College of Education
General Requirements for Undergraduate Degrees
See Academic Regulations - Undergraduate for specific TAMIU regulations.
Graduation Requirements for the College of Education
In order to graduate from the College of Education, all teacher candidates must complete the program with:
- complete all coursework in the degree plan with a grade of "C" or better;
- be in good standing in the College of Education;
- have all program/specialization/major "D's" and “F”s retaken;
- have all incomplete grades converted to a “C” or better; and
- have all holds removed.
Students within 9 SCH of graduation who are unable to pass the TExES exams required for entry into clinical teaching, may apply to graduate without meeting the expectations for recommendation for a standard teaching certificate
Important notice: 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.
Grading Policies
The College of Education has adopted the following grading scale:
| A | 90-100 |
| B | 80-89 |
| C | 70-79 |
| D | 60-69 |
| F | Below 60 |
| FN | Failure for Non-Attendance |
| S/CR/P | Satisfactory/Credit/Pass |
| U/NC | Unsatisfactory/Non-credit |
| IP | In Progress |
| W | Dropped or Withdrew |
| WS | Withdrew (counts towards 6-Drop Policy) |
| I | Incomplete |
Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
The College of Education Educator Preparation Programs is accredited by the State Board for Educator Certification. Accreditation status is based on accountability standards as established by the Texas Education Agency.
The most recent Title II accountability data is available at the following website: https://title2.ed.gov/Public/Home.aspx. Additional information is available upon request from the Teacher Certification Office.
Teacher candidates may choose to work toward certification at the following levels:
- Early Childhood through Grade 6 (EC-6)
- Grades 7-12, Secondary Certification
- All-level Certification
Certification programs are field-based and include performance-based assessments tasks, which coincide with coursework.
Each certification program is highly integrated with field-based experiences, requiring teacher candidates, cooperating teachers, public school administrators, and University faculty to work collaboratively at designated campuses. Teacher candidates enrolled in the program are assigned to cooperating teachers at specified elementary or secondary public schools during student teaching. Field based experiences represent a continuum of early field experiences through full time teaching. Early field experiences are introductory experiences for a classroom teacher certification candidate involving, at the minimum, reflective observation of Early Childhood-Grade 12 students, teachers, and faculty/staff members engaging in educational activities in a school setting. Clinical teaching is the capstone experience. This experience is a supervised educator assignment through an educator preparation program at a public school accredited by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) or other school approved by the TEA for this purpose that may lead to completion of a standard certificate. The assignment involves an extended placement in an EC-12 environment for a minimum of 14 weeks (no fewer than 70 full days), with a full day being 100% of the school day.
Background Checks
As part of the EPP, candidates are required to pass background checks to be eligible for field-based experiences (observation hours), clinical teaching (student teaching), and applying for their standard teaching certificate.
Pursuant to the Texas Education Code TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to student teaching; and pursuant to the TEC, §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator. A candidate may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate on completion of the EPP if an individual has been convicted of an offense.
A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in an 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.
Requirements for Social Security Numbers
Effective August 1, 2015, MorphoTrust, the Texas Department of Public Safety fingerprinting vendor, can no longer utilize P-numbers for completion of the fingerprinting process. As a result, candidates attempting to be fingerprinted using a non-valid 9-digit number will not be allowed to complete the fingerprinting process, which required for the background check necessary for teacher certification in Texas. Information for international students is available at the Social Security Administration.
Educator Workforce Supply, Demand, and Program Performance [19 TAC §227.1(c)(3)(A)]
Students seeking admission to the College are encouraged to review the the effect of supply and demand forces on the educator workforce in Texas ( see: Texas Teacher Vacancy Task Force Report and the Job Outlook for Teacher and Non-Teacher Candidates) and the performance over time of the College of Education for the past five years ( see the TEA Educator Preparation Data Dashboards)
Prior Coursework Policy – Military & Non-Military Candidates
[19 TAC §228.35(1) & (2)]
The Educational Preparation Program (EPP) allows candidates to receive credit for verified prior coursework, training, and professional experience under the following conditions:
Military Service Members & Veterans
Candidates with military service may receive credit toward educator certification requirements (excluding certification exams) for verified:
- Military service
- Training
- Clinical and professional experience
- Education
To qualify, the military experience must be directly related to the certification being pursued.
Non-Military Candidates
Candidates who are not military service members or veterans may also substitute prior or ongoing service, training, or education, provided that:
- The experience, education, or training was completed within the past five years.
- It was provided by an approved Educator Preparation Program (EPP) or an accredited institution of higher education.
- It does not count toward required internship, clinical teaching, or practicum requirements.
- It is directly related to the certification being pursued.
Admission
Acceptance to the University does not ensure acceptance into the College of Education. Students are eligible to apply for admission to the College of Education when the following requirements have been met; however, meeting these requirements does not guarantee acceptance, only consideration.
