Throughout the teacher education program, candidates are periodically reviewed for dispositional and academic readiness to advance through the program. At each of these reviews (or “gates”), candidates may be approved to continue, may be subject to remedial steps before continuing, or may be dismissed from the program.
Remediation may include:
- Repeating course(s) where performance did not meet expectations
- Creating professional growth plans to detail necessary areas of improvement
- Additional work or activities to gain the sufficient experience to continue
Gate 1: Approval to enroll in professional education courses
Candidates must complete the following steps to be approved to enroll in designated professional education courses:
- Submit teacher education application
- Clear FBI/criminal history background and child maltreatment registry check
- Satisfactorily complete foundation coursework
- Earn required minimum grade point average
- Receive a satisfactory candidate review
Complete details for Gate 1 are available here.
Gate 2: Approval to enroll in Internship I
To be approved for Internship I, candidates must:
- Complete all requirements to be approved for professional education courses (Gate 1)
- Maintain cumulative GPA of 2.70 or better
- Receive recommendation by program coordinator who will review class performance and verify that candidate has sufficient preparation for Internship I
- Receive satisfactory candidate review by program or program coordinator(s) to determine if candidate demonstrates appropriate dispositions and academic preparedness for Internship I
Gate 3: Approval to enroll in Internship II
To be approved for Internship II, candidates must:
- Complete all major and professional education coursework requirements with a C or better
- Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70
- Earn satisfactory score on Internship I summative evaluation
- Earn established minimum score(s) on required Praxis subject assessment(s)
- Clear criminal history and child maltreatment background checks
- Demonstrate appropriate dispositions as measured by COE rubric
- Receive satisfactory candidate review by program or program coordinator(s)
Gate 4: Teacher education program exit
To exit the program, candidates must:
- Have minimum cumulative GPA of 2.70.
- Complete Internship II with grade of C or better.
- Satisfactorily complete of all program key assessments.
- Submit scores on required pedagogy assessment.
- Earn undergraduate degree.
Note: Candidates meeting teacher education program completion requirements may not have met Arkansas teacher licensing requirements. These candidates will not be recommended for licensure until the completion of all Arkansas Department of Education requirements.