Education Department

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Education (EDU): Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP)

The School of Education’s Mission Statement

Teacher As Servant Leader
Learning to Teach - Teaching to Serve

The Belhaven University Undergraduate School of Education is committed to preparing highly effective, state-certified educators who are skilled professionals and compassionate individuals dedicated to each student’s academic success. Grounded in the mission of developing Teachers as Servant Leaders, the program emphasizes academic excellence, professional expertise, character formation, and leadership development. Education teacher candidates gain real-world experience through structured observations, practicums, and internships in elementary schools, preparing them to inspire and support K-6 students in achieving their academic goals, developing life skills, and fulfilling their God-given potential.

Program Standards Alignment

The Belhaven University School of Education Teacher Educator Preparation Program for the K-6 Elementary Teacher Education Bachelor of Science (B.S.) curriculum has been designed and developed to incorporate and align with the following TEPP, state, and national professional standards to inform and prepare our teacher candidates:

• The TEPP Program is aligned to the School of Education’s Belhaven Educator Preparation Program Standards (BEPPs)
• The Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation: K-6 Elementary Teacher Preparation Standards (CAEP)
• Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium: Model Core Teaching Standards (InTASC)
• The Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)
• The Mississippi State Teacher Intern Common State Assessment Instrument (TIAI).
• The International Literacy Association Standards for Reading Professionals (ILA)
• The International Dyslexia Association Knowledge and Practice Standards (IDA)
• The Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages Standards (TESOL)

The Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP) has incorporated the TEPP, state, and national standards into its Quality Assurance Assessment System (QAAS). These standards are the foundation for the TEPP’s assessments and are incorporated into all key assessments and program courses.

The School of Education TEPP program completers will be professional, highly qualified teacher educators, prepared with best practices, informed in their content areas with a strong knowledge base, in pedagogical teaching and instructional skills, and have the wisdom and skills for classroom management/organization, all instilled with positive dispositional principles and Christian moral/ethical values.

Admissions to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP)

Candidates planning to teach in elementary schools must meet the requirements for graduation from Belhaven University and complete courses specified for teacher licensure. Even though the state-required teacher licensure tests are not required prior to graduation, teacher candidates are highly recommended to take the tests while progressing through the program and not wait until after graduation.  The School of Education cannot make a recommendation for a teacher’s license to the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE) until the candidate has successfully passed all mandated teacher tests.  All course requirements are subject to change, reflecting the Mississippi Department of Education requirements. Prospective elementary teachers majoring in elementary education K-6 with an endorsement in reading and will identify an additional endorsement in a subject area. The two endorsements lead to teacher certification endorsements: one required in Reading and the other subject area endorsement to be of the candidate’s choosing.

Prospective candidates desiring to teach at the middle/high school levels should major in the subject/content area in which they plan to earn their degree and should also consider the Dual Enrollment option leading to the Mississippi Alternate Route to Teacher Certification (see more information in this Catalogue for a complete explanation of this option for Dual Enrollment for Alternate Route Teacher Licensure or contact the Director of the Graduate School of Education).

Licenses that entitle the holder to teach in public schools in Mississippi are issued by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Office of Educator Licensure, Jackson, Mississippi.  More information for licensure may be requested by contacting the School of Education Certificate Officer.

Candidates who plan to teach in a state other than Mississippi will have been informed as to whether the Belhaven University School of Education, Elementary Teacher Education, and the Mississippi teacher’s license have reciprocity in the state they desire to teach.  Candidates are responsible for securing all requirements and forms from the state where the candidate may wish to teach.  Candidates will be advised to sign a Professional Licensure Disclosure Advisement Form acknowledging that they have received counsel regarding requirements for obtaining a Teacher License in another state.

Admission to Belhaven University, taking courses in the School of Education, and/or declaring Education as a major DOES NOT automatically admit a student as an Education Teacher Candidate to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP).

Admission into the Elementary Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP) in the School of Education

For an Education major to officially become a Teacher Candidate in the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP), they must have successfully completed 44 hours, have an overall GPA of 2.75, and meet one of the following: a passing score on the Core Academic Skills for Educators: Praxis Core, or an ACT score of 21+ or SAT qualifying score, or a 3.0 or higher GPA.  Once a candidate has met the criteria, they cannot progress in the Teacher Education Program until they have had an interview and been approved by the TEPP Review Committee. Once approved by the Review Committee, the candidate then becomes an official Teacher Candidate. Pre-Admissions Foundational Professional Courses may be taken prior to being admitted to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP). No courses listed under the TEPP courses on the degree plan may be taken until a candidate has been admitted to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program and becomes an official Teacher Candidate.

*Three Pre-Admissions courses in Education are exceptions open to all university students:

• EDU 200 Introduction to Education
• EDU 221 Child Development
• EDU 301 Educational Psychology

Before the School of Education Certification Officer can recommend a teacher candidate for licensure, all program requirements must be met, including obtaining a passing score on the following state-required tests:

    Praxis: PLT - Principles of Learning and Teaching

    Praxis: CIA- Curriculum Instruction and Assessment

    FOR: Foundation of Reading Test (Elementary Ed Candidates)

Passing the teacher certification tests is not required to graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education. However, passing the required tests is a requirement of the Mississippi Department of Education in order to obtain a teaching license.

At the same time, Belhaven University’s School of Education maintains a Standard of Excellence, encouraging and expecting all Teacher Candidates to take and pass all required certification exams before graduation.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Candidates are allowed to take only a limited number of courses in the School of Education before they must be admitted into the Elementary Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP) - prior to beginning their second term of junior year. If candidates are not admitted to the TEPP, they can no longer take courses from the School of Education and must change their major. Candidates are admitted to the TEPP after having completed the requisite Education courses, and having successfully been interviewed by the TEPP Review Committee, and approved as a Teacher Candidate for the Teacher Educator Preparation Program.

Additional Degree Requirements - Transfer Credits
Students transferring to Belhaven are required to take at least nine hours in Education at Belhaven, excluding Clinical Internships I & II; Teacher Candidates are required to take Clinical Internships in Teaching at Belhaven. All teacher candidates must have at least a C in all professional and specialty/content area courses.

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