Application to Program This packet includes the information, instructions, and forms that you will need to submit an application to the Oakland University Secondary Teacher Education Program (). The STEP program also includes the K-12 Modern Language program. Be sure to read the entire packet before beginning the process. It is a good idea to make copies of all forms to use as worksheets before you begin. Questions about this application or the application process should be directed to: Linda Dauzy, dauzy@oakland.edu (248) 370-3060 Assemble all application materials in the order shown on the STEP application check list. Please do not use binders or staples. Simply clip all items together in order. Submit packet on or before October 1 (late applications will be considered but not guaranteed) by 4:00 pm to: SEHS School and Field Services Pawley Hall Room 385 456 Pioneer Drive Rochester, MI 48309-4482 Retain copies of all documents submitted with your application! BASIC INFORMATION FOR ADMISSION General Application Considerations Students intending to pursue secondary education or K-12 Modern Language teacher certification at Oakland University must go through a process of formal admission into. This process is in addition to, and separate from, the process of admission to the university at either the undergraduate or post-baccalaureate level. Applicant Eligibility To be eligible for admission into the, students must have completed SED 3000 (300) or SED 3001 (301) at least one semester prior to the semester of application to the program. Generally, eligibility for admission into the and throughout the program requires a GPA of 3.00 in both major(s) and minor(s) or endorsement area, and an overall GPA of 2.80. No single major or minor (or endorsement area) course grade may be below a 2.0. Students with GPAs below these levels may become eligible, but should consult with their major advisers before proceeding with the application process. The departments which house the teaching majors may define other conditions for eligibility in terms of number of credits completed in major, or in terms of applicant proximity to the internship year. Applicants should always check with their faculty advisers for assurance that they are eligible for conditional admission to apply to program at a given time. There are three other considerations regarding general eligibility: 1) Students must be in good standing at the university to be admitted into the. If you become admitted to the program, and later lose your university standing, your participation in the program will be suspended or terminated depending upon the circumstances. 2) Individuals who are not eligible for Michigan teacher certification (such as persons convicted as adults of acts of immoral conduct contributing to the delinquency of a minor, or of a felony involving moral turpitude) should not apply to the. If a person becomes ineligible after admission into the program, program participation will be suspended or terminated depending upon circumstances. 1
3) Formal admission into the program requires candidates to show competency for the Michigan Basic Skills Requirement which is satisfied by passing scores on the SAT, Professional Readiness Exam (test 96), or Basic Skills. The ACT and MME are approved alternative scores for the Professional Readiness Exam and can be used for teaching certificates issued prior to October 1, 2025. Acceptable scores are: SAT ACT MME Taken after March 5, 2016 Taken 1989 September 23, 2017 Taken March 2007 January 2015 480 =Evidence-based Reading/Writing 22 = Reading 1108 = Reading 530 = Mathematics 22 = Mathematics 1116 = Mathematics 22 = Combined English/Writing 1129 = Writing The Process of Selection and Admission The is unique among teacher education programs in that both the School of Education and Human Services (SEHS) and the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) participate collaboratively in its governance and operation. Both of these units have a voice in the process of admissions. You will submit your application to the SEHS where it will be checked for completeness. It will then be forwarded to your major department in the CAS along with the applications of others who have your teaching major. A subcommittee within each of these CAS departments will consider your application according to a number of criteria. Criteria that are considered include your academic work in your major and minor or endorsement areas. Committees also consider academic work and field performance in SED 3000 (300) or SED 3001 (301). In addition, department committees will review your written responses to application questions and letters of recommendation. Other department-specific criteria may be applied. If, in their first appraisal of candidate credentials, the CAS sub-committees decide that certain applicants are not eligible to apply for the they will remove these applicants from the pool and inform the students in writing about why they are not currently eligible. Qualified students who are not admitted due to program size restrictions will be contacted about their options related to the. Eligible candidates will receive a letter confirming admittance or conditional admittance to the program within six weeks. Students admitted to the program will be required to abide by all documented procedures and protocol unless such conditions are formally amended through a defined process of petition of exception to the or K-12 Modern Language Admissions and Standards Committee. 2
