2025-2026 Bulletin: Program Requirements

Aug 16, 2025

2025-2026 Bulletin: Program Requirements

Teacher Education (MA/Credential)

The Teacher Education Program at CGU offers coursework to assist students in achieving a variety of goals.

Credentials. Preliminary Credentials for multiple subject, single subject, and education specialist instruction are available.

MA/Credential. Because the program is both a master’s and a credentialing program, CGU institutional degree requirements and California State credentialing requirements must be met.

University Policies

Policies detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin apply.

Admissions Requirements

Admission requirements for Teacher Education are detailed in the Policies and General Information Bulletin.

Degree Requirements

Graduate Degrees. CGU Policies detailed in the current Policies and General Information Bulletin apply. For Teacher Education policies please see the 2025-2026 Preliminary Credential Cohort Guide below.

Credentials. Contact the Teacher Education program office for details about California State requirements. For Teacher Education policies please see the 2025-2026 Preliminary Credential Cohort Guide below.

Teacher Education Preliminary Program Fee

Teacher Education charges a Teacher Education Preliminary Program Fee each semester that a student is registered. Teacher Education Preliminary Program Fee is $125.00 per semester.

2025-2026

Preliminary Credential Cohort Guide

Teacher Education

Vision Statement

Education has the transformative power to advance the moral causes of Peace, Understanding and Social Justices in schools, communities and the world. We seek to equip Teachers with the knowledge, skills and capacities to enact these values by creating empowering opportunities for them to grow and flourish. The heart of this responsive work is recognizing and honoring the breadth of our Teachers’ lived experiences and nurturing the full range of their human talents while preparing them to do the same for the Students they serve. We acknowledge and embrace the challenge of such work within a complex and interconnected system of social, political and environmental contexts that have been shaped by and continue to reflect a legacy of systemic racism, oppression and discrimination. Yet we are hopeful and relentless in our commitment to the Art and Science of Teaching as a means to counter these ills, and we strive to prepare Teachers to be apt stewards of this vision.

Claremont Graduate University

Mailing Address: 925 N. Dartmouth Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711

Office Location: Stauffer Hall of Learning (Corner of 10th & Dartmouth Avenue)

Tel: (909) 621-8076 ** Fax (909) 607-7793

Office Hours: 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Notable Program Policies

You and your current and future students matter a lot to us, and so we’ve designed all policies for the program to contribute to and support not only your growth as a critical social justice educator, but also your students’ engagement, learning, and empowerment.

Attendance & Engagement at Clinical Sites

Internship

Follow all protocols for reporting your absence to your school site and providing lesson plans for the entire length of your absence. Absences must be communicated to your Clinical Faculty Advisor. Excessive or uncommunicated absences may jeopardize your ability to pass the clinical course as outlined in the clinical syllabus. See full attendance policies for academic courses.

Residency

Residents must take on gradual responsibility for all components of teaching, planning, and grading; therefore, absences should be pre-planned and coordinated with Mentor Teachers and must be communicated to the Clinical Faculty Advisor and Clinical Support Coordinator. Excessive or uncommunicated absences may jeopardize your ability to pass the clinical course as outlined in the clinical syllabus. See full attendance policies for academic courses. And schedule expectations for Residencies.

Residents are expected to be present at their school site every day for the entire school day (District partnership parameters subject to change)

School schedules will vary depending on the school needs and context, but the expectation is that a consistent schedule is maintained for the entire placement.

Residents are allowed 5 pre-planned personal days with advanced notice per semester.

In the event of an unplanned illness, alert your Mentor Teacher, Clinical Faculty Advisor, and the Clinical Support Coordinator via email, and attach your sub plan to that email.

Courses

Attendance

Attendance is factored into your grade for each course (sees syllabi for exact percentage).

Class experiences cannot be replicated; if you miss class, these points cannot be recouped.

In rare cases of clearly communicated emergencies, exceptions might be made at your professor’s discretion.

Active Engagement

Attendance is factored into your grade for each course (sees syllabi for exact percentage).

Engagement points can be recouped if you submit a make-up assignment (unique to each course instructor) reflecting your engagement with course materials and the Zoom recording of the session.

Active engagement entails being able to participate safely and completely in every class session. To this end, candidates should not be engaged in time/attention consuming activities, but rather be able to focus completely on class.

“Spicy Saturdays” (Selected Fall/Spring Saturday Sessions)

Spicy Saturdays are optional, though we highly recommend attending especially if you’re seeking connection and community (and trying to avoid burnout). See Cohort Calendar for dates.

Grading

Course Assignments

Strive to submit all coursework by stated due dates, which are deliberately set to pace, scaffold, and maximize your learning and ensure your professors can provide you with timely, meaningful, actionable feedback.

When you communicate and plan with your professor, coursework may be submitted beyond the due date without penalty.

When you do not communicate with your professor, assignments may not be accepted.

Course Grades

Academic Courses

A passing grade for an academic class is a C or better. This may or may not be a higher standard than other programs at CGU.

If you receive an “F” in an academic class, you may retake the class up to one more time (when the class is scheduled again). Retaking the course requires that you pay for the class again.

You must formally request an “Incomplete” or “I” grade in the case of unexpected challenges. Requests must be forwarded to and approved by your course instructor.

For classes in a series (TLP and Literacy & Methods), you must take and pass the courses in sequence (i.e. you must take and pass TLP 1 prior to taking TLP 2).

Clinical Courses

You must meet the CSJ competencies, as demonstrated through the Plan/Observe/Debrief process that we call PODs and informal observations, to pass clinical courses

If you receive an “F” in a class with a clinical component, you may be dismissed from the Teacher Education Program and/or be subject to program review.

See full grading policies for academic and clinical courses.

Communication Expectations

Communication

CGU Teacher Education utilizes email and Canvas to communicate with Candidates. It is Candidates’ responsibility to keep their @cgu.edu email accounts in working order (or set up mail forwarding). Candidates are expected to log onto Canvas regularly. We highly encourage candidates to download and install the Canvas Student App on their mobile device and personalize notifications to receive regular program updates and alerts.

Candidates must maintain consistent communication with their Clinical Faculty Advisor, Mentor Teacher, and CGU staff. This includes answering emails, texts, and keeping appointments. A Candidate who ignores attempted communication for TEP faculty and staff may be subject to program review, which could include program dismissal.

How to Contact Us: Teacher Education Directory

Dean and Professor, School of Educational Studies	DeLacy Ganley, Ph.D.	DeLacy.Ganley@cgu.edu (909) 621-8075
Director, Teacher Education Program	Rebecca Hatkoff, Ph.D.	Rebecca.Hatkoff2@cgu.edu (909) 621-8076
Clinical Support Coordinator	Sabrina Ho, M. Ed.	Sabrina.Ho@cgu.edu (909) 607-8561
Assistant Director, Teacher Education Program Clinical Assistant Professor	Samara Suafo’a, Ph.D.	Samara.Suafoa2@cgu.edu (909) 607-2181
TPA Coordinator	Brittney Rodriguez, M.A.	brittney.m.rodriguez@cgu.edu (909) 607-0861
Preliminary Credential Coordinator Clinical Assistant Professor	Claudia Bermúdez, Ph.D.	Claudia.Bermudez@cgu.edu (909) 607-8561
Clinical Placement Coordinator & Credential Analyst	Melanie Kerr, M.A.	Melanie.Kerr@cgu.edu (909) 607-8061
Program Coordinator	Micaela Aceves	Micaela.Aceves@cgu.edu (909) 607-1124
Assistant Director of Admissions	Iveth Cordon, M.A.	Iveth.Cordon@cgu.edu (909) 607-0201

FAQs Regarding Who to Contact

Who should contact about…?	Contact
Overall program structure, quality, philosophy	Director: Rebecca Hatkoff Assistant Director: Samara Suafo’a
I want to appeal a TEP policy	Director: Rebecca Hatkoff Assistant Director: Samara Suafo’a
Academic instructors, curriculum, course content, program structure	Preliminary Credential Coordinator: Claudia Bermúdez Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
Customize TEP’s timeline (e.g., slow down, medical leave, etc.)	Preliminary Credential Coordinator: Claudia Bermúdez Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
Ethnographic Narrative Project	Course Instructor Preliminary Credential Coordinator: Claudia Bermúdez
Struggling to keep up with CGU assignments/courses	Course Instructor Preliminary Credential Coordinator: Claudia Bermúdez
I know somebody who wants to be a teacher!	Clinical Placement Coordinator: Iveth Cordon
Struggling in a clinical setting	Mentor Teacher Clinical Faculty Advisor Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
District Site Support Provider/Site Support Plan (Interns only)	Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
A/V equipment or CGU room A/V request	Clinical Placement Coordinator: Micaela Aceves
Canvas, announcements, registration, CGU forms	Clinical Placement Coordinator: Micaela Aceves
Absence from a clinical setting	School Site & Mentor Teacher (Residents) Clinical Faculty Advisor Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
Mentor Teachers	Clinical Faculty Advisor Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
Internship credential, job status change, dual credentials, filing	Credential Analyst: Melanie Kerr
Observation hours, US Constitution test, CPR, clearances	Credential Analyst: Melanie Kerr
Pre-teaching placement	Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
CalTPA/LPAs	CalTPA/LPA Coordinator & Instructor
Make-up assignments	Course Instructors
Job-search support (resume, interview, etc.)	CGU Career and Professional Development Office Clinical Support Coordinator: Sabrina Ho
Financial aid – Departmental & Federal/FAFSA	CGU Financial Aid Office
Financial hold on account	CGU Student Accounts
CGU email account	CGU IT Department

CGU Degree and Graduation Dates

Please see the CGU Academic Calendar on the Registrar Page for important dates, such as add/drop deadlines, intent to receive a degree deadline, etc.

CGU Student Services

Notice of Nondiscriminatory Policy As to Students

Claremont Graduate University admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs. Additional information can be found on the linked page: https://cgu.policystat.com/policy/10352347/latest

Services for Persons with Dis/abilities

CGU is committed to offering auxiliary aids and services to students with verifiable disabilities, in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If candidates are seeking academic accommodations as a student with a disability or suspect that they have a disability, please contact CGU’s Office of Disability Services as early as possible. Students need to register with this office before academic accommodations can be prescribed through an Accommodation(s) Letter and implemented in the classroom. Additional information and resources can be found on the linked page:(https://www.cgu.edu/student-life/disability-services/).

Mental Health Resources

Graduate school is a context where mental health challenges can be exacerbated. If you ever find yourself struggling, please do not hesitate to ask for help. If you wish to seek out campus resources, here is some basic information about the 7C (Timely MD) resources:

Go to 7C.health. If you are on your phone, you’ll be prompted to download the TimelyMD app.

Click “Sign Up” as a first-time user or “Log In” as a returning user.

Start your visit!

Title IX

One of our responsibilities as instructors is to help create a safe learning environment. We are mandatory reporters. Thus, if we learn of any potential violation of CGU’s gender-based misconduct policy (e.g., rape, sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, or stalking) by any means, we are required to notify the CGU Title IX Coordinator at Deanof.Students@cgu.edu or (909) 607-9448. Students can request confidentiality from the institution, which we will communicate to the Title IX Coordinator.

In general, if you are unsure or you are not ready to report, it is a good idea to make sure that the person you are speaking to is not a mandatory reporter. You may want to speak with someone confidentially. The following confidential resources are available on and off campus:

EmPOWER Center (909) 607-2689

The Chaplains of The Claremont Colleges (909) 621-8685.

Confidential resources can walk students through all of their reporting options. They can also provide students with information and assistance in accessing academic, medical, and other support services they may need. Speaking with a confidential resource does not preclude students from making a formal report to the Title IX Coordinator if and when they are ready.

Campus Security

Campus security can be reached 24 hours/day at (909) 607-2000.

Scientific and Professional Ethics

The work you do in all courses must be your own. Feel free to build on, react to, criticize, and analyze the ideas of others but, when you do, make it known whose ideas you are working with. You must explicitly acknowledge when your work builds on someone else’s ideas, including ideas of classmates, professors, and authors you read. Exams must be completed independently. Any collaboration on answers to exams, unless expressly permitted, may result in an automatic failing grade and possible expulsion from the TEP.

Plagiarism is a serious academic offense leading to disciplinary procedures when detected. See the CGU bulleting under “Standards of Academic Honesty” for details: https://bulletin.cgu.edu/content.php?catoid=2&navoid=83#Academic_Honesty. Most plagiarism occurs unintentionally due to ignorance of academic expectations on citing sources or not understanding the parameters of collaboration. Ignorance, however, is not a valid excuse. The Standards of Academic Honesty proscribe (but are not limited to) the giving or receiving of unauthorized help in examinations or other assignments, plagiarism and other unacknowledged or undocumented use of source material, and forgery. If you ever have questions about drawing the line between others’ work and your own, or the parameters of collaboration, ask course instructors to give you guidance.

Chat GPT and AI

Chat GPT and other AI software can be used as resources, but cannot be used to compose or collaborate on your assignments. All work submitted in all courses must be your own, completed in accordance with the University’s academic regulations. The expectation is that if you use Chat GPT and other AI resources, you do so with integrity (always citing explicitly when and how you have used them) and with skepticism. Note these resources do not exercise critical thinking and are not anti-racist or anti-bias; they draw on vast materials across the internet, many of which are inaccurate, incorrect, biased, and/or bigoted. Any violations of this policy threaten your academic integrity and standing. If you ever have questions about drawing the line between others’ work and your own, or the parameters of collaboration, ask course instructors to give you guidance.

TEP-Relevant Websites

CGU’s TEP

https://www.cgu.edu/academics/program/teacher-education-california-preliminary-credential-online/

Canvas

https://cgu.instructure.com/login

CA Dept. of Ed

http://www.cde.ca.gov/

FAFSA

https://studentaid.gov/

Loan Cancellation Information

https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/can-i-cancel-loan

CalTPA/LPA

http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CalTPA/LPA_TestPage.html

RICA

(Subject to change per CTC)

http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_RICA_Written_TestPage.html

CSET

http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Tests.html

CBEST:

http://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_CBEST_TestPage.html

Our Philosophy

Effective teachers dispel the myth that certain students “can’t learn”

We prepare a special kind of teacher: one who fosters academic success in all students while “fast-tracking” the achievement of students who struggle. We know it is a myth that certain children (because they are poor, students of color, students with disabilities, or speak languages other than Mainstream U.S. English) “can’t learn.” Indeed, on any given campus one can find stellar teachers who cultivate success with historically marginalized students. These are the teachers CGU prepares for K-12 classrooms.

We believe effective teachers can and do transform lives. They do so by holding themselves accountable and by striving for critical social justice. They know it is their job to foster the academic success and socio-emotional growth of every child on their class roster. Their sense of accountability leads them to do the hard work necessary to:

know their content deeply
develop an understanding of their students’ funds of knowledge to enhance curriculum relevance
purposely plan their instruction with explicit learning objectives and assessments in mind
utilize evidence-based culturally sustaining practices
form collaborative partnerships with their students’ households and other educators.

To be clear, effective teachers acknowledge variables like poverty and language fluency, but they do not lower their expectations or their own level of commitment. Instead, they realize such variables can and need to be addressed via well-informed, explicit, and purposeful instruction. These are the teachers CGU prepares for our K-12 classrooms.

We empower our candidates with the knowledge that students can and will learn when under the guidance of loving, well-prepared teachers. CGU teachers are intensely motivated to engage in a wayfinding journey toward becoming anti-bias, anti-racist educators. These are the teachers CGU prepares for our K-12 classrooms.

