Educator Preparation Program
Why is a University Based Educator Preparation Program Your Best Choice?
“No responsibility of the state is more important than ensuring that the PK-12 public education systems allows all Texas students to reach their potential. We know the quality of teacher preparation is one of the more important predictors of student success.” Letter from the Texas Educator Preparation Pathways Study Leads*
Becoming a teacher takes preparation and planning. To ensure the highest professional standards, the state of Texas and the University of Texas at Dallas Teacher Development Center (TDC) requires students to pass a series of rigorous courses, complete extensive fieldwork and demonstrate their knowledge of content and educational acumen on their state licensure exams in order to be fully certified as a highly qualified teacher in Texas.
“We know that educator preparation matters when it comes to teacher retention and effectiveness, and more importantly–when it comes to student outcomes.”
Texas Educator Preparation Pathways Study*
The following statistics and information are taken from the Texas Educator Preparation Pathways Study, Developing and Sustaining the Texas Educator Workforce by the University of Texas at Austin, College of Education.
Key factors why University Based Educator Preparation Programs are preferred by school districts:
- 73% University certified teachers remained in the field over a nine (9) year period VS 59% Alternatively certified teachers remained in the field over a nine (9) year period. Finding that over a nine-year period, university certified teachers had a 24% higher retention rate than alternatively certified teachers.
Student learning outcomes differed based on teacher certification programs.
The “Months of Learning” is a measure of how much students learned/gained during a given school year based on their score of the State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR) exam. Students whose scores go up by more than expected are said to gain additional months of learning.
- 2.2 additional months: Students gained 2.2 additional months of learning in 9th grade English language arts when students had teachers from a university based program compared to alternative certification programs
- 2.4 additional months: Students gained 2.4 additional months of learning in 9th grade Math when students had teachers from a not-for-profit program compared to for-profit program.
Field Based & Clinical Teaching
University-based pathways typically include multiple field experiences culminating in a semester of student teaching prior to becoming a teacher of record. Research has demonstrated the importance of such clinical practice and preparation, and the inclusion of this additional (supported/supervised) time in the field is likely contributing to better outcomes for university-prepared teachers (Sutcher et al., 2016; Zhang & Zeller, 2016).
- UT Dallas Teacher Development Center has a two semester residency program where our students are placed in classrooms with experienced, successful, master teachers chosen by the school principal and the Teacher Development Center faculty and staff.
- The Teacher Development Center has both paid and unpaid residency programs. The student chooses the residency they would prefer. For a two semester paid residency, the student will receive $20,000 total.
Certification Exams
- 100% of our students pass their TExES exams prior to Clinical Teaching
- UT Dallas has one of the highest passing rates in the state compared to other Educator Preparation Programs because of our rigorous coursework and outstanding faculty.
Phi Delta Kappa Association
The Fraternity for Future Teachers by Teachers.
Join this amazing group of future teachers and leaders to lead, transform and shape the next generation of successful educators.
Bachelor of Education Degrees
The TDC offers a Bachelors of Arts in Education and a Bachelor of Science in Education. This means a student will graduate with their college degree and their teaching certification simultaneously. Degree and certification plans are individually prepared.
Scholarships
UT Dallas and the TDC has numerous scholarships available for future teachers. The university prides itself on assisting the students with finding grants and scholarships to unburden them from college debt. Here is a list of scholarships we recommend.