Educator Preparation Program

• Biology, 6-12
• Business, 6-12
• Chemistry, 6-12
• Chinese, PreK-12
• Economics, 6-12
• Elementary, K-5
• English, 6-12
• Eng. as a Second Lang., PreK-12
• French, PreK-12

• German, PreK-12
• Government, 6-12
• History, 6-12
• Japanese, PreK-12
• Marketing, 6-12
• Mathematics, 6-12
• Music Education: Vocal/Gen., K-12 & Instrumental, K-12
• Physical Education, K-12 and Health Education, K-12

• Physics, 6-12
• Spanish, PreK-12
• Speech Comm., 6-12
• Special Educ. Interventionist, K-8 and 6-12
• Special Educ. Comprehensive, K-12
• Theatre, K-12
• Visual Art, K-12

• Instructional Leadership (requires active teaching license)
• Biology, 6-12
• Business, 6-12
• Chemistry, 6-12
• Economics, 6-12
• Elementary, K-5
• English, 6-12

• Eng. as a Second Lang., PreK-12
• French, PreK-12
• Government, 6-12
• Health, K-12
• History, 6-12
• Marketing, 6-12
• Mathematics, 6-12
• Physical Education, K-12

• Physics, 6-12
• Spanish, PreK-12
• Speech Comm., 6-12
• Special Educ. Interventionist, K-8 and 6-12
• Special Educ. Comprehensive, K-12
• Theatre, K-12
• Visual Art, K-12

Courses of Study

Programs of study in all licensure areas (as listed previously under Profile of the Educator Preparation Program) are available in the Educator Preparation Program suite located in BAC or through the faculty advisor. Each program of study consists of the general core requirements (general and specific cores), the major, and the professional education core specific to the level of licensure.

Courses Offered

The courses offered depend on the area of licensure being sought as outlined on each program of study. See the undergraduate and graduate catalogues for course descriptions.

Admission to the EPP.

Undergraduate candidates must meet the following requirements for admission to the Educator Preparation Program:

1. Minimum of 24 semester hours in general education. Transfer hours can count toward this requirement.
2. Minimum GPA of 2.75 in all course work at Union University
3. Interview with the Teacher Education Screening Committee
4. Submission of 2 dispositional evaluations; 1 self-evaluation & 1 faculty-evaluation
5. Field experience in education at the appropriate grade level; field experience acquired through transfer credit must be verified with a course description or syllabus indicating the total hours completed and the placement.
6. Satisfactory scores on the CORE (Reading=156, Math=150, Writing=162), or ACT (Composite of 22e), or SAT (Total of 1100)
7. Background check received from TBI
8. Approval of the School of Education.
9. Approval of the EPP Council.

Application to the EPP.

EDU 150, Foundations of American Education should be taken during the freshman year or during the first semester at Union for transfer students. The application to the EPP is submitted during this course, and a 20-hour field experience in an approved setting is also completed. By completing the admission process early in the college career, a candidate is able to take courses that require admission to the EPP when they are offered. A candidate who has completed the equivalent of EDU 150 and the transfer of the courses has been verified by the Registrar should make application to the EPP immediately upon entrance to Union through the Assistant Dean for Teacher Education.

Continuation in the EPP.

In order to remain in the EPP following admission, the candidate must maintain a GPA of 2.75 in all course work, in the major, and in the professional education core.

Admission to internship

Candidates must submit an internship application by October 1 in the year prior to Internship I. A junior audit must be on file to submit the application. Applications are available on the EPP applications page. Other requirements for internships are as follows:

1. Minimum score on the content knowledge portion of the Praxis II for the intended endorsement.
2. Minimum GPA of 2.75 in all course work.
3. Minimum GPA of 2.75 in the academic major and in professional education core.
4. Lack no more than 1 class in the content major.
5. Recommendation from the major department.
6. Approval of the Dean of Students
7. Approval of the EPP Council

Specified course must be taken during Internship I. No courses may be taken in January after Internship I.

Application for teacher licensure.

