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Teacher Preparation Program

The program offered by the Teacher Preparation Program is standards-based. The standards of the Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) are integrated into the program’s framework. Common Core Standards are used in appropriate classes. The framework is the benchmark by which student performance competencies and the effectiveness of all school programs and activities are assessed.

Accreditation

The School of Education programs are approved for licensure by the Nevada Department of Education.

Undergraduate Degrees

  • Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood & Early Childhood Special Education
  • Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education
  • Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Bilingual Education
  • Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a Concentration in Special Education
  • Bachelor of Arts in Education, Secondary Education with a Concentration in English
  • Bachelor of Arts in Education, Secondary Education with a Concentration in Social Studies
  • Bachelor of Science in Education, Secondary Education with a Concentration in Biology
  • Bachelor of Science in Education, Secondary Education with a Concentration in Mathematics
  • Bachelor of Science in Education, Secondary Education with a Concentration in Physical Science

Minors

  • Bilingual Education
  • Education/Instruction
  • Educational Technology
  • School-Based Mental Health

Field Experiences

Field experiences are a requirement of all undergraduate education majors. ALL education majors in the Nevada State University Teacher Preparation Program must participate in a planned series of field experiences as an integral part of their training. Field experiences begin with the first education course, and culminate with student teaching. This enables pre-service teachers to receive guidance and feedback as they apply educational theory and practice in school settings. Opportunities to gain first-hand experience are provided in courses held at partnership schools, weekend student workshops, and arranged field work placements.

NSU field experiences are designed to:

  1. provide the opportunity to immediately apply course content to classroom settings;
  2. provide an opportunity for pre-service teachers to work cooperatively with professional teachers;
  3. provide pre-service teachers with an opportunity to gain knowledge and insight about themselves as professionals;
  4. enhance awareness of the teaching profession through reflection;
  5. assist pre-service teachers in gaining evaluative feedback about their proficiencies as potential educators; and
  6. expose pre-service teachers to a variety of cultural and socioeconomic settings.

Program Admission

To establish eligibility for admission into the Teacher Preparation Program, students must meet the following criteria:

  • Admission into Nevada State University;
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better;
  • Completed a minimum of 45 credits of coursework towards declared education degree;
  • A personal background check via Complio||American Databank or a valid substitute-teaching license;**

       **Northern Nevada students must obtain substitute-teaching license. Complio will not be accepted for Northern Nevada program admits.
  • Signed Disposition statement;
  • Praxis Core Acknowledgement form or passing Praxis Core or CBEST exam scores.

The program application and submission deadlines are available on the Nevada State University, School of Education website. (Admission criteria is subject to change.)

Student Teaching

Student teaching is a full-time, semester long experience in an elementary or secondary classroom. A mandatory weekly seminar accompanies the supervised teaching during which the student gradually assumes classroom teaching responsibilities. Student teachers receive continual coaching and mentoring through regularly scheduled observations and evaluations by the cooperating teacher and the NSU supervisor. Outside employment during student teaching is strongly discouraged due to the intensity of this experience.

Passing scores on Praxis Subject Assessments are required for standard licensure by the Nevada Department of Education. To ensure timely submission of these scores, students are strongly encouraged to take the exam(s) early enough to obtain their scores prior to completing their programming with Nevada State University. When completing registration materials for the Praxis Subject Assessments, students must list NSU (R9020) and the Nevada Department of Education (R8670) as score recipients.


Before acceptance into student teaching, the student must meet the following criteria:
  • Admittance to the Teacher Preparation Program;
  • Submission of student teaching application;
  • Earned minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5 or better;
  • Completion of all courses in the program of study required prior to student teaching;
  • C- or higher in all major coursework;
  • Clear FBI fingerprint report;
  • Proof of possession of $1 million in liability insurance;
  • Passing scores on the Praxis Subject Assessments or a signed Praxis Assessment Acknowledgement form is a student teaching application requirement.

Student teaching applications are accepted no later than March 15th for the fall semester and September 15th for the spring semester.

Student Teaching Completion

Active participation and full attendance to the weekly seminar class are program requirements. Development and presentation of a culminating project are required for completion of student teaching. Student teachers will identify a professional question or teaching dilemma as the basis of an action research project. The goals of this research project are to improve instructional methods and student learning. Student teachers will present their action research project to members of the NSU community.

A student teacher must receive satisfactory evaluations from his/her cooperating teacher(s), NSU Supervisor, and seminar instructor to earn credit for student teaching.

Program Completion

Requirements:

  • Successful completion of student teaching requirements;
  • Completion of a minimum of 120 credits in the program of study;
  • Minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5

School of Education Policies

  1. Students transferring to the NSU School of Education with all coursework completed, except student teaching, will be required to see a School of Education faculty advisor to select 15 credits of residency coursework to be taken prior to student teaching.
  2. Teacher education coursework that applies towards a degree or initial licensure program at Nevada State University may not be older than 5 years at the time of admission to the program.
  3. Grades below a “C-”, in major coursework, are not applied to the degree.