Theory and Praxis

We believe the best way to prepare a highly effective teacher is for the teacher candidate to simultaneously grapple with the academic/theoretical and the practical/clinical. Work in schools needs to be informed by academic study and research and, likewise, discussions at the university need to be deepened via the real-world context of schools. To help bridge the clinical/practical and the academic/theoretical, our classes are taught by seasoned K-12 educators, many of whom have taken time out of the K-12 arena to pursue doctoral work in our School of Educational Studies or to participate in research projects.

Ethnographic Narrative Project

Overview

Ethnography encompasses the study and systematic recording of human cultures; it’s also a descriptive work produced from such research. At the end of your program at CGU, your ethnographic narrative project will serve as a reflective tool to grow your practice and as an artifact of your development into a critical social justice educator.

The ethnographic narrative project is essentially your master’s thesis - a work that “afford[s] evidence of the candidate’s ability to analyze and evaluate materials as well as to write clearly. A thesis involves the careful design and execution of a research problem” (CGU Master’s Degree Regulations, 2020). You will gather ethnographic artifacts such as excerpts from conversations with students and their household members, observation notes, examples of student work, etc. over the course of TLP 1-3. In TLP 4 you will construct a narrative that tells the story of your first year of teaching: what you learned, what your students and their household members taught you, how you made connections to the literature/resources you access in your classes, how you pushed back against the deep structures of schooling, and how you enacted critical social justice. The narrative will be digitally archived via Honnold Library at the conclusion of TLP 4.

In the Teacher Education Program, your ethnographic narrative project functions as both a mirror and a window, drawing from the work of the luminous elder, Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop (1990). It serves as a mirror, reflecting your lived experiences in your first year of teaching, as well as a window to view worlds and experiences outside your own. Additionally, the ethnographic narrative project functions both as a record for your wayfinding journey through your first year of teaching and as a tool to navigate the journey.

Ultimately, the project offers an opportunity to engage in faithful witnessing (Lugones, 2003) of your students’ lives and your first year teaching as a CSJ Educator. According to scholar Yomaira Figueroa (2015), “faithful witnessing offers a lens through which to recognize the assertion of humanity and dignity in moments that would otherwise be unseen or ignored” (p.4). In collecting artifacts and having meaningful conversations with students and their household members, TEP candidates can “dive into the wreckage” (Laura, 2019, p. 137) of what it means to teach joyfully and for liberation.

Ethnography in the TLP (Teaching & Learning Process) Course Series

TLP 1 - Teaching & Learning Process for Equity and Social Justice

To most successfully engage in critical social justice practice in the classroom, you must first consider and acknowledge your own background, experiences, positionality, beliefs, biases, strengths, needs, and goals—this first artifact for your ethnography is one chance to do so. This assignment will serve as an artifact for you to investigate and a part of the ethnographic narrative research you will conduct over the course of your first year teaching.

As you address the questions and parameters below do so through meaningful and thoughtful storytelling rather than prescriptive writing that feels as though you are simply following a checklist. The goals of this assignment aren’t to “get it right” but to begin developing your habits for critical reflection and analysis that grows your strengths as a person and a teacher.

Journey to Teaching

What is your positionality—including familial, cultural, linguistic, economic, social, institutional, and academic/school experiences?

How has your positionality informed your pursuit of teaching?

Why did you decide to be a teacher and what are your core beliefs about effective teaching that helps all students learn?

What and who do you want to teach and why?

What role does critical social justice play in your vision of yourself as a teacher?

Assets and Needs

What are your academic, learning, socio-cultural, socio-emotional, communication, and critical thinking strengths and needs?

What specific implicit and explicit biases might hinder your ability to be an effective teacher for all students?

How can you use your strengths to anticipate and mitigate any negative impact of your biases to ensure your efficacy as a critical social justice educator?

Goals

Given what you know at this point, what are your goals/objectives for your first year teaching?

What challenges do you anticipate in meeting your goals?

What resources will you seek and use to address those challenges?

What are some specific metrics you can use to assess your progress in meeting those goals?

TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies

Context

According to Fetterman (2012), ethnography is about telling a “credible, rigorous, and authentic story” (p. 1). Over the course of the Teaching and Learning Process (TLP) course series, you will reflect on the CSJ Competencies, “golden lines” of research, and make connections between theory and practice.

In TLP 2 you will submit a synthesis of your sensemaking of each class session as follows:

Session Big Ideas & CSJ Competencies Connection

Which competencies connect to the themes/big ideas discussed in this class session? Cite a specific competency or competencies and discuss how they connect to the class session from your perspective.

Golden Line Connection

A “golden line” is a piece of text that is especially meaningful, surprising, helpful, or thought provoking for you. Cite a “golden line” in APA style and make an explicit connection between the readings/materials assigned for today’s class session and the session themes/big ideas.

In TLP 2 you will submit an analysis of your classroom, school, and school community ecologies as follows:

Classroom 360° - a video of your physical space and an audio, video, or written analysis of its functions and limitations

Authentic Conversation with Administrator - generate an audio, video, or written reflection on key takeaways from this conversation

Asset Map of School Community - generate an audio, video, or written reflection on the assets of the community in which your school site is located, as well as problematizing as needed

You will compile all of these responses and reflect on them in TLP4.

TLP 3: Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households

Context

In TLP 3 you will submit a synthesis of your sensemaking of each class session as follows:

Session Big Ideas & CSJ Competencies Connection

Which competencies connect to the themes/big ideas discussed in this class session? Cite a specific competency or competencies and discuss how they connect to the class session from your perspective.

Golden Line Connection

In TLP 3 you will submit an analysis of one of the focus students you identify for CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 as follows:

“CSJ Why” Video - create a 3 minute maximum video that describe to potential employers your POV and rationale for being a CSJ educator

Authentic Conversation with Focus Students(s) - generate an audio, video, or written reflection on key takeaways from this conversation

360° Classroom Ecology Rewind - a video of your physical space and an audio, video, or written analysis describing the ways it has evolved since the fall semester

You will compile all of these responses and reflect on them in TLP4.

TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone

In TLP 4 you will revisit, reflect, and ultimately compose an ethnographic narrative (or alternative project*) that will capture the most salient insights gained from your experience as a first-year Critical Social Justice Educator. The artifacts and sense-making that you do along the way (in TLP 1-3) will serve as a valuable source of data and inspiration that will help you craft a “credible, rigorous, and authentic story” (Fetterman, 2012, p.1). Your completed ethnography will be comprised of 4 parts:

Introduction
Fall Semester Reflections & CSJ Connections: reflections on 3 Sensemaking assignments & 3 artifacts
Spring Semester Reflections & CSJ Connections: reflections on 3 Sensemaking assignments & 3 artifacts
Conclusion

Your ethnographic narrative will also include a table of contents, references, appendices, and follow APA guidelines. The course will be structured to support you in the writing process with particular emphasis on critical analysis, storytelling and knowledge creation.

*May include but is not limited to alternative mediums, formats and/or cultural expressions of knowledge that are recognized and valued by non-dominant communities but not always recognized or valued in traditional academia. Alternative projects require special consideration and must be discussed beforehand to ensure they meet the spirit and intent of ethnographic research and are commensurate with graduate-level theses.

Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies Overview

CGU TEP’s Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies Matrix supports new teachers’ efforts to nurture inclusive and empowering classroom ecologies by serving as a reference point for mentors’ and new teachers’ challenging and reiterative critical social justice practice. The matrix reflects the domains and relationships that influence a classroom ecology, and provides new teachers with competencies they need to enact critical social justice and cultivate a fertile ecology for productive activity and learning.

Social Justice Competency Domains

Domain I: Philosophy of Education

Domain II: Pedagogy

Domain III: Science of Learning

Domain IV: Socio-Emotional Learning

Domain V: Funds of Knowledge

Domain VI: School Climate & Culture

Domain VII: Community & Cultural Wealth

Domain VIII: Socio-Political Identity

Domain IX: Global Perspectives

Full Matrix Linked HERE

As reflected in the matrix, the relationships and interactions enacted in classrooms are between and across students, teachers, content, schools, households, communities; in consideration of oneself, others, and the world; and influenced by one’s own and others’ purpose. These competencies are informed by evidence-based research, robust theory, as well as the California Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs).

The Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs) comprise the body of knowledge, skills, and abilities that beginning general education teachers have the opportunity to learn in approved teacher preparation programs, as mandated by the state of California. Beginning teachers demonstrate their knowledge of the TPEs by successfully completing coursework, engaging in clinical practice, and passing the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA/LPA). Beginning teachers must meet these requirements prior to being recommended for a preliminary teaching credential in California. Each TPE has been carefully integrated into CGU TEP’s Social Justice Teaching Competencies.

General Education TPEs

TPE 1: Engaging and Supporting All Students in Learning

TPE 2: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Students Learning

TPE 3: Understanding and Organizing Subject Matter for Student Learning Content

Specific Pedagogy

TPE 4: Planning Instruction and Designing Learning Experiences for All Students

TPE 5: Assessing Student Learning

TPE 6: Developing as a Professional Educator

TPE 7: Effective Literacy Instruction for All Students

Subject-Specific Pedagogy:

Developmentally Appropriate Practices in Relation to Subject-Specific Pedagogy
English Language Development in Relation to Subject-Specific Pedagogy
Subject Specific Pedagogical Skills for Multiple Subject Teaching Assignments
Subject Specific Pedagogical Skills for Single Subject Teaching Assignments

Education Specialist TPEs

TPE 1: Specific Pedagogical Skills for Subject Matter Instruction

TPE 2: Monitoring Student Learning During Instruction

TPE 3: Interpretation and Use of Assessments

TPE 4: Making Content Accessible

TPE 5: Student Engagement

TPE 6: Developmentally Appropriate Teaching Practices

TPE 7: Teaching English Learners

TPE 8: Learning About Students

TPE 9: Instructional Planning

TPE 10: Instructional Time

TPE 11: Social Environment

TPE 12: Professional, Legal and Ethical Obligations

TPE 13: Professional Growth

A full narrative of the California Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs) can be found at the following links:

General Education: http://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/standards/PrelimMSstandard.pdf

Special Education: https://drive.google.com/open?id=15H9uRK__ZV2eB_6LlqS5NgsaNVskL7vd

Program Structure and Course Descriptions

Overview: Program Structure

In California, becoming a fully credentialed teacher is a two-step process:

First, individuals must earn a Preliminary Credential
Then, within five years, they “clear” the Preliminary Credential via an “induction program.” Induction Programs lead to a Clear Credential and provide new teachers with further opportunity to develop advanced professional practices.

At CGU, candidates can earn a CA Preliminary Credential

CGU’s Preliminary Program aims to usher critical social justice educators into the profession; it provides teacher candidates with the opportunity to develop beginning mastery of teaching (per the TPEs).
CGU’s Preliminary Credential + M.A. Program offers participatory and responsive academic and clinical coursework.

Candidates’ individual program structure is dependent on the type of credential they are earning. Please refer to Prerequisites, Visual Overview Chart, and credential specific course descriptions for a complete understanding of your specific credentialing program.

Clinical Courses

Pre-Teaching (2 units) - Interns Only

This course provides the opportunity for candidates to meet the minimum 120 clock hour pre-service requirements by completing pre-teaching in a clinical setting (20 hours/week minimum x 10 weeks minimum = 200 hours).

This 10-12 week clinical experience (16-20 hours/week, completed either in 3 whole days or 5 half days/week) provides candidates with guided opportunities to develop an emerging level of proficiency in creating inclusive, language rich, culturally responsive classroom ecologies that promote both the academic and socio-emotional well being of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Candidates will learn to identify, plan for, enact, and reflect on CGUs Critical Social Justice (CSJ) Competencies which incorporate the California Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs). With support from Mentor Teachers and Clinical Faculty Advisors, candidates will explore how each of the nine domains of CGU’s Critical Social Justice Teaching Model influence teaching and learning in clinical contexts.

Academic Courses

Teaching & Learning Process (TLP) Series

TLP 1: Teaching & Learning Process for Equity and Social Justice (4 units)

This course (TLP 1) provides students with the foundational knowledge, critical perspectives, and practical skills needed to be effective teachers in diverse K-12 classrooms. It seeks to counter the adverse effects of “teacher savior” narratives perpetuated by models of teaching and learning that continue to dehumanize and inflict symbolic violence against students of color and other marginalized populations. Students will examine their own positionality as it relates to privilege, culture, and power as the basis for developing equitable practices that enhance academic learning and promote the social-emotional development of the students they serve. Along with researched-based principles of teaching and learning, students will also gain practical skills related to standards-based lesson planning, classroom ecology, tlp 2374assessment and accountability as necessary but not sufficient components of teaching culturally and linguistically diverse students.

TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies (2 units)

The second course in the TLP series guides candidates in continuing to build the theoretical, scholarly foundation for the critical social justice teaching competencies and practices they enact in their classrooms, develop critical and culturally responsive lenses for problematizing school practices and norms, and cultivate classroom ecologies that enable differentiated, productive, and meaningful learning for all students. As they enter their classrooms in the fall, candidates will come face to face with the deep structures of schooling that inhibit and undermine critical social justice practice. In TLP 2, professors will model and introduce a bevy of tools candidates can collect and practice using to maintain fidelity to their classroom ecology commitments. Additionally, TLP 2 coursework supports candidates as they collect artifacts for their ethnographic narrative projects, including conversations with household members, interviews with focus students, student work analysis, anecdotal evidence, etc. In sum, TLP 2 will also prepare candidates to ably meet the demands of the California state credentialing requirement the Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA).

TLP 3 Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households (2 units)

TLP 3, the third in a four-part series, is designed to continue preparing candidates for working towards social justice within the K-12 educational system. The course provides the context for candidates to deepen their understanding of students, their families and their funds of knowledge, and the school/community culture of their first teaching assignments. In TLP III, candidates will explore the concept of social justice through the lens of restorative justice practices as well as culturally relevant teaching and racial inquiry. We will explore how/why access to technology can be an empowerment tool to improve both teaching and learning. Education Specialist candidates and General Education candidates will have the opportunity to develop a Professional Learning Community and learn about best practices for students with special needs. Finally, all candidates will improve their competencies in creating and maintaining effective environments for student learning by analyzing the intersection of socio-emotional learning, trauma, and healing-centered engagement. In TLP III, candidates will actively work against the concept of low level, “thin curriculum” (Delpit, 2013) by designing challenging curricula predicated on the cultural and linguistic assets of their students.

TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone (2 units)

This class is the last class in the four-course Teaching/Learning Process series that spans the Preliminary Credential program. Taught after the candidate has spent an entire academic year working in a clinical setting, TLP 4 challenges candidates to harness their knowledge and expertise toward refining their teaching practices and demeanors, especially those most likely to empower students with agency in their schools and communities. In this course, candidates will revisit the myriad of artifacts collected across TLP 1-3 and sense-making they’ve engaged in along the way to reflect on their own growth and progress as first-year teachers. Additionally, they will engage in thorough analysis of the data they’ve collected on their students, households, and communities as they prepare to craft their Ethnographic Narrative Project. TLP 4 is intentionally designed to support candidates in their creative process of crafting this Project which includes independent/small group workshops, daily intention setting, opportunities to give and receive peer feedback, and one-on-one “talk throughs” with the instructor and course TA. Ultimately, the Ethnographic Narrative Project will showcase candidates’ knowledge around specific pedagogical tools and approaches necessary for stepping into their power as critical social justice educators.

