Columbia International University

Year 1
Students will:

• Interview with a faculty advisor concerning interest in the Teacher Education program.
• Successfully complete required classes (see “Course of Study”) with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA.

Year 2
Students will:

• Submit an official Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE) report with prescribed minimum scores (Reading 156, Writing 158, Math 150) or a composite score of 464 or higher on the three Praxis Core subtests, with no individual subtest score more than four points below the required passing score for that subtest, or ACT or SAT scores with prescribed minimum scores (two-part SAT 1100, ACT 22). (The exam must have been taken within the last five years. Information on test sites and registration is available directly from ETS at www.ets.org. CIU code is 5116.)
• Successfully complete required classes (see “Course of Study”) with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA
• Submit a formal application to the Teacher Education program.

Year 3
Teacher Education candidates who have been formally admitted to the Teacher Education program must:

• Successfully complete required classes (see “Course of Study”) with a minimum of a 2.75 GPA for the first semester of this junior year
• Satisfy all professional classroom and field experience requirements, which include a faculty review of student dispositions and a Student Life recommendation.
• Submit documentation of a negative TB test to the Director of Field Experiences prior to field experience.
• One semester prior to EDU 4901 each candidate’s background must be screened and approved through a SLED check prior to participation in any field experience: (http:/www.sled.sc.gov/).
• During the 2 semesters prior to Clinical Practice, which occurs in second semester-senior year, students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA with no grade lower than 2.0 (“C”) in any education (EDU) course.

Year 4
Teacher Education candidates will:

• Successfully complete the field experiences requirements and required classes (see “Course of Study”) with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA, with no grade lower than a 2.0 (“C”) in any education (EDU) course, and complete milestones 2-5.
• During the second semester, candidates will be in clinical practice/student teaching where they are placed full time in a local public school classroom.

When coupled together–CIU's mission to educate people from a biblical worldview and the College of Education's mission to equip Christian educators to think, teach and lead biblically in educational settings throughout the world–we resolve to prepare candidates to understand and meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of students from all backgrounds here in the United States and around the world. All candidates must successfully complete courses to meet these needs such as Students with Diverse Needs, Understanding the Learner, Learning Environment and Classroom Management, and Instructional Practices for Literacy and Technology which includes a specific focus on ESL. Additionally, candidates work with a local school to present literacy support for parents in working with their children.

Teacher/student relationships are central in preparing candidates to become professional educators. Faculty work closely with candidates both in and out of the classroom. Professionals from the field are brought into class and special chapels, providing professional contacts and insights. Faculty work with cooperating teachers and candidates in practicum placements in fall and in spring, implementing stages of the SCTS 4.0 evaluation process to provide measured growth. In the semester before student teaching, the field director works to place candidates in the classroom where they will student teach in the following semester, providing a strong foundation and understanding of the classroom through the supportive relationship with the cooperating teacher. The field director and university supervisors provide constant support, counsel, and direction as needed by the candidate.

To ensure a variety of field experiences, the program works with five school districts. Cooperating teachers provide written and verbal feedback on program strengths and recommendations for change. School administrators, cooperating teachers, program completers, candidates, and program faculty serve together on a counsel to provide further program guidance and recommendations. At the end of student teaching, exit interviews provide immediate insight into candidate perspectives of the program's strengths and recommendations. For three years after program completion, the assessment coordinator collects completer and employer feedback on how well the program is meeting the needs of the field. Additionally, Praxis Core, Praxis II, and SCTS 4.0 teacher evaluations are monitored for ways to support incoming students, providing additional training sessions (Praxis Core), and measuring program strength in preparing completers to positively impact student learning.