Elementary Teacher Certification Program (old last admit Summer 2023)

This program was designed for students to meet the requirements for both a bachelor's degree and the Michigan Elementary Standard Teaching Certificate. Completers of this program will be eligible to teach K-5th grade in a self-contained classroom and subject specific courses in 6-8th grade depending on the major selected. The curriculum consists of two parts, the first involving academic study, and the second consisting of professional preparation, including passing scores on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Elementary Education exam, prior to student teaching.

Certification

The College of Education, Health and Human Services recommends students for the Michigan Elementary Standard Teaching Certificate upon successful completion of the program. The Michigan Department of Education ultimately awards the certification.

Elementary Standard Teaching Certificates

The initial teaching certificate awarded the beginning elementary school teacher is the Michigan Elementary Standard Teaching Certificate. This certificate is valid for teaching all subjects in kindergarten through fifth grade and subject specific classes 6-8th grade if an endorsement is obtained. Students are able to obtain endorsements by completing the course work in a major and optional minor and successfully passing the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) in their content area. Students who complete the Special Education major and pass the corresponding MTTC are eligible to teach in a resource room K-12th grade. The Standard Teaching Certificate is valid for five years and can be renewed an unlimited number of times provided that renewal conditions are met. Legislative or other state action may change these specifications. Therefore, students are advised to contact the College of Education, Health, and Human Services’ Office of Student Success, located in room 262 Fairlane Center South (FCS), to learn of the most recent policies.

General Requirements for a Teacher's Certificate

In order to be awarded an elementary or secondary Standard Teaching Certificate, students at UM-Dearborn must be recommended for the certificate by the Governing Faculty of the College of Education, Health, and Human Services. The general procedure to be followed in obtaining such a recommendation is outlined below. It should be noted, however, that progression from one step to another is not automatic; students are expected to be individually responsible for understanding and meeting the requirements and provisions of the programs they pursue.

Qualifying for a Standard Teaching Certificate

To qualify for certificate recommendation, an individual must fulfill the following requirements:

  1. Earn a bachelor's degree from UM-Dearborn or another accredited institution with an overall GPA of 2.75; a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the major; a minimum GPA of 2.75 in an optional minor; and a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the Professional Studies Sequence. Irrespective of where the degree is earned, each candidate shall satisfactorily complete directed teaching and all required methods courses and practica at UM-Dearborn.
  2. If acquiring both the bachelor's degree and a teacher's certificate from UM-Dearborn, the individual shall complete the degree with the appropriate number of semester hours depending on the program selected.
  3. Comply with the Four-Phase Checklist described below.
  4. Meet all Michigan Department of Education Teacher Certificate requirements including state mandated tests.
  5. Satisfy the College faculty that the applicant possesses attributes that are necessary and desirable for successful teaching.

Professional Semester/Directed Teaching (Student Teaching)

Each student enrolled in a teacher certification program at UM-Dearborn, whether pursuing an elementary or a secondary Standard Teaching Certificate, is expected to spend one full academic term exclusively in professional work. This period of time is called the "professional semester." Directed Teaching (student teaching) and its related seminar serve as the core for this particular term. This entails a full day's teaching load and all school-related activities at a University-negotiated site.  The professional semester for elementary certification students is as follows:

Elementary Professional Semester

EDD 435Dir Teaching: Elementary Sch10
EDD 437Seminar: Teaching Elementary Grades2
Total Credit Hours12

Opportunities for directed teaching are available only in the University's fall and winter terms. Students wishing to elect directed teaching in the fall term are required to attend an application meeting the preceding September and those desiring to elect it during the winter term are required to attend an application meeting the preceding March. Meeting dates, times, and locations will be posted on the Field Placement Office website and in the Fairlane Center South. Requirements for acceptance into the professional semester are outlined in the Four-Phase Checklist.

Incompletes, Unsatisfactory Grades, and Withdrawals

No student will be assigned to, or registered for, directed teaching with incomplete work in the Professional Sequence of courses. Moreover, once a student has been assigned to a directed teaching placement and then has had registration denied because of incomplete work, the student will be prohibited from receiving any future directed teaching assignment for that semester.

Any student, who has withdrawn from or received an unsatisfactory grade in directed teaching, whether through the action of a school district, the University, or by personal choice, will have a request for future placement carefully reviewed by the college. Reassignment to directed teaching is not guaranteed, nor is it an automatic process.

Students must file petitions for reassignment consideration.