APPLICATION TO PROGRAM CHECKLIST You must complete program plans for all majors and minors (or endorsement areas) in which you plan to be endorsed at the time of initial certification. The minimum (typical) configuration is one major and one minor or endorsement area. You must also include a program plan for your professional education courses. On the major and minor or endorsement plan forms you must list all courses from OU and from other institutions that are being used to fulfill major and minor or endorsement requirements. For each course include all data: course number, title, when it was completed or when you anticipate taking the course, at what institution it was completed or will be completed, final grades for courses completed and the number of credits for each course. Then compute GPAs for each of your majors and minors or endorsement areas. Remember also that the major and minor and/or endorsement program plans must be signed by the appropriate academic adviser to be valid. Make an appointment with the College of Arts and Science advising office (248-370-4567). Take your completed CAS checklist/worksheet to appointments outlined below. Make an appoiment with the faculty adviser for your major to have him/her review and approve your Major Program Plan. The faculty adviser will calculate their area GPA, add it to the checklist, and provide their signature for approval. Make an appointment with the faculty adviser for your minor or endorsement area to have him/her review and approve your Minor Program Plan/Endorsement Area Program Plan. The faculty adviser will calculate their area GPA, add it to the checklist, and provide their signature for approval. Make an appointment with an adviser in the School of Education and Human Services Office (248) 370-4182 to have him/her review and approve the Professional Program Plan. Your adviser will also review your testing requirements. You may not student teach if you have not met the Michigan Basic Skills Requirement satisfied by receiving passing scores on the SAT, PRE, or approved alternative scores on the MME or ACT. The application also includes spaces for you to report your scores on the MTTC subject area tests in your major and minor or endorsement areas. It is recommended that you take these tests during your first winter semester of STEP. These tests do not have to be taken before you apply to the program. Although these scores have no bearing on your admission into the program, you need passing scores on these tests before you may begin your internship year. Modern Language students only Schedule the Oral Proficiency Interview (OPI) 3
Submit a complete application to 385 Pawley Hall Application completely filled out. Proof of passing WRT 1060 (160) or an equivalent course from another college or university with at least a 3.0, or from being exempt from this course Professional Coursework Program Plan signed by the School of Education and Human Services Advising Office. Major Program Plan reviewed and approved by the faculty adviser Minor Program Plan and/or Endorsement Program Plan reviewed and approved by the faculty adviser Official College Transcripts for all courses listed on the on the program plan for your major and minor or endorsement area that were transferred in from another institution must have been sent to Oakland University. You should include unofficial copies with your application if original copies have just been requested. Official College Transcripts should be sent to: Oakland University Office of the Registrar O Dowd Hall Room 100 586 Pioneer Drive Rochester, MI 48309-44842 Writing Component of the Application Letters of Recommendation: Major Minor or Endorsement Area Off-Campus Professional 4
APPLICATION Internship Year: Please include the name that appears on your academic transcripts. The address that you share will be the information that will be used to contact you while the university is in session. It is your responsibility to make sure that the office of School and Field Services is always kept informed of changes in any of the information provided. Mr. Ms. Mrs. Last: First: MI: Address: City: _ State: Zip: Cell phone: Home telephone: OU Grizzly ID# OU Email: @oakland.edu Teaching Endorsement Areas Subject Major or Minor or Endorsement Adviser GPA Michigan Basic Skills Requirement (SAT, PRE Scores or alternate scores if appropriate) Score Test Date Evidence-based Reading/Writing Mathematics Other Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC Scores) Major and Minor or Endorsement Area Subject Test Date Score/Status P=pass Major and Minor/Endorsement Area Program Plans and Professional Coursework Program Plan Most applicants declare one major and one minor or endorsement area, satisfying the basic state requirements for certification. The form also accommodates applicants with two majors, or a major and two or more minors or a major and an endorsement area of either social studies, integrated science, or English as a Second Language. In 5
completing these sections use those spaces that fit your own content configuration. For each include the name of the content area, and the names of the advisers you worked with in the preparation of your program plans. Your adviser must sign the program plan as approved. For each major and minor or endorsement you will need to calculate a grade point average. If you are including courses toward your major(s) and/or minor(s) or endorsement areas from an institution that gives only letter grades, use the following table to determine a numeric equivalent. Letter Grade Numeric Equivalent A 4.0 A- 3.7 B+ 3.3 B 3.0 B- 2.7 C+ 2.3 C 2.0 * GPAs for majors and minors or endorsement areas should be calculated using only those courses shown on the respective program plans. If courses have a different amount of credits, account for the credits by entering that grade for each credit and then finding the average. Overall GPA If you have taken all of your courses at a single institution, your overall GPA should be shown on your transcript. Report this value without calculation. If you have been a student at more than one college or university, and respective transcripts include summative GPAs, you can calculate your overall GPA by multiplying each overall GPA by the number of credits taken at that institution, adding the products, and finally dividing by the total number of credits earned at all institutions. This will work if all institutions use four-point, numeric grading systems. If grading systems are incompatible you will have to compute your overall GPA in the same way that you did for your major and minor or endorsement area. If you have questions about this, contact your major adviser. Overall GPA: Colleges attended: You are required to have official transcripts of all coursework you are using for your degree on file in order to be recommended for certification. Make sure that each transcript has been sent to Oakland University--Oakland University, Office of Admissions, O Dowd Hall Room 100, Rochester, MI 48309-4482. These transcripts will be reviewed to confirm your coursework and grades. If you have just requested official transcripts, please include an unofficial transcript with your application. Institution Official Transcripts on file with OU Yes or No Unofficial Transcripts you are providing Date Official Transcript Requested 6
