College of Education and Human Development

Administrative Officers

Dr. Amy Lewis, Interim Dean, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Lorrie Webb, Assistant Dean, College of Education and Human Development
Dr. Stephen Lenz, Department Chair, Department of Counseling, Health and Kinesiology
Dr. Esther Garza, Department Chair, Department of Educator and Leadership Preparation
Dr. Robin Kapavik, Department Chair, Department of Curriculum and Instruction

The College of Education & Human Development is committed to serving the needs of the region by preparing qualified professionals to assume positions of responsibility and leadership in a global society. Reflective of this mission, the College of Education & Human Development is dedicated to supporting and retaining quality faculty and staff who nurture and optimize student opportunities while simultaneously pursuing high academic, professional and personal standards that promote student achievement and life-long learning. The College of Education & Human Development serves an ethnically diverse population that comprises the university’s student base and seeks to work cooperatively with educators from the surrounding area, education service centers, community colleges, community and business leaders, and professional organizations in promoting excellence in education at all levels. Students are expected to uphold the Texas Educator’s Code of Ethics as well as the standards of professional organizations in their fields of study.

The College of Education & Human Development offers the Bachelor of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies, the Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, and various Master’s degrees.

Importance Notice: The following sections provide general information about programs in the College of Education & Human Development. Additional regulations for educator certification may take effect during the years of this catalog and may require changes that could not be foreseen at the time of printing. Changes that become effective in response to rulings by the State Board for Educator Certification, the Texas Education Agency and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may apply to current and prospective students. As the State Board for Educator Certification makes changes in the certification framework, degree plans may be subject to change. Any changes made by the state in interpreting the rulings on educator certification programs in Texas may supersede the requirements of the existing degree plan, certification or deficiency plan, with or without notice in this catalog.

Educator Preparation Program

The Educator Preparation and Certification

The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) at Texas A&M University-San Antonio is administered by the College of Education and Human Development. Teacher candidates may choose to work toward certification in the following certification areas:

Early Childhood through Grade 6 (EC-6)
- Core Subjects (Grades EC-6)
- Core Subjects (Grades EC-6) with Bilingual Education
- Core Subjects (Grades EC-6) with Special Education (Grades EC-12)
Grades 4 through 8 (4-8)
- Core Subjects (Grades 4-8)
- Core Subjects (Grades 4-8) with Bilingual Education
- Core Subjects (Grades 4-8) with Special Education (EC-12)
- Mathematics (Grades 4-8)
- Science (Grades 4-8)
- English Language Arts and Reading (Grades 4-8)
- Social Studies (Grades 4-8)
Secondary Content Areas Grades 7 through 12 (7-12)
- Mathematics (Grades 7-12)
- Life Sciences (Grades 7-12)
- English Language Arts and Reading (Grades 7-12)
- History (Grades 7-12)
- Social Studies (Grades 7-12)
- Special Education (EC-12) certification may be added to any content-specific area listed above.
Early Childhood through 12 (EC-12) Physical Education

The educator preparation field experience program component consists of one or two semesters of field residency requiring 30 clock hours per semester of on-campus structured experience and one semester of clinical teaching. Field residency assignments are to be completed in pre-arranged collaborating area schools. Clinical teaching is to be completed during the last semester of study and involves working full days (7 hours) for 16 weeks. Clinical teaching start dates vary by school district; however, it will generally begin a week prior to the fall or spring semester, when University classes begin. Field residency and clinical teaching placements are not offered during the summer sessions.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) does allow for an extended one-year clinical teaching experience that is sometimes paid; however, opportunities for these are extremely limited. Consult the EPP faculty for additional information.

All coursework for the degree and field residency courses must be successfully completed before the clinical teaching assignment. In addition, all candidates must have successfully passed the TExES state content exam(s) in their area of certification in order to be eligible for clinical teaching. Clinical teaching placements for Physical Education and Special Education candidates may be equally divided between elementary and middle school/ high school during the clinical teaching semester. Clinical teaching placements for Special Education EC-12 candidates may be split between a Special Education placement and their base certificate area.

Degree Plans Leading to Certification

Students pursuing teacher certification should schedule an appointment with an academic advisor to develop their degree/certification plan. Students are encouraged to thoroughly explore degree plans and certification options before selecting a program and certificate to pursue as it is difficult to change to a different degree plan/program once certificate specific coursework has been completed. Students should not expect to change degree plans/programs as such changes will adversely impact the length of time required to graduate.

