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Office of Teacher Preparation
Gena Southall, Executive Director of Teacher Preparation
Connie Ballard, Assistant Director for Field Experiences and Outreach
Kathy Charleston, Assistant Director for CAEP Evaluation
Jennifer Whitaker, Assistant Director for Teacher Licensure and Student Success
Sheila Seagle, Administrative Assistant
The Office of Teacher Preparation (OTP) coordinates the application process for admission into the Teacher Preparation Program and all field and clinical experience placements that prepare teacher candidates for an initial teaching license. Field experiences represent a variety of early and ongoing school-based opportunities in which teacher candidates may observe, assist, tutor, plan, or present instruction. The clinical experience is student teaching, providing teacher candidates an experience that allows a semester-long full immersion in a school setting. Teacher candidates are placed in diverse and rural educational settings for field and clinical placement experiences.
Prior to the first field placement, teacher candidates, at their expense, are asked to present OTP with evidence of a criminal background check, negative tuberculosis test results, and an automobile insurance form. To both gain admission to and maintain successful progress though the Teacher Preparation Program, teacher candidates also provide OTP with a variety of Virginia Department of Education (VDOE)-mandated licensure requirements, such as completion of online VDOE modules, proof of passing scores on state and national licensure assessments, etc. OTP works with each of Longwood’s teacher education programs to ensure students’ successful completion of the licensure process.
In addition to Longwood and VDOE requirements, school divisions hosting placements may require additional information from teacher candidates. OTP will provide students placed in these divisions with information on these additional requirements. Travel distance and commute time to and from placements vary. Transportation and lodging, if needed, are at the expense of the candidate. It is the responsibility of the teacher candidate to monitor email and other communication media for updates regarding requirements, meeting dates, applications for placement, and other essential information.
The teacher candidates must notify OTP if assigned to a school where they attended as a student or where an immediate family member attends or is employed. Failure to notify OTP of such conflict may result in a cancellation of a placement and/or receiving a failing grade.
Teacher candidates who need placement by OTP should attend one of the orientation sessions offered that are specific to the placement type (ex: Practicum Integration). These sessions will be offered each semester.
Admission to the Teacher Preparation Program is ongoing. Students will need to meet requirements by the applicable deadline (March 1 for summer and fall course registration purposes and October 1 for spring course registration purposes) in order for OTP to guarantee processing before the registration window closes.
Requirements for Admission to Teacher Prep:
- “C-” or better in ENGL 165 or the transfer equivalent
- “C” or better in introductory education courses for your program area as indicated below:
- PK-6, 6-8, Secondary Education 6-12, and PK-12 (Languages, TESL, and Theatre)
- PK-12 Art Education
- Special Education K-12
- Music Education
- Physical and Health Education
- Two of the following four courses:
- Submit in Tk20 Watermark Qualifying Test Scores:
OR
OR
- VCLA AND one of the following math options:
- ACT
- SAT
- Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE): Mathematics
OR
- Praxis CASE: mathematics, reading, and writing
- Complete the Child Abuse and Neglect Recognition and Intervention Training Module and submit the official certificate in Tk20 Watermark
- Complete the Dyslexia Awareness Training Module and submit the official certificate in Tk20 Watermark
- Middle School Social Sciences Endorsement and History Secondary Education teacher candidates only: Complete the Civics Education in Virginia Module and submit the official certificate in Tk20 Watermark
- Submit your Criminal Background Check results in Tk20 Watermark
- Submit negative TB test results in Tk20 Watermark
- Submit an up-to-date Automobile Insurance Form in Tk20 Watermark
- Request by email two applicable faculty recommendations (see chart in Tk20)
- *NOTE: Faculty recommendations are requested and completed through myLongwood
- Maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Prospective teacher candidates who have an overall GPA ranging from 2.5 to 2.99 will be put on a waitlist until the end of the semester during which they applied. See “GPA Factors in Teacher Prep Admission” below for more information:
Qualifying Teacher Preparation Program Test Score Options
- SAT (taken after 3/1/2016) - 1170 with 580+ Evidence-based Reading and Writing and 560+ Math
- SAT (taken between 4/1/1995 and 3/1/2016) - 1100 with 530+ verbal and 530+ math
- SAT (taken before 4/1/1995) - 1000 with 450+ verbal and 510+ Math
OR
- ACT composite score 24, math score 22, reading/English combined score 46
- ACT (taken before 4/1/1995) composite score 21, math score 21, reading/English 37
OR
- VCLA composite score 470 AND one of the following math options:
- ACT math score of 22
- SAT math score of 560 or 530 or 510 (see above)
- Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators (CASE): Mathematics score of 150
OR
- Praxis CASE: math score 150, reading score 156, and writing score 162
GPA Factors in Teacher Prep Admission
Individual applicants with an overall GPA of at least 3.0 and who have submitted a complete Admission to Teacher Preparation Application will be immediately eligible for admission to the Teacher Preparation Program and will have their applications to the program processed after the October 1st or March 1st deadline in advance of the following advising and registration period.
Prospective teacher candidates who have an overall GPA ranging from 2.5 to 2.99 will be put on a waitlist and admitted in descending GPA order such that the cohort average GPA remains at 3.0 or higher for that semester. Longwood University requires that the cohort average GPA of students being admitted to the Teacher Preparation Program in any given semester be at least 3.0 (overall).
The Office of Teacher Preparation (OTP) will admit as many other students as mathematically possible while maintaining the cohort’s average GPA at the 3.0 required by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
These calculations will be done at the end of the fall, spring, and summer semesters, immediately after new grades are reflected in the candidate’s GPAs. Calculations for waitlisted candidates will be done with new GPAs, thereby enabling this policy to serve as a potential incentive for improvement in student performance. From the time the cohort average is calculated, the cohort will remain “open” until the end of the last day of the add/drop period of the next semester.
In the event that candidates cannot be admitted as part of the semester’s cohort, they will be expected to work with their academic advisors to develop a plan for improving their overall GPA, which can include course retakes and/or tutoring services. Students will remain on the waitlist until such time as they have the 3.0 GPA, can be admitted as part of a future cohort, or request that OTP cancel their application to the Teacher Preparation Program.
Clinical Experience (Student Teaching)
Student teaching is the pinnacle of the teacher candidates’ preparation for initial licensure. This clinical experience occurs during a teacher candidates’ final semester. The placement is for 13 weeks; the teacher candidates may have one placement or two placements (determined by the teacher candidates’ program.).
Students who wish to graduate in a timely manner must complete two clinical experience applications in Tk20.
- Initial Placement Request - due April 15 if student teaching the following spring; November 15 if student teaching the following fall
- Students submit requests for school divisions in which they would like to student teach.
- Students submit VCLA scores and proof of CPR certification as part of this application.
- Student Teaching Final Requirements - due June 1 for fall placements; December 15 for spring placements
- Students submit passing Praxis II and RVE (if required by licensure program)
Students should maintain (1) an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher and (2) a major GPA of 2.5 or higher in order to student teach.
Clinical experience placement requests will only be sent to school divisions for the teacher candidates who meet all criteria and requirements by the posted deadlines. Teacher candidates denied admission to student teaching may reapply upon meeting requirements.
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