Alternative Teacher Certification Program

           Teacher Certification Information Sessions  
     Come hear about the program and have your questions answered...
      
Monday, November 30, 2009

CMED Building, Room 101
CMED is The building nearest the tennis courts.
   
6PM

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LSC-North Harris ATCP OFFICE LOCATION/HOURS

Office Location
Community/Continuing Education Building (CMED) Room 102.
CMED is the building nearest the tennis courts.

Program Manager's Office Hours
Mondays - Fridays - 8A-5P

Coordinator's Office Hours
(subject to change-call ahead for appointment) 
Mondays & Wednesdays - 9A-12:30P
Tuesdays & Thursdays - 1P-5P
Fridays - The coordinator is out of the office.

APPLICATION PROCESS

We are accepting applications for SPRING 2010.
 Deadline for Spring 2010 application form and all related documents is

December 17, 2009

If you would like to start your teacher certification program with
 the LSC-North Harris Alternative Teacher Certification Program,
and to take your coursework beginning 
in SPRING 2010, gather your documents and apply.

Please apply early!

• Be sure you qualify: You must have a Bachelors degree or higher. You are NOT elegible for this program if you have completed three years of teaching in Texas (under Probationary Certification or an emergency/temporary permit) without becoming fully certified with the Standard Certificate. 
• Carefully read all of the information in the "Application & Information" document in the ATCP Documents link on the left or where indicated above.
• Gather your required documents: official transcripts, resume, essay, exam score report, recommendations, etc.
• Do the required testing in reading, writing, and math. Take the THEA or Compass exam (or acceptable equivalent) NOW. Allow plenty of time for your scores to be available to submit with your application. The form needed to take the Compass exam at our assessment center is in the documents link on the left of this page. For more information on the THEA, go to http://www.thea.nesinc.com/ or contact the LSC-North Harris Counseling office. 
• Complete the Application & Information being careful to complete all blanks.
• After you have gathered your related paperwork, (resume, recommendations, transcripts, score reports, essay, etc.), register in person or by FAX/phone - see below.
  • Registering the application in person: Print an application registration form. Next go to the Continuing Education Building room 102 to register and finally to the business office in the Academic Building to pay the fee and get a receipt. Submit a copy of the registration form and paid receipt along with the completed application and ALL related documents to CMED 102. You will be contacted with information about when you must attend the required interview and orientation session if/when you are accepted.
  • Registering by FAX/phone: Print an application registration form FAX the form to 281-618-5633. Call 281-618-5634 to verify the registration. Then call the business office (281-618-5474) to make payment by credit card. When registering by FAX or phone, include a note with your application stating that your application registration was completed by FAX & phone instead of submitting a paid receipt. Submit the note and the completed application along with ALL related documents to CMED 102. You will be contacted with information about when you must attend the required interview and orientation session if/when you are accepted.

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Program Requirements

Eligibility  Requirements

Applicants must have the following basic requirements to be eligible to apply to this program:

• a bachelor degree from an accredited college/university
• minimum GPA of 2.5 overall or on last 60 hours
• required coursework in the "content area" for which you seek certification
• passing scores on the THEA or Compass (or acceptable equivalent) test in reading, writing, and math taken WITHIN 5 YEARS prior to APPLICATION. The form needed to take the Compass exam at our assessment center is in the documents link on the left of this page. For more information on the THEA, go to http://www.thea.nesinc.com/ or contact the LSC-North Harris Counseling office. 
• three professional recommendations
• timely submission of all requested transcripts and other documents
• successful interview
• orientation session attendance

You will NOT be eligible for this program if you have completed three years of teaching in Texas without becoming fully certified (for example on an emergency permit.)

The application fee is required to apply for ONE CONTENT AREA of the Teacher's Certification and Education Program and is NONREFUNDABLE.

Allow 4 weeks for application processing. APPLY EARLY!

Documents Required with Application

All applicants must meet the required standards established by the State Board for Educator Certification, the LSC-North Harris ATCP Advisory Board, and Lone Star College-North Harris in order to be admitted into the Lone Star College - North Harris Alternative Teacher Certification Program (LSC-North Harris ATCP). Candidates seeking admission will also be required to meet state and college qualifying exam requirements in reading, writing, and mathematics on a THEA  (For more information go to http://www.thea.nesinc.com/ or contact the LSC-North Harris Counseling office.)) .

Candidates are required to SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING DOCUMENTS to be considered for admission:

1. A completed application form signed by the candidate. Applications are available at our office (CMED102) or at this link: "Application & Information". Then register either in person or by phone or FAX - see #2 or #3.
2. Registering in person: Print an application registration form. Next go to the Continuing Education Building room 102 to register and finally to the business office in the Academic Building to pay the fee and get a receipt. Submit a copy of the registration form and paid receipt along with the completed application and ALL related documents to CMED 102.  
3. Registering by FAX/phone: Print an application registration form. FAX the form to 281-618-5633. Call 281-618-5634 to verify the registration. Then call the business office (281-618-5474) to make payment by credit card. When registering by FAX or phone, include a note with your application stating that your application registration was completed by FAX & phone instead of submitting a paid receipt.
4. OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS from ALL colleges/universities attended MUST BE INCLUDED with application even if they are shown on the transcript of another institution. (Have them SENT TO YOU and submit them unopened at the time you submit your applicaiton.) One must show degree and date conferred. All candidates must hold a bachelor's degree or higher. Foreign transcripts must be evaluated by a licensed credentialing agency.
5. Include an explanation letter if your GPA is under 2.5 either overall or on last 60 hours. 
6. Official passing score report in reading, writing, and math on either the THEA, Compass, SAT, GRE, ACT, or Praxis. (must have been taken within the last five years) PASSING SCORE REPORT MUST ACCOMPANY APPLICATION. (No exemptions.) For more information go to http://www.thea.nesinc.com/ or to the documents link on the left of this page.
7. Resume showing education, work experience, technology competencies, etc.
8. 3 professional references with contact information -  mailed or FAXed directly from person recommending. (Forms are available in the "Application & Information" packet.)
9. A 200+ word essay discussing this question: Why do you want to be a teacher?
10. An explanation of any criminal history
11. If English is your second language, submit evidence that you are at ESOL Level 3 or above (ESL level 5 or above).
12. If your only degree was from a non-English speaking college/university outside the USA and you have no college work from a US college/university, submit a score report with a score of at least 26 on the speaking portions of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test (TOEFL-iBT). For more information visit the Educational Testing Service Web site.

ATCP Program Costs 

Program Clock Hour Requirements

In January 2009, new curriculum requirements became effective for teacher certification programs in Texas. Each program participant must complete 300 hours of training during their teacher training. In response, the Lone Star College System Alternative Teacher Certification Programs have adjusted the required coursework for accepted candidates. The 300 hour requirement is to be met in this way:

PPR class work (Training provided by LSC-NH)	108 clock hours
Internship I & II  (Training provided by LSC-NH)	64 clock hours
External Field-based experiences (15 hours during PPR and 15 others in addition)	30 clock hours
Additional Coursework (EDUC 2301-Intro to Special Populations is recommended)	48 clock hours
Professional Development (Training provided by hiring school/district)	50 clock hours

                                                       

PEDAGOGY & PROFESSIONAL RESPONSIBILITY COURSE: In addition to introducing participants to a wide variety of topics regarding the science of teaching and the professional responsibilities of the same, the PPR class requires 15 hours of field-based work, which is ½ of the total requirement of field-based experiences.

INTERNSHIP I & II:During the internship, the program provides 64 hours of coursework in a hybrid format.  The curriculum for this coursework is immediately applicable to participants' work in their teaching positions.

EXTERNAL FIELD-BASED EXPERIENCES:Documentation of thirty clock hours of field based experiences is required. Fifteen of the 16 required hours of external field experiences for EDUC 2301 - Intro to Special Populations, the recommended course, counts toward the total 30 hours of required field-based experiences. The rest is satisfied by completing the field-based requirements of the PPR course. Submit evidence of completion of this requirement to the program coordinator.

ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK:Preferably before beginning an internship and definitely before applying for Standard Certification, candidates must complete an additional 48 hours of teacher training coursework. The most effective and least expensive course is Introduction to Special Populations (EDUC2301), although other college level education coursework may also satisfy this requirement. Submit evidence of course completion to the program coordinator.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: Fifty clock hours of Professional Development are required. A wide variety of training topics provided by schools, districts, Region IV ESC, Harris County Department of Education, and other in-service opportunities as available to teachers. Participants are required to accumulate evidence of at least 50 hours of training and to submit that evidence to the program coordinator.

Program Course Requirements 

Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities EC-12
This course is designed to provide the prospective teacher candidate with knowledge of methods and materials for instructing EC-12 students. A variety of "focused" instructional approaches to developing strategies, problem diagnosis, and assessment will be explored. Prospective teacher candidates will acquire skills in a variety of current topics in educational classrooms including: Learner-Centered Instruction, Cooperative Learning, Authentic Assessment, Portfolio Assessment, Multi-age Classrooms, Integration of Curriculum, Meeting Learning Style Needs, The Lesson Cycle, and Technology Applications. This course is required of all students enrolled in the Lone Star College-North Harris Teacher Certification and Education Program (LSC-NH TCEP). All students are required to pass state TExES content area and PPR exams for educators to receive Texas Teacher Certification. The Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities component of our program is offered through Continuing Education. 108 Clock Hours

Teacher Certification Internship
The internship is designed to provide pre-service candidates (Interns) with hands-on experience related to every aspect of the teaching profession. Interns serve under a Probationary Certification issued by the state at the recommendation of Lone Star College-North Harris Teacher Certification and Education Program. Internship will consist of observations and individual, small group, and whole-class instruction, as well as experiences with the myriad non-instructional responsibilities of educators. Throughout the Internship, the candidate will develop critical reflective thinking skills to become a self-confident and effective practitioner. Interns will serve their internship for one school year during which they are an employee of the hiring school district. After all requirements are met, the Intern will be issued a Standard Texas Teacher Certificate.
64 Clock Hours

Partial List of Certificates Offered at LSC-North Harris ATCP