Changes and course substitutions to the degree plan must be approved by the Department Chair. Changes may also occur when the State Board for Education Certification or the Texas Education Agency mandates changes in the educator preparation program or certification areas.

Educator Certification in Texas

The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) is governed by Texas Administrative Code rules and monitored for quality by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Division of Educator Standards. The EPP is responsible for implementing current rules and best practices in the preparation of highly effective teacher candidates. The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) oversees all aspects of the preparation, certification and standards of conduct of the educator preparation program and all Texas educators.

The Initial Standard Certificate

The initial certificate for beginning teachers may be obtained by completion of an appropriate undergraduate program culminating in a Bachelor’s degree. A student seeking initial certification is required to have a minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 2.75 on all college work attempted plus a minimum 2.75 GPA with no grade lower than a “C” in courses constituting the content area and/or delivery system (Bilingual Education, Early Childhood Education, Special Education, etc.)

In order to be recommended for initial certification, all teacher candidates are required to achieve a passing score on ALL Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) exams required for the certificate. To meet state requirements, all coursework including field residencies, clinical teaching and degree awarded, must be completed. Candidates are required to pass specific state practice exams according to their area of certification prior to being approved to take the actual TExES exams. Consult the EPP faculty for information regarding specific exam requirements. The Texas Education Agency requires that all educators pass a national criminal background check prior to being issued a Texas certificate; additional background checks may be required throughout an educator’s career as required in Texas Education Code (TEC), Chapter 22, Subchapter C.

TAC §227.101(c) A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a State Board for Educator Certification-approved educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person's potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

Areas and Levels of Certification

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) approves content areas and grade levels for certification available in Texas. Standards describing the knowledge and skills that a beginning teacher must demonstrate prior to certification have been developed for each certificate. It is important to be aware that rules, procedures and requirements for initial teacher certification may change during the course of a candidate’s program due to changes at the state level, accountability requirements or program enhancement purposes. The Educator Preparation Program (EPP) at Texas A&M-San Antonio is reviewed by an Education Advisory committee composed of community stakeholders which meets twice a year to review program results, goals and improvement activities. For the years covered by this catalog, beginning teachers will be certified under the certification structure described below.

Base Certificates for Grades EC-8

Texas A&M-San Antonio offers teacher candidates a Bachelor of Science degree with the possibility of earning a base certificate in: Core Subjects (EC-6); Core Subjects (4-8); Specific Content Areas (4-8); Special Education (EC-12); and Physical Education (EC-12). Specialized certifications may be added to base certificates to prepare teachers for working within bilingual classrooms and ESL settings.

Base Certificate for Grades 7-12

The College of Arts & Sciences houses degree plans that lead to teacher certification, including; math, life science, English language arts, social studies, and history. For further information, students should contact their Academic Advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences.

Non-Certification Degree Plans

Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAAS)

Bachelor of Science in Child Development and Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology (Exercise Science & Pre-Physical Therapy concentrations)

The College of Education & Human Development offers three non-certification undergraduate degree options. The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) is a terminal degree for students who would like to pursue areas of study that involve working with local and state community agencies. The Bachelor of Science in Child Development is designed for students who would like to work with young children and families in classroom or community based settings that do not require teacher certification.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology (Exercise Science/Pre-Physical Therapy) is designed for students wishing to pursue health-, exercise-, physical therapy- or movement-related careers outside of the public school setting. Students should contact their Academic Advisor for more information.

Educator Preparation and Certification

Important Notice: The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) establishes rules that specify the curriculum requirements for educator preparation programs as well as the assessment and evaluation of candidates for certification and program improvement. For additional information refer to Texas Administrative Code: TAC §228.30: Educator Preparation Curriculum and TAC §228.40: Assessment and Evaluation of Candidates for Certification and Program Improvement

NOTE: Prior to clinical teaching and employment as an educator, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check.

§227.101(c) A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a State Board for Educator Certification-approved educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person's potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

According to TAC §229.9, a $35 technology fee is assessed by the state’s Accountability System for Educator Preparation Programs (ASEPP) per admitted candidates into an educator preparation program (EPP) in Texas.

