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GTEP FAQs

I want to apply to the Graduate Teacher Education Program at GTEP. Where do I start?
Start by doing three things right away:  1) Carefully read the entire GTEP website; 2) attend a GTEP Open Advising session; and 3) meet with an advisor. If you are currently a PSU undergraduate, met with your Program advisor; if you are not currently a PSU student and/or have completed a bachelor degree, meet with a GTEP faculty advisor after you have attended a GTEP Open Advising Session. 

When does the Graduate Teacher Education Program (GTEP) start?
Both full-time and part-time GTEP starts once a year in the summer. 2012 GTEP begins July 23, 2012, and 2013 GTEP begins June 24, 2013. 

When is the admissions deadline?
Admissions for 2012 GTEP has closed. The next application deadline is December 3, 2012 for a Summer 2013 start.

Is it possible to meet with a GTEP faculty adviser?
First, attend a GTEP Open Advising session. These sessions provide information about the program and offer strategies for gathering evidence that demonstrates your commitment to teaching. It is the first best place to go for information about the GTEP application process. Sessions are offered multiple times each week during the term. Once an applicant has attended a GTEP Open Advising session, they can schedule an appointment with a GTEP faculty member by contacting the Graduate School of Education Receptionist at 503-725-4619. 

What is the application process?
An applicant must apply to both PSU’s Graduate Division and the Graduate Teacher Education Program in the Graduate School of Education. See www.pdx.edu/admissions/how-apply-graduate for instructions about applying to PSU. The GTEP application is completed and submitted online. See www.pdx.edu/ci/gtep-admissions for instructions on how to access the online GTEP application.

Can I submit a paper application for GTEP?
No, the online application is the only option. 

  • Most of the information is provided through the online application process. All of the information requested on the application is important document of an applicant’s qualifications; please complete each field that requests information.
  • Transcripts, test score reports and letters of recommendation are submitted in print format; they can be delivered by mail, hand-delivered to the GTEP office, or faxed if the originals are mailed within a reasonable time period after receipt of the faxed documents. 
  • The Departmental Recommendation Form (required for middle level and high school applicants) is emailed by the Secondary Education Advisor after the transcript review process has been completed.

I want to be licensed to teach elementary school and middle school Spanish. Should I apply to Elementary GTEP or Secondary GTEP?
You will apply to Elementary GTEP and, if admitted to the program, will be in an elementary GTEP cohort. However, your Program of Study will be a combination of elementary and secondary coursework. You will also need to document your content knowledge in multiple subjects (elementary teachers teach many subjects most often in a self-contained classroom) and a single subject (one subject that you wish to specialize in to teach in a middle school setting). This combination requires special attention to documenting your content knowledge through prerequisites and passing test scores on multiple tests. You should definitely attend a GTEP Open Advising Session; meet with a GTEP faculty advisor; and meet with a Secondary Education Advisor to find out more details.

 

PREREQUISITES

Are there prerequisite courses for GTEP?
Yes, there are prerequisites for GTEP. One prerequisite that is required of all GTEP applicants is PSY 311 Human Development or its equivalent. A transcript documenting the PSY 311 grade is part of a complete GTEP application and must be received by the GTEP Office no later than December 3, 2012. The list of other prerequisites vary depending on what age group and subject area you are interested in teaching. You can get more information about prerequisites by reading the GTEP website, attending a GTEP Open Advising session, and meeting with an Advisor.

I took Math 211 and got a C. Should I re-take the course?
It depends. Applicants to GTEP must have a strong academic record to be competitive in the admissions process. Students are expected to do well in all of their prerequisite courses and maintain a 3.0 GPA in those courses. Here are three ‘cases’ with program responses to the question:
  • An elementary applicant has completed all prerequisites by the December 3rd application deadline and has grades of A and B in all of the prerequisite courses, except for a C in Math 211. It is probably not necessary to re-take the course as the applicant has documented their content knowledge with strong grades in 6/7 courses;
  •  An elementary applicant has completed 3 prerequisites with grades of B, B-, and C by the December 3rd application deadline. This applicant has completed less than half of the required prerequisites and the GPA for the three courses is less than a 3.0. This applicant would improve their standing in the applicant pool by retaking the course graded C; and
  • A secondary applicant has an overall GPA of 2.8, completes PSY 311 with a grade of C- and has not taken any of the required prerequisite courses listed on the Departmental Recommendation Form by the December 3rd application deadline. In this profile, the applicant has not provided evidence of a strong academic record, and may not be competitive when compared to the rest of the applicant pool. This applicant would improve their standing in the applicant pool by retaking the PSY 311 course and completing more of the prerequisites listed on the Departmental Recommendation Form.

