Alternative Class A Program (Certification)

The Alternative Class A program is designed to serve those educator candidates who have completed a non-teaching baccalaureate degree. The program enables an educator candidate to obtain a master's degree and Class A certification and is offered in the following teaching areas:

MED, Elementary Education (K-6)/Early Childhood Education(P-3)
MED, Special Education(K-6)
MED, Special Education (6-12)
MED, Physical Education (P-12)
MAT, Physical Education (P-12)
MED, Biology (6-12)
MAT, Biology (6-12)
MED, Mathematics (6-12)
MAT, Mathematics (6-12)
MED, General Science (6-12)
MAT, General Science (6-12)
MED, English Language Arts (6-12)
MAT, English Language Arts (6-12)
MED, History (6-12)
MAT, History (6-12)
MED, Social Science (6-12)
MAT, Social Science (6-12)

Upon submission of an application for admission to the UWA Graduate School, indicating an interest in the Alternative Class A Program, the Certification Office will determine eligibility for that program.

An applicant may be admitted to the Alternative Class A Program under the following provisions:

At least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a four-point scale as posted by the degree-granting college or university at the time of graduation. An applicant with a 2.74 GPA to a 2.50 GPA must meet an alternative Praxis II score for admission.
A passing score on the appropriate Praxis II exam for the field of study. The only exceptions are the Special Education K-6 and 6-12 program and Early Childhood program. In these programs, an applicant must submit a passing score on the Praxis II Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test. Register online at www.ets.org/praxis or call 1-800-772-9476 or 1-866-387-8602 (for disability services).
A passing score on the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators. For further information: http://www.ets.org/praxis/al
Fingerprint clearance by ABI and FBI through Cogent. For more information, go to the following website: www.cogentid.com/al/index_ade.htm

NOTE(S):

Applicants must be unconditionally admitted prior to enrolling in any courses in the Alternative Class A Program.
A program in a given teaching field is designed to develop appropriate Class B teaching competencies.

All other Graduate School admission requirements and policies apply to this program.

Internship Requirement in the Alternative Class A Program

A full time internship in an approved Alabama or partnership school is also required in the Alternative A Program. The educator candidate must be within four semester hours of completing all coursework excluding internship. The deadline to apply for Fall Internship is February 1. The deadline for Spring Internship is September 1.

Applications for Internship may be requested by contacting the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences in the College of Education.

The Educator Candidate Internship Program at The University of West Alabama is the culmination of professional preparation for prospective educators during which their professional knowledge and competencies are put into practice for further development and refinement in actual teaching situations. This phase of training is considered to be one of the most important learning experiences provided for the prospective educator. The educator candidates can expect to spend approximately 15 weeks in an accredited Partnership School System.

Through the guidance of local school officials, the clinical faculty and educator candidate interns progressively assume a share of the responsibility for the learning process in the classroom and are given the opportunity of developing their individual capabilities to the fullest extent possible. It gives them opportunities to apply theoretical knowledge in practical situations, to synthesize what has been learned in courses in professional education, and to reflect upon their experiences in a public school setting.

The Partnership School for educator candidate internships should consist of an orientation, a gradual induction into full teaching responsibility and opportunities to explore those experiences of professional teachers outside of their teaching responsibilities. Freedom to relate principles and theories consistent with the conceptual framework of the practical experience model of teacher education at the University of West Alabama is crucial to internship and field experiences. The process skills of collaboration, application, inquiry, and reflection are practiced under the guidance of the clinical faculty. Continuous evaluation of the growth and development of the intern by the college supervisor and the cooperating teacher in addition to the constant reflection upon experiences by the intern will lead to a successful induction into the world of practice. An Alabama or partnership school site containing these elements should provide the most effective setting for initiation into the profession.

The internship in Alternative Class A programs shall be full-time in the schools for a full semester in the teaching field for which certification is sought. For educator candidates who are seeking certification in two or more distinct teaching fields, an additional 15 week internship(s) shall be required.