Admission

Students interested in pursuing a teaching certificate must apply and be formally admitted into the Educator Preparation Program (EPP). EPP admission applications are available in the fall for spring admission and in the spring for fall admission. Students must meet the admission criteria and will be monitored throughout the program to ensure that they maintain admission criteria.

To be admitted to the Educator Preparation Program:

EC-6, EC-6/Bilingual, EC-6 SpEd, 4-8, 4-8/Bilingual and 4-8 SpEd students must complete the following classes with a C or better:
- All Core Curriculum Courses as well as:
  - 2 Life & Physical Sciences.
  - COMM 1315 Fundamentals of Public Speaking
  - HIST 1301 US History to 1865, HIST 2301 Texas History
  - MATH 1314 College Algebra, MATH 1350 Fundamentals of Mathematics I, MATH 1351 Fundamentals of Mathematics II
  - ENGL 1301 Composition I, ENGL 1302 Composition II
  - EDCI 1301 Introduction to Teaching
7-12 students must complete the following with a C or better:
- All Core Curriculum Courses as well as:
  - 12 hours in content area for ELAR, Spanish, History and Social Studies Composite certifications, OR
  - 15 hours in content area for Math and Life Science certifications.
SpEd 7-12 students must complete the following with a C or better:
- All Core Curriculum Courses as well as:
  - EDCI 1301 Introduction to Teaching; and
  - 12 hours in content area for ELAR, Spanish, History and Social Studies Composite certifications, OR
  - 15 hours in content area for Math and Life Science certifications.
EC-12 Kinesiology students must complete the following with a C or better:
- All Core Curriculum Courses; and
- 12 hours of coursework in the certification area (EDKN).

Submit an Educator Preparation Program application during the enrollment period. Application periods occur twice per academic year in September and February. Contact the EPP staff in Madla 212 for additional information.
Have an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 or a 2.75 or better on the last 60 hours. A 2.75 GPA must be maintained to remain in the certification program.
Submit a current copy of Degree Works with all transfer courses listed.
Demonstrate written proficiency in the English language through the submission of a writing sample; the writing sample is completed in conjunction with the application for admission to the EPP.
Participate in an interview to assess personal and professional attributes.
Sign the EPP Admission Acceptance Letter prior to the deadline.
Submit signed disclosure and consent forms required for participation in field experiences and clinical teaching. Each district has its own background check process. Consult the EPP staff in Madla 212 for information. Applicants for a Texas teaching certificate must report any previous arrest, indictment, conviction and/or deferred adjudication to the Texas Board for Educator Certification. SBEC requires fingerprinting to verify a nationwide criminal history background check. An applicant with a criminal history may be denied a placement as well as certification.

Field Residency

Field residency is a required component of the educator preparation program. Through observations, model teaching, professional development, and internships, students will have an opportunity to exercise and refine the skills learned from their university course work. Students will also have an opportunity to develop their own unique teaching style and practice the methods and strategies that are effective in helping students learn. Students must attend a mandatory orientation with EPP faculty prior to beginning field residency experiences, as well as attend monthly meetings with their university supervisor. Students may also be required to attend an orientation at the discretion of the host school district.

Field placements are selected at the sole discretion of the school district and the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) faculty Students are allowed to specify two school districts of choice when applying for field residency. In most instances, it is possible to obtain a placement in the first or second choice of district. Students may not complete field residency on a campus where they have children, grandchildren, siblings or other close relatives. Note: Some districts are very large geographically—for example Northside ISD. Placements may be anywhere within the requested district; driving distances may be long.

Students should expect that they may be placed at any grade level and/or in any content area that is covered by the certification that they are seeking. For example, a student seeking a 4-8 Generalist certificate may be placed in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. Additionally, is student may be placed in an English class, a math class, a science class or a history class. Students may be placed in AP or Pre-AP classes for field residency; however, students may not be placed in dual credit classrooms.

There is a formally agreed upon process negotiated by each school district and TAMU-SA regarding how placements will be made. Students are expected to communicate all placement requests and questions to the Educator Preparation Program faculty. Students should not contact campuses, districts, or principals directly regarding placements. Students who break the chain of command or who contact schools or districts directly may be placed on a growth plan and may be removed from the EPP at the discretion of the assistant dean.