Applications for Tennessee teacher licensure are completed during a problems-based seminar and are filed with the Tennessee Department of Education when all course work is completed.

Teaching in other states.

If the teacher candidate plans to seek a teaching position in another state, he/she must contact that state's Department of Education to secure out-of-state application information. Contact information can be secured through a Google search.

States Who Have Reciprocity Agreements with Tenn.

Background checks and fingerprinting.

All students desiring to enter Union University's Educator Preparation Program, pursuant to the provisions of Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-5-5632, must complete the following:

1. Supply a fingerprint sample and submit to a criminal history records check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
2. Submit the signed Consent to Fingerprinting, Background Check, and Release of Information form to the Program Director
3. Sign an authorization and release form provided by the state Department of Education or the state Board of Education authorizing a qualified Tennessee licensed private investigator to complete a criminal history records check

Official transcripts.

Candidates who seek post-baccalaureate teacher licensure must first complete an application for admission to Graduate Studies in Education and submit a $25.00 (non-refundable) application fee. The candidate must order official transcripts from all colleges and universities that have been attended, even if only one class was taken at the institution; these transcripts must be sent directly to Union University and may not be stamped "Issued to Student" unless they are presented in a sealed envelope.

Praxis II.

All candidates must pass the Praxis II content knowledge test prior to beginning licensure coursework.

Transcript audits.

After the candidate has completed the application for admission to Graduate Studies in Education, submitted a $25.00 application fee, passed the writing sample, and submitted official transcripts, the candidate must schedule an appointment for a transcript evaluation with the Director for Educator Preparation. Post-baccalaureate licensure candidates must have a transcript audit completed prior to starting classes. At this meeting the candidate will be apprised of course work that remains, EPP status, Praxis II and edTPA requirements, and any proposed changes in licensure requirements. The candidate must meet with the Director of the M.A.Ed. program on the designated campus to compile the program of study, which will include additional coursework if the M.A.Ed. degree is included.

Admission to the EPP.

Post-baccalaureate candidates must meet the following requirements for admission to the Educator Preparation Program:

1. Satisfactory score(s) on the Praxis II Content Knowledge Test for endorsement being sought as required by the TN Department of Education
2. Cumulative GPA of 2.75 OR conditional admission (admission to graduate course work based on assessment of writing sample and completion of 9 graduate hours at Union with a GPA of 3.0)
3. Two positive reference forms
4. Three dispositional evaluations; one self-evaluation and two evaluations completed by professors of the first two classes taken
5. Completion of background check and fingerprinting by TBI if not hired by school system
6. Approval by the faculty of the School of Education
7. Approval by the EPP Council

Application to the EPP.

The application to the EPP is submitted with the application for admission to Graduate Studies in Education.

Continuation in the EPP.

In order to remain in the EPP following admission, the post-baccalaureate candidate must maintain a GPA of 2.75 in all course work taken at Union since completion of the baccalaureate degree (3.0 if seeking the M.A.Ed. degree).

Job-embedded Practitioner License

Job-embedded Practitioner Licensure Program.

Post-baccalaureate candidates who have passed the Praxis II content test for the intended endorsement can seek employment under the Job-Embedded Practitioner license. Union and its partner school systems work together to verify eligibility and to submit the Practitioner application to the TN Department of Education. Union's Practitioner licensure program spans two years and includes three semesters of mentoring. The Practitioner teacher must be fully admitted to the EPP to continue in Union's program the second year. Other details of the program will be discussed with the candidate individually in the admission process.

Application for teacher licensure.

When a candidate is hired on the Practitioner license, he/she is responsible for submitting required documents to Union's licensing officer upon receiving the intent to hire from the school system. This information will be communicated to the candidate through email with the licensing officer.

Teaching in other states.

If the teacher candidate plans to seek a teaching position in another state, he/she must contact that state's Department of Education to secure out-of-state license information. Contact information can be secured through a Google search. All states do not accept teaching licenses secured through the alternative route; therefore, the teacher candidate should check this before beginning the job-embedded licensure program.

States Who Have Reciprocity Agreements with Tenn.

