TAP Process

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree with a strong concentration in courses related to the educator endorsement being sought (typically 30 credits or equivalent for high school, 18 credits or equivalent for middle level)
• Completed online application with transcript, resume, two brief essays, three references and $100 application fee
• Application for adding an endorsement to an existing teaching license does not require an application fee

TAP is a rigorous, accelerated program. Candidates can expect to:

• Spend 18 weeks at a local school, from the beginning until the end of the host school’s semester. TAP places candidates in host schools as close to home as possible.
• Work full-time at a host school from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. five days a week, with the exception of school holidays and TAP seminar days in Burlington.
• Complete TAP assignments and readings in addition to planning lessons and assessing student work in the evenings.
• Attend 13 full-day (8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.) seminars in Burlington, led by TAP faculty. These are held on weekdays.

In  order to be recommended to the State of Vermont Agency of Education for licensure, candidates must meet the following requirements:

• Full participation in TAP seminars
• Successful completion of a full student teaching practicum
• Successful completion of the Vermont Licensure Level I Portfolio
• Passing scores on the Praxis® Core Academic Skills (or qualifying exemptions) and Praxis II® Subject Assessments with scores sent to TAP and the VT AOE from ETS directly

Champlain College has not determined whether the Education programs meet the education requirements for professional licensure in any state (or the District of Columbia) other than Vermont. However, Vermont teaching licenses are reciprocal in most states subject to any applicable state requirements. Educators with a Vermont license are eligible to apply for licenses certifications out of state under the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certifications’s (NASDTEC) Interstate Teacher Mobility Compact. 

Teachers looking to add an endorsement with TAP can learn more about the self-paced process here.

TAP offers two cohort intakes per year, one starting in mid-August and the other in early January. Admission is rolling and after submitting an online application, TAP will review and arrange an interview with a licensed mentor as close to the candidate’s home as possible. Candidates work full-time in schools for one semester or 18 weeks, in addition to attending 13 full-day seminars at Champlain College. Following the student-teaching practicum, candidates complete their Vermont Licensure Portfolios and often secure paid teaching opportunities during the final months of the program. TAP also supports teachers on provisional or emergency licenses. For these educators, the program requirements are the same, and their current teaching assignment serves as their teaching practicum.

Teachers looking to add an endorsement with TAP do not follow this sample timeline, and can learn more about the self-paced process here.

SEPTEMBER-APRIL

• Attend information session
• Complete online application
• Review VT testing requirements
• Register for Praxis, and begin studying for those exams
  
  

MARCH-JULY

• Submit application by July (for applications after May 1, placements may take more time and require more geographic flexibility)

WITHIN 10 DAYS of OFFICIAL ACCEPTANCE

• Pay $1,000 program deposit
  
  

APRIL-JULY

• TAP schedules interviews with potential host schools when applicant indicates they are ready to commit to a placement with our program
• Complete pre-service assignments
• Take Praxis exams (optional but recommended-can be taken at any time)
• Communicate with mentor to prepare for fall

MID-AUGUST

• Begin TAP seminars in Burlington

LATE AUGUST

• Join mentors in host schools