Education Overview

General Information

The Education Unit, in cooperation with other academic units, prepares students for teaching at the preschool, elementary, and secondary levels. Entrance into the College does not guarantee admission to the Teacher Certification (TCCERT) Program. Students must make a separate application to the Teacher Certification Program. Prior to admission to the TCCERT program, undergraduates will be assigned an advisor who will assist in planning the sequence of certification courses. Students must have a certifiable major and minor and adhere to the certification requirements as listed below in order to obtain teacher certification.

After successfully completing the College’s degree requirements (including the certifiable major and certifiable minor course work for teacher certification), approved First Aid and CPR (Adult & Child) training, and passing the appropriate Michigan tests for Teacher Certification (MTTC), you will be eligible for recommendation by Marygrove to the State of Michigan for a Provisional Teaching Certificate. Two specific teaching disciplines are offered in the education unit: Early Childhood Education (minor) and Special Education (major). Specific departments in the College offer all other teaching majors and minors. For full descriptions of these programs, see their respective program sections in this catalog. 

 Education Frequently Asked Questions

Accreditation
Marygrove has the approval of the State of Michigan Department of Education for its certification programs. Students in early childhood education obtain the Early Childhood minor endorsement (ZA) while Special Education students earn the Learning Disabilities major endorsement (SM).

Title II Report Card
In accordance with the Title II requirements for teacher preparation institutions, Marygrove College reports the following for the academic year 2009-2010:

• A total of 190 students were enrolled in our teacher preparation programs;
• 24 candidates did their supervised student teaching (450 hours) under the direction of 14 supervising teachers (ratio 1.7:1);
• 100 percent of those certified passed the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills and discipline competency tests.

Specific Information

Academic Performance
Continuation in and completion of the TCCERT program depends on maintenance of a GPA of 2.7 and successful completion of the required sequence of courses. Students who do not meet the 2.7 GPA will receive a letter of academic probation from the education unit and be granted one term to make up the deficiency; they will be denied the opportunity to do directed teaching during the probationary period. Students who do not raise the GPA to 2.7 during the probationary period will be dropped from the TCCERT program. A student may register for EDU 499 (Student Teaching) a maximum of two times before being dropped from the program.

Admission to the Teacher Certification Program
Students take EDU 203: The Teaching Profession, prior to being admitted to the TCCERT program. This course should be taken in either the first or second year. It is an exploratory course that assists you in determining if you are suited for the teaching profession. During the course, the entire procedure for admission to teacher certification will be clarified. Following is an abbreviated listing of the requirements for admission:

1. Satisfactory completion of EDU 203: The Teaching Profession.
2. An overall grade point average of 2.7.
3. No more than one notice of academic probation.
4. Completion of all developmental and foundational courses in reading and writing with a minimum grade of C and of all math courses with a C average.
5. Required application form filled in and submitted to the certification officer, along with other necessary documentation (obtain a packet from the education assistant in Room MC 214).
6. A passing score on the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) Basic Skills Test.
7. Screening and acceptance process of the education unit, including personal interview.

Admission to Student Teaching
Admission to the TCCERT Program does not constitute permission to do student teaching. Admission to student teaching is contingent upon satisfying the requirements outlined below.

1. An overall grade point average of 2.7 or better in courses taken at Marygrove College.
2. Completion of all professional certification and teaching discipline courses except student teaching.
3. Recommendation by an academic department and the Education Unit.
4. Health record clearance from a physician within six months of student teaching.
5. Review and approval by the Education Unit.

Marygrove does not waive student teaching.

Requirements for Michigan Provisional Certification
A candidate’s credentials will be sent to the state of Michigan for provisional certification once the following elements have been successfully completed and verified:

• Undergraduate degree
• Required MTTC tests-Basic Skills plus competency tests *
• All undergraduate coursework for teaching disciplines, teaching major and minor where applicable
• Entire Marygrove College sequence of professional teaching courses
• Confirmation of valid First Aid and CPR (Adult & Child) credentials

Secondary – A passing score on the major and minor subject area tests. Elementary –Marygrove requires you to pass the Elementary Test and the test in your major.

Career Information
The education unit is committed to helping students explore teaching as a career. Teaching has always been an exciting, challenging, and essential career that makes a critical mark on the lives of children and young adults. While qualified teachers are much in demand, teacher training opens doors to many other occupations as well.