Pre-Internship Foundations (4 units)

This course is a prerequisite for candidates seeking to be Intern eligible. The focus of this course is to prepare candidates for their teaching internship including securing and accepting job offers, lesson and unit planning for first days of school, engaging and collaboration with colleagues, self-care and wellbeing, organization and work/life balance, identifying and supporting students who are classified as English learners as well as students who qualify for Special Education services, organizing and creating an inclusive physical classroom ecology as well as legal/ethical considerations for first-year teachers.

Pre-Residency Foundations General Education Candidates (2 units)

This course is a prerequisite for candidates who choose a Residency pathway toward their Preliminary credential. The focus of this course is to prepare candidates for their teaching residency including working in a mutually beneficial manner with Mentor Teachers, foundations of co-planning lessons and units, engaging and collaboration with colleagues, self-care and wellbeing, organization and work/life balance, supporting students who are classified as English learners as well as students who qualify for Special Education services, co-creating an inclusive physical classroom ecology as well as legal/ethical considerations for first-year teachers.

Pre-Residency Foundations Education Specialist Candidates (MMSN & ESN)

The focus of the Pre-Residency course is to prepare candidates for their teaching residency including working in a mutually beneficial manner with Mentor Teachers, foundations of co-planning lessons and units, engaging and collaboration with colleagues, self-care and wellbeing, organization and work/life balance, supporting students who are classified as English learners with a particular focus on planning rigorous, standards-driven lessons which meet the needs of students with dis/abilities, learning about the core components of an Individualized Education Program, and co-creating an inclusive physical classroom ecology as well as legal/ethical considerations for first-year teachers.

Literacy & Methods 1 & 2 General Education Candidates ( 4 units each)

These courses are grouped by content area in order to allow candidates to explore the best strategies to deliver rigorous, student-centered instruction. These courses introduce research-based strategies, materials, and assessment practices consistent with the CA Teaching performance Expectations and the TEP Competencies. The focus is on a) intentional, critical literacy teaching and, b) content specific pedagogy.

Literacy & Methods 1 & 2 Education Specialist Candidates only (MMSN & ESN)

Literacy & Methods 1: The Mild/Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) & Extensive Support Needs (ESN) credentials allow Education Specialists to teach all content areas across grades TK-age 22 settings. Therefore, Education Specialists will join Multiple Subject candidates in Literacy & Methods 1 so that they are able to enact collaborative practices with general education colleagues. In this course, Education Specialist candidates will explore the best strategies to deliver rigorous, standards-driven, student-centered instruction for Students with Disabilities (SWDs). This course will introduce research-based strategies, materials, and assessment practices consistent with the CA Teaching performance Expectations and the TEP Competencies. The focus is specifically on: a) intentional, critical literacy teaching, b) content specific pedagogy, (c) providing accommodations and modifications for SWDs and (d) enacting collaborative practices with general education colleagues. Assignments/assessments will be differentiated based on the candidates’ credential type (MMSN or ESN).

Literacy & Methods 2: Education Specialists will continue to collaborate with Multiple Subject candidates in Literacy & Methods 2 so that they are able to continue learning about the most effective strategies to deliver rigorous, student-centered, standards-driven instruction and assessment practices for SWDs. Candidates will level-up in their instructional design practices by learning how to plan units of study that integrate multiple discipline areas. They will also learn how to progress monitor, assess student learning, and use assessment feedback to make instructional decisions. Assignments/assessments will be differentiated based on the candidates’ credential type (MMSN or ESN).

TPA Cycle 1 and Cycle 2 (1 unit each)

Senate Bill 2042 (1998) and Senate Bill 1209 (2006) require all general education and Special Education credential candidates attending California preliminary teacher preparation programs to pass both cycles of the California Teaching Performance Assessment (CalTPA/LPA). This assessment is designed to give candidates the opportunity to develop, refine, and demonstrate their teaching knowledge, skills, and abilities during their teacher preparation program. Our TPA classes are designed to support candidates to submit their assessment to the state.

Summer Seminars

Culturally and linguistically responsive praxis for Emergent Bilinguals (2 or 4 units)

This course is designed for novice teachers who serve Emergent Bilingual students (EBs) and Non-Mainstream US English (MUSE) speakers in the TK-12 setting. We will explore theories of language acquisition & language development and the implications for teaching and learning. We will explore social, historial, and political antecedents to current policies and practices that impact EBs. We will target listening, speaking, reading, and writing through the lens of Critical Social Justice. We will also identify academic language demands across curriculum and develop instructional practices that allow students to meaningfully engage in content area learning. While this is not a California Teachers of English Learners (CTEL) prep course, material covered will help towards preparing for the exam needed to apply for the Crosscultural, Language, and Academic Development (CLAD) certificate. Students taking the course for 4 units will submit a final project synthesizing course ideas and proposing specific praxis to enhance learning for Emergent Bilinguals.

Love-Soaked Support for Students Eligible for SPED Services in Gen Ed Classroom (2 units)

This course will assist general education candidates in supporting PK-12 students with dis/abilities. Topics include: identifying students who may potentially benefit from assessment, reading and co-facilitating an IEP in humanizing ways, working with itinerant personnel, how to support students being mainstreamed, establishing clear roles & responsibilities, planning processes (i.e. Time, resources, materials etc.), progress monitoring (particularly toward IEP goals/objectives), applying instructional strategies (beyond individual student accommodations and modifications), and cultivating classroom ecology (considerations about physical equipment, strategic groupings etc.).

For Education Specialist Candidates Only

EDUC 338 (2 units)

Humanizing Special Education: Designing Student-Centered IEPs with a focus on Behavior and Transition

Candidates will learn about all components of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) and how to write standards-driven, rigorous IEPs for students referred and/or found eligible for special education services. This course will highlight the vital importance of designing IEPS so that they are student and household centered and build upon the student’s assets and funds of knowledge, particularly taking into account cultural and linguistic diversity. Additionally, candidates will learn about emotional and behavioral methodology that support the academic and social needs of students with disabilities. Furthermore, they will learn how to collect behavioral data in order to create positive behavior support and intervention plans. They will then apply that knowledge when analyzing and interpreting components of a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA). Applied Behavior Analysis methodologies as well as the impact of environmental design and instruction of replacement behaviors will be integrated. Candidates will also review, analyze, and interpret an Individual Transition Plan (ITP). Assignments will be differentiated to meet the unique needs of Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe candidates.

EDUC 368 (4 units)

Collaboration in Special Education: An Ecological Model

Candidates will learn how to effectively collaborate with multidisciplinary teams (to include general education colleagues, paraprofessionals, related service providers, households, community agencies, and administration) in the planning, assessment, drafting, and implementation of the IEP and all necessary supports and services for students on their caseloads. Candidates will learn about group dynamics, co-teaching models, and principles of ethics and apply that knowledge to the ways in which they create their classroom ecology. Moreover, they will use the information learned in course EDUC 338 to level up their practice around meeting the social-emotional, behavioral and transition needs of students with disabilities by learning how to use assessment data to write a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA) and an Individual Transition Plan (ITP). Additionally, candidates will learn about health care considerations when teaching communication (augmentative and alternative communication), choice making, self-advocacy, social skills, and mobility. Assignments will be differentiated to meet the unique needs of Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe candidates.

EDUC 339 (4 units)

Humanizing Assessment Practices: Leveraging Critical Social Justice In Special Education

Candidates will level up their assessment practices by learning how to collect, analyze, and interpret informal assessment data in order to write standards-based, rigorous IEPs which include Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) appropriate to the student’s instructional program. Additionally, candidates will identify what qualifies as EBP and evaluate EBPs in categories including student motivation, assessment, progress monitoring, and learning and cognitive strategies. A strong emphasis will be placed on using multiple measures of data collection across a variety of settings to design IEPs and make program recommendations that are student-centered and reflect the student’s cultural and linguistic backgrounds. Candidates will also administer, analyze, and interpret formal assessment tools (i.e. WJ IV) and then practice using formal assessment results to write assessment reports and draft standards-based, rigorous IEPs which include EBP appropriate to the student’s instructional program.

Program Prerequisites Overview

Prior to Clinical Placement

Meet CA basic skills requirement with Bachelor’s degree
TB Clearance
FBI/DOJ (LiveScan) Clearance
Submit Mandated Reporting certification
Submit “Student Statement of Responsibilities and Agreement to Hold Harmless” document
Meet subject matter requirement (Interns only)
Official BA Transcripts
US Constitution course/test
New TB Clearance for Residency/ Internship *if required by school/district
New FBI/DOJ (LiveScan) Clearance *if required by school/district
Principals of Interns must complete the Principal survey for the Intern Professional Development (PD) Plan. See Appendix A.

Fall Internship/Residency

Meet/attempt to meet subject matter requirement (residents only)
Submit CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 to Pearson by fall submission deadline
Pass all required courses to be internship/residency eligible (“F” or “I” do not count as passing grades)

Spring Internship/Residency

Pass subject matter requirement by March 16, 2026 if you have not yet done so
Pass CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 (Fall) & Submit TPA Cycle 2 (Spring) to Pearson by deadline
Pass all required courses to be internship/residency eligible (“F” or “I” do not count as passing grades)

Summer Semester

Pass all summer semester coursework (“F” or “I” do not count as passing grades) with a 3.0 cumulative GPA or higher.
Submit Ethnographic Narrative Project in TLP 4
Remediate CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 and/or 2 if needed

Prior to Filing for Preliminary Credential

Submit Classroom Observations Log
Pass RICA (multiple subject and Ed Specialist only- Subject to change per CTC)
CPR certification
Pass CalTPA/LPA Cycles 1 & 2
At least one successful semester of Internship or Residency completed after meeting subject matter requirement
All previous phase requirements

Prerequisites for Pre-teaching Experience (for internship only)

TB Clearance: To be in the classroom regularly, candidates must show proof that they are free of tuberculosis (TB). Test results must be 2-4 years old, and completed at the expense of the candidate.
FBI/DOJ Clearance: (LiveScan Clearance). All teacher candidates (and applicants) must complete a Certificate of Clearance and their own expense of the candidate. The clearance is good for 5 years; those with an up-to-date and valid permit (i.e., a substitute permit) will not need to complete this step.
Mandated Reporting Requirement: All teacher candidates must complete an online learning module regarding responsibilities as a mandated reporter. The certificate of successful completion must be submitted to the TEP credential analyst prior to Pre-teaching.
Statement of Responsibility: Candidates must sign and submit “Student Statement of Responsibilities and Agreement to Hold Harmless” document. This form is required by CGU’s TEP, in compliance with our Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each partnering school site.
U.S. Constitution Course/Test: To be internship or residency eligible, candidates must prove that they have a basic understanding of the U.S. Constitution. This understanding can be documented in one of two ways:
- Via a Course – an undergraduate course that covers the U.S. Constitution with an earned grade of “C” or better; if completed at a California State University, automatically fulfilled.
- Via an Exam –an exam provided by Teacher Education.
Meet Subject Matter Requirement (SMR). California has subject matter requirements for internship and residency eligibility in public schools, and to file for a permanent credential (some exemptions exist). All candidates must meet the subject matter requirement to be eligible for a preliminary credential.
- Candidates pursuing an internship pathway must meet the subject matter requirement to be intern eligible
- Candidates pursuing a Residency pathway must take all subtests of the CSET at least once prior to beginning Residency, unless the candidate has 100% met the requirement via coursework.
- All Residents must take all subtests of the CSET or make progress toward the subject requirement before enrolling in TLP 3.
- All Residents must meet the subject matter requirement through classes or pass all components of CSET before the start of CGU’s spring break to meet the CTC requirement, or extend their program at additional cost.

Candidates may meet the SMR in the following ways:

(i) completion of a subject matter program approved by the Commission

(ii) passage of a subject matter examination approved by the Commission

(iii) completion of coursework at one or more regionally accredited institutions of higher education that addresses each of the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the Commission in the content area of the credential being sought

(iv) completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, as specified

(v) a combination of the methods described in (i), (ii), and (iii) that meets or exceeds the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the Commission.

Details can be found at https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/subject-matter-requirements.

If the candidate does not meet the SMR by items (i) (iii) (iv) or (v), they may take the CSET in the appropriate subject matter for the credential they are seeking.

The TEP Credential Analyst will evaluate each candidate’s application materials and will document their SMR status within 60 days of admission to the program within 60 days of admission. The SMR is necessary to be an intern, so meeting it by March prior to the beginning of the school year in August/September is ideal.

Fall Semester Prerequisites for Clinical & Academic Coursework

Meet all requirements above.

Official BA Transcripts: All candidates must submit official undergraduate transcripts with degree conferred posted as soon as possible, and will not be considered intern eligible (or able to start an Internship or Residency placement) without submitting these documents. Candidates may not enroll in a graduate level program without submitting these documents.

Meet Subject Matter Requirement: California has subject matter requirements for internship and residency eligibility in public schools, and to file for a permanent credential (some exemptions exist). Details can be found at CTC Exams. Candidates must take the appropriate California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) or coursework to demonstrate proficiency for their specific credential. The TEP’s Credential Analyst can answer any questions about what exam candidates should take. Aim to pass the subject matter requirement as soon as possible.

New TB Clearance for Residency/Internship: Depending upon the partnering district, candidates may be asked to provide new TB Clearance at their own expense.

New FBI/DOJ (LiveScan) Clearance for Residency/Internship: Depending upon the partnering district, candidates may be asked to provide new FBI/DOJ (LiveScan) Clearance at their own expense.

Intern Professional Development Plan (Internship only) Principals of Interns must complete the Principal survey for the Intern Professional Development (PD) Plan. See Appendix A

Passing Grades in TLP 1: Candidates will not be able to start a clinical placement without passing TLP 1. Grades of Incomplete “I” or Fail “F” do not qualify as a passing grade. To be intern eligible, candidates must pass the Pre-teaching experience with intern eligibility.

Statement of Responsibility (Residency and Pre-Residency only): Candidates must sign and submit “Student Statement of Responsibilities and Agreement to Hold Harmless” document. This form is required by CGU’s TEP in compliance with our Affiliation Agreement with candidates’ assigned school sites.

Spring Semester Prerequisites for Clinical & Academic Coursework

Submit CalTPA Cycle 1: Candidates must submit Cycle 1 to Pearson by the fall deadline. TEP will support remediation prior to the start of spring semester if needed.

Passing Grades for Fall Courses: “F” and “I” are not passing grades.

Subject Matter Requirements (SMR)

California has subject matter requirements for internship and residency eligibility in public schools, and to file for a permanent credential (some exemptions exist).

Candidates may meet the SMR in the following ways:

(i) completion of a subject matter program approved by the Commission

(ii) passage of a subject matter examination approved by the Commission

(iv) completion of a baccalaureate or higher degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education, as specified

(v) a combination of the methods described in (i), (ii), and (iii) that meets or exceeds the domains of the subject matter requirements adopted by the Commission.

Details can be found at https://www.ctc.ca.gov/educator-prep/subject-matter-requirements.

If the candidate does not meet the SMR by items (i) (iii) (iv) or (v), they may take the CSET in the appropriate subject matter for the credential they are seeking.

Timeline to Meet SMR

Per the CTC, candidates must be observed in their clinical setting after having met the subject matter requirement/passed CSET.To complete your program without an additional semester of clinical, you need to meet your subject matter requirement by March 16th. If you have made significant progress toward meeting the requirement by March 16th, reach out to Melanie Kerr, Credential Analyst for guidance.

If you have not met your subject matter requirement by March 16th:

you will earn an incomplete in your spring Clinical Course that you will have one year to clear as an enrolled student
you may not be eligible to take TLP 4 in the summer of 2026
you will need to add an additional up to 2 clinical units to fulfill the CTC post-CSET observation requirement.

