Admission to Student Teaching

The following requirements are based on the 2024-2025 catalog.

Student teaching is the culminating experience of the Teacher Education Program. During this time, preservice teachers apply what they have learned about theory and methodology through their university coursework and earlier field experiences. Student teaching provides an opportunity to plan and implement interesting, relevant lessons, as well as use a variety of assessment techniques to determine both the effectiveness of instructional strategies and the level of student learning. Teacher candidates will utilize the Teaching for Learning Capstone (TLC) unit model to plan, implement, evaluate, and reflect on one unit of instruction during their student teaching experience. Student teaching experiences allow for application of the VCSU conceptual framework, adaptations for diversity, appropriate uses of technology, assessment of student learning, and reflection on teaching practice. Skills in decision making, various instructional strategies, classroom management procedures, and questioning are further enhanced.

Student Teaching requires at least 12 full-time consecutive weeks. VCSU promotes co-teaching strategies to make optimal use of teacher candidate and cooperating teacher efforts to enhance student learning opportunities in the classroom.

Additional information about student teaching is included in the VCSU Handbook for Student Teaching.

Criteria for Admission to Student Teaching

A student must meet the following criteria to be considered for admission to student teaching:

Senior standing with continued satisfactory performance on all criteria for admission and retention in the teacher education program. Approval by a representative of Student Affairs and the appropriate department/school chair will be reviewed.
Completion of the professional education sequence before student teaching. The Director of Student Teaching in consultation with the School of Education Dean may make exceptions to this criterion if circumstances warrant.
Submission of student teaching application to the Director of Student Teaching during the semester preceding the semester of student teaching.

Requirements to Student Teach

Agreement to provide evidence of personal liability insurance by joining the Student North Dakota United (SNDU) or by a private insurance policy. The minimum requirement is $1 million or greater per cooperating school. The student will present proof of such insurance on or prior to the first day of the semester of student teaching.
A criminal background investigation through the Education Standards & Practices Board (ESPB), including the Bureau of Criminal Investigation and Federal Bureau of Investigation must be completed prior to student teaching.
Submission of Praxis II test scores or a confirmation number of registration for the Praxis II tests (content and Principles of Teaching & Learning [PLT]). See www.ets.org/praxis/nd/requirements for test requirements.
Meet state standards on North Dakota required tests to measure prospective teacher’s content knowledge in reading, writing, and mathematics.
During student teaching, students will not be allowed to take any semester hours of credit during the 12 weeks of student teaching without approval of the Director of Student Teaching. Students who request to take more than three semester hours of credit during the 12 weeks of student teaching, will need approval from the Dean of Education. Any requests for exceptions must be presented in writing to the Director of Student Teaching. Classes cannot be taken during the daily full time student teaching assignment block.

Teacher Education Policy regarding University Activity during Student Teaching Experience

Teacher candidates wishing to participate in a university sport and/or activity during the semester they student teach must understand the sport and/or activity will not interfere with twelve continuous weeks of the student teaching field experience.

Placement will only be considered if a twelve-week uninterrupted student teaching experience can be completed with no interference from the sport/activity.
Prerequisites must be completed the semester before their student teaching field experience.
Teacher Candidates whose activity is ongoing at the beginning of spring semester must conclude their participation with the activity prior to completing student teaching.
Teacher Candidates may not leave their placement schools early to participate in any practice or rehearsal.
Participation in weekend events during the semester of student teaching are allowed as longs as it does not interfere with student teaching or their preparation for student teaching.
Participation in a university sport/activity may require more than four years to complete a degree in education.
It is best if Teacher Candidates do not student teach the semester they are participating in a university sport/activity. A request to do so must meet the criteria identified above.

Valley City State University reserves the right to have the student meet additional requirements that the School of Education may establish. The Teacher Education Committee will review the application and recommend to the Dean of the School for Education to approve or deny the application for admission to student teaching.

Criteria for Licensure Recommendation

The Certification Officer makes the recommendation for Teacher Licensure. In order to be recommended, a student must meet the following requirements:

Satisfactory completion of all program requirements, as described in the University Catalog and the Teacher Education Program Handbook.
Successful student teaching experience.
Successful completion of TLC unit and presentation of a digital portfolio.
Successful completion of all licensure requirements

The School of Education & Graduate Studies responds to requests for information from the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board for issuance of a teaching license.