Tuesday, September 18, 2001

Education majors face new standards
Students may need to take extra summer courses for teaching certificate
By Kristin Campbell
Staff Reporter

Education students working toward teacher certification in Texas may be required to take extra summer courses in order to graduate under old certification requirements.

The TCU School of Education changed curriculum requirements to comply with the new Texas teaching certificate structure that went into effect this fall semester, said Diana Woolsey, director of teacher certification.

As a result of the restructuring process, students who have completed more than 54 hours may have to take summer courses in order to graduate and test under the old teaching requirements, Woolsey said. The last date to test and graduate under the old certificate is August 2003. Woolsey said faculty has restructured courses and created new classes to prepare students for the new requirements.

Students should stay in close contact with their advisors, she said. Students with fewer than 54 hours will graduate under the new plan.

Erin Fitzgerald, a junior early childhood major, said she had planned on staying at TCU for an extra semester, but now she will have to graduate in May 2003 to be certified under the old requirements. She said she took six credit hours this summer and will take nine hours next summer in order to finish on time.

“It puts you in a bind because you don’t have the option to graduate later,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s been difficult.”

The State Board of Education Certification, not TCU, changed the structure. Three new certificates, Early Childhood to Grade 4, Grade 4 to 8 and Grade 8 to 12, replaced the two old certificates, Early Childhood to Grade 8 and Grade 6 to 12.

According to the SBEC, candidates who are eligible to take the Examination for the Certification of Educators in Texas during the 2002-2003 academic year will still receive one of the corresponding certificates that is valid.

Sam Deitz, dean of the School of Education, said as long as students are taking an appropriate class load, they should not have problems graduating on time.

However, he said that the certification changes could have been separated into more practical grade brackets. He said breaking the certification into Early Childhood to Grade 6, Grade 7 to 9, and Grade 10 to 12 would be better for the interests of the future teachers.

Wendy Branson, a junior middle school major, said she will graduate on time.

However, Branson said she will have to take 11 hours in the summer to graduate in May 2003.

“My advisor put me on the right track,” Branson said. “He pretty much saved me.”
She found out about the changes during an advisory session last spring when she was told to enroll in certain courses in hopes of them satisfying the revised requirements.

Woolsey said students graduating with the old certificate will not be at any disadvantage when applying for jobs.

“Teachers with the old certificate are needed just as much in the classroom as teachers with the new certificate,” Woolsey said. “The goal of the new certificates is simply to give teachers more flexibility in their field.”

Woolsey said the new course structure is available online.

Kristin Campbell
k.a.campbell@student.tcu.edu