To be considered for admission to the Educator Preparation Program, the applicant must fulfill the following requirements:
- Application: Submit an application form available online. Any COE admissions/program requirements in place at the time of readmission must be met. Candidates who have not been enrolled for one academic year must reapply. Any applicant previously denied admission must reapply.
- Online Screening Survey: All applicants must complete an online screening survey to evaluate the applicant's knowledge, experience, skills, and aptitudes. Applicants may be denied admission to the college from the evaluation of the screening instrument.
- Courses: Complete the following:
A) All freshman and sophomore level courses including the University Core Curriculum coursework with a grade "C" or better.
B) Successfully complete (with a "C" or better) a minimum of 12 SCH in the subject content are of Elementary certification or successfully complete (with a "C" or better) 15 SCH for 7-12 certification areas in math or science.
C) Complete two University Seminar courses UNIV 1101 and UNIV 1402. (Candidates who transfer Core complete or complete the institutional component option are exempt from this requirement.
- Foreign Language Requirement: Meet the University’s Foreign Language graduation requirement prior to admission. This may be demonstrated by fulfilling one of the options below:
- Completion of three years of high school study of a single foreign language with a minimum grade of 80 (3.0) at the end of the third year, or
- Completion of two years of high school study of a single foreign language and completion of a 2000 level university course in the same language with a “C” or better, or
- Earning a minimum grade of "C" in 6 SCH in a foreign language, or
- Completion of an approved international experience (study abroad) of at least one semester/summer session in length in a country where English is not the primary language, or
- CLEP or AP exam scores that award 6 SCH in a foreign language, or
- Completion of two courses in a language with a "C" or better from the University's International Language Institute, or
- Completion of two American Sign Language courses with a "C" or better.
NOTE: The Foreign Language Requirement does not fulfill the Spanish language coursework for Bilingual emphasis programs. - Grade Point Average (GPA): An institutional, transfer, and overall GPA of 2.75 is required.
- Assessments: Students must complete the following:
A) Basic Skills: Have completed the Texas Success Initiative Assessment (TSI) as TSI College Ready, unless exempt with minimum scores on SAT, ACT, TAAS, TAKS, or STAAR EOC, or other exemption honored by the University. Transfer students that have already earned an Associate's Degree or higher are also TSI assessment exempt.
B) English Language Proficiency: The TOEFL IBT is required of all students having academic studies from a country where English is not the native language. These minimum TOEFL IBT scores are required:
- Speaking: 24
- Listening: 22
- Reading: 22
- Writing: 21 - Acceptance into the College of Education: An applicant accepted into the College of Education must formally acknowledge the acceptance with the college. The COE will notify the applicant of the formal date of admission to the college in writing. Upon admission, applicants become teacher candidates and may enroll in upper-level COE coursework.
Additional Requirements After Admission
- Criminal Background Check: Candidates will complete a criminal background check as well as a fingerprint clearance, as determined by the school district for required fieldwork, and will be required to have a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator.
- 3000-5000 Level Courses: To register for any 3000-5000 level College of Education course, candidates must be fully admitted to the COE. A 2.75 Institutional (TAMIU) GPA and a GPA of 2.75 in the specialization/major must be maintained to remain in good standing. EDCI 2224, EDSE 3305, EDSE 3315 and KINE3207 can be taken prior to admission to the College of Education. EDRD 3309 & SPED 3320 can be taken with permission from the instructor. EDCI 1102, EDCI 2224, EDCI 3200 must be completed prior to admission to the College of Education. Courses at the 5000-level may only be taken by seniors in their last semester of undergraduate coursework under the following conditions:
- Must be within 15 semester credit hours of graduation.
- Must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average in upper division coursework.
- Must not enroll for more than 15 SCHs and must not enroll for more than 6 SCHs of graduate work.
- Graduate course cannot count towards the bachelor's degree.
- Graduate courses will be reserved for credit toward the graduate degree when fully accepted into a graduate program.
- Must have approval from the Department/Division Chair and the Dean of the College in which the work is offered.
3. TExES Certification Exams: The College of Education has the right not to recommend teacher candidate in the EPP for TExES state certification exam(s).
Continuation of Undergraduate Enrollment for Students Admitted to the COE
Standard of Progress
Teacher candidates must earn a “C” or better in all education courses. Any teacher candidate earning less than a “C” in a prerequisite course must repeat the failed course before enrolling in subsequent courses.
A teacher candidate may enroll in the same undergraduate course a maximum of three (3) times in order to obtain a “C” or better. After the third unsuccessful attempt to earn a “C” or better in a course, the teacher candidate must change program/major. When teacher candidates change their program/major, all current program/major admission requirements must be met.
