Office of Clinical Placement

Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and Student TeachingTeacher LicensurePraxis Resources

Educator Preparation Program (EPP) and Student Teaching

For Undergraduate Students

To successfully complete your degree and become licensed to teach, you must enter the educator preparation program and complete student teaching.

Requirements for admission to the educator preparation program:

Complete the Educator Preparation Program Application by May 1 of the sophomore year, or May 1 of junior year for transfer students or new majors.
Minimum 2.5 overall QPA.
Completion of (or currently enrolled in) core courses with grades of C- or above (B- or above on field experience).
Passing VCLA scores.

Requirements for admission to student teaching:

Candidate has been accepted into EPP.
Complete the student teaching application. Applications are due prior to September 15 for a spring semester placement or prior to February 1 for a fall semester placement.
Share the Recommendation for Student Teaching form with three of your professors. The forms will be submitted directly to the School of Professional and Applied Sciences.
- Two should be requested from faculty members who have taught in your major or minor courses.
- One should be requested from your faculty advisor.
Overall minimum 2.5 GPA and 2.75 QPA in major.
Grades of C- or above on content courses and education core courses (B- or above on all field experiences). Any content or education course grade below requirements must be repeated.
Submit Praxis II scores if required.
3 favorable recommendations.
Submit RVE scores if required.

Additional teacher licensing requirements:

Completion of child abuse and neglect recognition and intervention training module.
Completion of certification of training in emergency first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, including hands-on practice, and the use of automated external defibrilators.
Dyslexia training.
Civics Module if required.

Student Teaching/Internship Applications for Graduate Students

Testing Information

The Commonwealth of Virginia, as well as many other states, requires passing scores on a nationally standardized test. The Virginia Board of Education has established the following requirements:

(VCLA) Virginia Communication and Literacy Assessment

The writing and reading portions of the VCLA are required for all licensure candidates. The passing score of 235 in reading and writing is required.

The VCLA is also available on the computer by appointment at Pearson Testing Centers but requires advanced registration at va.nesinc.com.

Teaching Reading Assessment – Test Code 5205

Elementary and special education students are required to take the Teaching Reading Assessment for licensure. The passing score of 159 is required for licensure.
More information.

Praxis II – Content Knowledge

Test Codes	Praxis II Content Knowledge Area		Passing Score
5001*	Elementary Education Multiple Subject
	5002	Reading & Language Arts	157
	5003	Mathematics	157
	5004	Social Studies	155
	5005	Science	159
5134	Art		158
5235	Biology		155
5245	Chemistry		153
5571	Earth Science		156
5038	English Language Arts		167
5174	French		163
5857	Health & Physical Education		160
5161	Mathematics		160
5113	Music		160
5265	Physics		147
5081	Social Studies		161
5195	Spanish		168

*Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5001): This test is required in Virginia on and after 7/1/2015. A passing score on each subtest is required. If a passing score is not obtained on each subtest, a subtest may be retaken as a standalone test. [Score reports for individuals who took the Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects (5031) prior to July 1, 2015, will be accepted provided the candidate met the passing score effective at the time the test was taken.]

Test Preparation Resources

Several test prep books are on reserve in the library and academic services.

Sample test and study classes are available on several websites:

Reciprocity

Licensure Reciprocity with Other States

Every state has established licensing requirements for teachers employed at public schools and some private schools in that state. These requirements vary greatly from state to state, but most states have entered exchange agreements with other states that are called reciprocity agreements.

The reciprocity agreement allows students who have completed an approved program and are eligible for a license in Virginia to be eligible for a comparable license in any state participating in the agreement. All individual states reserve the right to require additional testing and/or course work to fully satisfy their licensing requirements.

The Commonwealth of Virginia participates in certification reciprocity with more than 40 states and areas. Eligibility for interstate reciprocity is based on completion of a specifically approved program as directed and delivered by University of Lynchburg.

In most cases, reciprocity is only available to people who have completed an approved college program and have that designation on their college transcript or who have an active teacher’s license.

Teacher Licensure by States

Review the web sites listed in this document (PDF) for specific information on reciprocity and required documentation.

Teacher Licensure

All Teacher Licensure Programs at University of Lynchburg are accredited and approved by the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE). Our programs include approved professional courses which lead to a Virginia teaching license.

The licensure requirements per undergraduate program are listed in the table below.

Program	Requirements for Licensure
Elementary	Interdisciplinary Teacher Education degree
	Required Tests
	Student Teaching
Special Education	Interdisciplinary Teacher Education degree
	Required Tests
	Student Teaching
Secondary Education	Degree in Your Chosen Subject Area
	Required Tests
	Student Teaching

Teacher Certification by State

Teacher certification requirements by state, including Virginia, are provided at the web sites included here (PDF).

Alternative Licensure

Alternative licensure provides the opportunity for individuals who have not completed a teacher education program to become licensed to teach.

To attain licensure through this method, you must meet the requirements, which include:

Coursework
Passing required tests
Completing student teaching: apply for student teaching at University of Lynchburg

For complete Virginia Department of Education regulations regarding licensure, see Virginia Division of Teacher Licensure Programs.

If you are seeking post-bachelor’s coursework in order to fulfill Virginia licensure requirements, consider completing our MEd in Curriculum & Instruction degree.

Praxis Resources

Contact

Janell Stinnett ’91, ’10 MEd
Instructor of Education
Director of Field Placement

434.544.8438
stinnett_ju@lynchburg.edu

The Office of Clinical Placement is located on the third floor of the Education Building.