Cumberland Students who wish to be considered for Teacher Licensure must meet all of Tennessee's requirements for an initial teacher's license as described here. To meet these requirements, Cumberland Students must be admitted to the Teacher Education Progression Phase I (TEP I) to become a Candidate for licensure. Candidates must then pass additional requirements before being placed in schools for student teaching.

 

University students who intend to teach should complete the process of being admitted to the Teacher Education Progression as a Candidate during the semester in which they are enrolled in ED301 Strategies for Teaching or the semester immediately thereafter. To become a Candidate, university students must meet all of the requirements for admission to the TEP as described in previous pages of the TEP Handbook and those below during the semester of the TEP I Interview:

·	Successfully completed a formal interview with the Teacher Education Committee.

·	Candidates will have a minimum 2.75 GPA (Cumberland University and cumulative);

·

Candidates will have a dispositions ratings form completed for them, from either their advisor, another faculty member from whom they have taken a course, or a member of the educational community beyond Cumberland (e.g., a cooperating teacher from pre-student teaching field experiences) - ask those individuals to email the School of Education & Public Service Administrative Assistant  to get the link;

·	Complete ENG 101, ENG 102, ED 201, MATH 111 and SPEE 220 with a grade of "C" or better (course work requirements may vary);

·	Admission must be approved by a majority vote of the Teacher Education Committee.

 

Rubrics, dispositions ratings sheets and interview ratings sheets used in this process may all be viewed under "Assessments" in this handbook.

Students will successfully complete Phase I and be eligible for Phase II if they:

·	Complete ED 301 with a grade of "B" or better;

·	Successfully complete benchmark courses in the professional education core and in the teaching content area with a grade of "C" or better; and

·	Maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA (Cumberland University and cumulative)

·	Successfully complete Field Experience assignments in all courses requiring them.

·	Have no record demonstrating a pattern of compromised academic integrity on file with the Dean of Students Office.

·	Have demonstrated to faculty and school partners dispositions and conduct ensuring success in the teaching profession.

 

Candidates must complete a formal interview with a committee of School of Education faculty to be accepted into the TEP I and TEP II progressions and to complete the Professional Student Teaching semester. Please come by Bone Hall to sign up for an interview time and to be aware of paperwork requirements and submission dates.

 

The interview will be conducted in the following manner:

·	Professional dress and manner are expected at the interview.

·	The interview panel will be composed of at least three Cumberland University Faculty; P-12 administrators or faculty, or other community members may be invited to serve on the panel.

·	One of the panelists will serve as the facilitator.

·	The facilitator will ask each candidate the same questions. Panelists may ask the candidate for clarification of responses.

·	Interviews are scheduled in 1/2-hour blocks.

·	Panelists will complete a rating sheet for each candidate.

 

There are two possible outcomes to the interview:

1.	Acceptance: the candidate is accepted into the Teacher Education Progression, Phase I.

2.	Denied acceptance: the candidate is denied progression through the checkpoint unless specific conditions are met in the same semester of the interview; if not, candidates may reapply the following semester. Candidates may only reapply once.