Admission to Candidacy

Praxis I and II Score Requirements for WV
West Virginia Licensure Testing Directory

Admission to Teacher Education

Acceptance and enrollment at West Virginia State University does not automatically make one a candidate in the Teacher Education Program. In accordance with West Virginia Board of Education Policies, national accrediting bodies, the University and the Department of Education, candidates must be formally screened. All candidates must formally apply for Admission to the Education Program before taking Education 316. 

Selectivity Requirements beginning in Fall 2016 

The Education program at WVSU is accredited by CAEP, and the program agrees with the CAEP Mission, which is to transform educator preparation so that graduates can help improve P-12 student learning.  Therefore, the program has initiated CAEP selectivity requirements starting in Fall 2016.  Beginning in Fall 2016, all candidates for admission to the program (all candidates planning to enroll in Education 316), must show that they have attained a 3.0 GPA overall in their college courses and show that their overall scores on either the ACT or SAT are at the 50th percentile or above. 

Candidates who do not meet these criteria may apply for an exemption on or before the last day of the semester that precedes the semester in which they plan to register for Education 316.  The Application for Exemption from Selectivity Requirements is on the WVSU Department of Education website. 

The Selectivity Requirements change in the following years:

  • Beginning with the 2018-2019 academic year, the GPA requirement is 3.0 and the ACT/SAT requirement is the 60th percentile.
  • Beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, the GPA requirement is 3.0 and the ACT/SAT requirement is the 67th percentile.

Application for Exemption from Selectivity Requirements

Transfers, returning students, and post- graduates are required to meet the Selectivity Requirements above and should come to Wallace Hall 626 or 627 for admission assessment.  

To be admitted to the Teacher Education Program, a candidate must:

  1. Meet or be exempted from the Selectivity Requirements as specified above. 
  2. Successfully complete the PAR (Pre-Professional Assessment Rubric) with Education advisor. 
  3. Achieve passing scores on the Mathematics, Reading, and Writing sub-tests of the Core Academic Skills for Educators (CORE), a Praxis I exam, before enrolling in Education 316.
  4. Demonstrate proficiency in speaking and listening skills by completing English 201 or Communications 100 with a minimum grade of C.
  5. Demonstrate proficiency in basic computer access skills by earning a grade of C or better in English 102.
  6. Have a minimum overall G.P.A. of 3.0 in all content specialization courses, general education courses, and professional education courses to be admitted to the Teacher Education Program and to graduate with a degree in Education.   
  7. Earn a grade of C or better in all general education, content specialization and professional education courses.
  8. Successfully complete and file personal evaluation documents for all required field experiences with a recommendation for candidacy given by supervisor(s). Students must plan their schedules to permit completion of field-work during the school day.

Admission to Candidacy Application 

When an application has been completed, it will be jointly reviewed by the chair and/or a departmental committee and forwarded the Teacher Education Committee for review. With advisement from the Teacher Education Committee, the Department Chair will make one of the following rulings and notify the candidate:
· Approved: Candidate meets all expectations.
· Provisionally Approved:  Pending removal of minor deficiencies.
· Disapproved: Candidate does not meet criteria and is advised to pursue other options.

Admission to Teacher Education Rubric

A candidate may lose an approved status for several reasons, e.g., loss of academic qualification. The Department of Education may recommend reevaluation of the status of any previously approved candidate at any point in the program where evidence exists that the person may be a threat or danger to the well-being of public school students. Candidates have certain appeal privileges in these and other cases.

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