Undergraduate Teacher Candidate Handbook:Retention, Dismissal and Due Process
The Teacher Education Admission, Retention, and Appeals Committee (TEARAC) is composed of East Texas A&M University faculty directly involved with educator preparation and are appointed by the Chair of the Committee. The Committee Chair is appointed by the Dean of the College of Education and Human Services.
TEARAC is charged with setting educator preparation admission and retention requirements, as well as hearing student appeals for individual exceptions to the approved admission and retention requirements as they relate to the student's admission and retention status. The Center for Educator Certification and Academic Services (CECAS) is responsible for facilitating the admission, retention, and certification process within the framework of TEARAC requirements.
Retention in the Field-Based Program
To be retained in the educator preparation program, a student must do as follows:
- Continue to meet admission standards.
- Remain in good standing with their Instructional Leadership Team (ILT) and school placement principal.
- Make satisfactory progress toward teacher certification.
- Students who change their degree to a non-teaching degree will not be retained in the field-based program
and will be administratively removed. - Students who fail to continue with coursework working toward teacher certification will not be retained in the field-based program and will be administratively removed after two long semesters of inactivity.
A requirement of the undergraduate teacher certification program is continuous enrollment and progress toward certification. Teacher candidates may be approved by the program to take a leave of absence due to extenuating circumstances. Acceptable extenuating circumstances include:
Significant financial hardship
Personal injury/illness
Caring for a family member with personal injury/illness
Birth/adoption of a dependent child
Death of immediate family member
Status of Retained
During a leave of absence, the teacher candidate's status in the program will be changed from “admitted” to “retained.” When the teacher candidate enrolls in courses again, they must contact the certification office to update their status back to “admitted.”
Duration and Terms of Retention
A leave of absence is not to exceed two consecutive long semesters. Fall and spring are considered long semesters. Teacher candidates will be administratively removed from the program, including records of active enrollment with TEA, in the event of:
Failure to enroll in courses at the beginning of the designated return semester, and/or
Failure to notify the certification office that they have returned and enrolled in courses.
Removal Repercussions
If teacher candidates are administratively removed from the program, they will be required to do the following to return:
- Go before the Teacher Admission, Retention, and Appeals Committee for consideration to re-enter the program.
- Reapply to the certification program and complete all admission steps satisfactorily.
*This process may cause a significant delay in a candidate being able to continue certification coursework.
Dismissal of Teacher Candidates from East Texas A&M
Teacher Education Admission, Retention, and Appeals Committee (TEARAC): A TEARAC review of a student in reference to an academic or professional behavioral concern may be requested by East Texas A&M University or public-school personnel at any stage in the educator preparation program.
Instructional Leadership Team (ILT): A teacher candidate may be dismissed from Clinical I semester or Clinical Teaching II semester by a recommendation to the principal from the student's field-based Instructional Leadership Team (ILT), consisting of the field supervisor, cooperating teacher, center coordinator, and teacher candidate. This recommendation will result in the teacher candidate no longer being retained in the educator preparation program.
Principal (school placement): A teacher candidate may be dismissed from clinical teaching by a recommendation and letter from the principal of the school where the teacher candidate is placed. This may occur if the principal determines that it is in the best interest of K-12 learners or the teacher candidate that the clinical experience be terminated. This recommendation will result in the teacher candidate no longer being retained in the educator preparation program.
Reasons for Dismissal
Reasons for dismissal from clinical teaching and the educator preparation program may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Failure to meet course requirements
- Lack of progress in meeting the performance gates outlined in the teacher candidate handbook
- Lack of progress or success on a growth plan
- Violation of the Code of Ethics and Standards for Texas Teachers
- Violation of school district and/or campus rules and regulations
- Excessive tardiness, absences, or failure to complete or make-up days missed in the field
- Failure to respond to feedback from the ILT
Procedures for Removing a Student from Clinical Teaching
If dismissal is due to a violation of established admission or retention criteria, the Center for Educator Certification and Academic Services (CECAS) will notify the student in writing of the grounds for dismissal and due process.
If dismissal is resulting from an ILT or school placement principal recommendation, a request to terminate the placement will be generated by the principal. The principal will send a letter to the Director of the (CECAS). This letter will convey with clearly documented reasons that it is in the best interest of K-12 learners or the clinical teacher that the teacher candidate's clinical experience be terminated. After this occurs, the university field-supervisor or center coordinator will schedule a meeting with the teacher candidate, the university field-supervisor, and the (CECAS) Director to inform the student of the decision to terminate the placement and dismiss the student.
Due Process Rights in the Field-Based Program
Teacher candidates who wish to appeal admission or retention criteria may schedule a meeting with the Teacher Education Admission, Retention, and Appeals Committee to ask that an individual exception be made. In some cases, an appeal to TEARAC will not be granted. If an appeal is granted, TEARAC will review all documentation and any oral deliberation to determine if an exception should be made. If TEARAC determines that an exception should not be made, the student will not have the opportunity to re-enter the educator preparation program. If the student believes that the correct procedures were not followed, as written here-in, the student may appeal to the dean of the College of Education and Human Services. The dean’s charge will be to determine if procedures were correctly followed. The dean's decision is final.
*If appeal is granted, the candidate must re-apply to the Teacher Education Program.
Candidates who wish to appeal dismissal resulting from an ILT or principal recommendation may also schedule a meeting with the Teacher Education Admission, Retention, and Appeals Committee (TEARAC). The committee's charge is to review the evidence to determine if professional judgment was exercised and if there was a rational basis for the decision. If the committee determines that professional judgment was not exercised, or that there was no rational basis for the decision, the committee will recommend that the ILT and/or principal reevaluate the decision. The reevaluated decision by the ILT and/or principal is final.