James I. Perkins College of Education

JUDY A. ABBOTT
Dean

McKibben Education Building, Room 213
Phone: (936) 468-1410
Fax: (936) 468-1475
P.O. Box 13023, SFA Station
Nacogdoches, TX 75962
Email: collegeofeducation@sfasu.edu
Web: sfasu.edu/education

Overview

The James I. Perkins College of Education includes the departments of education studies, human services and educational leadership, and kinesiology and health science, as well as the School of Human Sciences. Each offers programs of study in educator certification, as well as in various professional programs. For a list of the programs of study, see the appropriate department/school section in this catalog.

Mission

The mission of the James I. Perkins College of Education is to prepare competent, successful, caring and enthusiastic professionals dedicated to responsible service, leadership, and continued professional and intellectual development in an interconnected global society.

To accomplish this mission, the goals of the James I. Perkins College of Education are to:

provide transformational experiences for our students
promote meaningful and sustained enrollment growth
attract and support high quality faculty and staff
improve and maintain an optimal college culture
provide academic and co-curricular innovations
increase connections with stakeholders

Accreditation

The Stephen F. Austin State University educator preparation program, coordinated by the Perkins College of Education, is fully accredited through the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). In addition, many of the programs in the Perkins College of Education have been nationally recognized through national professional accrediting bodies.

Office of Student Services and Advising Center

Dr. Stacy Hendricks, associate dean

The Perkins College of Education’s Office of Student Services and Advising is located in the McKibben Education Building, Suite 118. This office provides the following services for all Perkins College of Education students:

Tentative degree plans - to be filed after 30 hours
Final degree plans - to be filed after completing 90 semester credit hours
Petitions or changes to degree plans
Change of majors/minors
Filing for graduation
Course substitutions
Advising for all undergraduate students with majors in the college

Candidates seeking educator certification at the secondary level must complete an academic major and file for a degree plan in the Office of Student Services and Advising of the college in which the degree is offered.

Please note that undergraduate degrees require 30 hours earned at SFA with at least 30 advanced hours (3000 to 4000 level).

Office of Assessment and Accountability

Dr. Christina Sinclair, associate dean

The Perkins College of Education’s Office of Assessment and Accountability is located in McKibben Education Building, Suite 404. This office provides the following services for Perkins College of Education students and educator preparation students with majors in other colleges:

Coordinates data collection and management for accountability and accreditation purposes
Coordinates educator preparation program clinical practice and field experiences
Coordinates education certification testing (TExES)
Coordinates educator certification through the Texas Education Agency

Scholarships and Fellowships

A number of scholarships are available for students in the Perkins College of Education. Candidates interested in applying for scholarships should contact the Office of Student Financial Assistance.

Student Organizations

A variety of student organizations are sponsored by faculty in the Perkins College of Education, including:

American Society of Interior Designers
Bilingual Education Student Organization
Braille and Cane Club
Collegiate Middle Level Association
Diversity-Equity-Inclusion
Early Childhood Organization
Eta Sigma Delta
Jacks Council on Family Relations
Hospitality Administration Society
Hunger Jacks
Human Sciences Ambassadors
International Interior Design Association
Kappa Delta Pi
Kinesiology and Health Science Alliance Club
Kinesiology and Health Science Organization of Athletic Training Students
National Student Speech-Language-Hearing Association
Phi Upsilon Omicron
Psychology Student Organization
SFA Rehabilitation Club
Student Association for Nutrition and Dietetics
Student Council for Exceptional Children
Student Wellness Action Team Peer Health Education
Talking Hands
Texas State Teachers Association - Student Program

More information about student organizations can be found at sfasu.edu/studentaffairs/103.asp.

Educator Certification

Educator preparation programs at SFA are standards-focused, learner-centered and field-based. The college prepares educators in a collaborative, proficiency-driven, learner-centered program to meet the needs of a diverse society.

