Pre-Directed Student Teaching

            The purpose of the pre-directed student teaching (PDST) experience is to familiarize upcoming student teachers with their cooperating schools and teachers.  Teacher candidates are required to spend the specified days with their cooperating teacher(s) from the beginning to the end of the school day.  Candidates shall dress, groom, and behave professionally each day.           

Secondary education majors and some P-12 majors will only have one cooperating teacher (one assignment).  They will spend all of PDST with that teacher.  All other majors will have two cooperating teachers (two assignments).  They will spend the first half of PDST with the teacher they will student teach under first, and the last half with the teacher they will student teach under second. 

Dates for Pre-Directed Student Teaching: __________________________________

STUDENT TEACHER ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Once a student has met and received written confirmation from the WTEP Admission Committee, he or she will continue to advance toward acceptance into the WTEP for Student Teaching by following the criteria listed:

1. Maintain a C or above in each required specialization and professional course.
2. Complete the required 21 hours of WTEP specialization courses in the respective degree program.
3. The Praxis II: Content Assessment needs to be taken but not necessarily passed before the student teaching experience.  Williams complies with the Arkansas Department of Education’s minimum score requirements on each test.  Students must request that an Institution copy of the official score report be sent directly to Williams Baptist College.

                        Continuing in the Program

Retention Procedures

Once a student has met the criteria for admission and has received written confirmation of WTEP acceptance, he or she will continue to advance toward the goals of the program and a degree if the following criteria are met: 

1.  Voluntary and continued enrollment and satisfactory participation in upper level coursework at WBC that moves the student toward fulfilling the degree requirements of a Bachelor of Science in Education in his or her respective degree program. 

2.  Maintain a C or above in each required specialization and professional course. 

3.  Adherence to WBC and WTEP policies for teacher candidates while engaged in field experiences.

4.  Consultation with an education faculty advisor in the Teacher Education Program is necessary to assess status and progress toward program completion.  One session each semester is required.  Additional sessions may be scheduled as deemed necessary.

 Dismissal Procedures

 Dismissal of a teacher candidate from the WTEP is a result of the Teacher Education Admission Committee’s recommendation.  Steps preceding the recommendation include one or more conferences with the teacher candidate in question based on the following conditions:

1.  A teacher candidate requests withdrawal from the WTEP.

 2.  An unfortunate condition of physical or emotional health or disease that would prevent a teacher candidate from the normal day-to-day process of completing course work and participating in activities related to teaching.  In this event the student would be advised to redirect his or her abilities to another field or be advised to postpone the acquisition of a degree in education until such condition did not exist.

3.  A teacher candidate demonstrates personal or professional behavior that unsatisfactorily represents the sequential professional development as expressed in the WTEP philosophy, goals, and objectives.      

4.  Conduct that would not be consistent with WBC general college standards as described in the Williams Baptist College Academic Catalog and Student Handbook or a felony conviction.

Exit Requirements

Teacher candidates who fulfill the following requirements will receive a Bachelor of Science in Education from Williams Baptist College:

1.  Meet admission requirements and course work requirements outlined in the Williams Baptist College Academic Catalog and Student Handbook. 

2.  Fulfill each criterion of WTEP Admission Requirements, WTEP Retention Procedures, and WTEP Student Teaching Admission Requirements. 

3.  Successfully complete a semester of Directed Student Teaching as described in the respective Professional Requirements sections of this catalog. 

4.  Submit official Praxis II (those required by ADE for the area of certification) to the Registrar’s office by the last day of finals prior to spring graduation. STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO ENSURE THE TIMELY SUBMISSION OF THE REQUIRED SCORES TO THE REGISTRAR’S OFFICE.

                        **As of Spring 2004 ALL WTEP students will be required to take the appropriate PLT sections of Praxis II in order to qualify for graduation. If a student does not achieve the state mandated score for passing, that student will receive a letter from the WTEP chair warning the student that failure to achieve a passing score on Praxis II precludes them from receiving “initial licensure” from ADE. Students will be required to sign a warning letter in the presence of an official school representative. Once the letter is signed and filed, the student may receive a diploma. 

5.  Complete and file a Williams Baptist College Intent to Graduate Form by prescribed date in the current WBC catalog. 

6. Satisfy all Williams Baptist College financial obligations. 

 7. Successfully pass the English Proficiency Examination as well as all other WBC requirements as stated  in the catalog. 

8.  File an application form with Williams Baptist College to request Arkansas Teacher Licensure. The request will be submitted once a student has been declared a WTEP completer. WTEP completers are defined as teacher candidates who have completed all degree requirements and passed all Praxis II tests as required by the Arkansas Department of Education.

Table of Contents

Introduction to Teaching Handbook

Pre-Directed Handbook

Directed Student Teaching Handbook