Teacher Education Program (TEP) and Professional Experiences
Regulations are subject to change by the Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and/or the University Teacher Education Council. Because of ongoing changes in the TEP, students need to work with their advisors to plan their programs.
Teacher education is a field-based program that provides extensive field experiences with students in area schools. Field experiences assist the University student in understanding the function of public school teaching and practical experiences in methodology. Each professional education course contains a required field experience component. Placements are made in cooperation with instructors and the coordinator of field experiences. Beginning September 1, 2013, all education students are required to complete 200 field experience hours prior to clinical practice/student teaching.
All education majors are required to complete field experiences prior to student teaching. Program specific requirements for field experiences are noted in the current TEP Handbook.
Students who complete bachelor's degree programs leading to teacher certification are recommended for a Kentucky Statement of Eligibility to enter the Kentucky Teacher Internship Program in their first year of teaching. Students must successfully complete the PRAXIS Specialty Exam(s) and the Principles of Learning and Teaching Test with passing scores, as required by the EPSB. Program changes occur as a result of recommendations of the Kentucky Department of Education and/or the EPSB. Students should check with their advisors regarding test requirements prior to completing their programs.