Admission to the Teacher Education Program (TEP)

Introduction

Admission to all UK teacher preparation programs is competitive. All candidates for admission must meet basic skills requirements; however, in addition to meeting minimum requirements, candidates must demonstrate excellence in a variety of areas. Among these are skills in working with students in educational environments, ability to be successful in cooperative groups, ability to communicate effectively, experience with school and community programs, and ability to engage in effective problem solving.

All applicants for teacher preparation programs will complete a standard application process and will be assessed through a rigorous interview procedure with a specific program admissions committee. Students who are not admitted to a teacher preparation program may apply again at a later date.

NOTE: All secondary Education majors apply for Upper Division/advanced standing once they have completed 60 semester hours toward their UK degree (with a minimum 2.5 GPA). Secondary education majors do not apply to the TEP unti they apply for the MIC program.

Criteria for being accepted to a Teacher Education Program

A. Applying for Admission to a Teacher Education Program

All applicants must complete a TEP application packet and portfolio.  This is done at the time when residency requirements, standardized testing and GPA requirements have all been met. Application packets are available online. (The application process for graduate-level programs do vary. Applicants to graduate-level initial teacher education programs should consult with a program advisor prior to beginning the application process.) Explanatory information sheets prepared by program faculties to accompany the TEP application packets are also available from 166 TEB. Students are not encouraged to apply for a TEP without official copies of passing test scores in hand.

B. GPA

All applicants for an initial teacher education program must have a minimum 2.50 GPA overall. (Note: the average GPA for students admitted to TEP is about a 3.0.) Students entering a program with an earned bachelors degree must have a 2.50 GPA on the transcript showing the award of the degree. Questions about GPA must be referred to an advisor in Academic Services and Teacher Certification, 166 TEB. The UK Graduate School will require a minimum overall undergraduate GPA of 2.75 for admission to a graduate degree program.

C. Residency

Students must have earned at least 45 or 60 undergraduate hours (depending on the program) by the time they begin the teacher education program. It is expected that students will have completed most of the university studies program by the time they are admitted to a teacher preparation program.

D. Letters of Recommendation

Students must gather at least three letters of recommendation on official College of Education recommendation forms. These letters of recommendation are used to document a student's skills and aptitude related to becoming a teacher. Recommendation forms are included in the TEP Application packet. Recommendations may not be used for other programs than that for which they were written. (Graduate certificate-only programs may be an exception to this rule.)

E. Code of Ethics and The Character and Fitness Review

All students who wish to be admitted to a teacher education program must understand that teachers in Kentucky are held to a high standard of conduct towards the students, the community and the profession. Teachers are role models for students; so engaging in many types of illegal conduct is grounds for revoking or denying a teaching certificate.. Students wishing to be admitted to a teacher education program must declare that they have not been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor (other than traffic violations), and that they have not had any serious problems with any legal system. Forms are available from 166 TEB.

F. Transcript Verification

The UK College of Education requires transcript verification of all undergraduate and graduate coursework. At the point of admission to the university, students supply official transcripts to the UK Registrar and/or the UK Graduate School. Where possible, when students are applying to a teacher education program, Academic Services and Teacher Certification staff will use copies of transcripts from the UK Registrar or Graduate School for internal auditing purposes. It is the applicant's responsibility to review transcript availability with TEB166 staff. Requests for transcript availability review should be made at least 48 hours prior to any application deadlines.

At the time of applying for a Kentucky Teaching Certificate or change in rank, transcript documentation must be provided for the use of the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board. So that this can be done, the following rules are in effect:

1. The applicant is expected to provide Academic Services and Teacher Certification with an original UK transcript verifying completion of the applicable program and/or degree.
   
2. Academic Services and Teacher Certification receives from the UK Registrar copies of external transcripts for which courses appear on the UK transcript. Student Services and Certification will attach copies of these external transcript(s) to the KY EPSB, for information purposes, to show course grades. 
   
3. For any coursework which are included in a student's certification program, which does not appear on the UK transcript (primarily graduate certificate programs) the student must supply Academic Services and Teacher Certification with an original transcript which can be attached to the certificate application and sent to the KY EPSB.

Academic Services and Certification adheres to the policy that copies of transcripts are not made for students. Copies of transcripts should be acquired from the UK Registrar or from a student's former institution(s). Currently enrolled students wishing simply to view or print their UK academic records may access these records via myUK. Students who wish to obtain an official transcript of their academic record should address their request to the Office of the Registrar.

G. The admissions portfolio

All teacher education programs will require students to present an admissions portfolio at the time of application. In general, this portfolio will include the following items: 1) sample of writing, 2) written autobiography or resume, and 3) documentation of experiences with children of the age covered by the program. Portfolio requirements do vary by program, so students should inquire with a program advisor for specifics. Portfolio requirements for Elementary Education majors can be found here. Portfolio requirements for Middle School Education majors can be found here.

H. Experience with children and education

Good teachers have lots of experiences with children, parents, and educational activities. Students wishing to become teachers should seek opportunities for experiences in education-related environments. The amount and quality of a student's experience is often a factor in being admitted to a teacher education program. Some programs have specific requirements about experiences with children and education required for admission to the teacher education program.

I. The TEP Interview and other criteria for being admitted

All students must complete an admission interview with the admissions committee in the program to which they are seeking admission. During the interview, the committee will take a number of factors into consideration in making a decision. All of the criteria listed in this section will be utilized. Also, because admission to programs is competitive and space is limited, not all students who meet the minimum criteria will necessarily be accepted in any one admission period. Students may apply again if they are not accepted.

J. Testing Rules

All students seeking admission to an initial teacher education program must present acceptable standardized test scores. Rules governing the specific tests which are allowed for admissions purposes are set by the Kentucky Education Professional Standards Board. Under EPSB rules, each teacher preparation institution has its own policies on standardized testing for admissions purposes, which must be filed with the Education Professional Standards Board. UK has a set of rules for standardized testing (PDF).