To be eligible to enroll in EDCI 4693 Student Teaching, teacher candidates must fulfill the following:
- have a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 and a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 in the specialization/major;
- complete all degree plan courses with a grade of "C" or better;
- pass the content/specialization/major TExES Certification Exams; and
- submit an application for Student Teaching in the office of the Director.
Teacher candidates who are unable to meet admission requirements for EDCI 4693 Student Teaching may complete the Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and Teaching by substituting 9 SCH of approved coursework.
All teacher candidates must maintain a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 or higher to remain in good standing and to graduate. Any teacher candidate who receives less than a 2.75 GPA is subject to academic probation.
Overloads
Overloads will only be approved for TAMIU GPAs of 3.0 or higher and approval of the Department Chair and Dean.
Academic Probation
Once fully admitted to the College of Education, a 2.75 GPA must be maintained each semester to remain in good standing. A teacher candidate is on academic probation if the GPA falls below. Notification of academic probation is through the Dean's office. Teacher candidates must enroll in and repeat those courses in which the teacher candidate earned a less than satisfactory grade, before subsequent or new courses are taken.
Academic Suspension
A teacher candidate who is on probation and continues to receive less than a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 in a subsequent semester will be suspended by the College of Education. A teacher candidate who has been suspended for academic reasons may not petition the College of Education for readmission until one long semester has elapsed. Summer sessions are considered short terms and thus must not be supplanted for a long term. A teacher candidate suspended for any reason will be subject to those criteria and guidelines specified in the University Catalog and required by the major, College of Education, and/or Texas Education Agency in effect at the time of readmission. Enrollment waivers for teacher candidates on suspension will not be granted. When a teacher candidate returns from suspension, the teacher candidate must enroll in and repeat those courses in which the teacher candidate earned a less than satisfactory grade, before subsequent or new courses are taken.
Teacher Certification
For state approved programs leading to certification, as the state implements new requirements for certification, they will become compulsory at the time required with or without notice in this catalog. Candidates in these programs/majors have sole responsibility to comply with requirements for certification and to keep current with changes in certification requirements. Candidates enrolled in certification programs will need to obtain a fingerprint clearance and may be subject to a criminal background check.
Before teacher candidates may be recommended for taking the state certification exams, they must take and demonstrate readiness on a practice exam in the area of certification sought.
Eligibility to Take TExES Exams
Approval to take TExES Exams is based on the procedure and criteria listed below. These procedures and criteria apply to all candidates pursuing degrees with teacher certification, regardless of their catalog year.
Good Standing.
The College of Education has specific requirements that are different and higher than those required by the University. An undergraduate student in good standing with the College of Education must have a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 or higher and a TAMIU GPA of 2.75 or higher in the specialization/major.
Test Preparation Session and Practice Tests.
Candidates seeking approval to take the State Certification Exam must demonstrate readiness on the appropriate representative exam by achieving the required passing score. Candidates who meet the required passing score on the representative exam will be eligible to take the TExES exam.
Exam Sequence
Teacher Candidates seeking initial teacher certification must take TExES exams in the prescribed sequence noted below:
- The TExES content exam in the specialization/major area will be taken the semester following formal admission to the Educator Preparation Program
- The Science of Teaching Reading (STR) will be taken during the second semester following formal admission to the Educator Preparation Program
- The Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) representative exam for the PPR will be taken either during the third semester following formal admission to the Educator Preparation Program (recommended) or during the Student Teaching semester.
- Students may register for the representative exam after completing the tasks outlined by the Certification Officer.
- Candidates who are successful on the representative exam will be eligible to take the TExES PPR exam.
Consolidation Plans.
Students who are unsuccessful on a representative exam or TExES exam will be required to address domains/competencies on the TExES exam in which the student was unsuccessful. Students must complete one or more of the following (based on their level of performance):
- TExES Prep Individualized Intervention Plan
- Correct Answer Review (CAR) & Self-Analysis Report (SAR)
- Personalized Test Assessment
- History of Scores
Educator Preparation Program Exit Policy [19 TAC §228.31(b)]
The College of Education maintains a clear and structured Exit Policy for Candidate Dismissal, ensuring transparency and accountability in the educator preparation process. This policy ensures that candidates remain actively engaged in their professional preparation and meet program expectations.
Reasons for Dismissal from the Educator Preparation Program
A candidate in the Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) Educator Preparation Program (EPP) may be dismissed if their behavior does not align with the professional and ethical expectations for educators in Texas. Dismissal may occur for various reasons, including but not limited to:
- Not meeting coursework requirements or program milestones.
- Failing to show steady progress through the program.
- Inability to meet professional or personal competency standards, even after attempts at remediation.
- Not following requirements set by TAMIU, the Texas A&M University System, the College of Education, the EPP, or the State Board for Educator Certification.
- Failing to communicate effectively with faculty, field supervisors, or mentor teachers to meet fieldwork, clinical teaching, practicum, or internship requirements (e.g., scheduling observations), even after remediation attempts.