Typical degree programs for candidates who wish to obtain certification include coursework in general education (core curriculum), an academic major, the teaching field(s) and professional education. Individuals must meet admission requirements to educator certification and pay the required, nonrefundable application fee and Texas Education Agency’s Accountability System for educator preparation technology fee. Individuals who already hold a bachelor’s degree and wish to obtain a teacher’s certificate should contact the alternative certification program manager in the Office of Assessment and Accountability. Teacher certification is available at both the undergraduate and graduate level for most areas.

The State Board of Educator Certification issues educator certificates. Candidates must apply for their certificates through SBEC. SFA will make a recommendation for certification to SBEC when an individual has met degree requirements; the degree has been conferred; all certification requirements have been met, including coursework, successful completion of the TExES and field experience (clinical practice at the undergraduate and graduate level or one-year teaching internship at the graduate level); and the online application has been submitted. When holders of out-of-state certificates wish to obtain a Texas Teacher’s Certificate, they are required to contact the State Board for Education Certification in Austin, (888) 863-5880 or online, for information and application for certification in Texas.

Additional information on educator certification may be obtained from the Office of Assessment and Accountability, McKibben Education Building, Suite 404, or call (936) 468-1740.

State Accountability System for Educator Preparation

All SFA educator preparation programs are accredited by the state. Initial certification test pass rates for the completion year 2023 were:

edTPA pass rate - 96%
and content exams - 91%.

National Accreditation: Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)

CAEP educator accreditation is a national seal of approval that assures quality in educator preparation. Accreditation makes sure that educator programs prepare candidates to know their subjects and students, and ensures that they have the clinical training allowing them to enter the classroom ready to teach effectively.

Accreditation provides a framework that pushes the SFA educator preparation program to continually self-assess and conduct evidence-based analyses of programs and their efficacy. These evidence-based shifts, rooted in continuous improvement, help ensure the SFA preparation programs will produce successful educators.

Note: Professional certificate programs are outlined in the Graduate Catalog.

Criteria for Admission to the Educator Preparation Program

Meet GPA requirements based on first registered semester at SFA
- If first registered prior to fall 2013: Must have and maintain 2.50 overall GPA on last 60 hours, including transfer hours
- If first registered during or after fall 2013: Must have and maintain 2.50 overall GPA on last 60 hours, including transfer hours
  - SFA does not allow admission to the educator preparation program with a GPA of less than the criteria listed above.
Minimum 12 credit hours completed in teaching field with required GPA
- 4-8 and secondary education science/math must have 15 credit hours
Successful completion of the educator preparation admissions screening instrument is required.
TSI complete/exempt or basic skills scores in reading, written communication and mathematics must be achieved from one of the following tests or a combination thereof and have been taken within the past five years:
- TSI
  - Reading score - 351
  - Writing score - 363 and 4 on the essay
  - An essay score of five or higher results in a passing writing score regardless of the multiple-choice score.
  - Math score - 350
- ACT
  - Composite score - 23
  - Verbal (reading) or math score - 19
- SAT
  - Math score - 530
  - Reading and evidenced-based reading and writing - 480
Students must read and adhere to the Texas Educator Code of Ethics found in the Texas Administrative Code, Chapter 247.2.
Students must read and agree to the Professional Dispositions Statement for educator preparation found online.
A nonrefundable fee of $100 will be charged to the student’s mySFA account for each educator preparation program application submitted.
A nonrefundable fee of $35 will be charged to the student’s mySFA account for the Texas Education Agency’s Accountability System for educator preparation technology fee.
A nonrefundable fee of $117 will be charged to the student’s mySFA account for the Quality Assurance System Fee that facilitates the centralization of SFA educator preparation and College of Education professional preparation data, provides integrated data collection, generation of reports, and program assessment to ensure continuous improvement.
An applicant who is transferring from another educator preparation program must meet the criteria listed above, as well as submit a TEA Candidate Transfer Form.

Exit Policy for Certification Programs

The state requires all educator preparation programs to have an exit policy for the dismissal of candidates that is published, reviewed, and signed by candidates when they are admitted to the program. The requirement is found in 19 Texas Administration Code §228.20(h).

