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Cost

In the Teacher Apprentice Program™, you will have a low flat tuition rate per credit hour. You will also not have to pay an online or student activity fees for our courses, saving you money throughout the program. You can see a breakdown of the tuition and program fees to expect below per credit hour.

  • Tuition and Fees $258.37
  • TAP Course Fees $5.50 per credit hour
  • TAP Field Experience / Internship Course Fee $30.00
  • Teacher Licensure Capstone Course Fee, per course $100.00

Program Qualifications

In order to start the TAP Online Program, you must meet the qualifications listed below.

Employment as a Para Educator or Long Term Substitute

  1. Must serve as a para educator or long-term substitute with instructional responsibilities at the middle school level (5th–8th grade) in a mathematics classroom for at least 8 hours per week in the initial semesters, and full-time para educator or Teacher of Record (on Limited TAP license) in the final semester.
  2. The paraeducator position must be held in a building that is accredited by KSDE (Kansas State Department of Education) or licensed by KDHE (Kansas Department of Health and Environment) or a similar setting.

           Middle Level Education Apprentice Employment Requirements

GPA Requirement

You must have a 2.0 Institutional and overall GPA.

If you do not meet this requirement, your academic advisor can assist you. Contact parapath@wichita.edu for more information.

TAP Mentor Teacher

All students in the TAP program are provided with a mentor teacher once they are eligible to begin the Internship courses. Mentor teachers are master teacher educators from across the state who are trained mentors, and work with the students in order to assist in their professional growth in designing and delivering instruction in the classroom. They are considered university supervisors for the students as they progress through the program.

Mentor Teachers

  • Will be assigned to TAP students in TAP 441/610 (after Labor Day in fall, after Feb 1 in spring)
  • Collaborate with TAP students and host 4 monthly virtual meetings (via Zoom or Teams) per semester with their mentee groups. Students are required to attend the monthly meetings as part of their Field Experience or Internship grade.
  • Provide mentoring & support in your lesson planning, delivery of instruction, professional dispositions and assist in your growth as a professional.
  • Continue as your mentor and coach during your progress through the field experience and/or internship courses in the TAP program.
  • Review your lesson plans and provide feedback for revision and reflection before teaching.
  • Review your teaching video on PASS and provide feedback for reflection and professional growth.
  • Assess your professional growth using the four KEEP constructs and submit KEEP summative assessment scores at the end of the semester.
  • Assess your professional dispositions and submit disposition assessment scores at the end of the semester.

TAP Students

  • Communicate with mentor teachers and attend monthly mentor teacher meetings.
  • Submit lesson plans (as assigned in Internship Courses) to mentor teacher for feedback 1-2 weeks in advance before teaching.
  • Work with mentor teachers in order to grow in their professionalism and meet the professional disposition expectations of the program. Demonstrated in their work with peers, instructors, coaches, and the education community.
  • Communicate with mentor teachers for support and assistance, as needed.

Degree Plans

Please know that these are sample degree plans. If you would like an academic advisor to create a degree plan for you, please send your unofficial transcripts for all previous institutions to parapath@wichita.edu.

If your general education courses are completed:

TAP Middle Level Math Education Degree Plan #1

If your general education courses are not completed:

TAP Middle Level Math Education Degree Plan #2

*If you hold an Associate of Arts or Science degree from a Kansas community college or technical school your degree plan may look different. Please contact a TAP advisor at parapath@wichita.edu.

Licensure Options

The degree includes several licensure options.

Licensure available to you after you've completed your degree:

  • Middle Level Mathematics- Licensed in 5th-8th grade

Licensure available to you while you're in the program:

Limited License

After you meet the qualifications for the Limited TAP License, you'll have the option to be hired as a teacher of record under the Limited TAP License while completing the Teacher Apprentice Program™ (TAP Program).

Accreditation and Licensure Notice - 34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v)

34 CFR 668.43(a)(5)(v). Wichita State University's teacher education programs are accredited at the national, regional, and state level. Upon completion of all courses and program assessments, graduates of these programs will be eligible to apply for the Kansas initial teaching license for their program of study after they successfully complete the Kansas teacher licensure exams required by the State of Kansas for application for a teacher license or endorsement. Wichita State has made no determination if this program will lead to licensure in any state other than Kansas in which a graduate may seek licensure. Because every state has different requirements that may change frequently, we recommend checking with the state education department for the state in question to determine current requirements. The nonprofit organization Education Commission of the States has compiled Teacher License Reciprocity State Profiles that provide additional information about the teacher license reciprocity agreements for each state in a searchable format. Kansas Teacher Reciprocity Agreements provides a list of member states of the NASDTEC Interstate Agreement who have signed reciprocity agreements with Kansas.

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