- Violating the Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators, even after remediation attempts.
- Violating TAMIU’s student conduct policies or the university’s academic honor code, including academic dishonesty.
- Being charged with or convicted of a criminal offense.
- Violating policies of a school district or campus during fieldwork, clinical teaching, residency, practicum, or internship.
- Suspension or expulsion from TAMIU or dismissal from the College of Education.
This list is not exhaustive, and dismissal decisions may be based on other relevant circumstances.
Dismissal Policies and Procedures
Dismissal from the EPP is a serious decision that affects the candidate, the program, and its faculty. This decision is made when faculty determine that a candidate does not meet the program's standards based on one or more of the outlined dismissal criteria.
How the Dismissal Process Works
- Investigation and Decision:
Concerns about a candidate’s professional behavior or abilities are carefully reviewed, with input from various sources. The decision to dismiss a candidate is made by the Chair of the program and can occur at any time while the candidate is enrolled. - Serious Concerns:
For recurring or significant issues, the matter is referred to the Co-Chairs of the Elementary Education Programs. These concerns are addressed in a formal meeting. - Reporting Other Issues:
Other potential reasons for dismissal are also reported to the Co-Chairs of Elementary Education Programs. - Referral for University Review:
The Co-Chairs will decide whether the issue should be escalated to the Student Conduct and Community Engagement (SCCE) office for further review under university policies. - Program Review:
If not referred to SCCE, the Co-Chairs will review the case. They may collect additional information and conduct a meeting to discuss the issue with the candidate.
Candidate Participation
Candidates involved in a dismissal review are notified in writing about the meeting details, including the date, time, and location. During the meeting, candidates have the opportunity to:
- Attend the meeting in person.
- Submit a written statement and any supporting evidence.
- Speak directly to the Co-Chairs about the issue.
Decision and Notification
If the Co-Chairs decide that the candidate should be dismissed, the candidate will receive written notification explaining the reasons for dismissal and the effective date.
Appeal Process
If a candidate disagrees with the dismissal, they can appeal the decision to the Chair of the program by submitting a written appeal within five (5) business days of receiving the dismissal notice. The appeal must include:
- A justification for why the dismissal should be reconsidered.
- Any supporting documentation.
The Chair will review the appeal and provide a written decision within fifteen (15) business days. This decision will be shared with both the candidate and the Co-Chairs.
Withdrawal from the Educator Preparation Program (EPP)
A candidate who decides to withdraw from the EPP must send a written notice of their decision via email, including their student ID, to their advisor, the College of Education Admissions Officer, and the College of Education Testing and Certification Officer. The candidate is also required to schedule an appointment with their advisor to drop any remaining certification courses and enroll in an approved substitution course to stay on track for timely graduation.
If the candidate intends to withdraw entirely from the university, they must contact the Registrar’s Office to complete the university withdrawal process. Please note that withdrawing from the university automatically results in withdrawal from the Educator Preparation Program.
Dismissal of Inactive Candidates
An inactive candidate is someone who has stopped completing coursework, training, and testing requirements in the EPP and has not finished the program. If a candidate remains inactive for one academic year (two regular semesters), they will be dropped from the university by the Registrar. Their advisor will notify the College of Education Testing and Certification Officer during the annual Summer candidate audit.
To return, the candidate must follow the university’s readmission process and reapply to the EPP. Dismissed candidates will also be removed from the EPP’s enrollment list by the College of Education Testing and Certification Officer.
Readmission Process for Dismissed Inactive Candidates
If a candidate has been dismissed from the Educator Preparation Program (EPP) at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU) and wants to return, they must go through the re-application process required by TAMIU. Once accepted by the university, the candidate must also complete the re-admission process with the College of Education Admissions Officer.
Each request for readmission will be reviewed individually. Since program requirements may change over time due to updates in certification rules or teaching standards, candidates who are readmitted might need to meet new requirements as part of the process.
Obtaining Teacher Certification
Teacher Certification is obtained after the candidate has completed the certification program he/she has been enrolled in and has passed the appropriate TExES exams. To obtain Texas Teacher Certification, candidates must
- complete the College of Education Certification Recommendation Form (Bachelors)
- complete an on-line application with the Texas Education Agency
The Certification Officer will review the candidate's application to ensure that all program requirements have been successfully completed. The application will be forwarded by the Certification Officer to the State Board of Educator Certification. ALL HOLDS MUST BE CLEARED BEFORE THE CERTIFICATION CAN BE FORWARDED TO THE STATE BOARD. The Teacher Certificate will be issued by the State Board of Educator Certification.
All certificates issued by the State are Five (5) -Year Renewable certificates. The individual holding the certificate must submit documentation to the State every five (5) years showing that he/she has completed the required clock hours of professional development activities relating to his/her area of certification.