What if I took a Human Development course at Portland Community College: can it substitute for the GTEP prerequisite course PSY 311?
For a complete list of preapproved equivalent courses from other institutions in the area, see the Course Equivalency Chart on the Prerequisites and Tests page of the GTEP website.

What is the process for substituting courses taken at other institutions not listed on the Course Equivalency Chart? 
If you have taken a course that is not on the Course Equivalency Chart but you believe that it may include equivalent content, a waiver process is in place. The instructions, department contacts, and form can be found at www.pdx.edu/ci/gtep-prerequisites. The form, along with supporting materials, is submitted to the Academic Department. For example, if the waiver is for PSY 311, Human Department, the waiver materials are sent to the Psychology Department. An applicant should initiate this process as early as possible but no later than May before the December application deadline. Many faculty advisors are not on contract during the summer and not available to review waiver materials. In the event that the course substitution is not approved, then there is still an opportunity to complete the course during Fall term and submit a transcript. 

Is it possible to meet the prerequisite requirements by taking a test?
The Math, Music, and Psychology Departments have testing options for meeting the prerequisites requirements. Please see the individual department websites and/or contact the departments for more detailed information.

 

TESTING

What tests are required for the GTEP program?
All applicants are required to submit passing scores on a basic skills test and content area test(s). The specific tests required for documenting your basic skills and content knowledge vary depending on what age group and subject area you wish to teach. You can get more information about the specific tests that you need to document your basic skills and content knowledge by reading the GTEP website, attending a GTEP Open Advising session, and meeting with an Advisor. There are links on the TEP website that take you directly to the testing websites. The State of Oregon has established minimum passing scores for each of the required tests. Minimum passing scores are required for admissions to GTEP and Oregon licensure once you’ve completed GTEP.

When should I take the tests?

  • Basic skills test: Passing scores on a basic skills test is part of a complete GTEP application. An applicant must provide a paper copy of passing test scores by December 3, 2012 in order for their application to be reviewed. Applicants should register for a basic skills test right away, and no later than October 1, 2012 in order to submit the required documentation by December 3, 2012.
  • Content knowledge test(s): 
    • Middle and/or high school applicants document their specialized content knowledge by submitting passing scores as soon as possible but no later than May 31, 2013 in order to begin the program on June 24, 2013. Two examples of 
      • An applicant has an overall GPA below 3.0, content courses graded below a B-, and has not completed all of their prerequisites by the December 3rd application deadline. This applicants can improve their standing in the applicant pool by submitting passing scores on the content knowledge tes(s) before December 3rd;
      • An applicant has an overall GPA of 3.3, received an A in PSY 311 Human Development, and has completed the 3 prerequisite courses listed on the Departmental Recommendation Form (receiving two As and a B) by the December 3rd application deadline. This applicant has submitted sufficient documentation of their content knowledge for the Admissions Committee to review; they can take the necessary content area test(s) after the December 3rd deadline as long as they submit print copies of passing test scores by May 31, 2013.
    • Early Childhood and/or Elementary applicants must pass the NES Elementary Education Test in order to be recommended for licensure by GTEP. The State of Oregon is still deliberating about the timeline for passing this test, so check in with an undergraduate or GTEP advisor after March for more specific information about State and Program requirements. Before then, applicants should visit the NES website for information about the content and structure of the test.
Can I take the tests at PSU?
No, all of the tests required for GTEP Admissions and Oregon licensure are now computer-based tests that are administered at a number of local testing centers. Some of the tests are also offered at national and international testing centers. Go directly to the National Evaluation Series (NES) and Praxis websites for more information.

 

When I registered for a test, I requested that my electronic score be sent to PSU-GTEP. Is that the only documentation I need to provide?
No, you must also submit paper copies of all test score reports. It is often quite difficult to identify an individual’s test scores that we receive electronically from testing companies. The paper test score reports provide the best evidence for documenting your test results. They most often come in the form of an email or weblink that you can download and/or save electronically in your own archives. Print a copy and submit it as soon as you receive the notice.

 

PREPARING A STRONG APPLICATION

What information do I need to include in my GTEP application?
Complete applications provide evidence of an applicant’s content knowledge, articulates a commitment to education as a profession, and documents successful experiences working with children in teaching-learning situations. The application contain: a personal statement; 3 letters of recommendation; a complete set of transcripts from every institutions ever attended (including prerequisite course grades); paper copies of test score reports that indicate passing scores; and a Departmental Recommendation Form (middle level and high school applicants only). Applications that are complete by the December 3rd deadline provide substantial evidence of an applicant’s qualifications and are always the strongest applications.

