Both the undergraduate and graduate Teacher Education Programs are committed to attracting the very strongest candidates for teaching. To meet the needs of our teacher candidates, we have developed a rich and coherent curriculum in teacher preparation that combines academically challenging course work with a range of carefully selected professional field experiences. Students will work hard once they enter the program, and our expectations concerning students' academic performance and professional growth are quite high. Therefore we have developed the following requirements for Teacher Education Program students.

Academic Policies

Course Requirements, Progression, and Expiration

Program Faculty may deny registration for Teacher Education Program (TEP) Core Courses to students who receive a grade below "C-," or a grade of "I" "Incomplete," in a TEP Core Course until the grade is raised or the course work completed for a grade of "C-" or above.

Following admission to the Teacher Education Program students must complete the licensure components of their coursework -- including student teaching -- within a five-year period.  (For example, a student admitted for Fall 2009 must student teach no later than Spring, 2014.)  Should the student’s enrollment extend beyond the five-year window, a committee will review the student’s situation on a case by case basis to decide whether:
1) course work that is five years old needs to be updated by re-enrollment, or
2) course work that is five years old needs to be updated by enrolling in another parallel course, or
3) the student will be notified in writing that they have one semester left to finish the program including student teaching.

For students admitted to the Teacher Education Program March, 2004 or after: Students will not be allowed to register and take education courses from another institution once they have entered The University of Iowa Teacher Education Program. After students have been admitted to a program, all education courses (course requirements listed or cross-listed under department numbers: 01E, 07B, 07C, 07E, 07P, 07S or 07U) must be taken at The University of Iowa.

Academic Review Standards, Probation, and Dismissal

All regularly admitted students and all students admitted under the Special Consideration policy must earn at least a 2.7 grade point average for every semester they are enrolled in the program. Regularly admitted students must also maintain at least a 2.7 cumulative and University of Iowa grade point average throughout their tenure in the program. If students fall below these minimums, they will be placed on academic probation for one semester. If they do not raise their grade point averages above these minimums after a semester, they may be administratively removed from the program and will need to reapply if they want to continue in teacher preparation. Since students are required to have a UI major gpa of at least a 2.70 (program specific requirements vary) in order to student teach, we are also closely monitoring the major gpas of TEP students.  If a student fails to achieve a major gpa of 2.70, they will not be allowed to student teach, even if all other grade point average requirements are met.

Students who earn less than a C- in a TEP Core Course will be placed on probation (even if their UI or cum or semester gpa is 2.70 or above). They will be asked to retake the course (or courses) the following semester and earn a grade of C- or above.  If they receive a C- or better the second time, they will be reinstated to good standing as long as other conditions for reinstatement are met (see above). Students who receive a grade below C- in the same TEP Core Course twice will be administratively removed from the program.

The Electronic Portfolio

Students in the Teacher Education Program at The University of Iowa document their achievement on professional standards through a web-based portfolio or ePortfolio where they collect instructional artifacts and performances assigned in all of their courses. Students take a course on Technology in the Classroom in their first semester in teacher education where they are given web-space and training in managing the ePortfolio. From that point on, they will upload materials from their courses to the ePortfolio on a regular basis.

Students are asked to upload to their ePortfolios only those materials that have received a grade of C- or higher. Instructors will audit students' ePortfolios at the end of each semester, and if all of the materials for the course are not uploaded appropriately, students will be given an Incomplete for the course until the corrections are made. A final audit of every students' ePortfolio will take place in the week after the completion of student teaching.

Course Fees

Course fees are assessed for many of the professional education courses.  Course fees defray costs of professional services for College of Education students including those provided by the Educational Placement Office, Education Technology Center, and ePortfolio Support Center.  Additionally, certain fees fund Iowa Department of Criminal Investigation background checks for students in field experiences.  Student teaching fees defray supervision and materials expenses specific to the student teaching experience.

Student Teaching

For all teacher education programs which include initial teacher licensure, students must complete all Teacher Education Program course work and degree course work prior to student teaching.  Student teaching must be the final semester of their Teacher Education Program.

When they apply for student teaching, students must submit a completed plan of study outlining how all program and licensure requirements are being met. A program guide sheet showing course completion, including transfer courses, must be submitted with the advisor's signature. All other courses for teaching licensure or terminal degree must be completed before the student begins student teaching. Student teaching placements, even if made, are conditional on all course requirements being successfully completed. Students will not be able to apply for student teaching if they are on academic probation.

In general, students on academic probation will not be permitted to student teach.  All students who are not permitted to student teach will be reviewed by faculty committee. 

If Teacher Education Program students earn less than a 2.70 gpa, or if their UI or cum gpa drops below a 2.70, in the semester just prior to their student teaching semester, a faculty committee will meet to determine if the student will be cleared to student teach. TEP students who earn less than a C- in a TEP Core Course the semester prior to their student teaching, will not be able to student teach until they retake the course and earn a C- or better. 

September 2009

Link to Teacher Education Program application