WCE Elementary Education Application
Undergraduate/Post Baccalaureate
Teacher Education Admissions
TeacherEd.Admissions@wwu.edu 		#New Form
Application Directions
Use these checklists to assure submission of a complete application. An incomplete application WILL NOT be reviewed- it is your responsibility to assure you are submitting a complete application.
 
 
ALL TRANSCRIPTS MUST BE IN PDF FORMAT. ALL WRITTEN RESPONSES MUST BE IN DOC, DOCX or PDF FORMAT.
 
 
Application Due Date Application Review Decision Notification
Fall - March 1 Beginning to late March Beginning to late April
Winter - September 15 Late September to mid-November Mid to late November
Spring - January 15 Mid-January to late February Late February
 
All applicants will be notified of admission decisions via email.
Background Information
The State of Washington requests the following from teacher education applicants, however the information WILL NOT be used in the review of your application:
 
 
Applicant Information
 
 
 
*If not currently a WWU student, you must apply directly to the university, a separate application.
 
The Elementary Professional Program is not a major but leads to teacher certification. Students who pursue this program must also choose an acceptable major.
 
Have you declared a major?
 
 
 
 
All students who successfully complete the Elementary Professional Program will be eligible to receive a K-8 Elementary Education Endorsement in the state of WA. Students also have the option to add on additional endorsements by completing additional coursework on top of their major and program. Do you plan to pursue any of the following additional add-on endorsements?
College Information
List all colleges and submit UNOFFICIAL transcripts for all college credit received.
Current WWU students: Include a Transfer Equivalency Report for all transfer credits (including AP & IB).
Attach PDF transcripts at the end of this application.
 

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 College Dates Attended Degree Earned Date Completed
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Basic Skills Assessment
Indicate below which basic skills assessment you have completed for each subject area. Scores must be sent to WWU from the testing company to be considered official. We do not accept paper score reports for any exam. For more information visit: wce.wwu.edu/admissions/basic-skills-requirement
Please use an "X" to indicate the test you have completed for each area, Reading, Math and Writing.
 
 
OR,
Program Prerequisites
Indicate if you have completed or met the following prerequisites.
 
MATH 112/MATH 111
 
SCED 201*

*NOTE: SCED 201 fulfills a Natural Science GUR. WWU Students are encouraged but not required to also take SCED 202, 203, and 204 for remaining Nature Science GURs.
Essay Response (Written or Audio Recording)
We invite you to share with us important aspects about yourself and the commitments you will bring to teaching. Respond to the three-part prompt below in one single-spaced page, size 12 font. If you respond via audio recording, your response should not exceed 4 minutes. With both written and audio submissions, the focus is on the content and responsiveness to the priorities of equity and learning, NOT grammar.
 
Tips for Writing/Recording
  • Develop and outline your thoughts before you begin the writing process.
  • Be personal, genuine, and candid in your writing or speaking.
  • Ask someone to proofread your final version or seek advice from a resource such as a Writing Center. Or, make sure your audio is clear without background noise.
  • If you audio record, the file must be saved as .mp3, .m4a, .mp4, or .wav. Do not submit any video with your recording. You might use apps like voice recorder or programs like Audacity or GarageBand. Do not add any music to the recording.
  • Written responses must be submitted as .doc, .docx, or .pdf.
 
Prompt:
  1. Describe one life experience (within or outside of a school context) that challenged the way you think about equity, diversity, privilege, and/or social justice.
  2. What did you learn from the experience described in prompt A?
  3. How does this experience influence what you currently understand your responsibility to be as an educator OR what you hope to learn in this program?
 
Attach your PDF written response or MP3, M4A, MP4, or WAV audio response to ALL 3 portions of the prompt at the end of this application.
Student Conduct Agreement and Requirement
Students accepted into teacher certification programs at Western Washington University will have opportunities to work in public or private schools with students, teachers, administrators and parents. Our students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner in all interactions with all individuals. As a means of emphasizing the importance of appropriate behavior, the following policies apply to all Woodring College Elementary Education students. Elementary Education applicants and admitted students may be denied admission, withdrawn from a course or practicum/field experience, the student teaching internship, or the certification program for any of the following reasons:
  1. a guilty plea or conviction of any felony crime involving the physical neglect of or physical injury to a child;
  2. the commission of a crime against the laws of the State of Washington;
  3. exhibiting unprofessional or unethical conduct or behavior;
  4. failure to maintain a 2.75 quarterly GPA
 
Program Completion
To qualify for program completion and recommendation for state of Washington Residency certification, students must complete the following requirements and assessments:
  • A baccalaureate or higher-level degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Successful completion (grade of C or better) of all Woodring coursework and trainings, including preparation in an endorsable subject area and teaching methodologies.
  • A state-approved, performance-based teacher preparation program that includes preparation in an endorsable subject area, teaching methodologies, and an internship.
  • Evidence of good moral character and personal fitness.
  • Passing scores as set by the State of Washington on the content knowledge test(s) for each endorsement.
  • Successful completion of the student teaching internship as shown by performance on the InTASC Student Teaching Observation Tool.
 