What if I haven’t completed all of the prerequisites or didn’t pass one of the required tests. Will I still be considered for admission? 
The GTEP Admissions Committee makes admissions decisions based on the evidence that an applicant provides by the December 3rd deadline. The following items must be received by the GTEP Office, ED 602, on or before December 3rd at 5pm, in order for your application to be reviewed:
  • The online application submitted
  • Personal statement completed online
  • Complete set of transcripts
  • Prerequisite courses (transcripts as evidence)
    • Early Childhood/Elementary – 3/7 prerequisites completed by end of Fall term
    • Middle and/or High School – PSY 311 or equivalent completed by end of Fall term
  • Three letters of recommendation (consisting of a completed cover sheet and a written narrative on letterhead
  • Print coy of basic skills test score report with passing scores clearly identified
  • Departmental Recommendation Form (for middle level and high school applicants only)
If an application is incomplete, it is very important that applicants indicate specific information regarding when and where the courses will be completed and dates that the tests will be taken and score reports be submitted. Providing an unofficial transcript showing that the applicant has registered for a course or a copy of the test registration confirmation serve as evidence that the applicant has a plan for completing admissions requirements. It is still the applicant’s responsibility to provide transcripts with grades and passing test scores upon completion of the requirements. 
While an incomplete application may be reviewed, there may not be sufficient evidence to be competitive, depending on the applicant pool. If an applicant is admitted with an incomplete file, they are ‘admitted with conditions’ and all of those conditions must be met well in advance of the start of the program. Evidence of all prerequisites and passing test scores must be received by GTEP no later than May 31, 2013 in order to begin the program on June 24, 2013.

I want to be a high school Social Studies teacher and I have met with a Secondary Education Advisor to review the Social Studies content courses on my undergraduate transcript. The Advisor identified 4 prerequisite courses on the Departmental Recommendation Form that I must take as part of the GTEP application process. Can I take these courses at a community college?
Prerequisite courses listed on the Departmental Recommendation Form are most often at the undergraduate level and may sometimes even be lower division courses. If a course listed on the form is a lower division course and you would like to take it t a community college, ask the Advisor about that option. The Advisor makes that determination, and that option would need to be specified on the Departmental Recommendation Form.

I want to be a teacher, and I have experience working with children in [daycare, coaching, being a nanny]. Do I need to have experience working with students in school settings?
Yes, it is important to have some recent experience (in the last three years) with children in school settings for a number of reasons. First, schools are very different now than when you were a K-12 student. You need to be aware of what’s happening in classrooms, schools, and school communities to be sure that teaching is a profession you wish to pursue. Second, you need an opportunity to interact with teachers and students in teaching-learning environments such that a teacher would be willing to document your professional qualities and potential in the form of a letter of recommendation for your GTEP application. Experience in informal settings, i.e., summer camp, coaching, SMART tutoring, are valuable experiences, but by themselves, not sufficient.

GPA

 

My undergraduate GPA is 2.8, less than the 3.0 stated on the GTEP website. Can I still be accepted into the program? 
If an applicant’s overall GPA is below 3.0, they may still be considered for admission into the program if: a) grades in program prerequisites and/or content area courses are 3.0 or above; and b) the rest of their application is especially strong. If you feel there are extenuating circumstances that have affected your academic performance, there is a place on the GTEP application to describe them. An applicant’s qualifications are based on many different factors; overall GPA is one factor. When an applicant’s overall GPA is below 2.75, they are not eligible for regular admission to graduate studies in the university and do not qualify for GTEP. 

AFTER APPLYING

Is it possible to work while completing the Graduate Teacher Education Program?
It is very difficult for students to work while in full-time GTEP and still devote enough time to successfully completing the program requirements. If any arrangements for work are made, students must have a very flexible schedule with limited hours during the week. It is not possible for students to work when the time in schools increases in Winter term. Students who need to work while pursuing their initial teaching license should apply for either the Elementary or Secondary Part Time GTEP. 

After applying to the program when can applicants expect to find out about their acceptance to the program?
Applicants can expect final notification regarding their acceptance into the program Before March 1st. 

 

MASTER OF EDUCATION (M.Ed) DEGREE

NOTE: The following questions pertain to applicants that are planning to apply for GTEP in 2013; current or past GTEP teacher candidates should speak to their GTEP cohort leaders for information about completing their degree requirements.

I plan to apply for GTEP that starts in Summer 2013. How can I get my Master of Education degree at that time?
The Graduate Teacher Education Program is currently going through a program revision with plans to offer the newly revised program for the first time in Summer 2013. The 2013 GTEP will be a M.Ed./licensure program. The graduate coursework that meets licensure requirements is the same coursework that qualifies you for a Master of Education degree.