Under no circumstances will the internship requirement be waived regardless of current or prior teaching experience.

The Internship is considered an on-campus courses and educator candidates are expected to be in attendance at any seminars and class meetings on UWA's campus as required.

General Requirements for Admission to the Internship:

Submission of internship application. The application consists of the appropriate forms, a brief autobiographical sketch, and a student articulated personal philosophy of education and its relationship to teaching practices.
Within four semester hours of completing all coursework excluding internship*
A minimum quality point ratio of 3.25 in each of the following areas: A. Overall, B. Teaching field, C. Professional
Approval of the Educator Preparation Screening Committee, and the Coordinator of Field Education.
Passing score on all required Praxis II testing portion of the Alabama Educator Certification Testing Program must be submitted to the Certification Office prior to the last day of classes of the semester prior to internship being completed.
Current background clearance on file with the Alabama State Department of Education.
Freedom from any physical, mental, or emotional condition which might impair the student's effectiveness as a teacher.
Good standing of the educator candidate, both academic and disciplinary.

Internship applicants should not seek to do their internship in schools which they attended as students. Interns should not plan to participate in organizational activities and/or University activities that in any way conflict with their internship assignments.

*With approval of the Graduate Dean, educator candidates with a GPA of 3.40 or higher may register up to four semester hours in addition to the internship. No coursework may be taken during the normal operational hours of the P-12 school.

Program Completion Requirements

All policies of the School of Graduate Studies apply to this program.

The educator candidate shall maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.25 or better in all courses in the approved program as verified on an official transcript with no grade less than "C."

edTPA

With many educator preparation programs (EPPs) and P - 12 school districts impacted by COVID-19, Pearson is carefully monitoring the evolving situation and reviewing policies for edTPA submission and scoring to identify additional guidelines for programs and candidates.
Pearson is committed to assisting candidates impacted by COVID-19, and the following information is offered during this time as we partner with SCALE to develop additional guidance:

Upon edTPA registration, teacher candidates have 18 months to prepare and submit a finalized portfolio for both initial portfolio submissions and retake submissions. If necessary, teacher candidates impacted by COVID-19 may request an extension if they are unable to submit a finalized portfolio within the 18-month window by contacting a Pearson Customer Support representative by phone at (413) 256-2889, or toll free at (866) 565-4872, or via the email form available on the program website. Note: Pearson will extend the registration at no additional cost to teacher candidates impacted by COVID-19.
School districts impacted by COVID-19 may be using virtual learning environments for delivering instruction to students for the part/all of the remainder of the school year. Detailed guidance on ways programs can support candidates preparing materials for edTPA within the virtual learning environment are currently being developed.
Alternative arrangements are available upon request for candidates teaching in online learning environments in which the evidence collected does not meet the technical specifications outlined in the edTPA Submission Requirements. Pearson is currently updating the process and documentation for requesting alternative arrangements due to COVID-19. This information will be sent to you as soon as it is available.

Pearson is committed to working with programs during school closures and is available to answer questions related to edTPA. As additional guidance becomes available, it will be communicated via edTPA.com and edTPA Coordinators.

A passing score on the Education Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) is required for all initial certification programs (undergraduate & Alternate A programs). All University of West Alabama (UWA) student interns must complete and pass edTPA during their internship course (ED 409/ED 509) for student teaching requirements and Alabama educator certification. A passing score on edTPA is a UWA degree requirement.

EdTPA is a portfolio assessment developed by Stanford Center for Assessment, Learning, and Equity (SCALE) featuring 3 tasks: Planning, Instruction, and Assessment. It is a performance-based, subject-specific assessment and support system used by teacher preparation programs throughout the United States to emphasize, measure and support the skills and knowledge that all teachers need from Day 1 in the classroom.

All UWA interns will receive support and guidance throughout the completion of edTPA.

For additional information on edTPA refer to the following website: https://www.edtpa.com