I understand that information concerning admitted students may be shared with school district personnel to determine if a field placement may and should be made, or if a placement should continue; and that the Woodring College of Education cannot override the decision of school district personnel. Practicum and Internship placements are dependent on school district approval.
 
I understand that final admission will be based on Washington State Patrol and FBI fingerprint and Pre-Residency Character and Fitness Questionnaire clearance, and completion of required Woodring Teacher Education New Student Orientation.
 
I also understand that acceptance into the program and completion of the program does not guarantee the granting of a Washington State Residency Teaching Certificate.
 
I agree to abide by the above policies and certify, to the best of my knowledge, that all statements contained in this application are true and accurate.
 
 
Internship
The Elementary Education program includes three consecutive quarters of internship that are completed in a single classroom. There are two important items you must consider as you plan for your internship and program completion:
  • Outside employment may not conflict or interfere with the required or necessary hours of attendance during your school-based field experience or your ability to meet the expectations of your internship. Working during the full-time portion of your internship (quarter three) is very difficult and likely to interfere with your ability to meet all requirements, including outside preparation and planning.
  • Because the student teaching internship should be completed in a single classroom for all three quarters, it is likely that you will be placed in a school within Whatcom or Skagit counties. Interns participate in a cohort model at specific schools selected by the Elementary program and in collaboration with our partner districts. Cohorts meet regularly at school sites to engage in Professional Development and share internship experiences. This model does not support placing students in schools outside of the cohort, therefore the ELED program does not accommodate Out of Area Requests.
 
Elementary Education Department Guiding Principles
The five guiding principles listed below were developed by faculty in the Elementary Education Department during an extensive series of program revision meetings from 2014-2016. We see these principles as reflecting the key elements of a professional identity guided by the moral and ethical ideals they represent. As faculty in the program, we charge ourselves with supporting our students in the development of their own professional identities informed by these principles. These principles serve also as the fundamental professional dispositions which we hold ourselves accountable for in our interactions with our teacher candidates.
 
Our Overarching Commitment:
 
To prepare teacher candidates who will educate students as citizens for a sustainable, globally interconnected, and diverse society in a way that challenges inequities and promotes social justice.
 
  1. Teacher candidates will develop and enact a strengths-based stance and growth mindset
    toward themselves and toward learners, their families, and their communities and
    recognize that all people have assets to draw upon.
  2. Teacher candidates will develop and enact an ethic of care and a sense of responsibility for relating to learners of all ages with receptivity, relatedness, and responsiveness.
  3. Teacher candidates will develop and enact an understanding of equity and diversity and their impact on teaching and learning.
  4. Teacher candidates will develop and enact a deep understanding of disciplinary/interdisciplinary content and of teaching and learning as intellectual endeavors.
  5. Teacher candidates will develop and enact a commitment to the fundamentally collaborative nature of teaching and learning and to the importance of collaborative partnerships that promote the learning and well-being of individuals, families, and the community.
 
Professional Behavior and Participation
 
In addition to developing and enacting understandings related to the guiding principles, we also expect candidates to conduct themselves in program-related activities according to the following guidelines for professional behavior and participation:
 
  • Candidates will consistently meet the expectations of scheduled commitments.
  • Candidates will consistently demonstrate professional responsibility, conduct, productivity, and effort necessary to meet professional responsibilities.
  • Candidates will communicate effectively, appropriately, and professionally with peers, instructors, school personnel, and school students, both in person and via electronic media.
  • Candidates will consistently maintain confidentiality of privileged information and conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.
 
Dispositions and Professional Behavior and Participation Affirmation
 
During your time in the program, you will be periodically assessed by teams of faculty with respect to your ability to understand and enact the guiding principles and expectations for professional behavior and participation with increasing reliability and sophistication during your course work and school practicum experiences. We see these principles as reflecting the key elements of a professional identity guided by the moral and ethical ideals they represent. We hold ourselves accountable, as faculty in the program, with supporting you in this developmental process, and with conducting ourselves in a manner that is consistent with these principles and expectations.
 
I understand that these guiding principles and professional behavior and participation expectations are the foundation on which the program is built, and that my performance, in part, will be assessed in relation to these principles and expectations.
 
Application Attachments
Please attach the following:
  • In PDF format:
    • All UNOFFICIAL transcripts including WWU Academic History from Web4U (if applicable)
    • Transfer Equivalency Report from Web4U (if applicable)
  • In PDF, DOC, or DOCX format:
    • If anything in application needs to be explained: the explanation as a separate
      document.
  • In PDF, DOC, DOCX, MP3, M4A, MP4, or WAV format
    • Essay response
DO NOT COMPLETE - Woodring Admission Personnel Only
Signatures and Attachments
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