Education Department

Education: Teacher Educator Preparation Provider (EDU)

Professor David B. Hand, Ed.D. - Dean of the School of Education
Associate Professor Tammie S. Brown, Ed.D. - Chair of Undergraduate Teacher Preparation Program
Professor Lydia McCardle, Ed.D. - Director of Clinical Internship

The School of Education Mission Statement

Teacher As Servant Leader
Learning to Teach - Teaching to Serve

The Belhaven University Undergraduate School of Education seeks to produce not only effective professional educators and state-certified teachers but also concerned, compassionate individuals who value each student’s life and who are dedicated to helping all students learn and fulfill his or her God-given potential. The School of Education’s goal is the development of Teachers as Servant Leaders, supported by its program that emphasizes academic excellence, professional knowledge, character development, and leadership opportunities. Education candidates will have real-world experience through directed observation, practicum, and internships in elementary schools.

Serving as the Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) for Belhaven University the School of Education’s Mission Statement is:

To prepare effective, professional educators who demonstrate both academic excellence and professional knowledge while providing distinctive Christian leadership and service to all students, parents, and communities.

Program Alignment to State, and National Professional Standards

The Belhaven University School of Education Teacher Preparation Program for the Elementary Teacher Education Bachelor of Science (B.S.) core curriculum has been designed and developed to incorporate and align with the following state and national professional standards to inform and prepare our teacher candidates:

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation: K-6 Elementary Teacher Preparation Standards (CAEP)
Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium: Model Core Teaching Standards (InTASC) • The Mississippi College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)
Mississippi State Teacher Intern Assessment Instrument (TIAI).
International Literacy Association Standards for Reading Professionals (ILA)
International Dyslexia Association Knowledge and Practice Standards (IDA)

The Educator Preparation Provider (EPP) has incorporated the state and national standards into its Quality Assurance Assessment System. These standards are the foundation for the EPPs assessments and are incorporated into all key assessments and program courses.

The School of Education program completers will be professional, highly qualified teacher educators, prepared with best practices, informed in their content areas with a strong knowledge base, and have wisdom and skills for classroom management/organization, all inculcated with positive dispositional principles and Christian moral/ethical values.

Admissions to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP)

Candidates planning to teach in elementary schools must not only meet the requirements for graduation from Belhaven University but also must complete courses and licensure tests specified for teacher licensure. All course requirements are subject to change reflecting requirements from the Mississippi Department of Education. Prospective elementary teachers major in Elementary Education K-6 while identifying two additional areas of endorsements. The two endorsements lead to teacher certification endorsements: one required in Reading and the other endorsement to be of the candidate’s choosing. Prospective students desiring to teach at the middle/high school levels should major in the subject/content area in which they plan to earn their degree and should also consider the Dual Enrollment option leading to the Mississippi Alternate Route to Teacher Certification (see more information in this Catalogue for a complete explanation of this option or contact the Director of the Graduate School of Education).

Licenses that entitle the holder to teach in public schools in Mississippi are issued by the Mississippi Department of Education (MDE), Office of Educator Licensure, Jackson, Mississippi. Information for licensure may be requested from the School of Education, central office. Students who plan to teach in states other than Mississippi are responsible for securing all requirements and forms.

Admission to Belhaven University, taking courses in the School of Education, and/or declaring Education as a major DOES NOT automatically admit a student as an Education Candidate to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP).

Admission into the Elementary Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP) in the School of Education

The student must have successfully completed 44 hours, have an overall GPA of 2.75, and meet the required passing score on the Core Academic Skills for Educators: Praxis Core, ACT (21+) or SAT (1060+), a 3.0 or higher GPA, and the PLT. Basic professional courses may be taken prior to being admitted to teacher education. No courses listed under the second term of the Junior Year on the degree plan may be taken until a student has been admitted to the Teacher Educator Preparation Program*.

*There are three courses that are in exception granted by permission from the Undergraduate Chair and are open to all university students:

EDU 200
EDU 221
EDU 301

Prior to enrolling in the Clinical Internship I: Student Teaching teacher candidates are required to obtain a passing score on the following state-required tests:

Tests Required and Passed Prior to Admission to the Teacher Preparation Program (TEPP)

Praxis Core, ACT (21+) or SAT (1060+), or a 3.0 or higher GPA
Praxis II: Principles of Learning and Teaching (PLT)

Tests Required and Passed once Admitted to TEPP

Praxis II: Curriculum Instruction and Assessment (CIA)
Foundation of Reading Test (Elementary Ed Candidates)

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Candidates are allowed to take only a limited number of courses in the School of Education before they must be admitted into the Elementary Teacher Educator Preparation Program (TEPP) - prior to beginning their second term of junior year. If candidates are not admitted to the TEPP, they can no longer take courses from the School of Education and will be required to change their major. Candidates are admitted to the TEPP after successfully passing the required Mississippi Teacher Educator Entrance Exams, having successfully completed the requisite Education courses, having met and successfully been interviewed by the School of Education TEPP, and approved as a Teacher Candidate for the Belhaven Teacher Educator Preparation Program.

Additional Degree Requirements - Transfer Credits
Students transferring to Belhaven are required to take at least nine hours in Education at Belhaven, excluding Clinical Internships I & II; Teacher Candidates are required to take Clinical Internships in Teaching at Belhaven. All teacher candidates must have at least a C in all professional and specialty/content area courses.