the program and complete nine hours each year, unless fewer hours are needed to complete the program. Please consult the State Department of Education website, the school district certification office, and / or the Dean’s Office for current policies regarding the PL.
Internship Year
Students who hold a PL and are employed in a position meeting all requirements listed below, may complete two semesters of internship in lieu of the Teaching Residency. The internship should be completed as close to the end of the program as possible. Internship must be completed in a school approved by Southeastern. Principals at participating schools must sign an Internship Agreement with Southeastern.
It is highly recommended that people wishing to complete the internship have worked at least one semester at the school prior to beginning the official internship semesters. This will ensure that there is time to locate and train an appropriate mentor teacher and supports at the employing school for a successful teaching internship experience.
To qualify for an internship, a student must meet all of the requirements for the Teaching Residency and have:
- Successfully completed at least one semester of coursework at Southeastern.
- By the deadline, complete application for the internship the semester prior to the planned internship semester. Application for starting the internship in the Fall semester is made during the previous Spring semester, unless the intern is beginning the program during the Summer semester. Students beginning the program during the Summer semester who wish to intern in the consecutive Fall semester will apply by the deadline of their first semester of enrollment and must already be teaching at the school where they wish to intern. Application for starting the internship in the Spring semester must be made during the prior Fall semester. Please consult the Office of Clinical Practice and Residency for current deadlines.
- Have written recommendation from all the candidate’s methods instructors verifying readiness for the teaching internship.
Additionally, the internship school and teaching intern will provide the Office of Clinical Practice and Residency:
- Verification that the school has a state approved classification.
- Verification that the school is accredited by the regional accrediting agency.
- Verification that the principal/assistant principal has certification in Principalship and training in supervision.
- Verification that the principal/assistant principal has served in this role for a minimum of three years.
- Signed Principal/Assistant Principal Internship Agreement form.
- Verification that a mentor, teacher, who has taught a minimum of three years in the area of the intern’s certification will be assigned by the principal/assistant principal to assist the intern.
- Verification of minimum class size in the area of certification.
- Verification that at least 51% of the intern’s teaching assignment is in the certification area in which the intern is seeking certification.
- Evidence of cultural diversity within the school population.
- A copy of the Signed Internship Agreement form.
- A copy of the contract or employment agreement after the internship has been approved.
- A copy of the teaching schedule signed by the principal/assistant principal.
The teaching intern will not be allowed to enroll in the teaching intern course if teaching position does not meet all of the requirements. Additionally, students will not be allowed to enroll in the second semester of the internship until all required Praxis exams for certification have been completed.
Note: The candidate is responsible for submitting the above documents the semester prior to beginning the internship. A complete packet should be submitted rather than item by item. Authorization to register for an internship will not be granted until all documents have been submitted.
Curriculum for Alternative Certification
Please consult your advisor for the sequence of coursework.
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