Dismissal from the Educator Preparation Program

Initial and professional certification candidates may be removed from the SFA educator preparation program when candidates demonstrate behavior inconsistent with the knowledge, skills and dispositions expected of teachers and leaders in Texas. Dismissal from the program may be based on grounds including, but not limited to:

failure to meet coursework requirements.
1. Failure to maintain the minimum GPA requirement throughout the program. Candidates may reapply to the program after minimum GPA requirement is met.
2. Failure to remain enrolled in coursework at SFA. After two consecutive semesters of absence, candidates are dropped from the program and must reapply before enrolling in program-related coursework.
failure to abide by policies and/or procedures established by the SFA educator preparation program and/or program requirements established by the State Board for Educator Certification as published in the Texas Administrative Code.
failure to abide by SFA’s professional dispositions statement for educator preparation.
any action deemed a violation of TAC 247.2 - Code of Ethics and Standard Practices for Texas Educators
and/or any action deemed a violation of the SFA Code of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity
and/or any action deemed a violation of school district and/or campus policy during field-based experiences, clinical teaching, internship or practicum.

Dismissal from the program is determined by a committee composed of program faculty members. Dismissal may occur at any time. Candidates who are dismissed from SFA will be automatically dismissed from the educator preparation program. All decisions of dismissal can be appealed following university policies.

Withdrawal from the Educator Preparation Program

A candidate who voluntarily decides to withdraw from the program must send a written notice of that intent from an SFA email account and include their SFA campus ID number. The candidate also must submit a signed Texas Education Transfer Form if they transfer to another educator preparation program. Withdrawal from the university constitutes automatic withdrawal from the program.

Candidate Intervention and Program Continuation Procedures

Faculty members work with all candidates using informal attempts to change behaviors that include, but are not limited to, the following: providing guidance, observation, anecdotal records and meetings with the student. If informal attempts do not result in improvement or a change in behavior, then the teacher education candidate is referred to a more formal intervention procedure, including, but not limited to, the program continuation review panel.

Criminal Background Check, Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation, Fingerprinting

Candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching and employment as an educator. The public school campuses are responsible for completing the criminal background check. A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in a State Board for Educator Certification-approved educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person’s potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

A preliminary criminal history evaluation is a nonmandatory, nonbinding evaluation of an individual’s self-reported criminal history. In addition, the agency obtains your name-based Texas criminal history information. The service is provided to the requestor for a nonrefundable fee. The requestor will receive an evaluation letter by email from agency staff advising of potential ineligibility for educator certification.

You are eligible to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation if:

you enrolled or are planning to enroll in an educator preparation program
or you are planning to take a certification exam for initial educator certification
and you have reason to believe that you may be ineligible for educator certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

You are not eligible for a preliminary evaluation of your criminal history if you do not have a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense.

In addition, you must complete the fingerprinting process when you apply for certification. Participation in the evaluation does not preclude you from submitting to a national criminal history review at the time you apply for your educator certification. Your criminal history will be reviewed, and you may be subject to an investigation based on that criminal history, including any information you failed to submit for evaluation.

Additional information can be found on the TEA website.

Recommendation for Certification

Texas law requires every person seeking educator certification to perform satisfactorily on comprehensive examinations. The purpose of these examinations is to ensure that each educator has the prerequisite content and professional knowledge necessary for an entry-level position in Texas public schools. The Texas Examination of Educator Standards was developed for this purpose.

In order to be eligible to take the certification examinations, a person must be admitted to Educator Preparation, must have completed all coursework required for the test, and must have approval from the appropriate department. Application for the tests is made through the Perkins College of Education’s Office of Assessment and Accountability.

To receive a recommendation for educator certification, the candidate must apply and submit a fee for the credential directly to the State Board for Educator Certification. The SBEC will require all first-time applicants for an initial credential to be fingerprinted as part of a national criminal background check. A fingerprinting fee will be charged.

Policies guiding teacher certification are subject to change by action of the SBEC.