To become a certified teacher, a four-year degree from a professional education program and a teaching certificate from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) must be earned. SCC offers an Associate of Arts in Teaching (A.A.T.) degree options in Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary education to prepare you for successful transfer to a four-year school for the completion of your preparation.

Effective fall 2007, community colleges throughout Missouri began offering the AAT degree for education majors. The degree consists of 64 total credit hours: 42 hours of general education, 13 hours of required professional education, plus electives. Additional graduation requirements include passing all sections of the Missouri General Education Assessment exam with the state-mandated minimum passing score, preparing a Mid-Preparation Education Portfolio (accomplished by taking EDU 290), maintaining a cumulative GPA of 2.75 overall, a GPA of 3.0 in all education coursework, and earning a C or better in each course with an EDU prefix.

Begin your preparation for a teaching career with an Associate of Arts in Teaching (AAT) degree from St. Charles Community College. Every education faculty member has experience in K-12 schools; collectively, they have more than 300 years of teaching experience. SCC also boasts a beautiful campus with accessible wireless and wired technology. Numerous clubs give students the opportunity to network and socialize with others who share their interests. Additionally, SCC costs much less than other institutions. If you qualify for an A+ scholarship, your SCC education will be almost free! In a recent survey of former students, 100 percent rated SCC’s education program as excellent (67%) or good (33%). Statistics and testimonials indicate that students who transfer from the SCC education program to four-year schools perform as well as students native to the four-year institutions.

Four-year schools that officially register with the Missouri Department of Higher Education (DHE) agree to:

• Accept the AAT in transfer;
• Accept the entire degree as equivalent to the first two years of their own program;
• Require AAT graduates to have no more credit hours to complete than juniors native to the four-year institution.

Transferring with the AAT is easier than transferring a collection or courses. Without a degree, each SCC course may be accepted or rejected in transfer individually. With the AAT, the entire degree is accepted, and you should not be required to repeat any courses.

SCC offers Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degrees and Certificates for paraprofessionals in Paraprofessional Studies and Autism Specialist. Although the degree includes some courses that will transfer to 4-year schools, the degree is designed as a terminal degree for individuals who plan to have a career as a paraprofessional.

An Associate of Applied Science degree in Paraprofessional Education at SCC is an excellent place to begin building knowledge and skills in the field of education. This degree offers a wide array of coursework, much of which may transfer to four year institutions to be counted towards a bachelor’s degree. In addition, this coursework offers knowledge that is content-specific to the needs of students with whom paraprofessionals are likely to work. Furthermore, with this degree graduates will meet current state and federal regulations for working as a paraprofessional educator or substitute teacher in any classroom within a pre-K-12 school setting.

Federal requirements mandate that children with developmental disabilities as young as age 3 are eligible to receive services from school districts. In addition, state requirements from an increasing number of states, including Missouri, require health insurance providers cover autism-related treatment and have increased demands for trained employees.

In addition, occupational outlook reflects favorable job prospects are expected for paraprofessional educators, especially those with at least two years of formal post-secondary education. In fact, this area projects growth of nearly 23% between 2008 and 2018, much faster than the average for all occupations. Job prospects are best for employees with post-secondary education and training.

Earning a Certificate of Specialization in Autism Specialist provides individuals who possess 60 hours of college credit and are currently working full-time as a Paraprofessional, or individuals who possess at least a two year degree in Education, the opportunity to expand their knowledge with four additional courses that focus specifically on Autism in the world of Education.

Students enrolled in the education program will be required to provide a current Missouri Family Care Safety Registry (FCSR) background check at the student’s expense ($15), for any class requiring an observational or practicum component.

Students enrolled in many education classes are required to observe and complete practicum work in K-12 schools. School districts may require anyone working directly with children to provide many forms of clearance, but at a minimum will require a clean background check before entering the school.

