Department of Teacher Education

PUBLIC NOTICE: On January 17, 2018, the Commission for the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability voted to approve Southwestern Christian University's Educator Preparation Program (EPP) for 5-year accreditation. SCU'sCAEP site visit is scheduled for Fall 2022. Please contact Dr. Ira Harris at ira.harris@swcu.edu for more information.

Teacher Education Program

Department of Education Data
Certification Exams

Content knowledge is assessed by the Oklahoma General Education Test (OGET) - required for Transition I: Admission to Teacher Education - and the Oklahoma Subject Area Test (OSAT) - required for Transition III: Application to Clinical Internship. The Oklahoma Professional Teaching Examination (OPTE) assesses professional knowledge and skills - required for Transition IV: Recommendation for Certification.

The average OGET score for all SCU candidates is shown below along with the average OSAT and OPTE scores of SCU program completers.

Certification Examination Scores (2015-2020)

Average Scores:

OGET

N=71

OSAT

N=62

OPTE

N=35

246

230.5

243

A minimum total score of 240 of a possible 300 is required to pass the OGET, OSAT, and OPTE tests.

First-Year Employer Surveys

SCU's first program completers graduated May 2018. First year surveys will be sent to completers and their principals. The survey addresses the following competencies: knowledge, planning/organization skills, instructional skills, classroom management skills, academic and professional excellence. The survey uses a scale of 1-6. The goal of the survey is to meet expectations (4-6) in performance and preparation.

First Year Survey Results

Completer	Year	Teacher Average	Principal Average
2	2017-2018	In Progress	In Progress
7	2018-2019	5.38 out of 6	5.34 out of 6
7	2019-2020	5.77	5.71
7	2020-2021	5.72	5.70
TOTAL: 23

Teacher Education Degrees:

SCU offers education degrees that provide candidates with the knowledge, skills, and disposition to teach in Pk-12 schools - public or private. Southwestern Christian University's Department of Education provides a B.S. in Teacher Education in the following subject areas:

Early Childhood Development Education (PK-3^rd)
Elementary Education (1-8^th)
Secondary Education - English Education (5^th-12^th)
Secondary Education - History Education (5^th-12^th)
Secondary Education - PE, Health, and Safety Education (PK-12^th)

Find Out More:

Contact: Dr. Ira Harris
Department of Education, Chair
Email Ira.harris@swcu.edu
Phone: (405) 789-7661 ext. 2284

Come to the CROSS!

Are you ready to be a part of one of an exciting new program at SWCU that leads to a career as a professional educator? The Education Department invites you to come to the CROSS. The Education Department is home to the Teacher Education Program which has recently been approved by the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (formerly the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation). The graduate emerging from the SWCU teacher education program is:

CARING for every student and the belief that all can learn
REFLECTIVE on professional and personal practice
SERVICE-guided as a model of Christian character through leadership and involvement
SCHOLARSHIP-minded in the pursuit of life-long learning

The essence of our Christian mission is supported by a strong commitment to preparing competent, caring, reflective, and qualified educators. SWCU emphasizes the integration of subject matter, clinical experiences, and pedagogical knowledge as demonstrated by caring actions, service in the field, and teaching skills. We believe the teacher is the orchestrator of the learning environment and has the responsibility to create a positive atmosphere for all students. This is reached through specific themes designed to provide a unique educational experience at SWCU. The SWCU teacher education program seeks to prepare effective educators who are caring, reflective, service-guided, and scholarship-minded throughout their professional careers as they facilitate learning and model Christ.

SWCU’s teacher education program strives to ensure that teacher candidates develop a strong foundation in the liberal arts, a sound knowledge of their discipline, and an understanding of how students learn and develop. Teacher candidates are encouraged to explore, reflect, analyze, and think critically as they develop curriculum and appropriate assessment procedures with awareness of different learning styles and as they strive to create a positive classroom environment that facilitates learning and partnerships with the home, school, and community through a reasonable mastery of communication skills. In order to establish these expectations for our program, the SWCU Teacher Education Council voted to adopt the InTASC Standards. Based on research and a solid knowledge base the InTASC Standards will serve as the practical application for our SWCU Conceptual Framework.

So if you feel this is a path you want to pursue:

Determine your eligibility – SWCU has certain requirements for being admitted to the Teacher Education program. Click here to view the requirements.
Complete and submit an application. Click here for an admission checklist.
If you do not meet all of the admission requirements but feel there are valid reasons why an exception should be made to allow you to enroll in restricted classes, please submit a letter of appeal along with your application. The appeal letter should be addressed to the Teacher Education Council.

You might find the following links helpful in finding out more about teaching as a profession and SWCU’s Teacher Education Program: