APPLYING TO THE TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAM

Once the decision to seek a professional career in education has been made, the student should seek admission to the Teacher Education Program. This allows the student to continue in the professional education sequence of coursework while also completing General Education and major/minor requirements for graduation from the College. A student who is not admitted to the program will not be allowed to continue beyond the pre-professional level of courses in the professional education sequence.

APPLICATION PROCEDURES

Each student seeking admission to the Teacher Education Program is required to complete an application. Apply on-line via the Hope College Education Department website. (Go to “Student Information" - Then to "APPLY to Teacher Education". Fill in the requested information and then click the "submit" button at the bottom of the form. Look at the “Checklist of Additional Requirements.” This will list the rest of the requirements you will need to fullfill for your application. The forms you will need are on the “Checklist”. Just click on the item and it will print the form you will need. The MTTC Basic Skills Test information/registration is available on-line at: www.mttc.nesinc.com

DEADLINES

Applications for admission to the Teacher Education Program must be submitted to the Education Department by:

• 1st Friday in October if the student plans to enroll in Level 2 coursework during the subsequent Spring semester.

• 1st Friday in March if the student plans to enroll in Level 2 coursework during the subsequent May Term or Fall semester.

Students who fail to complete the application process in a timely manner should be prepared to extend the professional education sequence beyond the normal four-year period generally required for graduation from the College. Students will not be allowed to enroll in professional level courses unless they have been approved into the Teacher Education Program.

Michigan Basic Skills Test

This test assesses an individual's basic skills in reading, mathematics and writing. Although the State requires a student to pass these tests prior to certification, the Education Department at Hope College requires passing as a condition of admittance to the Teacher Education Program.

Candidates for admission seldom have difficulty with the MTTC Basic Skills Test. It is essential, however, that students who do experience difficulty achieving passing scores on these tests clearly understand that remediation of such issues is their responsibility. While some assistance is available through the Academic Support Center to help students refine their writing skills, Hope College does not offer classes/programs to teach basic skills. Students needing such work should plan to enroll in appropriate classes at a community college and/or an area college/university offering such learning opportunities.

Most students take the Basic Skills Test early in the sophomore year of study. It is each student’s responsibility to complete the registration process and take the test. Basic Skills Test information will be distributed in pre-professional courses (ED 220 - Educational Psychology and ED 225 - Exceptional Child).

"PENDING" STATUS

Students who apply to the Teacher Education Program while enrolled in ED 225/226 - Exceptional Child, will need to register for Level 2 courses before they have completed all criteria necessary for admission. (For most students, this means that the results of the MTTC - Basic Skills Test have not been received and/or ED 226 - Exceptional Child - Field Placement has not been completed. "Pending" Status is only intended for circumstances that are beyond the control of the student.) As a result, these students will be identified as “Pending Status” for the purposes of registration. “Pending Status” allows the student to enroll in Level 2 courses on a contingency basis. It assumes that the student will meet all criteria for admission to the Teacher Education Program by the close of the semester. For students who in fact do meet all criteria, they will subsequently be admitted to the program and allowed to remain in Level 2 courses. Those students who fail to meet admission criteria will not be allowed to continue in the sequence and will be asked to drop Level 2 coursework before the new semester begins.

PRE-REGISTRATION PROCEDURES

During the Advising weeks prior to Registration for the coming semester’s classes, students admitted to the Teacher Education Program will meet with their advisors to discuss schedules and to receive their registration “PIN” number. In order to register for upper level Education coursework, they will need to be accepted to the teacher education program, or on the “Pending Status.” Students will be notified in writing of the status of their application.

APPEALS

Students who have been denied admittance to the Teacher Education Program have the right to appeal the decision. The Appeals Process is outlined on the website under Policies and Procedures.

GRADE REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL EDUCATION COURSES AT LEVEL II & III

The Teacher Education Program at Hope College is committed to the preparation of teacher candidates who successfully meet all Education Department course objectives and who make continuous progress toward meeting the Department’s established goals for future educators, as outlined in the Department’s Six Professional Abilities.

To achieve these ends, we believe that students must successfully complete all courses for which they are enrolled through the Education Department. They must also successfully complete the field placements that may be attached to these courses. Successful completion will be demonstrated when students earn a C+ grade or better in each course and field placement. Students who fail to earn a C+ grade or better in any Education Department course or field placement after admission to the Teacher Education Program will not be allowed to continue in the program until they have successfully completed the course or field placement.
*Policy adopted January 2001, amended August 19, 2003.

FIELD PLACEMENT RECOMMENDATION POLICY

1. A student receiving a “Recommended” or “Highly Recommended” rating from the field placement mentor teacher will continue in the program.

2. A student earning a “Recommended with Reservations” rating for a field placement:
a. Will be notified in writing that s/he will continue in the next placement on probationary status.
b. If a student earns a second “Recommended with Reservations” rating for a field placement s/he will not be allowed to continue in the education program.

3. A student earning a “Not Recommended” rating from the field placement mentor teacher:
a. Will be notified in writing that s/he will not be allowed to continue in the education program.

4. A student will retain the right to appeal any decision made by the Education Department through procedures outlined under Appeals Process.
Adopted: April 11, 2007

In order to be approved to student teach, students must have a 2.75 or higher in major, minor, Education, and college GPAs. Approval will be withdrawn if any of the GPAs fall below a 2.75 before the student teaching experience begins. *Policy adopted August 19, 2003; revised 2009.

TIME LIMIT FOR ACCEPTANCE OF EDUCATION COURSES

The Hope College Education Department will only accept credits for teacher education courses which are no older than seven years. The department reserves the right to require applicants to make-up field experiences where these do not meet current requirements.
*Policy adopted: April 23, 2003