To register for field residency each semester students must:

Have been officially admitted to the Educator Preparation Program in the College of Education & Human Development.
Complete an application which are available in September for spring registration and in February for fall registration
Maintain an overall GPA of 2.75 or better or a last 60 hour GPA of 2.75 or better
Complete a background check for your first-choice school district

The State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) has established rules that specify the requirements for educator preparation coursework, field work and related training. For additional information refer to Texas Administrative Code: TAC §228.35: Preparation Program Coursework and/or Training

Clinical Teaching

The clinical teaching semester is a full-time commitment. The clinical teaching semester has been designated as a minimum of sixteen (16) weeks. The school day must be at least 7 hours; however, clinical teachers should note that their day may be longer as they are expected to mirror the day of the cooperating teacher. This includes any required hours before or after school tutoring and working with students. Clinical teachers will follow the school district calendar. Students are expected to plan their academic programs so that all coursework has been completed prior to the clinical teaching semester; students will not be allowed to enroll in other courses during the clinical teaching semester. Students must earn a grade of “C” or better in clinical teaching; students who do not earn a “C” or better may be placed on a growth place and allowed to repeat clinical teaching once. After a second unsuccessful clinical teaching attempt, students will be required to change to a non-certification degree plan. To register for clinical teaching, students must:

Have been officially admitted to the Educator Preparation Program in the College of Education & Human Development.
Have completed and submitted the clinical teaching application during the enrollment period. Application periods occur twice per academic year in September and February.
Have passed the required TExES practice exam.
Have an overall grade point average of at least 2.75 (transfer and Texas A&M-San Antonio work) and a minimum of 2.75 average or better in the teaching field(s) and/or delivery systems with no grade lower than a “C”.
Have completed all education courses except for clinical teaching.

Have completed the appropriate background check processes. Schools participating in the clinical teaching program will require criminal background checks on A&M-San Antonio students interacting on a daily basis with school-age students. Each district has its own background check process. Consult the EPP staff in Madla 212 for information. Texas public schools are permitted by state law to conduct criminal history background checks on a person intended for hire or a person who has requested a volunteer position. An applicant with a criminal history may be denied into clinical teaching.

Clinical teaching placements are selected at the sole discretion of the school district. Students are allowed to specify two school districts of choice when applying for clinical teaching. In most instances, it is possible to obtain a placement in the first or second choice of district. Students may not complete clinical teaching on a campus where they have children, grandchildren, siblings or other close relatives. Note: Some districts are very large geographically—for example Northside ISD. Placements may be anywhere within the requested district; driving distances may be long.

Students should expect that they may be placed at any grade level and/or in any content area that is covered by the certification that they are seeking. For example, a student seeking a core content 4-8 certificate may be placed in 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, or 8th grade. Additionally this student may be placed in an English class, a math class, a science class or a history class. Students may be placed in AP or Pre-AP classes for field residency; however, students may not be placed in dual credit classrooms.

There is a formally agreed upon process negotiated by each school district and TAMU-SA regarding how placements will be made. Students are expected to communicate all placement requests and questions to the Educator Preparation Program faculty. Students should not contact campuses, districts, or principals directly regarding placements. Students must attend a mandatory orientation with EPP faculty prior to beginning the clinical teaching placement. Students may also be required to attend an orientation at the discretion of the host school district.

Clinical Teaching Attendance

Clinical teachers are expected to be in attendance at their placement each day. Clinical teachers are required to abide by the duty hours that are required of their cooperating teacher. Being tardy and/or leaving the school campus during the school day is not permitted without prior approval. It is the responsibility of the clinical teacher to inform the cooperating teacher, university teaching specialist, and the host school office as early as possible in case of an illness or absence. All absences are to be made up by the clinical teacher and may extend the completion date beyond the scheduled 16 weeks. Excessive absences may result in removal from clinical teaching. Unexcused absences may result in removal from the placement and dismissal from the clinical teaching program. Students must complete an absence sheet for all absences-even partial day, (excluding testing and on campus seminar days). All students are required to attend mandatory seminar meetings each month with the EPP staff. Seminars may be held in the evenings and/or on Saturdays as determined by the Educator Preparation Program.

Certification Exams (Texas Examinations of Educator Standards – TExES)

As of September 1, 2015, candidates for teacher certification will be limited to five (5) total attempts on any certification exam. This is a Texas Education Agency requirement.