Background checks and fingerprinting.

All students desiring to enter Union University's Educator Preparation Program, pursuant to the provisions of Tenn. Code Ann. § 49-5-5632, must complete the following:

1. Supply a fingerprint sample and submit to a criminal history records check by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
2. Submit the signed Consent to Fingerprinting, Background Check according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681 et. al, and Release of Information form to the Program Director
3. Sign an authorization and release form provided by the state Department of Education or the state Board of Education authorizing a qualified Tennessee licensed private investigator to complete a criminal history records check.

If the teacher candidate is teaching on the Practitioner license, the background check and fingerprinting were completed as part of the hiring process and are verified in the Intent to Hire form.

Minimum GPA requirements.

Minimum GPA's are listed above. Following admission to the EPP, if the GPA drops below the minimum, the candidate is removed from the EPP and may not take any new courses that require admission to the EPP. In this case it is strongly recommended that the candidate repeat courses that caused the GPA to fall below the minimum required. When the GPA is at or above the minimum, the candidate will be submitted for readmission to the EPP.

Early field experiences.

As required by national standards and by the Tennessee State Department of Education guidelines, early field experiences are a vital part of the EPP at Union. The purpose of these early field experiences is to introduce the prospective teacher to a variety of school settings, learners, and routine activities. The knowledge and skills introduced in course work will be refined in the early field experiences. Proof of professional liability insurance is required of all students enrolled in courses with field experiences and is the financial responsibility of the student. Options for this coverage include, but are not limited to, membership in Student Tennessee Education Association, Christian Educators' Association International, or Professional Educators of Tennessee. Liability insurance is also available at a cost of $25.00 per year through Union University. Information about each of these options is available through the Director of Clinical Experiences. By state law, all candidates placed in field experiences are required to submit to a background check and fingerprinting by TBI with results being sent directly to Union.

Attendance.

Regular and successive attendance is expected of all students enrolled in all lecture, laboratory, and seminar courses.

Appeals.

The School of Education is charged with the responsibility to follow the established policies for admission to and completion of the EPP. The EPP Council (EPPC), which includes representatives of the faculty and students from across the university, is the EPP coordinating and policy-making body for the unit and is responsible for assuring that the established policies are followed. If the candidate feels that established policy or practice is not being followed, the EPPC should be contacted. The EPPC is also the appeals committee for the EPP. All appeals for variance from established policy and practice should be presented in writing to the Dean of the College of Education. The Dean will consider whether the appeal may, within established policy, be granted. If the appeal has been denied by the Dean, the candidate may choose to direct the appeal to the EPPC. The candidate should contact the chair of the EPPC and present the appeal in writing. After the EPPC has considered the appeal, the student will be notified in writing of the committee's determination.

Assessment of candidate outcomes.

Candidate outcomes, aligned to InTASC standards, are assessed using multiple measures. Some examples of those measures are observation assessments, standardized tests, edTPA, and final evaluations.

The Praxis II is one measure used to assess each candidate's content knowledge. The Praxis II must be taken when advised based on the program completed. It is the candidate's responsibility to check Praxis II tests currently required by the TN Department of Education and to register by test code.

Interns and job-embedded Practitioner candidates are observed by university coaches and university mentors and assessed using the TEAM Planning, Instruction, and Environment rubric. Interns are also assessed using the "Final Evaluation of Intern." All candidates are assessed by edTPA.

Passage of standardized tests and employment.

The licensure programs at Union University are developed in compliance with the standards of the Tennessee Department of Education. While the Praxis II tests required for licensure in Tennessee cover a large portion of the same knowledge and skills covered in the state standards, Union University does not guarantee passage of the national tests by candidates who complete course work in the program. It is the heart-felt desire that every one of our candidates for teacher licensure is employed in the teaching profession; however, Union University cannot and does not guarantee employment or licensure based on successful completion of certification exams administered on a state-wide or national level.

Additional endorsements.

Once a candidate is fully licensed, he/she can add endorsements based on current state policy. See the TN Department of Education, Educator Licensing website for current guidelines.