Candidates who have not met the subject matter requirement prior to summer 2026 must:

Meet with their credential coordinator to amend their program plan and determine whether to add an additional semester of clinical or Continuous Registration
Provide registration confirmation and test scores to CGU Teacher Education.

Summer 2026 Prerequisites

Pass all prior clinical and academic courses: “F” and “I” are not passing grades.

Submit CalTPA/LPA Cycle 2: Candidate must submit Cycle 2 to Pearson by the spring deadline. TEP will support remediation prior to the Pearson summer submission deadline if needed.

Preliminary Credential: Prerequisites for Filing for Preliminary Credential

CPR: All candidates must submit proof of having passed a child/infant/adult CPR course, with certification valid at the time of applying for the Preliminary Credential. Note: Some districts do not accept online certification. The following websites can help candidates find local CPR classes:

Classroom Observations: All candidates are required to complete classroom observations before they file for their credential.

RICA (Reading Instruction Competence Assessment): All Multiple Subject/Elementary and Education Specialist Candidates must pass the RICA before filing for their Preliminary Credential. (Subject to change per CTC)

RICA Recommendations:

We highly recommend that candidates make their first attempt at taking and passing the RICA following their completion of Literacy & Methods I and prior to the start of Literacy & Methods 2, between the end of the fall 2025 semester and start of the spring 2026 semester. (Subject to change per CTC)
In the event that they do not pass the RICA on their first attempt, this recommended pacing will allow for subsequent attempts over the course of the spring semester to ensure that they pass the RICA successfully prior to the start of the summer semester. (Subject to change per CTC)
While candidates can continue to attempt to pass the RICA during the summer semester, it is not recommended due to the additional academic obligations they will have in the summer months in addition to degree and credential filing deadlines that also happen in the summer. (Subject to change per CTC)

Minimum Grade Point Average: Candidates must have a minimum overall/cumulative GPA of 3.0 in CGU’s Teacher Education Program to apply for a Preliminary Credential and/or a MA in Education.

Pass CalTPA/LPA Cycles 1 and 2: Candidates must pass both Cycle I (Fall semester) and Cycle 2 (Spring semester). If candidates have not already passed Cycle 1 and/or 2, they must submit and pass them by the TEP summer submission deadline in order to be recommended for a Preliminary Credential in the summer. Pearson closes and will not grade submissions until fall.

Teacher Education Program Clinical Experiences

Research indicates that the best way to prepare highly effective teachers is to provide opportunities for candidates to grapple with the academic/theoretical and the practical/clinical simultaneously. The highest caliber clinical practice must be informed by academic study and research; likewise, discussions at the university must be deepened by examples and experience via the real-world context of schools.

CGU’s TEP utilizes the Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies, guided by the California Teacher Performance Expectations (TPEs), to coach and evaluate candidates’ proficiency in the clinical setting.

Our candidates engage in over 600 hours of clinical experience in either Internship or Residency.

Overview of Clinical Support Team

Mentor Teacher (MT)

Mentor Teachers are selected from a pool of strong teachers from collaborating school districts and charter organizations. Mentor Teachers apply, interview, and (when possible) are observed by a member of CGU TEP’s Coordinator team. Those that meet CGU’s high standards are hired with administrator and district/charter organization approval and are assigned to work with CGU Residents.

Clinical Faculty Advisor (CFA)

Candidates are assigned a TEP Clinical Faculty Advisor (CFA) who will provide support for the duration of clinical placement. CFAs conduct in-person and/or virtual visits to observe instruction and interactions, provide support, and coach/mentor candidates per the TPEs and CGU Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies. CFAs also help candidates implement practices that bridge the theory of the academic course to the realities of clinical setting.

Clinical Support Coordinator

The Clinical Support Coordinator will provide departmental advising and supervision for the mentor teachers and candidates. They act as a liaison between TEP and all clinical placement settings.

Critical Practicum (for Residents & Interns)

The Critical Practicum runs simultaneous to clinical experience and includes Residents, Interns, Mentor Teachers, Clinical Faculty Advisors, CGU faculty, and any interested teachers or administrators at partner districts/schools. Held monthly, the Critical Practicum functions much like a professional learning community where teachers and educators have the opportunity to learn from, with, and in practice. Within these Practicums, occasionally Residents and Mentor Teachers will split up so that CGU faculty can differentiate support for the mentorship relationship, providing support for coaching to Clinical Faculty Advisors and Mentor Teachers and support for advocacy and collaboration to Residents.

By gathering Residents, Advisors, and Mentors together to engage in the intellectual work of teaching and critical social justice practices, Critical Practicum provides learning opportunities for all to “level up” their practices. Content for these Practicums are built around the CSJ Competencies, but also draw on insights from Residents, Mentor Teachers, Clinical Faculty Advisors and Professors in the program regarding the needs and opportunities that are emerging in clinical settings and coursework. Further, the Critical Practicums draw on the expertise and funds of knowledge of all involved as case studies, problems of practice to explore, and opportunities to learn from those in the field.

Core Clinical Assignments & Evaluations

POD Cycle (Clinical Observations)

Candidates will be observed a minimum of six times each semester that they teach. These observations may require the POD (Plan, Observe, Debrief) cycle, documented with a pre-observation form, lesson plan template, observation scripting protocol, and debrief form.

Plan: Prior to the scheduled observation, candidates complete a standards-aligned lesson plan using the CGU Lesson Plan Template. In the pre-observation conversation CFAs and candidates review and discuss the plan before the observation. At this time, the candidate and the CFA will select CSJ competencies and high-impact practices as focus areas for the formal observation.
Observe: During the lesson the CFA will collect evidence using an Observation Scripting protocol that includes “note-taking,” objective notes regarding what students and the teacher do in the lesson, and “note-making,” comments, questions, and suggestions for candidates to consider.
Debrief: After each observation, candidates will review and analyze the evidence collected during the lesson. Then, the candidate will engage in a reflective lesson debrief with their CFA considering targeted CSJ Teaching Competencies celebrations and next steps to improve practice.

Competency Development Reflection

Throughout the semester, candidates will regularly reflect on their CSJ Competency Development. This will include making connections to topics addressed in the academic course.

Evidence of Ongoing Planning

To facilitate instructional cohesion, an important component for meaningful student learning, candidates are required to provide evidence of ongoing planning in their clinical setting. This planning will include lesson plans and unit objectives (digital or hand-written) and may also include seating charts, student rosters, gradebooks, records of student behavior/interactions and/or other student support systems.

Midterm Competency Evaluation and Progress Report

Throughout the semester, candidates work towards consistently demonstrating the Critical Social Justice (CSJ) Teaching Competencies, in planning and implementation. To quantify this, the Midterm Competency Evaluation and Progress Report is a formative assessment completed at the midpoint of each semester and is intended to drive coaching for the remainder of the semester. Using input from the Mentor Teacher, each CFA will report on the candidate’s progress regarding professionalism, core assignments, competency development, and next steps needed toward successfully meeting clinical expectations.

Midterm Support Plan (if needed)

Midterm Support Plans are created to provide remediation and additional support for candidates who are not meeting the clinical expectations in one or more areas of the Midterm Progress report. To remain on their original program plan timeline, a candidate is required to successfully execute the goals created in their Support Plan. Failure to successfully complete the goals outlined in the Support Plan will result in program review. Program review may result in an extended program plan or dismissal from the program.

Final Competency Evaluation and Progress Report

The Final Competency Evaluation and Progress Report is similar to the Midterm Competency Evaluation and Progress Report, except that it is a summative evaluation that determines the course grade, and whether candidates can progress to the next component of the program. A final course grade of Pass/”P” is needed to successfully move forward; a grade of Fail/ “F” is grounds for program review and potential dismissal from the program.

Clinical Experiences

Candidates can complete the CGU TEP through either a paid Internship in which they are the sole teacher of record, or they can opt for an Residency (paid and unpaid options available) under the tutelage of a Mentor Teacher. See prerequisites.

Residency

The Residency placement is ideal for candidates who wish to complete their credentialing requirements under the guidance of a CGU Mentor Teacher. The Residency model provides candidates with support and scaffolding to develop into effective and confident teachers. Residency placements are for a minimum of 20 hours per week of instructional time following the school site calendar, but may require more depending on placement agreements.

Residents are highly encouraged to attend once a year events in their clinical placement such as Back to School Night and Open House. Being a part of these events supports communication and interaction with caregivers, helps residents develop meaningful relationships with students, and provides experience for their future career in the teaching profession. We also encourage residents to attend other relevant clinical events such a Parent/Teacher Conferences, IEP meetings, Faculty meetings, etc. but only when they do NOT conflict with their course sessions. Candidates are expected to remain in their placement for the entirety of the school’s academic year.

Placements

TEP will make every effort to place resident candidates within a 30 mile radius of their homes, but cannot guarantee that distance as placement depends on the willingness of partner districts to work with us in any given year.

Opportunities to Earn Money While in a Residency

Unfunded Residents are allowed to substitute for their Mentor Teacher as needed, depending upon the substitute needs, regulations and desires of the district. If given the opportunity to substitute, Residents must still meet the minimum requirements for working with their Mentor Teachers.

Mentor Teachers (MTs)

Mentor Teachers are school district employees who have been selected by TEP to work with candidates because of their efficacy in fostering academic success for culturally and linguistically diverse students, and because of their commitment and ability to coach candidates. TEP’s Mentor Teachers routinely participate in professional development to support the common goal of preparing CSJ educators.

Mentor Teachers play a vital role in ushering candidates into the profession. Their experience, support and modeling of teaching and professional practices leave a lasting impression on candidates’ own perceptions and practices. All Mentor Teachers bring to the position different aspects of teaching of particular importance to them and we encourage them to share these interests and talents with their candidates. In addition, the following expectations reflect the experiences all candidates need on their journey to becoming highly effective CSJ educators.

Coaching Expectations for Mentor Teachers

Mentor, support, and provide constructive feedback to candidates’ regarding their development of the CSJ Competencies and California TPEs, and progress toward their goals.
Meet with candidates regularly to debrief the day, plan, review student work, prepare for lessons, develop assessments, and discuss classroom ecology/routines.
Help candidates bridge academic/theoretical discussions with clinical/practical school realities.
Introduce candidates to the political structure in schools (i.e., where to get help; whom to talk to about various topics; roles and responsibilities of support personnel; etc.) and provide guidance on how to successfully navigate this environment.
Assist candidates with finding and utilizing appropriate resources, including technology, materials and/or data necessary to complete credential and course assignments.

Pedagogical & Professional Modeling Expectations for Mentor Teachers

Model varied research-based and culturally sustaining instructional strategies and provide candidates with explanations of implementation and rationale. (i.e. balanced literacy instruction and methodology, balanced math instruction, discipline-specific, standards-based instructional and assessment strategies)
Model and include candidates in consistent short- and long-term planning and execution of standards-based lessons/units using state-adopted resources.
Model strategies to differentiate instruction for students’ cultural, linguistic, and developmental needs, including emergent multilinguals and students eligible for Special Education services (i.e. evidence-based strategies for integrated and designated ELD, co-teaching with RSTs, co-planning with itinerants, etc.).
Model a Warm Demander demeanor, including effective strategies for nurturing a productive and engaging classroom ecology (e.g. classroom organization, norms, rituals, and routines) with particular emphasis on empowering traditionally marginalized or oppressed students.
Model using multiple methods of assessment to make students’ learning/understanding visible and to inform instruction.
Model how to use reflection and analysis of one’s teaching to inform and improve future instruction.
Model developmentally appropriate, ethical, and professional relationships and communication with students, households, staff, and colleagues.
Model effective communication with families that builds strong home and community relationships, and enhances students’ learning and growth.
Model preparedness, timeliness, and other professional behavior, including professional dress in accordance with school site expectations.

Professional Duties & Responsibilities for Mentor Teachers

Embody, actualize, and promote TEP’s critical social justice mission; recognize and seek to change injustice and inequity in the school system and classroom.
Support the required number of observations by the CFA in a manner that best facilitates and promotes candidates’ reflection and growth over the term.
Notify relevant CFA and/or TEP Leadership as soon as there is any concern pertaining to a candidate or the clinical experience.
Model lessons for guided observations as needed in which candidates and CFAs can identify strategies and effective practices to emulate.
Attend agreed-upon CGU professional development sessions
Complete all required CGU documentation in a timely manner.

General Education Internship Models

Internship (Typically One-Year Model)

The one-year Internship pathway is a clinical option that requires program approval. Interns are contracted employees for individual Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and as such adhere to all calendars and schedules their employees mandate. Dates and hours will vary depending on the school site, but will likely fall within the indicated range.of a full time teaching contract. Candidates are expected to be at the school site for the contracted hours as mandated by the school district/organization. These mandated hours include special events such as (but not limited to) Back to School Night, Open House, Caregiver Conferences, Staff/Team/Department Meetings, etc. Candidates will most likely need to work beyond contracted hours to prepare for the next teaching day.

Residency + Internship (Typically Two-Year Model)

In this model, candidates will complete a minimum of one semester as an intern (described above) after successfully completing the residency pathway.

Special Education: Residency + Internship Model

Internship (Only available after successful completion of residency pathway)

The Internship pathway for Education Specialists is a clinical option that requires program approval. SPED Interns are contracted employees for individual Local Education Agencies (LEAs) and as such adhere to all calendars and schedules their employees mandate. Dates and hours will vary depending on the school site, but will likely fall within the indicated range.of a full time teaching contract. Candidates are expected to be at the school site for the contracted hours as mandated by the school district/organization. These mandated hours include special events such as (but not limited to) Back to School Night, Open House, Caregiver Conferences, Staff/Team/Department Meetings, etc. Candidates will most likely need to work beyond contracted hours to prepare for the next teaching day.

Teaching Positions for Education Specialist Interns

SPED Interns are responsible to search for and secure an applicable teaching position in their content area. Interns may not accept a job offer without authorization from the Credential Analyst. CGU TEP is not responsible for securing internship positions on the candidate’s behalf.

Interns are allotted absences in accordance with their LEA contract. See School Site Attendance for more details. All candidates must attend monthly Critical Practicums; if candidates cannot attend, they will need to watch the recording and submit a written, audio, or video response to the Clinical Support Coordinator. Excessive absences will require a new program plan or

Program Supports for General Education and Special Education Interns

Site Support Providers (designated by site principal)

Site Support Providers meet with their candidates on a weekly basis. They work with the CGU intern to outline the site-specific support they require. Site Support Providers will coordinate an average of 5 hours of candidate support per week.

Support, Guidance, and Mentorship Expectations for Site Support Providers

Be available to candidate, respond to their needs/queries in a timely manner, and visit their classrooms when possible.
Model and guide reflective conversations as a vehicle for professional growth.
Mentor, support, and provide constructive feedback to candidate regarding their development of the Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies and California TPEs, and progress toward their goals.
Provide support to candidate regarding differentiated standards-based lesson planning and assessment use; including modeling strategies, sharing resources, guiding candidate’s analysis of student data to inform instruction, providing constructive feedback, facilitating connections with experts.
Provide guidance to candidates regarding how to nurture and maintain a productive and inclusive classroom ecology; including creating and implementing norms, routines, rituals, procedures, and positive behavioral plans.
Model and facilitate candidate’s appropriate and collaborative relationships with colleagues, administrators, staff, students, and households.
Assist candidate with logistics of professional responsibilities, such as classroom setup, managing adjunct duties, participating in staff meetings, managing paperwork and grading, prepping for school events (Back to School Night, Parent Conferences, Open House, etc.)
Professional Expectations for Site Support Providers
Promote TEP’s critical social justice mission; recognize and seek to change injustice and inequity in the school system and classroom that results from bigotry, marginalization, and low expectations
Complete monthly SSP Support Updates Form
Communicate regularly with intern’s university Clinical Faculty Advisor
Discuss creation and effectiveness of site support with candidate’s Clinical Faculty Advisor
Notify CGU Advisor and School Administrator of any concerns pertaining to an intern’s wellbeing.

