TEACHER PREPARATION ACADEMY

Teacher Preparation Academy (TPA)

Open to all LAVC students who want to become elementary school or special education teachers.

Teacher Preparation Academy Mission Statement

The Teacher Preparation Academy, an enrichment program, assists students who plan to become elementary or special education teachers. The academy provides students with academic and career resources to achieve their professional goals and initiate lifelong networking, thereby benefiting themselves, their future students, and society.

Benefits to LAVC Students: Membership in the TPA

• allows full-time students a chance to earn both a BA and a teaching credential in as little as four years
• provides teacher-focused enrichment (guest speakers; group projects)
• keeps participants informed about conferences and other events
• enters full- and part-time students in a learning community (Statistics show that students in such a group outperform those who try to study in isolation.)
• provides an e-mail network with other students at LAVC (even when they attend at different times of day)
• provides an opportunity to give support to those just getting started (after you have transferred)
• has up-to-the-minute counseling in this changing field and information about transfer
• gives participants a voice in selection of times the courses they need are offered
• assures that the courses required for preparation are offered at least once every two years
• information about the required courses that are coming up.

Cost: Membership in the TPA is free to LAVC future teachers.

To Get Started to become part of the TPA program:

• Get an e-mail account. If you have one already, that is fine. If not, as an LAVC student, you are entitled to a FREE account. Just go to the LAVC Student E-mail web page and follow the directions or go to the Writing Center or LAIR on campus for help in setting up your own FREE e-mail account.
• Contact Dr. La Vergne Rosow, TPA Director, at (818) 947-2591 or rosowlv@lavc.edu Provide her with your name, e-mail address, snail-mail address, phone number, number of units you are taking this semester, teaching focus (elementary or special education), and the TPA counselor you are seeing.
• Contact one of the counselors to set up your TPA program plan.
• Some of the most recommended transfer courses are:
  * Education 203 (also available through PACE)
  * History 86 (also available through PACE)
  * Child Development 45
  * Linguistics 1
  * Speech 103 or English 105
• Make an appointment with a counselor for specific advisement on what courses you need next.
• Check the schedule of classes for more information on these classes. Your counselor will advise which ones are appropriate for your career goals.

Try these interesting links when you have browsing time:

http://www.itcnetwork.org/resources.htm
ITC  has many interesting distance education links.

http://www.cbest.nesinc.com
California Basic Educational Skills Test(tm) (CBEST®) The CBEST must be
taken before entering most university teaching programs. It is required
of all public school teachers in California. You may start preparing
for it now. It is a good idea to take it at your earliest convenience.
If you don't pass, you may take it over.

http://www.rica.nesinc.com/
Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA®) This is a reading test
every new teacher must take. It is designed to go with a teaching
methods course.

http://www.ctc.ca.gov
This site gives information on testing, credentials, and the credential processes.

http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/
California Content Standards and Frameworks are linked to this page.  Some can be downloaded and some can be read online.