Writing Proficiency Program admission requires you to provide evidence of writing proficiency. This is shown for Oakland University students by the attainment of a grade of 3.0 or better in Composition II (WRT 1060). This may also be satisfied by a grade of 3.0 or better in an equivalent writing course at another university. If you have questions about this, contact your major adviser. WRT 1060 (160) Grade or Equivalent Course Institution Grade SED 3000 (300) or SED 3001 (301) and Field Placement Information Term Completed Grade Earned District Assigned for Field Placement School Assigned for Field Placement Grade/Subject Writing Component of the Application The writing component of the application is designed to help us learn more about the life experiences and attitudes you bring to the teaching profession, your commitment to the profession, and your ability to communicate. Your response will be evaluated on both content (elements such as the variety and strength of your experiences, your ideas, your directness in answering the questions, and your use of specific examples) and form (elements such as focus, clarity, language usage, and style). Your response should be 2-3 typed pages double spaced. Write in a clear and focused manner. Responses should provide specific details and examples rather than general comments. Be sure to proofread your answer carefully. Writing Prompt: One component for being a successful teacher is the ability to reflect on past experiences for the purpose of personal and professional growth. Isolate three critical moments from your life that have proven to be opportunities for growth. Be specific about the lesson you learned or the trait you developed. One of the experiences must be your work in the field from SED 300 referring specifically to your field survey as evidence. Be sure to attach your field survey. (All students were emailed their field surveys when it was completed by their cooperating teacher at the end of the term.) One of the experiences must speak to your understanding of cultural diversity or cultural competency. One experience of your choosing from either your personal or professional life. 7
Letters of Recommendation Three letters of recommendation must be solicited and included with your application materials. These should be mailed by the writers directly to you and you are to include them in your application. These letters should be from people who are able to attest to your character and to your real or potential qualifications to become a teacher. Two letters must be from university faculty members representing your major and minor or endorsement area disciplines. The third should be from a person off-campus that is familiar with your work in a responsible position. Neatly complete the top portion of this form before giving it to a prospective writer. Be sure to check the place on the forms that shows whether you do or do not waive your right to access to the letter of recommendation. If you waive your right to access, have them submit the recommendation to you in a sealed envelope with their signature across the back flap. If you waive your right to access, and this flap seal is broken, you are disqualified from admission. Names of persons from whom letters of recommendation have been included: MAJOR MINOR or Endorsement Area Off-Campus Professional Name Organization Phone 8
Letter of Recommendation for Admission to Program Professor in Major For: Date: Completed by: Title: Affiliation/Address: I, the applicant, do do not waive my right to see this recommendation. Applicant s Signature and Date: The above individual is applying for admission to the Oakland University Secondary Teacher Education Program. Please provide us with your observations concerning her/his real or potential qualifications to be a teacher, and the basis for your assessment. Use this form or a separate sheet for your comments. Return the recommendation (along with this form if you have used a separate sheet) to the applicant. If they have waived their right to see this recommendation, return it to them in a sealed envelope with your signature across the sealed flap. They must then submit it as sealed. Signature: Date: 9
Letter of Recommendation for Admission to Program Professor in Minor or Endorsement Area For: Date: Completed by: Title: Affiliation/Address: I, the applicant, do do not waive my right to see this recommendation. Applicant s Signature and Date: The above individual is applying for admission to the Oakland University Secondary Teacher Education Program. Please provide us with your observations concerning her/his real or potential qualifications to be a teacher, and the basis for your assessment. Use this form or a separate sheet for your comments. Return the recommendation (along with this form if you have used a separate sheet) to the applicant. If they have waived their right to see this recommendation, return it to them in a sealed envelope with your signature across the sealed flap. They must then submit it as sealed. Signature: Date: 10
Letter of Recommendation for Admission to Program Off-Campus Professional Familiar with Your Work For: Date: Completed by: Title: Affiliation/Address: I, the applicant, do do not waive my right to see this recommendation. Applicant s Signature and Date: The above individual is applying for admission to the Oakland University Secondary Teacher Education Program. Please provide us with your observations concerning her/his real or potential qualifications to be a teacher, and the basis for your assessment. Use this form or a separate sheet for your comments. Return the recommendation (along with this form if you have used a separate sheet) to the applicant. If they have waived their right to see this recommendation, return it to them in a sealed envelope with your signature across the sealed flap. They must then submit it as sealed. Signature: Date: 11