General Field Placement Policy

Students in the teacher preparation program are assigned field placements, either as practicum students or as student teachers, in public or private schools. Field placement shall be made in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth by the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and in compliance with accreditation standards.

The student is expected to maintain professional dispositions in order to conform to the expectations of the placement school and the University. Appropriate academic preparation is required as outlined in the elementary and secondary programs of the College. Professional responsibilities during the Directed Teaching term are detailed in the "UM-Dearborn Directed Teaching Handbook" which is located on the CEHHS Student Teaching Eligibility website.

The public and private schools exercise the right to screen the University's students. Acceptance or rejection of students is not controlled by the University. A placement school may reject a University student for several reasons, including a lack of placement positions in the school or a determination that the University student's presence in the school or classroom may disrupt or interfere in some way with the educational process.

Currently there is no way in which the University can require the placement school to state specific reasons for rejection.

If a University student is repeatedly denied placement by the field schools, the College of Education, Health, and Human Services will recommend career counseling and terminate matriculation in the teacher certification program.

College of Education, Health, and Human Services Four-Phase Checklist

The College of Education, Health, and Human Services (CEHHS) at the UM-Dearborn is committed to the ideal of quality in the field of teacher education. A screening procedure is employed to help identify those people most likely to achieve the level of excellence defined by the college.  This screening procedure is divided into four successive phases.  Requirements at one phase must be successfully completed before continuing on to the next.  Students are also responsible for meeting all program requirements for their selected degree as listed in Degree Works.

Phase One - Initial Admission to Education

All requirements listed below must be completed for progression to Phase Two:

  1. Three types of students are considered for admission to the College of Education, Health, and Human Services at this entry level phase:
    • First time in any college (FTIAC) students - Campus admission standards for SAT, ACT, and high school Grade Point Average (GPA) are used in determining admission.
    • Transfer students -  College of Education, Health, and Human Services admission standards (a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75/4.0 scale) are used for transfer students.
    • Post-degree certification students - College of Education, Health, and Human Services admission standards are used for individuals with a bachelor's degree earned at a regionally accredited institution. The individual must have a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or higher in their major, optional minor, and overall to be admitted to the College of Education, Health, and Human Services and the Teacher Certification Program.
  2. Admission to College of Education, Health, and Human Services:
    • having declared one of the elementary certification majors, or
    • having declared the pre-secondary certification attribute
  3. A Criminal Background Check Consent form must be submitted online to CEHHS-assigned MBox prior to a student's first field experience.
  4. Video Recording Consent form must be submitted online to CEHHS-assigned MBox prior to a student's first field experience.
  5. Infectious Diseases/Blood-borne Pathogens training must be completed in the Curriculum Knowledge Center (FCS 267) prior to a student's first field experience.

Phase Two - Preparation for Admission to the Teacher Certification Program

All requirements listed below must be completed for progression to Phase Three:

  1. Successful completion of
    • COMP 105 (Writing & Rhetoric I), transfer credit equivalent, or waiver by university accepted high school Advanced Placement (AP) test score (not required for students admitted to the post-degree certification only program).
    • EDA 205 (Introduction to Education) or transfer credit equivalent.
    • EXPS 298 (Exploring Writing to Communicate, Learn and Teach) or COMP 106 (Writing & Rhetoric II).
  2. Minimum of 55 earned credit hours, including transfer credit, or previously earned bachelor's degree if applicable, minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale as well as a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the major(s) and optional minor(s).
  3. Undergraduate students must complete at least 12 credit hours of study at UM-Dearborn.
  4. Application for Admission to Teacher Certification Program (Phase III) form, which includes a moral turpitude statement, must be submitted online to CEHHS-assigned MBox.
  5. Change of Degree Program, Major and/or Minor Petition form, to officially declare teacher certification must be submitted to the CEHHS Office of Student Success, 262 FCS.

Phase Three - Admission to Teacher Certification Program

All requirements listed below must be completed for progression to Phase Four:

  1. Successful completion of the appropriate MTTC Certification Tests listed below and official score reported directly to the University of Michigan-Dearborn (institution code 29):
    • Elementary certification students must pass the MTTC Elementary Education Test (#103)
    • Secondary certification students must pass the MTTC tests in their major(s) and optional minor(s).
  2. Undergraduate students must meet Senior Residency Requirements and Post-Degree students must take a minimum of six credits at UM-Dearborn in order to receive recommendation.
  3. Completion of Professional Studies sequence of courses.
  4. Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale as well as a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the major(s), optional minor(s) and the Professional Studies sequence.
  5. Attendance at a Student Teaching Application Meeting and completion and submission of all forms online to the CEHHS Office of Student Success.
  6. Completion of an MDE approved CPR and First Aid certification.