Students will be granted permission to take an actual TExES exam once they have successfully completed the required practice exams with a minimum score of 80% of the representative practice exam. If an exam has multiple sections, then each section must be passed with an 80% or better within 90 days in order to be given permission to take the actual exam.

Students must submit the TExES State Exam Approval Form to the certification officer in order to have the TExES exams opened for registration. Students must register for the TExES exam within 30 days of it being opened. Only one TExES exam will be opened for a candidate at a time. Please note that TEA rule requires a minimum of 45 days between each attempt on any TExES exam.

Students should make every effort to take and pass the actual content and PPR TExES exams prior to clinical teaching.

Test Preparation

Prior to entering the clinical teaching semester, students should have previously participated in test preparation activities intended to facilitate their preparation for the TExES content and PPR exams. Additionally, students are required to pass the required TExES exam(s) for the content area(s).

Teacher Certification Requirements

In order to be recommended for initial certification, all teacher candidates are required to earn a passing score on the Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES) content areas and Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) exams complete all coursework including field residency and clinical teaching and be awarded a Bachelor’s degree to meet all certification requirements. Additionally, starting January 1, 2021 students seeking a certification in EC-6, core content 4-8 or English language arts 4-8 will also be required to pass the Science of Teaching Reading exam in order to be certified. For additional information on certification requirements, visit the teacher certification website: http://www.tamusa.edu/collegeofeducationandhumandevelopment/epp/index.html ..

Upon Completion of the Educator Preparation Program, students will have successfully:

Completed all course work with a minimum 2.75 GPA with no grade lower than a “C” in education and content area courses
Successfully taken and passed the required TExES exam(s) for the content area(s).
Successfully completed Field Residency and Clinical Teaching (CT).
Been awarded a Bachelor’s degree

Fitness to Teach

The College of Education and Human Development will not recommend students for certification who do not meet qualifying criteria. Admission to the program does not guarantee fitness to remain in the program. Only those students who meet program standards will be allowed to continue in the program. Students pursuing an initial teacher’s certification must meet fitness to teach standards that are assessed by faculty and program staff throughout the program. These standards include demonstration of emotional and mental fitness in their interaction with others as well as conformance with the code of professional educator ethics of the state of Texas. Students who fail to demonstrate fitness or conformance to appropriate codes may be asked to enter into a remediation plan in order to remain in the program. If a remediation plan is developed, students must demonstrate satisfactory remediation prior to being allowed to proceed toward graduation. In rare cases, a student’s ability to practice may exceed remediation and removal from the program is possible.

Periodically in each candidate’s preparation, there will be checkpoints at which faculty, teaching specialists and cooperating teachers will assess professional dispositions. Candidates who are identified as having significant concerns will be required to correct the areas of concern and may be placed on a growth plan. All TAMU-SA students placed in schools are expected to adhere to the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators.

Note: Students exhibiting a pattern of concerns will be referred to the Associate Dean. Failure to remediate areas of concern may result in a recommendation for the student to be dropped from the Educator Preparation Program. Students dropped from the Educator Preparation Program will be required to shift to a non-certification degree program in order to graduate. Students who are required to change to a non-certification degree plan will not be allowed to change back to a certificate degree plan.

Minors and Degree Program Requirements

The minors offered by the College of Education and Human Development are:

Child Development,
Health, Kinesiology, and
Special Education.

Consult with your academic advisor to determine the optimum number of lower-division and upper-division courses within the chosen minor.

English as a second language Supplemental (9 credit hours)

Coursework supporting the ESL supplemental teacher certification may be completed by teacher candidates participating in an Educator Preparation Program. The courses listed here will provide the necessary coursework addressing the TExES ESL Supplemental examination (#154). Already part of the EC-6 Generalist & 4-8 Generalist degree plans, one of the recommended courses for the supplemental teacher certification is part of the required degree plan credit hours for these respective certifications:

Course List
Code	Title	Credits
EDBL 3321	Mthd Teach Eng to Non-Eng Chld	3
Students may complete coursework leading to the ESL Supplemental Teacher Certification by adding the following 6 hours of coursework to their existing degree plan:
EDBL 3315	Advocacy and Equity in Assessment	3
EDBL 3340	Applied Linguistics	3
Total Credits		9

Students will need to seek their ESL endorsement after they have acquired their initial certification.