Candidate Roles & Expectations During Clinical Experiences

In keeping with our vision and belief that the best preparation we can offer teacher candidates is full immersion in a supportive clinical setting, the role of the candidate is to be a scholar-practitioner who actively uses the clinical experience to learn, reflect and improve upon their ability to be an effective CSJ educator.

TEP candidates in all clinical experiences are expected to:

Planning & Teaching

Write daily, standards-based CSJ lesson plans.
Systematically collect student work and feedback for analysis and to inform instruction
Reflect upon strengths, challenges, and feedback regarding lessons, instructional practices, progress toward CSJ competencies, and general effectiveness as a teacher in a reflection journal and beyond.
Be engaged in “long-term planning” (i.e. unit planning) so instruction is cohesive, meaningfully and purposefully sequenced.
Attend and learn from events including but not limited to Back to School Night, Open House, school events, staff meetings, IEP meetings, parent conferences, etc.

Communication

Maintain open lines of communication with CGU support team and mentors (Mentor Teachers, Clinical Faculty Advisors, CGU Instructors and/or TEP Leadership). Candidates who do not maintain consistent contact with their mentors may be subject to program review.
Be proactive in scheduling the required visits with Clinical Faculty Advisors and ensure the observations are distributed over the entire length of the term and demonstrate progress over time.
Make clinical assignments readily accessible to Mentor Teachers and/or Clinical Faculty Advisors when an observation is scheduled and/or available upon request.
Report absences, tardiness, and/or other attendance interruptions to school site and relevant CGU support team—especially in cases when an absence falls on the date of a planned observation.

Professionalism

Consult with school site and TEP staff regarding professional conduct & attire expectations.
Show up prepared and on time to perform professional duties.
Maintain developmentally appropriate, ethical, and professional relationships and communication with students, households, staff, and colleagues.
Work collaboratively with supervisors, peers, and staff; respond to and seek constructive feedback.
Fulfill responsibilities as a mandated reporter.
Take responsibility for nurturing a classroom ecology that supports all students’ learning.
Combat discrimination, marginalization, and systematic oppression/racism.
Seek support and guidance from TEP leadership and/or school admin in meeting the CSJ Competencies.
Use social networks and technology deliberately and with appropriate privacy settings.
Follow copyright regulations.
Create and provide plans for a substitute (sub plans) when absent.

Clinical Faculty Advisors (CFAs)

TEP’s CFAs support the Mentor Teachers and candidates and serve as a liaison between the candidate, the Mentor Teacher, the school district/site, and TEP’s Leadership.

Coaching Expectations for CFAs

Mentor and support TEP’s Mentor Teachers so that they can best help their candidates develop the CSJ Competencies and the California TPEs.
Provide resources, materials, and ideas to help MTs meet the needs of individual candidates.
Conduct observations of all assigned candidates and provide them with feedback for improvement.
Communicate, clarify, and promote TEP’s mission and expectations to both candidates and MTs.
Help resolve issues/problems that arise between MTs and candidates and/or the school site.

Professional Expectations for CFAs

Spearhead the communication between designated MTs, candidates, and TEP Leadership.
Communicate as needed with administrators at designated school sites.
Monitor candidates’ progress and MTs’ effectiveness, and report any issues or concerns to TEP Leadership.
Participate in update meetings with TEP Assistant Director as needed.
Embody, actualize, and promote TEP’s critical social justice mission; recognize and seek to change injustice and inequity in the school system and classroom.
Spearhead the communication between designated MTs, candidates, and TEP Leadership.
Communicate as needed with administrators at designated school sites.
Monitor candidates’ progress and MTs’ effectiveness, and report any issues or concerns to TEP Leadership.
Participate in update meetings with TEP Assistant Director
Attend agreed-upon CGU professional development sessions.
Complete all required CGU-documentation; submit documentation for travel reimbursement within 30 days.
Write a letter of recommendation/reference for each assigned candidate.
Provide TEP Leadership with feedback to help improve the program.

Additional Clinical Observations

Teachers learn about teaching, students, and schools by watching other teachers interact with students; being on different school campuses; and talking to colleagues about teaching, students, and schools. Therefore, candidates are required to complete ten 2-hour observations. Please see Classroom Observations for specific details.

Introduction to the CalTPA/LPAs (subject to change per CTC)

As part of the TEP requirements in alignment with CA credentialing mandates, candidates must provide evidence of passing scores for both CalTPA/LPA cycles to be eligible to file for a preliminary teaching credential.

The CalTPA/LPA is structured around two full instructional cycles based on the pedagogical sequence of plan, teach and assess, reflect, and apply, each conducted within a school placement. The complete sequence will be addressed by each instructional cycle, with candidates providing evidence of instructional practice for each step. Candidates provide annotated video clips and a written narrative as part of the process. As the CalTPA/LPA is designed to address subject-specific teaching and learning, candidates will be asked to respond to the instructional cycles within the context of their teaching assignments.

Instructional Cycle 1

Cycle 1 focuses on developing an engaging content-specific lesson for one class and three focus students based on what candidates learn about their diverse assets and needs, including their prior knowledge, interests, and developmental considerations. In this cycle, candidates will demonstrate how they select an appropriate learning objective(s), determine what they expect their students to learn and how they will assess that learning, and develop content-specific activities and instructional strategies to develop their students’ thorough understanding of the content they are teaching. This Cycle 1 also focuses on how candidates monitor student understanding during the lesson and make appropriate accommodations to support individual student learning needs. As they teach and video-record the lesson, they will demonstrate how they establish a positive and safe learning environment, provide social and emotional supports through positive interactions with students, and use resources, materials, and tools, including educational technology and assistive technologies as appropriate, to enhance content-specific learning. Multiple Subject and SPED candidates must teach Math in Cycle 1.

Instructional Cycle 2

For this instructional cycle, candidates will develop a learning segment that includes several purposefully connected lessons that occur over multiple days to develop student knowledge and understanding within a particular content area. This sequence of lessons may be part of a longer unit of instruction, and should have a clear starting point and ending point related to a particular learning goal. Candidates’ lesson sequence should introduce one or more interconnected concepts within the content area that build students’ content knowledge and understanding over time. They will use several types of assessment and student results to support and promote deep learning of content, development of academic language, and engagement of students in the use of higher order thinking. For one class, candidates will use what they know about their students’ assets and needs and learning context to plan and teach a learning segment based on California state standards using the content-specific pedagogy of candidates’ discipline. Throughout the content-specific learning segment, candidates will provide feedback to students about their academic performance based on informal assessment, student self-assessment, and formal assessment results, and support students to use assessment feedback to advance their understanding.

Candidates will then analyze and reflect on the evidence they observed of student learning of content and development of academic language based on their learning goal(s) and objective(s) to either (a) design a re-teaching activity because students did not yet meet one or more of the instructional learning goal(s) and/or objective(s) or (b) create an extension activity to build on the instruction provided because students did meet the instructional learning goal(s) and/or objective(s).

Together, these instructional cycles and the related rubrics will assess a range of the TPEs.

The CalTPA/LPA will be submitted to and scored by a third-party testing corporation, Pearson Education. Information regarding CalTPA/LPA dates and policy information will be provided early in the fall semester, once Pearson and the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing have released more information.

Multiple Subject and SPED candidates must teach Literacy in Cycle 2 to meet the Literacy Performance Assessment (LPA).

Teacher Education Policies

Program Enrollment and Completion Assurance

Once a candidate is accepted and enrolls in the Teacher Education Program, the University assures that it will offer the approved program, meeting the adopted standards, until the candidate:

Completes the program
Withdraws from the program
Is dropped from the program based on established criteria; or
Is admitted to another approved program to complete the requirements, with minimal disruption, for the authorization.

In the event that a program closes, the Teacher Education Department will develop an individual transition plan for each candidate that includes but is not limited to providing the candidate with access to their student records; assistance with finding a new program; academic advising; or other assistance to minimize disruption for the authorization being sought. Prior to closing a program, the Teacher Education Department will:

Provide written notice of planned program closure to all candidates enrolled in the program at least 1 academic year prior to closure.
Not admit any new candidates in the program during the last year.
Schedule a 1:1 meeting with each candidate enrolled in the program to develop their individual transition plan.
Continue to provide the candidate with academic advising support related to their individual transition plan up to 1 year after the program closes.
Provide candidates with two sets of official transcripts at no cost and copies of their student record or department file upon request.

Attendance Policies & Expectations

CGU’s Teacher Education classes are participatory in nature and designed to draw from and maximize all candidates’ funds of knowledge, so being on time and actively engaged throughout the duration of all classes/events/workshops is vitally important for the experience of all candidates. The same expectations hold for the clinical setting.

Communicate About Absences

If candidates need to be absent, they should do their best to discuss it in advance with their instructor, MTs, and CFAs when possible; if advance notice is not possible, candidates should check in soon after the incurred absence as communication is the best way for us to support candidates’ success.

While it is important for candidates to honor their personal commitments and responsibilities, such activities should be scheduled around program commitments (i.e., outside of class time or clinical placement).

Attendance & Grades

Given the importance of attendance and active participation, candidates are responsible for calendaring and keeping track of TEP dates provided in the Academic & Program Calendar. We encourage candidates struggling with time management to talk to their Preliminary Program Coordinator immediately. See course syllabi for more specific attendance policies.

Child Care

Children are not allowed to attend seminars/classes, clinical settings, or field trips. If candidates have an extenuating circumstance regarding childcare, they must contact their instructor as soon as possible to request alternative arrangements.

Preparation

Showing up prepared to class includes having all necessary materials ready, but more importantly it means carefully engaging, annotating, and considering readings/materials and assignments before class starts, and showing up ready to ask questions about and/or apply the ideas encountered.

Attendance & Engagement Policies

You matter, and your presence and absence–physically, mentally, and emotionally–impact our classroom ecology.
We will extend you grace, and simultaneously ask that you’re mindful of your impact on our classroom ecology by arriving on time and remaining for the duration of each class—to the extent that your technology permits.
Attendance: While distance learning allows us to share recordings of class sessions, each class includes experiences that cannot be made up. Arriving late or leaving early can impact your attendance and participation grade. Class experiences cannot be replicated; if you miss class, these points cannot be recouped. In rare cases of clearly communicated emergencies, exceptions might be made at your instructor’s discretion.
Active engagement.

Candidates are expected to show up to class ready to contribute productively to our classroom ecology, which looks like:

Keeping your cameras on (or communicating directly with your peers & instructor when it’s not possible)
Extending grace and kindness to your colleagues, peers, and self
Sharing your work, insights, experiences, and expertise
Participating wholeheartedly in planned discussion, activities, and presentations
Learning collectively from and with your colleagues and peers
Listening actively and patiently, with willingness to open and change your mind
Participating safely and completely in the class session. To this end, candidates should not be engaged in time/attention consuming activities, but rather be able to focus completely on class

Personal Accountability

Candidates are strongly advised to reflect on topics in course materials and sessions, as well as make sense of how theoretical topics and frameworks translate into the classroom. Candidates are encouraged to communicate with instructors for clarification and guidance on application of theory and techniques. Inappropriate engagement in class could result in a grade of “F”.

Policy on Communication with TEP

We expect Candidates to maintain consistent communication with their Clinical Faculty Advisor, Mentor Teacher, and CGU staff. This includes answering emails, texts, and keeping appointments. A Candidate who ignores attempted communication for TEP faculty and staff may be subject to program review, which could include program dismissal.

Professional Conduct

As a teacher, strive to present your best self.
Be mindful of your dress and its impact on your teaching functions and relationships.
Make your social media accounts private. Do not follow any students on their social media platforms.
Check your school’s employee handbook and use it as a reference point for professional conduct.
Be receptive to constructive feedback from CGU TEP faculty and staff - we are here to support you in becoming an effective CSJ educator
Maintain consistent and reliable attendance and communication

Grading Policies

Clinical Grades

Clinical courses are taken on a Pass/Fail basis. Candidates will receive an “F” (Fail) on their transcripts if they do not pass clinical. Clinical courses are graded as Pass/Fail with a distinction made regarding your development across the CSJ competencies during the semester.

Academic Grades

A passing grade for an academic class is a “Pass” or a letter grade of C or better. These may or may not be a higher standard than other programs at CGU. While a “C” is considered a passing grade, CGU requires a minimum of a 3.00 GPA (“B” average) to remain in good academic standing.

Clinical Policies

Fall Semester/First Clinical Semester

Pass (P) Grade:

meet all course objectives
adequately complete all course assignments (see clinical course syllabus)
provide ongoing evidence of regular lesson planning, reflection, and responsiveness to feedback
meet professional expectations by fully engaging in the clinical setting, striving to develop and maintain sustainable relationships across classroom & school site
meet attendance expectations at clinical site and for Critical Practicums

and

demonstrate at least “emerging competency (minimum 2.0) * with no 1s and no more than 5 notable concerns
- Candidates should strive for “developing competency”
  - Candidates not meeting expectations at the mid semester point will receive a support plan to outline steps needed to work toward passing the clinical course.
  - Candidates who score within the “emerging competency” range and meet all other requirements above will require a support plan for the Spring semester.

Fail:

If a candidate does not meet each of the Pass expectations as outlined above, they will earn an “F” for the course. Earning an “F” in the clinical course is grounds for program review, potentially leading to program dismissal.

Spring Semester/Second Clinical Semester:

Pass (P) Grade:

meet all course objectives
adequately complete all course assignments (see clinical course syllabus)
provide ongoing evidence of regular lesson planning, reflection, and responsiveness to feedback
meet professional expectations by fully engaging in the clinical setting, striving to develop and maintain sustainable relationships across the classroom and school site and meet attendance expectations at clinical site and for Critical Practicum

and

demonstrate at least “meeting competency” (minimum 3.5) with no 1s and no more than 5 notable concerns*
- *Candidates who meet all other course criteria but score within the “developing competency” range may earn a “Pass” grade in the course if they have demonstrated adequate progress as outlined in their support plan, as determined by CGU leadership and relevant faculty.
  - Candidates not meeting expectations at the mid semester point will receive a support plan to outline steps needed to work toward passing the clinical course.
  - If candidates need more support to meet the competency requirement, they will need to repeat clinical, which will extend their program (a semester at a time) until they meet the required competencies.

Fail:

If a candidate does not meet Pass expectations as outlined above, they will earn an “F” for the course. Earning an “F” in the clinical course is grounds for program review, potentially leading to program dismissal.

Continual matriculation at CGU requires a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 in all coursework taken at CGU. You may not have more than two incompletes at one time.

In exceptional circumstances (e.g., illness) that prevent you from completing assigned coursework, and provided that your work to date is satisfactory, the instructor may assign an I (Incomplete) grade, along with a date for successful completion of requirements.

If dismissed from the Teacher Education Program, candidates can apply to an M.A. program in the School of Educational Studies that is not associated with earning a California teaching credential. If admitted, select units from the Teacher Education Program could apply to the new M.A. Program.

Grounds for Removal: Clinical Course

Candidates can be removed from a clinical setting if they are deemed unprofessional and/or harmful to students’ learning and/or wellbeing during a clinical experience. In all instances, candidates’ removal can be initiated by a Mentor Teacher, Clinical Faculty Advisor, school personnel, or TEP leadership. Being removed results in a “F” in the related class.

