Students frequently ask
questions about the graduation ceremony, about getting a teaching license, and about
taking tests. Answers to those and other questions are found in this page.
- May I
participate in the graduation ceremony if I still have classes to take or if I still have
to student teach?
- Yes. Many students participate in the
ceremony who have not officially graduated. Generally, if you still have to student teach
or still need to take approximately 20 credits, you may participate. Your participation
may be denied if you have more than 20 credits to complete.
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- What is
Honors Day? Who participates?
- Honors Day is the Friday before commencement
in the spring. All students who have earned honors during the academic year are
participants.
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- What
awards may education majors earn?
- Education majors may earn many awards. Many
earn academic honors(3.5 overall GPA) and academic high honors (3.75 overall GPA).
One student each academic year is presented with the Alwood Award for Excellent in Student
Teaching. This award is presented to the student who has demonstrated overall excellence
as a student teacher. Overall GPA is not considered when selecting the recipient.
Additionally, three students each academic year receive Indiana Association of Colleges
for Teacher Education Outstanding Future Educator awards. A minimum GPA of 3.0 is
necessary to receive this award. Overall GPA and excellence throughout the professional
preparation program are considered when selecting recipients.
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- When do
I officially graduate?
- You officially graduate when you have
completed all of the requirements of the program in which you are enrolled and your grades
are posted by the Registrar. This usually occurs the Tuesday after exam week of your final
semester. The grades of graduates are posted first. When grades are posted, they are put
on the official transcript.
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- When
can I apply for my Indiana teaching license?
- You may apply for your Indiana teaching
license when you have officially graduated, when you have earned an overall GPA of 2.5 and
a GPA of 2.5 in every area for which you are requesting licensure, and when you have
passed all appropriate tests and have the passing scores on the file in the Department of
Education office.
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- When
will I learn about how to apply for my license?
- All information about applying for teaching
licenses is provided during the student teaching seminars.
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- Where
do I get the license forms and where do I send them?
- The license application forms for an Indiana
license are available at the Department of Education office. You DO NOT send the
application anywhere. You return it to the Department office where it is completed and
forwarded.
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- May I
send a personal check to pay for the license?
- You may not send a personal check. You must
send a money order payable to the State of Indiana.
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- What if
I want to apply for a Michigan or Ohio license—or for any other state's
license—what do
I do?
- It is best to have your Indiana license
BEFORE applying for a license from another state. Contact the Certification Office of the
Department of Education for the state in which you wish to be licensed and ask that a
packet of materials be sent to you. A list of addresses and phone numbers is available in
the Department of Education office. The number for Michigan is 517-373-3310 and the number
for Ohio is 614-466-3593.
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- Is my
Indiana license good forever?
- The Indiana license is valid for five years.
To renew it for five years, you must earn six semester hours of credit. If you earn a
master's degree, you must earn six semester hours of credit every ten years in the area of
your degree.
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- How do I
renew my license?
- The certification advisor/officer at the
university where you earned the six semester hours of renewal credit will help you with
the process. You will need to fill out another form and submit it to the certification
officer. You do not send any forms to the Indiana Professional Standards Board. It is all
done by and through the university. You should have all of the information submitted to
the certification officer approximately 50-60 days prior to the date your license expires.
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- How many
times may I take the PPST?
- You may take any one of the PPST or
specialty tests as many times as are necessary for you to earn the Indiana passing score.
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- Do all
states require the same PPST passing scores?
- Some states do not require PPST scores and
some states do require PPST scores. Some states require fewer tests than does Indiana.
Some states require lower scores, while a few states require the same or higher scores.
Passing scores for each state requiring any section of the PPST are listed in the
pamphlets sent with your test results by Educational Testing Service.
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- When am I a
sophomore?
- Sophomore 29 credits; Junior 61credits;
Senior 97credits
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- When do
I register for classes?
- Seniors register on Monday, juniors register
on Tuesday, sophomores register on Wednesday, and freshmen register on Thursday.
Registration for the next semester usually takes place midway through the current
semester.
- Professional
Portfolios
- Each student admitted to the teacher
education program is required to develop a professional portfolio as part of her/his
professional development at Tri-State University. A portfolio should serve a variety of
purposes. First, a portfolio is living documentation of the teacher candidate's evolving
expertise. Examples of exemplary work such as lesson plans, units, and case study
observations can be integrated into the portfolio. Credentials and letters of
recommendation may also be integrated into the portfolio at which point the portfolio
becomes an employment portfolio.
Teacher education students begin to develop their portfolios immediately upon entrance
into the program. Beginning with the development of the Department of Education notebook,
the students organize the products of their learning experiences. As these products begin
to accumulate, the students select pieces from their notebooks to put into their
portfolios. The process of documentation of and reflection upon professional growth and
development is the goal of the portfolio process.
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- Career Center
- The Career Center is an invaluable resource
to Department of Education students and graduates. The Career Center staff is available to
provide support in writing resumes and letters of interest. In addition, students are
encourages to file their credentials with the Career Center as they begin the search for
entry into the education profession. Career Center staff may be reached at 219-665-4123.
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