Master of Initial Teaching
M.I.T. degrees are considered terminal, professional degrees. A minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 is required in all certification, endorsement, and cognate courses that apply to these requirements. Any course graded lower than a C cannot apply. Field experiences and clinical practice require an eCertification Pre-Residency formal application, law enforcement background check (fingerprinting), and moral character clearance. Contact the School of Education and Psychology for details.
Student teaching is combined part-time and full-time clinical practice in an elementary, middle school, special education, or designated disciple-specific secondary classroom under the supervision of an experienced certificated teacher. The candidate must document 450+ hours, according to current Washington state requirements, in supervised clinical practice over the course of their student teaching experience. School of Education and Psychology requirements across three quarters may exceed Washington state requirements. Check with the certification officer for possible changes.
Student teaching requires formal application to the School of Education and Psychology. Student teaching application packets, available from the Education and Psychology office, are due by the first Friday of December, prior to the year in which the candidate plans to enroll for the experience. Teacher candidate placement is done in cooperation with school districts/principals and, because it is a shared decision, placement is not guaranteed. Placement decisions are based on the applicant’s academic preparation, interpersonal relationship abilities, classroom management skills, and other factors outlined in Minimum Competencies for Teacher Candidates, available from the School of Education and Psychology. Note: The School of Education and Psychology will contact all potential placements; however, placements cannot be guaranteed. Placements are generally made in the Walla Walla Valley region; while all efforts are made to take candidate needs into consideration, we cannot guarantee that placements will be within walking distance of Walla Walla University campus.
According to Washington State guidelines, candidates seeking student teaching placement are required to take the Washington Educator Skills Test-Endorsement (WEST-E) and/or National Evaluation Series (NES) in their primary certifiable content area prior to entering the clinical practice classroom and scores must be received by the certification officer prior to August 1 of the student teaching year. Teacher candidates are required to have current fingerprints and pre-residency clearance. Teacher candidates will not be allowed to enter the clinical practice classroom without this documentation. Candidates are required to pass the WEST-E/NES – in all their content areas – and the current Washington State assessment instrument in order to obtain Washington State certification.
Notes on Washington State Certification
The school attempts to provide current information on certification requirements in this bulletin. Because of frequent changes in state requirements, however, the candidate must consult with the School of Education and Psychology certification officer periodically for updated information that might affect certification status.
Meeting graduation requirements as specified in this bulletin does not guarantee state certification. An application process, including fingerprint clearance and a Dean’s Affidavit regarding the candidate’s fitness, and passing of the current Washington State assessment instrument are required.