If a Candidate is not removed from a clinical setting, but is also not invited back to the school/clinical site for a second term within the same school year, the Candidate may receive an “F” in the related class and will be subject to program review which can lead to program dismissal.

Program Extensions

Not passing a course or not meeting CSJ competency expectations may delay/extend a candidate’s program timeline because classes are sequential in nature and have prerequisites, and/or are offered only once a year. There are financial implications to extending the program. Please consult with a Preliminary Credential Coordinator and Financial Aid for details.

Retaking an Academic Class

If candidates have to or want to retake a class, they need to register and pay for the class. If candidates retake a class, they accept the risk of earning a lower grade given that the new grade overrides the original grade in GPA calculations.

If a candidate receives an “F” in an academic class, they may retake the class once, providing that the candidate is not dismissed from the program. If the candidate does not pass the class on the second attempt, the candidate will be dismissed from the Teacher Education Program.

Mid-Term Competency Evaluation Progress Report (Clinical)

All candidates receive a midterm competency evaluation and progress report. Candidates in jeopardy of failing at the midterm, or those needing additional support, will receive notice of this in their mid-term competency evaluation progress report. A passing score at the midterm does not guarantee a passing score on the final evaluation and progress report for the semester. When a candidate is not meeting program expectations, TEP faculty will develop a Clinical Support Plan to specify what the candidate must do to improve their standing in the program, and also how TEP faculty and staff will assist the candidate.

If uncertain as to their grade standing, candidates are encouraged to talk to their Clinical Faculty Advisors and/or the Clinical Support Coordinator.

Mid-Term Progress Report (Academic)

At the mid-term point of every academic class candidates will be informed if they are not meeting program expectations. When a candidate is struggling, TEP faculty will develop an Academic Support Plan to specify what the candidate must do to improve their standing in the program, and also how TEP faculty and staff will assist the candidate.

Incompletes

Per CGU policy, if unusual or extenuating circumstances prevent a student from completing work in a course, the instructor may assign an Incomplete (I) grade provided the student’s performance in the course is passing at the end of the semester. Instructors are not required to assign an Incomplete (I) grade to students who ask for them.

More information can be found here.

Extended Program Policy

Candidates who do not complete the program and file for their preliminary credential within the original timeframe of the program are required to do the following EACH semester (excluding summer) until filing for a Preliminary Credential:

Candidates employed as teacher of record on extended program must:

Notify and get program approval before accepting a full-time teaching position as the teacher of record
Enroll in the appropriate clinical course and section
Audit TLP II/III class sessions as deemed necessary by TEP staff
Show proof of registration for any exams not yet passed
Be enrolled in and/or show proof of preparation for subject matter requirements, RICA (multiple subject and SPED only- Subject to change per CTC), and/or CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 & 2
Pass RICA (Multiple Subject and SpEd only- Subject to change per CTC)
Pass CalTPA/LPA Cycle 1 & 2
Meet subject matter requirement
Complete all clinical requirements

Candidates NOT employed as teacher of record on extended program must:

Notify and get program approval if offered a full-time teaching position as the teacher of record at any point during their extended program.
Enroll in Continuous Registration (CR) in order to maintain an active student status.
Show proof of registration for any exams not yet passed including
- subject matter requirements
- RICA (Multiple Subject and SpEd only- Subject to change per CTC)
- CalTPA/LPA
Be enrolled in and/or show proof of preparation for CSET, RICA (Subject to change per CTC) and/or CalTPA/LPA

Important Note:

The state of California requires that any individual with an Internship credential be actively enrolled in a university-based teacher preparation program in partnership with the district of employment and receive support within the clinical setting. CGU’s Teacher Education Program extends this policy to any candidate who is enrolled in the program and is hired on a Provisional Internship Credential, 30-Day Substitute or other non-Internship credential. Candidates are advised that the length of validity of their intern certificate is two years.

Academic Standing Policy

A minimum overall GPA of 3.0 is required to apply for a Preliminary Credential or an M.A. in Education. This may or may not be a higher standard than other programs at CGU.

Additionally, the Teacher Education Program will place a department hold on the account of candidates who earn an “I” or “F” in any class. The hold is not removed until candidates meet for advising to review their progress in the program and plan next steps.

Academic Concerns

To address academic concerns within TEP, candidates should contact faculty/staff in this order:

class instructor
TEP advisor
TEP director
Dean of SES

If you are not satisfied with the resolution of your concern, the Dean of SES would direct you to the next relevant party.

Department Policy Appeals

Candidates who wish to appeal a specific program policy through the Teacher Education Program can do so by writing a letter of appeal to the Director of Teacher Education. The Director of Teacher Education will determine a decision on the appeal and notify the candidate of the decision within two weeks.

CGU Grievance Policy

A “grievance” is a statement by a student that they have been wronged by either a failure to follow, or a breach by Claremont Graduate University of its established policies and practices which includes, but is not limited to, discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, place of national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or disability.

Complaints regarding faculty judgment of academic performance, which do not allege discrimination on any basis listed above, are not subject to a grievance procedure. Detailed description of the CGUs grievance procedure can be found here.

Students at Claremont Graduate University who feel they have been subjected to unfair treatment by an individual or CGU department are encouraged to submit a non-academic student grievance. The Policy can be found here.

Criteria for Dismissal from the Teacher Education Program

Claremont Graduate University reserves the right to dismiss students from their programs of study. Reasons include, but are not limited to, violations of University/TEP policies, lack of growth in the CSJ Competencies, lack of progress to degree, and health and safety considerations.

Additionally, a candidate enrolled in the Teacher Education Program can be dismissed from the program for a grade of “F” in a clinical course or conduct unbecoming of a teacher.

Pathways to Earning Additional Preliminary Credentials

There are different pathways for Candidates to earn additional Preliminary Credentials.

General Education Single-Subject Candidate Adding Single Subject Credential

Single-Subject candidates can earn an additional Single-Subject Credential by:

passing the additional Subject Matter requirement (typically met through passing CSET)
taking a subject-specific methods course

For example, if a math candidate wants to also earn a science credential, they need to pass the CSET in science in addition to enrolling in and passing a science methods course. Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

General Education Single-Subject CandidatesAdding Multiple-Subject Credential

Single-subject candidates can earn a Multiple-Subject Credential by:

passing the Subject Matter requirement (typically met through passing CSET)
taking Multiple-Subject Literacy & Methods
complete a clinical experience in an Elementary setting
passing the RICA/LPA Exam (Subject to change per CTC)

Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

General Education Multiple-Subject Candidates Adding Single-Subject Credential

Multiple-Subject candidates can earn a Single-Subject Credential by:

passing the Subject Matter requirement (typically met through passing the discipline-specific CSET)
taking an Methods course in the single subject area
completing a clinical experience in a secondary classroom specific to the credential being added

Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

Mild/Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) Specialists Adding Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Credential

MMSN Specialists can earn an ESN credential by completing a 2-unit course and a single semester of clinical practice in an ESN setting (2 units). Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Specialists Adding Mild/Moderate Credential

Moderate/Severe Education Specialists can earn a Mild/Moderate credential by completing a 2-unit course and a single semester of clinical practice (2 units) in an MMSN setting. Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

Multiple Subject Candidates Adding Education Specialist Credential

Multiple Subject Candidates can earn an Education Specialist credential by completing the following Special Education Seminar Courses:

Fall
- EDUC 358-1 (4 units): Literacy & Methods 1 - SPED
- EDUC 338 (2 units): Humanizing Special Education: Designing Student Centered IEPs w/ a Focus on Behavior and Transition
Spring
- EDUC 358-2 (4 units):Literacy & Methods 2- SPED
- EDUC 366 (4 units): Collaboration in Special Education: An Ecological Model
Summer
- EDUC 339 (4 units): Humanizing Assessment Practices to Leverage Critical Social Justice In Special Education
Clinical
- Candidates must complete a single semester of clinical practice (2 units) in the respective credential area (i.e. either MMSN or ESN). Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to meet eligibility requirements for this option.

Single Subject Candidates Adding Education Specialist Credential

Single Subject Candidates can earn an Education Specialist credential by completing the following Special Education Seminar Courses:

Fall
- EDUC 358-1 (4 units): Literacy & Methods 1 - SPED
- EDUC 338 (2 units): Humanizing Special Education: Designing Student Centered IEPs w/ a Focus on Behavior and Transition
Spring
- EDUC 358-2 (4 units):Literacy & Methods 2- SPED
- EDUC 366 (4 units): Collaboration in Special Education: An Ecological Model
Summer
- EDUC 339 (4 units): Humanizing Assessment Practices to Leverage Critical Social Justice In Special Education
Clinical
- Candidates must complete a single semester of clinical practice (2 units) in the respective credential area (i.e. either MMSN or ESN). Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to meet eligibility requirements for this option.
RICA/LPA

Education Specialists Candidates Adding Multiple Subject Credential

Education Specialists can earn a Preliminary Multiple Subject Credential by completing the following Literacy & Methods courses:

EDUC 324-1 (4): Literacy & Methods 1: Multiple Subject
EDUC 324-2 (4): Literacy & Methods 2: Multiple Subject

Additionally, candidates must complete a single semester of clinical practice in a Multiple Subject setting (2 units). Candidates will need to contact the TEP Program Coordinator to discuss eligibility requirements for this option.

Appendix: TEP Forms & Documents

The following forms and documents are utilized throughout the Candidate’s program at CGU

Overview of TEP Preliminary Programs for 2025-2026

The Teacher Education Program is designed to be completed at a pace that is flexible and responsive to each candidate’s needs.

Residency Pathway Pacing (Gen Ed & SPED)

Full year Residency: 20 hours per week (minimum) in the classroom of a Mentor Teacher
MA & Preliminary credential can be completed as follows:
- 12-18 months
- 18-24 months
  - 1+1 plan = 1 year Residency + 1 year Internship with the graduate and credential work distributed over a longer time frame

Internship Pathway Pacing (Gen Ed only)

Full year Internship: candidate is employed by school as teacher of record (must apply to be hired by a district/charter organization)
MA & Preliminary credential can be completed as follows:
- 18 months
- 24 or 30 months
  - the graduate and credential work distributed over a longer time frame

2025-2026 Units

Courses for General Education Residents Units

Teaching & Learning Process (TLP) Series must be taken in sequence

TLP 1: Teaching & Learning Process for Equity and Social Justice 4
TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies 2
TLP 3: Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households 2
TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone 2

Foundations

Foundations of Residency 2

Literacy & Methods Series must be taken in sequence

Literacy & Methods 1 (specific to content area) 4
Literacy & Methods 2 (specific to content area) 4

CalTPA

CalTPA Cycle 1 1
CalTPA Cycle 2 for Single Subject/LPA for Multiple Subject 1

Clinical must be taken in sequence

Clinical 1 3
Clinical 2 3

Seminars

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Praxis for Emergent Bilinguals 2

Love-Soaked Support for Students Eligible for SPED Services in Gen Ed Classrooms 4

Flex Units 2

CGU electives
More clinical support if needed
CalTPA/LPA support if needed
Pre-approved EdX/Coursera course

Total Units 36

Courses for General Education Interns Units

Teaching & Learning Process (TLP) Series must be taken in sequence

TLP 1: Teaching & Learning Process for Equity and Social Justice 4
TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies 2
TLP 3: Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households 2
TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone 2

Foundations & Pre-Teaching

Foundations of Internship 4
Clinical Pre-Teaching 2

Literacy & Methods Series must be taken in sequence

Literacy & Methods 1 (specific to content area) 4
Literacy & Methods 2 (specific to content area) 4

CalTPA

CalTPA Cycle 1 1
CalTPA Cycle 2 for Single Subject/LPA for Multiple Subject 1

Clinical must be taken in sequence

Clinical 1 3
Clinical 2 3

Seminars

Culturally and Linguistically Responsive Praxis for Emergent Bilinguals 2

Love-Soaked Support for Students Eligible for SPED Services in Gen Ed Classrooms 2

Flex Units 0

Total Units 36

Courses for SPED Courses Units

Teaching & Learning Process (TLP) Series must be taken in sequence

TLP 1: Teaching & Learning Process for Equity and Social Justice 4
TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies 2
TLP 3: Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households 2
TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone 2

Foundations

Foundations of Residency 2

Literacy & Methods Series must be taken in sequence

Literacy & Methods 1: SPED 4
Literacy & Methods 2: SPED 4

CalTPA

CalTPA Cycle 1 1
CalTPA Cycle 2 for Single Subject/LPA for Multiple Subject 1

Clinical must be taken in sequence

Clinical 1 3
Clinical 2 3

SPED Seminars

SPED Seminars must be taken in sequence

Humanizing Special Education: Designing Student-Centered IEPs with a focus on Behavior and Transition 2
Collaboration in Special Education: An Ecological Model 4
Humanizing Assessment Practices: Leveraging Critical Social Justice In Special Education 4

Flex Units 0

Total Units 38

2025-2025 Units Table

Gen Ed Residents Courses	36 Units	Gen Ed Interns Courses	36 Units	SPED Courses	38 Units
TLP 1-4	10	TLP 1-4	10	TLP 1-4	10
Foundations	2	Foundations & PreTeaching	6	Foundations	2
LM 1 & 2	8	LM 1 & 2	8	LM 1 & 2	8
CalTPA	2	CalTPA	2	Ed Sp CalTPA	2
Clinical	6	Clinical	6	Clinical	6
Seminar: Emergent Bilinguals	2	Seminar: Emergent Bilinguals	2	Seminar: Emergent Bilinguals	0
Seminar: Gen Ed/SPED Collab	4	Seminar: Gen Ed/SPED Collab	2	SPED Seminars Fall = 2 Spring = 4 Summer = 4	10
Flex Units another elective more clinical TPA support reviewed EdEx/Coursera course	2	Flex Units	0	Flex Units	0
Totals	36	Totals	36	Totals	38

Classroom Observations

Twenty hours of observations are a programmatic requirement in the CGU TEP Preliminary Program.

The philosophy that guides this requirement is that teachers learn about teaching, students, and schools by watching other teachers interact with students; being on different school campuses; and talking to colleagues about teaching, students, and schools.

Specifically, observing other teachers teach in various settings helps candidates to:

gather specific ideas to try in their own classroom
analyze their own teaching style and practices
develop personal beliefs about teaching and learning
broaden their perspectives of schooling
expose them to a diverse range and variety of settings and services
understand the past and future educational experiences of students.

General Education Requirements

Education Specialist Requirements

Secondary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach the same subject as you.

Elementary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach the same grade as you.

Special Education Candidates (All): Observe two teachers in your specialty area and setting type. For instance, if you are a MMSN specialist in a self-contained class, you will observe two MMSN teachers in self-contained classrooms. If your placement is difficult to match, choose teachers in settings that are most similar to yours.

Secondary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach a different subject than you.

Elementary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach a different grade level than you. For example, if you teach primary grades, you will observe two teachers who teach upper grades and vice-versa.

Special Education Candidates (All): Observe two teachers outside of your specialty area teaching the same age group as you. For instance, if you are an elementary MMSN candidate, you should observe two elementary ESN teachers.

Secondary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach elementary grades.

Elementary Candidates: Observe two teachers that teach at the secondary level (6-12).

Special Education Candidates (Secondary): Observe two Special Education teachers in elementary classrooms.

Special Education Candidates (Elementary): Observe two Special Education teachers in secondary classrooms.

