Section 354.31. Admission

The preparing institution shall recruit and admit applicants who demonstrate potential for professional success in public schools. The evidence that this standard is met includes:

(1) A comprehensive system to assess the qualifications of applicants seeking admission.

(2) An applicant who intends to enter a preparation program that culminates in a bachelor’s degree may not be formally admitted to an initial professional educator preparation program before completion of 48 semester credit hours or the full-time equivalent of college level study.

(3) The applicant criteria for admission to a teacher preparation program are based on multiple sources of data, which include:

(i) An assessment of academic preparation under § 354.23 (relating to academic preparation).

(ii) An assessment of academic performance under paragraph (4).

(iii) Faculty recommendations.

(4) The preparing institution shall ensure that applicants admitted to an initial preparation program culminating in a bachelor’s degree or higher shall complete prior college or university coursework, with a minimum grade point average (GPA) as follows:

(i) Academic Year: 2001-2002—2.6 GPA

(ii) Academic Year: 2002-2003—2.8 GPA

(iii) Academic Year: 2003-2004—3.0 GPA

(5) As an alternative to the 3.0 GPA admissions standard under paragraph (4), a preparing institution may admit applicants if they have achieved a 2.8 GPA and qualifying scores on the Praxis I, preprofessional skills tests as determined by the Secretary and approved by the Board, or either of the following:

(i) A 2.8 GPA and a combined score of 1050 on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT), with no score lower than 500 on either the verbal or mathematics subtests.

(ii) A 2.8 GPA and a score of no less than 23 on the English subtest and 20 on the Mathematics subtest of the American College Testing Program Assessment (ACT).

(6) The criteria for admission to advanced preparation programs shall include at least the following:

(i) An assessment of academic performance—including the Miller Analogy Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

(ii) An overall minimum GPA of 3.0.

(iii) Faculty and professional recommendations.

(iv) Record of competence and effectiveness in professional work.

(v) Graduation from a regionally accredited college or university.

(7) The preparing institution may accept up to 10% of the applicants for admission to the professional educator program who do not meet overall minimum GPA requirements in paragraph (4) or alternative admission criteria under paragraph (5). The criteria for admission of applicants specified in this paragraph shall be developed and documented by the preparing institution and must include the requirements in § 49.12 (relating to eligibility).

(8) When the institutional pass rate on the professional knowledge and content assessments, as defined in § 49.18 (relating to assessment) is 90% or higher for a given testing year, the requirements of paragraph (4) shall be reduced to a GPA entry requirement determined by the preparing institution and approved by the Department for the subsequent academic year.

(9) The preparing institution shall develop admission procedures for postbaccalaureate initial and advanced professional educator preparation programs to document the following:

(i) Applicants have attained depth and breadth in both general and academic studies under § § 354.23—354.25 (relating to academic preparation; academic performance; and preparation program curriculum).

(ii) Incentives and affirmative procedures attract applicants with high academic and other qualifications.

(iii) Admission decisions are monitored by the preparing institution to ensure that the admissions criteria are applied.

(iv) The preparing institution seeks to recruit, admit and retain a diverse student body.