Phase Four - Teacher Certification Program Completion

All requirements listed below must be completed for recommendation for a degree and/or a State of Michigan Standard Teaching Certificate:

  1. Attendance at the mandatory Student Teaching Orientation Meeting.
  2. For undergraduate degree seeking students:  Submission of completed Degree/Diploma application to the Office of the Registrar.  This application can be submitted online or printed and submitted in person, and can be found at https://umdearborn.edu/students/registration-records/graduation-commencement/applying-graduate-0.
    • Elementary certification students apply to graduate as a student in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.
    • Secondary certification students apply to graduate as a student in the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters.
  3. Successful completion of the chosen program, major(s), optional minor(s) and professional studies sequence, including student teaching, and supplementary requirements with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale, as well as minimum grade point average of 2.75 in the major(s), optional minor(s) and professional studies sequence.
  4. Successful completion of any additional MTTC certification tests and official score reporting directly to the University of Michigan-Dearborn (Institution Code 29) for any optional additional endorsements sought.  These scores must be reported to the University of Michigan-Dearborn College of Education, Health, and Human Services before recommendations are prepared for the state by the University of Michigan-Dearborn Certification Officer:
    • Additional content area major(s) or minor(s), beyond the minimum requirement, for elementary certification students.
    • Additional content area major(s) or minor(s), beyond the minimum requirement, for secondary certification students.

Based on this record of achievement, a decision to recommend or not to recommend for certification will be made by the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.

Elementary Teacher Certification Program

The program as outlined meets the State's teacher certification requirements at the time of this writing. However, changes by the University or the State may affect some program requirements. Therefore, students are strongly advised to inquire about possible changes by checking with their advisor in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Academic Program Requirements (Majors and Minors)

Students entering this program are required to complete all core courses, pre-professional courses, and all course requirements for any selected major. Students are required to select at least 1 of the degree majors listed below. Minor endorsements are optional. Courses in the major and/or minor may not be elected on a pass/fail basis. Courses that apply to the majors and minors are listed below under "Areas of Study for Majors and Minors."

Majors and Minors

Degree Majors Major Endorsements Minor Endorsements
Early Childhood
Language Arts
Mathematics Studies
Reading
Science Studies
Social Studies
Special Education

Early Childhood
Language Arts

Mathematics Studies
Reading
Integrated Science

Social Studies
Learning Disabilities
 

English as a Second Language
Integrated Science
Language Arts
Mathematics
Reading

Professional Requirements

The professional sequence of education courses consists of a minimum of 43 semester hours of credit. This concentration of study represents the core of your professional preparation. At least one practicum is required prior to student teaching. The semester hours are distributed as follows:

Foundations
EDA 340Foundations of American Ed3
or EDA 306 Foundations of Professionalism in Education
Multicultural Education
EXPS 410Multicult in School and Soc3
Not Required for Early Childhood Majors
Psychology
EDC 300Educational Psychology3
EDC 412Social Devl/Pos Guidnce Techn (required for Early Childhood majors)3
or EDC 417 Mgmt of Classroom Behavior
EDC 460Educating the Exceptional Chld3
Not Required for Early Childhood Majors
Methodologies (See Note #1 below)
EDD 452Methods of Teaching Math K-83
EDD 468Teach Read/Lang Arts- Elem Grd 13
EDD 467Practicum in Reading Instruct 11
EDD 471Reading Instr: Models and Meth 13
EDD 485Teach Science in the Elem Grd3
EDD 495Elementary Social Studies Methods3
Professional Semester (See Notes #3 & #5 below)
EDD 435Dir Teaching: Elementary Sch10
EDD 437Seminar: Teaching Elementary Grades2
Total Credit Hours43
1

 EDD 467 and EDD 471 are to be taken concurrently. Both require EDD 468 as a prerequisite.

Notes:

  1. Enrollment in all the required EDD courses is open only to those who are officially admitted to and in good academic standing in the Teacher Certification Program at UM-Dearborn.  See Four-Phase Checklist for more information.
  2. Eligibility for directed teaching requires meeting all the requirements listed on the Four-Phase Checklist.
  3. Recommendations for teacher certification and additional endorsements require passing scores on the MTTC Elementary Education (#103) exam and other MTTC subject area tests.
  4. Minimum number of hours to graduate is 128 semester hours.