Secondary Candidates: Observe one Secondary Special Education Teacher in a full-inclusion classroom.

Elementary Candidates: Observe one Elementary Special Education Teacher in a full-inclusion classroom.

Special Education Candidates (Secondary): Observe one Secondary General Education Teacher that teaches in a full-inclusion setting.

Special Education Candidates (Elementary): Observe one Elementary General Education Teacher that teaches in a full-inclusion setting.

Secondary Candidates: Observe one Secondary Special Education Teacher in a self-contained Special Education classroom.

Elementary Candidates: Observe one Elementary Special Education Teacher in a self-contained Special Education classroom.

Special Education Candidates (All): Observe one general education teacher during reading instruction and/or assessment.

Secondary Candidates: Observe one teacher in a secondary classroom with a majority of English Learners.

Elementary Candidates: Observe one teacher in an elementary classroom with a majority of English Learners.

Special Education Candidates (Secondary): Observe one teacher in a secondary classroom with a majority of English Learners.

Special Education Candidates (Elementary): Observe one teacher in an elementary classroom with a majority of English Learners.

Observe one teacher who has been identified as exemplary in an area of teaching you would like to grow in. An exemplary teacher is one that is recognized among the administration and school staff as having particular expertise in classroom ecology, literacy, informal assessment, or use of other research-based teaching strategies. This should be a teacher that you have not already observed.

Guidelines for Classroom Observations

Each in-person classroom observation should be at least 1 hour (or length of a class period) and at most 2 hours in length.
As many in-person classroom observations should be done as possible and they must involve observing a credentialed teacher teaching a lesson.
Candidates locate and schedule their own observations. However, should a candidate need recommendations, they are encouraged to reach out to the teacher education leadership for help connecting to teachers to observe.
A list of videos will be provided to supplement settings that could not be observed in-person.
Candidates may observe a credentialed teacher in another state outside of California.
Candidates should contact the teacher/school ahead of time to request the observation and identify themselves as a CGU student.
Candidates must take appropriate identification and clearance for TB to the observation site.
Candidates must dress and act professionally at all times during the observation.
During the observation, candidates can utilize the Observation Reflection form and Observation Log or document in their own format.
Candidates should log each individual observation and have the teacher observed provide their email and sign showing evidence of the observation. This log must be turned in with all signatures prior to filing for the preliminary credential.
Candidates should submit the completed Observation Log and Observation Reflections (or alternate documentation) to TEP’s Credential Analyst, Melanie Kerr.

Observation Documentation Required to Apply for Credential

Observation documentation with a signature for every in-person observation setting described above
One observation reflection documented for each observation setting (in-person or video)
Deadline to submit the completed Observation Log and Observation Reflections (or alternate documentation) for filing for a credential by August 2026 is July 31, 2026.

Classroom Observation Log

Each in-person classroom observation should be at least 1 hour (or length of a class period) and at most 2 hours in length. Submit this form or your own version as verification of the requirement to the credential analyst. Rows can be added as needed.

Obs #	Setting: Gen Ed or SPED	# of Hours	Date of Visit	Grade & Subject	Name of School & District (if available)	Teacher’s Name (if available)	Teacher’s Signature (if available)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10

Add up totals for each setting (Gen Ed & SpEd) to ensure you have completed the required number of hours.

Candidate’s Name _________________________________________

Date log submitted ________________________________________

Classroom Observation Reflection (2 pages)

Utilize this form each time you complete classroom observation to fulfill the TEP requirement.

CGU TEP Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies Matrix (Help Text)

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Purpose of the Matrix

TEP’s Critical Social Justice Competency Matrix supports new teachers’ efforts to nurture inclusive and empowering classroom ecologies by serving as a reference point for mentors’ and new teachers’ challenging and reiterative critical social justice practice. The matrix reflects the domains and relationships that influence a classroom ecology, and provides new teachers with competencies they need to enact critical social justice and cultivate a fertile ecology for productive activity and learning.

Within the ecology of any classroom, complex, dynamic, and symbiotic relationships and interactions enacted (reliably and unpredictably) occur over the course of each year, day, and even hour of school (Doyle, 2006; Hammond, 2014; Weinstein, Tomlinson-Clarke, & Curran, 2004). As reflected in the matrix, the relationships and interactions enacted in classrooms are between and across students, teachers, content, schools, households, communities; in consideration of oneself, others, and the world; and influenced by one’s own and others’ purpose.

Components of the Matrix

Domains: core ideas and concepts new teachers must consider, reflect upon, and incorporate into their teaching practice to enact critical social justice teaching in the classroom.

Relationships: each domain of critical social justice teaching simultaneously involves, emerges from, and reflects the dynamic of core relationships. Note that self can refer to teachers and/or students.

*Competency Domains and Relationships help focus candidates’ reflection and effort on the dynamics and questions that will best develop their efficacy.

Example of How to Consider: if candidates are striving to make improvements in their pedagogy, as their first step a mentor might urge them to consider the relationships between themselves as teachers to the content and students, as well as students’ relationships to the teacher and the content. To continue to grow expertise in pedagogy, candidates would also look to adjacent domains and relationships.

Competency Strands: each competency strand represents an essential capability needed for first year teachers who hope to enact critical social justice in their current and future classrooms.

High Impact Practices & Demeanors: each competency strand is complemented by specific ways of doing, being, and thinking to help candidates demonstrate the related competency. While these are not the only ways to demonstrate the related competency, they are evidence-based.

* Competency Strands can give mentors and candidates language to focus their efforts, and explain why they matter. Oftentimes candidates and mentors understand what a competency means, but they aren’t quite sure how to demonstrate it within a critical social justice framework. High Impact Practices & Demeanors articulate the how, while also providing common understanding of each competency for all affiliated constituents.

Example of How to Consider: The Competency Strands and High Impact Practices & Demeanors can be used to establish how/why certain practices and demeanors contribute to a critical social justice mission. For example, “Show up on time and prepared every day” is listed under strand 1.2. Establish Baseline of Respect for Students & Their Learning. This pairing emphasizes that one way to show students a baseline of respect is to show up prepared and on time every day. In contrast, one reason students might not feel respected could be because their teacher isn’t showing up prepared and on time.

Using the Matrix for Self-Assessment & Evaluation

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Scoring: Candidates do not need to demonstrate each competency through each form of evidence for each POD, but there should be a preponderance of evidence to justify the score.Use the below rubric to score each Competency Strand. Note that each score is based on the multiple forms of evidence:

Discussion with candidates
Observations of candidates
Planning materials produced by candidates
Candidate’s response to feedback
Candidate’s efforts in meeting the competency

Noting Strengths & Concerns: regardless of the time of the year, new teachers are always learning and developing all of their critical social justice competencies. Occasionally, though, candidates have particular and notable strengths or worrisome and notable concerns; these strengths and concerns can emerge when candidates are below or meeting expectations with a competency strand.

✔ Clinical Faculty Advisors will use a check mark to note any particular strengths or concerns to provide the candidates and the program with key information to inform their practice.
*Most High Impact Practices & Demeanors will be left unchecked to indicate that candidates are developing appropriately.
If a candidate has two or more concerns marked within a strand, the highest possible score is a 2

	RUBRIC For Matrices
-	Not enough evidence to make an assessment
1	Below expectations: based on discussions, observations, and/or planning materials, the candidate does not make any deliberate effort to meet the competency or respond to feedback about it.
2	Emerging: based on discussions, observations, and/or planning materials, the candidate is making an effort toward meeting this competency and responding to feedback about it, though those efforts vary in degrees of effectiveness.
3	Developing: based on discussions, observations, and/or planning materials, the candidate is making effort and progress toward meeting this competency and responding to feedback about it, though not always consistently.
4	Refining: based on discussions, observations, and/or planning materials, the candidate is making effort and progress toward consistently meeting this competency and effectively responding to feedback about it.
5	Exceeding: based on discussions, observations, and/or planning materials, the candidate is consistently meeting this competency, rarely requires feedback, and uses self-assessment to refine it.

Glossary of Acronyms & Key Terms

CalTPA/LPA	CA Teacher Performance Assessment. There are two CalTPA/LPA Cycles that general education candidates must pass prior to filing for a preliminary California Teaching Credential.
Canvas	This is the web-based platform used by the Claremont Colleges. TEP Candidates should routinely check all of their Canvas pages for information. If the Candidate has trouble accessing Canvas, it is their responsibility to contact CGU for assistance.
CBEST	California Basic Skill Test. See https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_CBEST_TestPage.html Pass ASAP or meet basic skills requirements through coursework.
Certificate of Clearance	Before Candidates work at school sites, they need to have an FBI/Department of Justice Certificate of Clearance, including fingerprinting.
CGU	Claremont Graduate University
Clear Credential	A Clear Credential is issued when all clear credential requirements have been completed. Clear Credentials should be renewed online every five years.
Clinical Faculty Advisor (CFA)	Works with the Candidate’s Mentor Teacher and conducts observations of the candidate, some of which will use the POD to document progress and growth.
Cohort	TEP utilizes a cohort structure where a group of students move through the program together as a group/cohort. The cohort structure helps the Candidate develop a peer-based support network.
CSET	California Subject Examination for Teachers. See https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Tests.html.Pass ASAP or meet subject matter requirements through coursework or degree.
Education Specialist	An Education Specialist is a teacher who has been specifically prepared to work primarily with students eligible for special education services in a variety of SPED settings.
“F” or Fail	A course grade of a “F” means that the student has failed the course.
General Education Teacher	A General Education teacher is a teacher who has been specifically prepared to work primarily with students in self-contained classes (elementary) or departmentalized courses (secondary). A General Education teacher works primarily with general education students but also supports students eligible for SPED services who may be in their classes.
IEP	IEP stands for “individual education plan”, which is part of the special education laws of the IDEA 97 (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Amendments of 1997). IDEA allows for additional services and protections for children with disabilities.
“I” or Incomplete	A Candidate may request a grade of “I” in any course as long as they have made substantial progress toward completing coursework. An instructor has the prerogative to give a student an “I” if additional time is needed to submit course assignments or to demonstrate needed competencies. Anytime an “I” grade is issued, the instructor must complete an “Incomplete Form” that articulates a timeline. If the candidate does not adhere to the timeline, they run the risk of receiving an “F” (Fail). There are CGU policies regarding the number of Incompletes a student may have and policies regarding how long a student has to clear an incomplete.
Induction	Induction is a program wherein teachers work towards a California Clear Credential.
Intern	Candidates who find paid employment and work at a school on an Internship credential. They are supported by Clinical Faculty Advisors and Site Support Providers (SSPs).
LiveScan Clearance	Process of getting fingerprinted by an official entity required for Certificate of Clearance.
Mentor Teacher	Mentor Teachers are the district-employed teachers who partner with CGU. They work with TEP candidates in a Residency setting.
Preliminary Credential	California has a two-tier credential structure. A Preliminary Credential is the first credential issued after an individual meets the all state and program requirements. A preliminary credential allows a teacher to teach for five years during which time they should complete an induction program to earn a Clear Credential (also called “clearing your credential”).
Residents	Candidates who are working under the tutelage of a CGU Mentor Teacher during a full academic year. They are supported by CGU Clinical Faculty Advisors and CGU Mentor Teachers.
RICA (Subject to change per CTC)	Reading Instruction Competence Test. See https://www.ctcexams.nesinc.com/TestView.aspx?f=HTML_FRAG/CA_RICA_Written_TestPage.html. Multiple Subject and Education Specialists need to pass. We recommend Candidates take RICA at the end of L&M 1 before L&M 2.
SES	School of Educational Studies
SPED	Special Education Program: SPED Teachers: Education Specialists Students: Students eligible for special education services
Student Teachers	Candidates who are not eligible for Residency are considered Student Teachers. Once the candidate meets requirements, they become Residents. Candidates must complete at least one semester under TEP supervision as Residents.
TEP	Teacher Education Program
TPEs	Teacher Performance Expectations. These are the criteria upon which teachers and teacher candidates are evaluated in the state of California. We align TPEs with our CSJ Competencies.

