Entrance Requirements for admission to Student Teaching

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Last updated: Oct 29, 2024 by Patricia Eckard

In order to student teach, you must complete an application by November 30 of your junior year or the academic year prior to your student teaching placement. Application information and requirements are outlined at the student teaching application meeting (in November), and sent via email to students. These applications are acted upon by the Teacher Education Admissions Committee based on consideration of the following requirements (also found at www.emu.edu/education/3-steps/).

You must:

  1. be admitted to teacher education and remain in good standing according to the Teacher Education admissions criteria.
  2. achieve and maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7.
  3. achieve a C or better in all education and methods courses (courses with an ED/EDS prefix, VACA 397, VACA 398, MUED 341, MUED 342, PE 401, PE 402).
  4. complete an application for admission to student teaching by November 30.
  5. demonstrate dispositions of personal and professional responsibility, caring about relationships in learning communities, scholarship and inquiry, and reflective practice as evidenced by academic, teacher education, and character recommendations.
  6. meet with the Director of Clinical Partnerships or the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Director for a student teaching placement meeting.
  7. have a negative Tuberculosis screening.
  8. take the Praxis Subject Assessment required for Virginia Licensure and/or your EMU program by December 1 for spring student teachers and May 1 for fall student teachers. You must submit a copy of your examinee score report to the teacher education program office.
    • For those seeking certification in more than one program area, one Praxis Subject Assessment is required as indicated above, and additional Praxis Subject Assessments must be taken and passed prior to program completion.
  9. PreK-3 and PreK-6 candidates must have taken the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary exam by Dec. 1 prior to student teaching. You must submit a copy of your examinee score report to the teacher education program office.
  10. achieve a score of 2 or higher on designated criteria in the lesson plan rubric from designated program courses. Students are given the opportunity within two designated courses to master the criteria at least once.*
  11. achieve a score of “Developing Towards Expectations” or higher on each of seven essential criterion in the Profile of Clinical Performance practicum evaluation from designated program courses. Students are given the opportunity within two designated courses to master the criteria at least once.**
  12. complete certification or training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) including hands-on practice, and the use of automated external defibrillators (AED). The certification or training program shall be based on the current national evidence-based emergency cardiovascular care guidelines for cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator such as a program developed by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
  13. write and submit an introductory letter and a resume by March 31 prior to the student teaching semester. These will be given to each supervising teacher and placed in your student file.
  14. complete the background check requirement of the school division(s) in which you will student teach by the date required (dates will vary depending on the school division).

*Designated courses for the lesson plan evaluation for admission to student teaching: ED 331, 333, 351, and 385; PE 402; VACA 398; MUED 342.

**Designated courses for the practicum evaluation for admission to student teaching: ED 252, 331-333, 341-343, & 361; VACA 397-398; LING 460; MUED 341-342; PE 401-402.

You will be notified by the teacher education program upon admission. As a transfer student, you are expected to be in residence one full semester in addition to the above requirements before being admitted to student teaching. Students must be admitted to teacher education by July 1, prior to the academic year they wish to student teach.  At the discretion of TEAC, adjustments to the July 1 admission date may be considered. If your application is denied, you will be required to conference with the Undergraduate Teacher Education Program Director and a student growth plan will be completed, if applicable.


Policy statements exist in the Program Policies for Student Teaching section for requests to work, student teach away from the area, and/or participate in athletics during your student teaching semester.    

Current cut-off scores for the Praxis Subject Assessments and the Praxis Teaching Reading: Elementary are listed in Appendix A of this handbook and on the web:

http://www.emu.edu/education/test-scores/.