Please obtain your required background check from the Family Care and Safety Registry at: http://health.mo.gov/safety/fcsr/

Students in any education class requiring an observational or practicum component will be required to provide proof of current membership in the St. Charles Community College student MSTA (Missouri State Teachers Association) organization, as this is how the student liability coverage will be provided. Joining or renewing a membership in the organization will be at the student’s expense ($5).  In addition, all education majors are required to attend one meeting and participate in one service project each academic year.

Please register for your required MSTA membership and pay the required $5.00 chapter fee at: http://www.msta.org/

All Education majors are required to attend the on campus EDU Night meeting each semester, see your instructor for further details.

• Clear TB test results (at the student’s expense). The test must be taken and the results provided within the first two weeks of the semester.
• Proof of current membership in the Missouri State organization as well as the St. Charles Community College student MSTA chapter (Missouri State Teacher Association). http://www.msta.org/join/
• Students must sign and submit a Confidentiality Statement, Notice of Release and Expectations of Teacher Candidates during the first week of the semester (detailed information will be provided the first day of class).
• Students participating in EDU 212, must complete 8 hours of observation/presentation work in a K-12 classroom during the regular school day.
• Students participating in EDU 222, must complete 5 hours of observation/presentation work in a K-12 classroom during the regular school day.
• Students participating in EDU 250, must complete 20 hours of observation work in a K-12 classroom during the regular school day.
• Students participating in EDU 280 or EDU 285, must be available for approximately 5 to 8 hours each week of practicum work in K-12 public school classrooms, for a total of 45 hours during the semester. Practicum work should be scheduled on alternative days that will not conflict with their EDU 285 class meetings.
• Student participating in EDU 285 must pay for and compete the Misouri Educatior Profile exam, cost is $22.00.

The Missouri State Board of Education will not award a teaching certificate to any individual who has been convicted of a crime until the individual has made a direct appeal to the state board and been awarded an exception. Candidates for a Missouri certificate of license to teach who are currently enrolled in professional education courses with state approved teacher preparation programs may petition the State Board of Education for provisional clearance of their background.

Therefore, anyone with a conviction will not be able to partake in any education class that requires Pre K–12 school site visits until completion of a successful State Board of Education appeal. In addition, SCC Education Department will not permit candidates with a conviction to observe/participate in local Pre K-12 classrooms representing the SCC Education Program until the district is aware of the problematic background check and has approved contact with their students.

As of Sept. 1, 2013, The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) adopted a new general education assessment for those seeking initial teacher certification. Undergraduate degree-seeking students should be aware that they must pass all sections of Missouri General Education Assessment (MoGEA) in order to successfully complete the AAT degree or transfer into a Teacher Education Program at a four-year University or College.

The Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education has implemented the following MoGEA policies:

• Candidates may register to take all four subtests in one test session OR to take each subtest independently. Candidates may only register for the four-subtest option one time.
• Passing MoGEA score requirements are set by individual schools. The score requirements imposed by SCC are the state-recommended scores, however, transfer institutions have varied MoGEA passage requirements. Therefore, students should consult an advisor at their intended four-year institution for specifics.

MoGEA Test Registration:To register for the MoGEA exam, visit www.Mo.nesinc.com. The cost is $25 per single subtest, or $49 for all four subtests in a single session. Payment is required at the time of registration. St. Charles Community College charges a sitting fee in addition to the test fee.

• You must pay for the test before you can select the test date and location.
• You are not required to take the MoGEA exam at SCC if another date and location work better with your schedule.
• To ensure your passing scores are recorded accurately, it is critical that you select St. Charles Community College as your Educator Preparation Training institution when you are registering.

MoGEA Test Preparation: Visit the Missouri Educator Gateway Assessment website: www.Mo.nesinc.com for test content, study guides, reference materials, and practice tests.

SCC required scores for sub-test taken after Sept. 1, 2015:

• Reading Comprehension and Interpretation - 220
• Writing - 220
• Mathematics - 220
• Science and Social Studies - 220

SCC required scores for sub-test taken prior to Sept. 1, 2015:

• English - 186
• Writing - 193
• Math - 183
• Science - 183
• Social Studies - 183