Shared Language for Critical Social Justice Teaching & Learning

Appropriate	Conversations, practices, activities, demeanor, etc. that enhance rather than undermine or distract from learning, and remain mindful of students’ developmental stages, show appreciation for others’ cultural values and norms, and recognize that teachers are looked to as role models.
Big Ideas	Concepts or principles central to a lesson/unit, which anchor or connect all of the smaller ideas in a lesson/unit.
CCSS Standards	The Common Core State Standards include subject specific standards that describe what students should know and be able to do by the end of an academic year.
Check for Existing Understanding	Modes of determining what students know and/or remember about a particular topic, and a way teachers can validate and build from students’ knowledge and expertise.
Checks for Understanding	Data on students’ understanding (relative to the objective) that should inform current and future instruction and reteaching, and prepare all students to be successful.
Choral Responses	Requests for all students to reply to a question to get a general sense of students’ understanding, to give students support to stay engaged, and/or to scaffold students’ access to content. Note that choral responses are not an adequate representation of each students’ understanding.
Classroom Ecology	All interactions between teachers, students, curriculum, and the classroom environment, which contribute to students’ learning experiences. Classroom ecology can be healthy or toxic. Teachers can use their presence and classroom culture, climate, physical layout, routines, norms, expectations, language etc. to cultivate a healthy classroom ecology that limits the need for discipline policies.
Clear Expectations	Clear information and rationale regarding how students should work/participate/engage, including how much time they have/should need, how they will be assessed, how they can be successful, etc.
Clear Instructions	Explicit and detailed instructions and rationale for what to do during direction instruction, guided and independent practice, group work, homework, etc.
Cold Calling	Asking non-volunteers to respond to a question. This strategy can be used with or without giving students advanced warning they will be called on. When teachers have established a supportive and safe classroom ecology, cold calling can help keep all students engaged since they might be called on at any moment. *Note this strategy is best used to improve students’ learning and engagement, not to punish them.
Connect to Past/Future Learning	Making explicit how what students are learning and doing relates to their past and future experiences to help students see their learning experiences as cohesive and meaningful rather than disconnected and random.
Content Knowledge	Understanding of disciplinary thinking, as well as content and how to best sequence and scaffold it to support students’ successful learning and understanding.
Content Objectives	What students should know (facts, formulas, processes, concepts, etc.) and/or be able to do (skills, application, etc.) by the end of the lesson or unit. Strong objectives are clear, discrete, and measurable, manageable, meaningful, rigorous, and socio-emotionally appropriate.
Content Standards	Learning goals and frames of reference for what students should know and be able to do at each grade level. Standards (and frameworks) are not curriculum and they are not standardized tests (CCSSI, 2015); they should be aligned with content objectives. Can be drawn from CCSS for every content area (i.e., ELA, Math, Science, etc.)
Critical Social Justice	Recognizing that schools are not neutral, society is stratified along social group lines and inequality is deeply and structurally embedded, then actively seeking to change this (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017). Through this reiterative process, teachers can both empower students, households, and communities with the resources they need to navigate an unjust world with empathy and savvy, and chip away at injustice.
Deep Structures of Schooling	Society’s set of assumptions about what schools are for and how education should properly be conducted, whether those assumptions support or undermine students and communities (Tye, 1998).
Differentiation	Providing multiple and diverse ways for students to take in information (content), make sense of ideas (process), & express what they learn (product) (Tomlinson, 2017) to give students with varied strengths and abilities more opportunities to learn and be successful.
Direct Instruction	Scaffolding students’ access to what they need to know and showing them what they need to be able to do on their own (Killian, 2015), including explicit introduction of new material, vocabulary, formulas, processes, how to learn/think/apply/create/produce, etc.
Diverse Opportunities To Participate/Contribute Meaningfully	Ensuring all students with diverse strengths and abilities have different ways to participate and contribute their knowledge and/or expertise in classroom activities and assignments, so they can all best show what they know and find success.
ELD Standards	California English Language Development Standards Support for identified English language learners/Emergent Bilinguals.
Engaging Hook	Introducing a new unit or lesson based on knowledge of students’ experiences, interests, strengths, and goals to incite their curiosity.
Essential Questions	Core, generative questions that allow students to probe for deeper meaning, make connections, and relate to content; they are questions students should ask as they explore the main ideas in each lesson/unit.
Exit Ticket	A short assessment that can be submitted at the end of class to determine students’ understanding and inform future instruction.
Explanation/ discussion of why the lesson matters	Making connections between content and/or skills and life explicit for students to ensure they understand the relevance of what they are learning.
Formative (informal) Assessment	Checking for students’ understanding and ability as they are learning to inform additional instruction in the moment or in the future.
Funds of Knowledge	Important knowledge, activities, and strategies that individuals have acquired through household practices, ideologies, and labor history, as well as social networks and exchanges, which teachers can recognize and utilize to help students learn and achieve (Gonzalez, Moll, & Amanti, 2005; Vélez-Ibañez &Greenberg, 1992).
Goals	Aims and aspirations for what students will take away from a lesson/unit; may or may not be measurable. Differ from learning objectives.
Guided Practice	Leading students through practice by modeling procedures and providing structured opportunities for students to practice them with feedback, guidance, and increasingly less support.
Hidden Curriculum	Unwritten, unvoiced, unofficial (and often unintended) lessons students learn in school about the knowledge, behaviors, values, and perspectives that are or are not valid and privileged, typically as determined by dominant, hegemonic culture (Delpit 2006; McLaren, 2006).
Implicit Bias	Ideas, views, and opinions are not objective and independent, but rather the result of myriad social messages, conditioning forces, and experiences; when not acknowledged, teachers’ implicit bias can exclude, harm, impede, and undermine others (Sensoy & DiAngelo, 2017, p. 43).
Independent Practice	Providing students with opportunities to practice what they have learned without the direct support of a teacher. Whenever possible, it is best to avoid letting students practice bad habits, and to allow opportunities for revision.
Instructional Intensity	Managing time to maximize students’ meaningful and rigorous engagement, practice, thinking, and learning; providing cohesive, coherent curriculum and instruction.
Introduce Academic Language & Concepts	Frontloading new content and concepts to help students anticipate and prepare for what they will be doing during a lesson/unit.
Language Objectives	What students should know and be able to do regarding their processing and production of academic English; will sometimes overlap with content objectives; should be aligned with ELD Standards. Recommended format: Students will (active verb phrase) using (language target) (Kinsella & Ward Singer, 2011).
Manageable Objectives	Objectives that can reasonably be met within the period of time allotted.
Meaningful/Important Objectives	Objectives that are relevant or essential because of their significance to students’ current or future lives and/or success.
Measurable Objectives	Objectives that can be (fairly) objectively assessed; typically include concrete verbs (example: define; non-example: appreciate).
Modeling	Showing students how to do something; can include showing them a finished product, or a model, but should also include modeling of the process to arrive at the finished product so students can see how they too can develop such a product.
Multiple and Diverse Ways to Access Content	Providing students with many and varied ways to access content to ensure all students with diverse strengths and abilities learn and achieve success.
Multiple Opportunities to Participate/ Contribute Meaningfully	Ensuring all students with diverse strengths and abilities have many chances to participate and contribute their knowledge and/or expertise in classroom activities and assignments, so they know they are each important members of the class.
Pair Shares	Providing students with the chance to speak with a partner. This strategy can be used as a formal think-pair-share, where students are first given a chance to think about their ideas and then share them with a partner (and perhaps develop them further). It can also be an informal pair share to give all students a chance to be heard or start getting their ideas flowing.
Pedagogical Knowledge	Teachers’ understanding of dispositions, strategies, and instructional practices that enhance students’ learning, including discipline specific and developmentally appropriate pedagogy that contribute to safe and productive classrooms.
Planning for CSJ Teaching	An iterative, critical, and reflective process informed by relationships to students and to self, as well as by feedback and data from prior instruction. Planning can facilitate strong links between instructional practices, students’ learning, and teachers’ learning to teach more effectively (Nilsson, 2009).
POD (Plan, Observe, Debrief) Cycle	Candidates will participate in informal and structured observation cycles using the POD (Plan, Observe, Debrief) system with the support of Clinical Faculty Advisors collecting evidence of competency proficiency
Positionality	“The concept that gender, race, class, and other aspects of our identities are markers of relational positions [in society, to dominance, in context, etc.] rather than essential qualities” (Tetreault, 1993, p.118). Student learning opportunities may be hindered when teachers fail to consider their own and their students’ racial and cultural positionality in their PK–12 work and instead adopt color- and culture-[evasive] beliefs, ideologies, and practices (Johnson, 2002; Lewis, 2001; Milner, 2007).
Rationale	Explicit communication of the reasons for teachers’ lesson plan designs, activities, objectives, routines, etc. makes transparent teachers’ thinking, provides students with context for understanding, and facilitates students’ productive participation.
Rigor	Introducing increasingly challenging ideas, concepts, instruction, and activities that provide students with opportunities to scale up their understanding, knowledge, and ability. *Consider using Webb’s Depth of Knowledge for guidance with verbs that reflect different levels of rigor.
Social Justice Objective	Objectives students and/or teachers can meet within the context of one lesson or unit to help students recognize society is stratified along social group lines, inequality is deeply and structurally embedded, and/or seek ways to disrupt inequality. *Consider using the social justice standards provided by Teaching Tolerance as a resource: tolerance.org/sites/default/files/2017-06/TT_Social_Justice_Standards_0.pdf
Socio-Emotionally & Developmentally Appropriate Objectives	Objectives that are considerate of students’ age, developmental stage(s), and ability/need to: understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain positive relationships, and make responsible decisions (Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, CASEL).
Structured Group Work	Developing specific and appropriate structures for group work to support students’ successful collaborative learning and ensure all students have a clear role, understanding of the tasks, and opportunities to contribute and learn.
Subtractive Schooling	Schooling that divests youth of important social and cultural resources, leaving them progressively more vulnerable to academic failure and alienation from schools (Valenzuela, 1999).
Tap Prior Knowledge	Use what students already know and understand to introduce and teach new material to make connections, validate students’ knowledge, and give them meaningful ways to participate and contribute to class.
Thinking Aloud	Make visible to students the ways teachers think, trouble-shoot, access resources, correct errors, etc. to make content and skills more accessible.

Appendix A- Sample Intern Professional Development Plan

Claremont Graduate University | INTERN PD PLAN

Print date: ________
PD code: _________

Claremont Graduate University Contact Information

Role	Name	Email	Phone	Additional Info
Intern	________	CGU Email: ____ Email 2: ____	–	Subject: ____
CGU Faculty Advisor	________	Email: ____ Email 2: ____	Advisor Phone: ____	–
CGU Program Coord.	________	Email: ____	Phone: ____	–
CGU District Coordinator	________	Email: ____	Phone: ____	–

School Site Contact Information

Field	Details
School Phone	________
Address	________
District	________
Type of School	________

Principal

Field	Details
Email	________
Phone #	________

Site Support Provider

Name	________
Title	________
Email	________
Phone	________

Supervising Administrator

Title	________
Name	________
Phone	________
Email	________

Education Specialist Support Provider

Name	________
Title	________
Phone	________
Email	________

English Learner Support Provider

Name	________
Title	________
Phone	________
Email	________

Teaching Assignment

Field	Value
Start Date	____________
End Date	____________
Weeks (Calendar)	____________
Weeks (Teaching)	____________
Detailed Teaching Assignment	_______________________

Employer Evaluation of Intern

Number of times intern will be evaluated: ____________
Approximate timing of evaluations: ____________
Process for sharing evaluation with intern: ____________
Process for sharing evaluation with Faculty Advisor: ____________

Employer Support and Supervision Activities

Item	Hours (Weekly)	Responsible Party/Parties
New teacher orientation activities
Grade level or department meetings related to curriculum, planning, and/or instruction	per WEEK
Co-planning and/or reviewing plans with a special education teacher or specialist to address special needs students	per WEEK	Education Specialist SSP and/or Intern SSP
Co-planning and/or reviewing plans with a teacher holding an EL authorization to address English Learner students	per WEEK	EL SSP and/or Intern SSP
Coaching (not Evaluation)	per WEEK
Logistical help before and during the school year (bulletin boards, materials acquisition, parent conferences, back to school night, etc.)
Release time to participate in school or district groups/regional or national associations dedicated to supporting EL students (conferences, workshops, events, etc.)
Release time to participate in school or district groups/regional or national associations dedicated to supporting students with special needs (conferences, workshops, events, etc.)

Adjunct Duties:

__________________ hrs/month
__________________ hrs/month
__________________ hrs/month

FALL TERM – CGU Support and Supervision Activities

Evaluation Schedule

Evaluation	Frequency	Approx. Date	Evaluator
Formal observations	–	Aug – Dec	CGU Faculty Advisor
Clinical progress report	–	November	CGU Faculty Advisor
TPE fieldwork assessment	–	December	CGU Faculty Advisor

Support Activities

Support	Frequency	Duration	Total Hrs	Responsible Party
Teaching and learning courses at CGU	2–3 per month (Aug–Dec)	6 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
On-site observation/coaching	9 in Fall	2 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Email, phone (voice/text), and/or video conferencing support	2–3 per month (Aug–Dec)	0.5 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Interactive Journal (support/supervisor and intern)	9 in Fall	0.25 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Support for teaching English Learners – coursework	Each class once during program	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor
Support for teaching English Learners – workshop	Once during program – Summer Term	–	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Support for teaching English Learners – ongoing	One course (Fall)	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor
Support for Education Specialists	Two courses (Fall)	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor
Support for Education Specialists	One course (either Spring or Summer)	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor

Fall CGU Support Totals:

Overall: __________
EL: __________
SPED: __________

SPRING TERM – CGU Support and Supervision Activities

Evaluation Schedule

Evaluation	Frequency	Approx. Date	Evaluator
Formal observations	1–2 per month	Jan – May	CGU Faculty Advisor
Clinical progress report	–	March	CGU Faculty Advisor
TPE fieldwork assessment	–	May	CGU Faculty Advisor

Support Activities

Support	Frequency	Duration	Total Hrs	Responsible Party
Teaching and learning courses at CGU	2–3 per month (Jan–May)	6 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
On-site observation/coaching	6 in Spring	2 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Email, phone (voice/text), and/or video conferencing support related to observation, problem solving, planning, curriculum and/or instruction	2–3 per month (Jan–May)	0.5 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Interactive Journal (support/supervisor and Intern)	6 in Spring	0.25 hrs	–	CGU Faculty Advisor
Support for teaching English Learners – ongoing	One course (Spring)	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor
Support for Education Specialists	One course (Spring)	–	–	CGU Instructors, Faculty Advisor

Spring CGU Support Totals:

Overall: __________
EL: __________
SPED: __________

Summary and Certification

Total Support and Supervision Hours

Employer	Totals	General	EL-specific	SPED-specific
CGU
– CGU Fall Term
– CGU Spring Term
TOTAL

Certification

Field	Value
School Administrator Signature	________________
Date	________________
e-signature code	________________

General Education Credentials

Multiple Subject Preliminary Credential and MA in Education (36 units, including a minimum of 6 units of practical training)

Single Subject Preliminary Credential and MA in Education (36 units, including a minimum of 6 units of practical training)

English
Mathematics
Science
Social Science
World Languages

Education Specialist Credentials

Mild/Moderate Preliminary Credential and MA in Education (38 units, including a minimum of 6 units of practical training)

Moderate/Severe Preliminary Credential and MA in Education (38 units, including a minimum of 6 units of practical training)

Dual Credential Programs

Dual Education Specialist Credential and MA in Education (44 units)

Mild/Moderate
Moderate/Severe

Dual General Education and Education Specialist Credential and MA in Education (44-51 units)

Unit requirement dependent upon area of specialization

Graduate Degrees

Education

Credentials and certificates may be earned in conjunction with the MA in Education. Degree requirements are available on the Education, MA page.

Preliminary credential programs are specifically designed to be earned concurrently with the MA in Education.

Applied Mathematics

The Preliminary Subject Credential in Mathematics can be earned together with the Master of Arts in Applied Mathematics by completing the required 52 units. Coursework consists of 32 specific education units and 20 specific mathematics units. To be successful in the program, applicants must possess a strong background in applied mathematics.

Teacher Education (MA/Credential)

University Policies

Admissions Requirements

Degree Requirements

Teacher Education Preliminary Program Fee

Vision Statement

Notable Program Policies

Attendance & Engagement at Clinical Sites

Courses

Active Engagement

“Spicy Saturdays” (Selected Fall/Spring Saturday Sessions)

Grading

Course Grades

Academic Courses

Clinical Courses

Communication Expectations

How to Contact Us: Teacher Education Directory

FAQs Regarding Who to Contact

CGU Degree and Graduation Dates

CGU Student Services

TEP-Relevant Websites

Our Philosophy

Ethnographic Narrative Project

Overview

Ethnography in the TLP (Teaching & Learning Process) Course Series

TLP 2: Cultivating Differentiated Classroom Ecologies

TLP 3: Making Hidden Curriculum Visible to Support All Students & Households

TLP 4: Ethnographic Narrative Capstone

Critical Social Justice Teaching Competencies Overview

Social Justice Competency Domains

General Education TPEs

Subject-Specific Pedagogy:

Education Specialist TPEs

Program Structure and Course Descriptions

Overview: Program Structure

Clinical Courses

Academic Courses

Program Prerequisites Overview

Prior to Clinical Placement

Fall Internship/Residency

Meet/attempt to meet subject matter requirement (residents only)

Spring Internship/Residency

Summer Semester

Prior to Filing for Preliminary Credential

Prerequisites for Pre-teaching Experience (for internship only)

Candidates may meet the SMR in the following ways:

Fall Semester Prerequisites for Clinical & Academic Coursework

Spring Semester Prerequisites for Clinical & Academic Coursework

Summer 2026 Prerequisites

Preliminary Credential: Prerequisites for Filing for Preliminary Credential

Teacher Education Program Clinical Experiences

Overview of Clinical Support Team

Mentor Teacher (MT)

Clinical Faculty Advisor (CFA)

Clinical Support Coordinator

Critical Practicum (for Residents & Interns)

Core Clinical Assignments & Evaluations

POD Cycle (Clinical Observations)

Competency Development Reflection

Evidence of Ongoing Planning

Midterm Competency Evaluation and Progress Report

Midterm Support Plan (if needed)

Final Competency Evaluation and Progress Report

Clinical Experiences

Residency

Placements

Opportunities to Earn Money While in a Residency

Mentor Teachers (MTs)

Coaching Expectations for Mentor Teachers

Pedagogical & Professional Modeling Expectations for Mentor Teachers

Professional Duties & Responsibilities for Mentor Teachers

General Education Internship Models

Special Education: Residency + Internship Model

Program Supports for General Education and Special Education Interns

Support, Guidance, and Mentorship Expectations for Site Support Providers

Candidate Roles & Expectations During Clinical Experiences

Planning & Teaching

Attend and learn from events including but not limited to Back to School Night, Open House, school events, staff meetings, IEP meetings, parent conferences, etc.

Communication

Professionalism